Clean Run - July 2018 - 42

ally happens when handlers have not had
much practice at play, are shy, or are not
entirely comfortable letting loose in public. It's hard for these handlers to think
and move spontaneously.
With these handlers, I usually take the
toys away and ask them to interact with
the dog. I don't care how they start-a few
good shoulder pats, belly rubs, chase-
whatever they can do to engage the dog.
Once they can gain their dog's interest,
one of my favorite games to introduce is
what I call the "Muhammad Ali." While
on the balls of the feet, move right, move
left, move forward, move back. The handler does their best to keep their front side
away from the dog. When the dog catches
up to the front of the handler, the handler
gives a food treat and quickly moves away
again. The handler is skipping and skip
jogging, still trying to keep their front
away from the dog. The quick movements
and anticipation of finding the front of
their handlers almost always keep the
dog's attention. When you're tired, and out
of breath, you know you've done it right.

the Cake walk
A game I encourage all my students to
play, using either toy or food, is "The Cake
Walk." It's a bit misleading as it isn't easy,
and it isn't so much as a walk as it is running around like you have an inside-out
sweater stuck over your head with food
or toys being shot willy-nilly out of the

sleeves. It works like this: handlers have
no fewer than six of the same toy, turning
them into birds, toads, snakes, or cannonballs. If they're using food, they should
choose food the dog can spot on the
ground. Good examples include multiple
pieces of cut string cheese or popcorn.
The handler creates interest in the toy or
food, and when the dog shows interest in
it, the handler tosses the toy or food away
from herself. As the dog goes after the
item, the handler runs in the opposite direction taking the remaining birds, toads,
snakes, or food with her. When the dog
turns his interest back to the handler she
repeats the cycle. When the handler runs
out of toys in her arms, she can pick up
the abandoned toys off the ground and
continue the game if she still has breath,
but don't lose the erratic, off-beat movements of the game. When the handler
runs out of food, the game is then over.

transitions froM Play
I suggest handlers have a transition for the
end of any game played with their dog. Examples could be the handler getting down
on the ground and doing some light wrestling with the dog. Or a trick where the
dog jumps up on her, so she can scratch
his ears (for large dogs) or land her in her
arms if it's a small dog. Whatever the handler chooses it should be something that
clearly says, "game over." A transition out
of play mode helps the dog reset yet allows us to keep a connection.

agility is a gaMe
Why is playing with our dogs so important when most handler's end-goal is a
trained agility dog? If you look at agility
objectively what you see is a playground
full of equipment-hey, there's even a seesaw and a balance beam.
Agility is one big game-one we play with
our dogs. How we play with our dogs reflects how our dogs feel toward the game.
If we are the fun kid on the playground
for our dogs, the all-inclusive kid that is
open to creativity, then we will draw our
dogs in and create happy playmates. If we
become the pushy kid or the bully, the
controlling one with all the rules, and the
one who becomes upset when the rules
aren't followed, then our dogs will learn
to avoid us or play the game because they
have been forced to instead of it being a
choice. Being pushy or a bully will create
unhappy playmates who sometimes find
ways of releasing the pressure of the game
through checking out or moving slower.
When we create play that is about play,
and when we make the game about the
game and not about the dog or ourselves,
we have a much better chance of gaining
our dog's attention. So, turn up the Beyoncé or Elvis, grab those squeaky balls
or cheese bits and have a dance party. D�

Tammy has been training dogs for more than 30 years, getting her start in 4-H obedience in middle school. Tammy found her love for agility in 1999 and started teaching
agility in 2002. She opened her own training program in 2006 when she founded Oregon School for Clever Dogs. Tammy is best known for helping her students create
happy working relationships with their dogs. You can reach Tammy at www.cleverdogsagility.com.
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http://www.cleverdogsagility.com

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