Clean Run - August 2018 - 21

One of the most important pieces of agility handling is focus. Although the dog
and handler are not staring at each other, a beautiful invisible string connects them.
Depending on the methodology, whether the handler looks at the dog or looks
at the line, the connection is indescribable. Both work together in perfect form
to complete the desired sequences of behavior.

if your dog's head does not swivel back to you, then back up.
it simply means that you are too close and you are sitting on
his threshold. Then repeat the instructions for stage 2.
it is critical not to try to entice your dog to look at you in any
way. you want the environment to "speak" to him, not you. if
you attach a verbal cue to it, then you will always have to use
it. i prefer to let the exciting cues in the environment be the
cues to signal my dogs to look at me.
Stage 3
now that your dog is turning to look at you on his own when
an exciting set of stimuli is present, insert an incompatible or
alternate behavior. When i am in the queue and my golden
retriever austyn turns his attention to me, i frequently pat
my shoulders to beckon him to jump up. This is a valuable
interaction that we share: i calm my nerves by massaging
him slowly and rhythmically, and he stretches his muscles in
anticipation of the run. a win/win for us both!
Finally, after you have worked this behavior with the object
of interest, then you will take it on the road. instead of using
the treat on the lid or the remote-controlled toy, you will
now substitute other pieces of stimuli such as another dog
running noisily on course or someone playing tug exuberantly with their dog. Follow the same instructions for the
stages above.

* if your dog reacts to the stimulus, it simply means that
you are too close. open up space and try again. you will
find yourself continually adjusting the threshold. The perfect threshold is one where the dog is curious about the
stimulus but not over-reacting.
* For those dogs who are severely over-reactive, you might
need to stop taking your dog to agility shows until you
get this behavior rectified. every time your dog
reacts, it is a guarantee that he
will do so again.
* Do not spend a lot of time clicking and reinforcing your
dog for looking at and hearing other dogs. Though it is
an essential piece of this methodology, do not stop there.
if you do, you will be teaching your dog to stare at other
dogs. The only reason we use this is to give your dog the
chance to acknowledge the existence of the other dog,
and by doing this, he can now turn his attention to you,
the handler. This works with your dog at the root of his reactivity. Though an important piece, it is not the end goal.

Tips for Successful Training

* make sure your dog's head is swiveling back to you easily.
There might be instances where your dog is looking at
the object of interest, you click, and your dog cannot disengage from the sight. i call this "sticky head." all it means
is that, for whatever reason, his head cannot turn in your
direction. if this happens, it means that you are occupying
his threshold. Take a step back, and all will be well.

* use a reinforcement that your dog never gets unless he is
doing this type of work. make it amazing!

if you have any questions about this methodology, please
feel free to reach out at www.emmaparsons.com. D

* Be sure to use the clicker for other behaviors, so it alone
is not a cue that you are doing this type of work. you
want to be variable and unpredictable.

Emma Parsons is a Canine Behavior Training Consultant specializing in managing and rehabilitating aggressive and reactive dogs and is the author of Click to Calm:
Clicker Training to Heal the Aggressive Dog and Teaching the Reactive Dog Class: Leading the Journey from Reactivity to Reliability. In addition, she is a faculty member
of the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior and the Karen Pryor ClickerExpo conferences. Emma has been exhibiting in competition agility and obedience
for more than 15 years. In 2017, Austyn-Roque, one of her Golden Retrievers, earned his MACH title in just a single season. He is also a member of the Golden Retriever
Club of America's Agility Hall of Fame. Most recently, Emma and Austyn competed at the Westminster Kennel Club's fifth Annual Masters Agility Championship in New
York City. Emma can be reached at CreativK9@aol.com. Her website is www.emmaparsons.com.
August 18 | Clean Run

http://www.emmaparsons.com http://www.emmaparsons.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - August 2018