Clean Run Magazine - December 2007 - 36

Glenda Timmerman I suggest ﬁrst making a list of the things that stress your dog in general and also those things that stress your dog at a trial. For instance, some puppies are alarmed at barking dogs. To proof for this, bring your puppy to his ﬁrst trial with good bones, treats, and toys. Instead of leaving him alone in a pen or crate, start out farther away from all the action. Play with the puppy and gradually get closer and closer to the action at ringside. Make a point to do this at every trial so the puppy gets used to the barking and action. With all this prooﬁng, by the time your puppy is ready to show, he will likely be over his fear of barking. Do this same kind of prooﬁng with your pup to get him accustomed to hearing the teeter bang. You can work this at home by having another dog run across the teeter while you are feeding your puppy (or older dog) that may be fearful of the loud noise a teeter makes. I have known several dogs that were afraid of the wicket so I would suggest borrowing one from a friend or trainer and prooﬁng that, too. At trials we often see children as leash runners. If your dog is afraid of children, I suggest proofing for that as well. You might ﬁnd a child in your neighborhood or a friend’s child to use in helping your dog overcome any fears of children. You can start by having a child walk by your dog while you are feeding him and gradually work up to having the child feed your dog. I’ve been at trials where there is a person sitting inside the ring with a wooden paddle that says, “Go” on one side and “Wait” on the other side. Instead of having a person say “Go” when it’s time for your run, she turns the wooden paddle over. This can be a problem for some dogs (it was for mine). So go to a sporting goods store and buy a ping-pong paddle to proof for that possibility. Many dogs are fearful of the judge inside the ring. I try to proof my puppy by having him meet and get cookies from many different judges. Then, before his ﬁrst show, I have someone run alongside him on the contacts so that he has experience with it and knows he can still do his job. Glenda, who trains at Power Paws in California, is a 2004 and 2005 AKC World Team Member with Shetland Sheepdog MACH6 Bailey, UD (Mini). Bailey is also a 2003 AKC Nationals ﬁnalist and the 60-weave-pole challenge record holder for 8", 12", and 16" dogs for 2003. Contact Glenda at crazy4baileyandshelby@yahoo.com. Some shows are held at parks and there you can encounter babies in strollers, which can cause fear in some dogs. I try to take my dogs that have a problem with strollers as close as I can get without stressing my dog out. I feed him and/or play with him and gradually get closer and closer to the stroller. I then try to work up to having my dog do a nose touch on the stroller. © DIANELEWISPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Just a couple of months ago we were at a show at a sports complex and there was a skateboarding competition going on not far from the ring. I didn’t think I was going to be able to show my young dog because he was so afraid of the sound of the skateboards. I had to take him away from the ring to play with him just before our run. Then I carried him into the ring, dropped him, and ran. He ran just ﬁne but it was nerve-wracking. Since then, I have purchased a skateboard in hopes that I can get my dog over the shock of that sound. There are so many things that we can encounter at a trial. For a fearful dog, I suggest making a list of things that you know could cause a problem and working on them before you enter your dog in his ﬁrst trial. And when you do come across these things at a trial, try to not let your dog know that you are worried. It’s very hard to do but it’s important to not let your dog become any more stressed than he already may be. There is always the option not to show your dog if the situation is too much for the dog to handle. But if you are to proof for enough things ahead of time, you increase the chances that the competition will be an exciting and rewarding experience. D Brenna Fender is a freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in mass communications and a masters degree in elementary education. She lives with her husband, two young children, a Vizsla, a Whippet, and a cat. The dogs are collectively titled in agility, obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, and lure coursing. The cat, husband, and children are lacking in this regard. Contact Brenna at BrennaFender@gmail.com. 36 Clean Run | December 07

http://www.marksagilityequipment.com

Clean Run Magazine - December 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - December 2007