Clean Run Magazine - July 2008 - 55

The applications for this are widespread. When I take my dogs out of the car to potty at a rest area, my dog understands to hold his position in the crate, even after his leash is on, until I verbally release him. It’s much safer than trying to block a potential escape. I have transferred the Crate Games concepts to hotel room doors, to airline travel bags, and to any time my dog might be loose in the car. When I put my hand on the car door, my dog responds the same way he would if he were in the crate. He sits and holds his position so I can get the leash on, open the door, and release him. Then, he and I proceed forward together. For the speciﬁcs of teaching Crate Games, I highly recommend the Crate Games DVD by Susan Garrett. Playing Crate Games teaches the dog to love holding a stationary position, even in the face of exciting distractions.Staying on the start and stopping on tables and contacts can be quite a struggle for dogs that are easily distracted, but using Crate Games will help teach the dog to be passionate about self-control, and then drive to you when he is released. Advanced Nutrition. Unparalleled Freshness. Ultimate Convenience. ® Natural Food and Treats for Pets Travel Problem #4 On the Road: A stranger approaches you in an isolated location. In The Ring: Your dog needs to be more aroused before his run. Solution: Teach your dog to bark on cue! Most agility competitors are women, and most travel alone with their dogs. Personal safety can be at risk when we stop at hotels, for gas, or to potty the dogs, so it is important that we protect ourselves. Most agility dogs are very friendly to strangers, but despite this, our dogs can“act”as our protectors in a potentially dangerous situation. By teaching the dogs to bark on cue, they can quickly go from cute, friendly companions to intimidating loudmouths warning away unfriendly strangers. It is all just a masterful canine acting routine—if someone approaches you in a worrisome or threatening way, simply cue your dog to start barking. If you feel you need a harsher sounding bark, gently pull back on your dog’s collar… you’ll hear a different sound emerge that is sure to scare off strangers! To the dog, barking on cue is just a game. However, the barking is more than enough to make strangers think twice about approaching or harassing you. To teach your dog to bark on cue, all you need to do is frustrate him a bit. Tease him with a favorite toy or high-value treat. He will get frustrated and begin to vocalize. At ﬁrst, reinforce him with the treat or toy for any vocalization. Over time, build up his vocalizing into full-ﬂedged barking. Also, be sure to add a cue so you can start the barking as needed, as well as another cue to stop the barking (at which point you would reward him for being silent). Have fun choosing the cue to start the barking. Two of my cues to start the barking are“No Bite”and“Hey, Bad Dog.”I have chuckled as more than a few strangers have decided to avoid me after hearing me say,“No Bite!” just before the dog starts barking. It is unlikely you will meet threatening strangers in the agility ring, but barking on cue can still be helpful. Dogs that are struggling with motivation problems need to get more aroused. Arousal will aid in getting better speed and focus while helping distractions fade into oblivion. Asking the dog to bark at you is an easy way to get more arousal, and, by extension, more drive and focus from him in the ring. • Delivered to your door every month • Unbeatable freshness! • Unbeatable convenience! • And never run out of dog food again D Tracy Sklenar owns Leader of the Pack (www.lotp.com) in Smyrna, New York, and is an instructor at Say Yes! Dog Training (www.clickerdogs.com) in Ontario, Canada. She specializes in positive and motivational techniques for all types of dogs. She actively competes in agility and owns five dogs, including two Dalmatians, a Rat Terrier, a Dogo Argentino, and a JRT-mix. July 08 | Clean Run 55

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Clean Run Magazine - July 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - July 2008