Clean Run - January 2016 - 65

These self-regulation skills are the foundation for many things. A stable start-line
stay, reliable table performance, and rock
solid stopped contacts all get their start
in this exercise. In addition, a dog that
can quickly and easily settle, rather than
needing to be entertained all the time,
will conserve mental, emotional, and
physical energy. The dog will be calm and
relaxed when traveling, at trials, as well as
being able to be calm and self-possessed
around agility, something many dogs
struggle with.
The handler is also learning valuable skills. So often, people want to micromanage
their dogs' behavior with a constant stream of chatter and manipulation. To teach
this exercise correctly the handler must learn to not micromanage. Even when preventing the dog from reaching a distracting toy or treat, the handler does not speak
to, or otherwise engage with, the dog. The handler simply uses the leash to physically prevent the dog from interacting with the toy or treat. This is the foundation
of the handler starting to learn to let their dog think and puzzle through problems
rather than always stepping in to "assist."
In addition to starting a good foundation of impulse control, this exercise also introduces the puppy to the three forms of reinforcement we use in training: social,
food, and play. Each form of reinforcement has a place in training, so it is important
for both dog and trainer to become familiar with all three.
Note: If you really feel you are not able to have success, by all means move the toys
and treats farther away at first, and find the threshold distance at which you can
have success and work toward harder goals.

Increasing the Difficulty of the Impulse-Control Exercise
Once your puppy starts to have a grasp of impulse control, increase the level of difficulty. Move the toys and treats closer and increase the number of items scattered
around. Stand up rather than remaining sitting. Walk around the toys and treats
with the puppy on leash. In our foundation class we start impulse control work at
the beginning of the first lesson. In addition to the toys and treats, the puppies have
each other as distractions to contend with. In these situations the desired goal is
for the puppy to be calm and relaxed, but remain attentive to the handler. When
the puppy can quickly and easily transition from calm impulse control to interaction, we have the basis for focus on training in distracting situations. We also have
a valuable life skill, the puppy has learned to create her own "off switch." As training progresses, most puppies choose to lie down or sit quietly when in this sort of
distracting situation. Although this is the basis for a solid stay, one should not be
confused with the other. The down in this situation is not cued, and the puppy is
free to get up at any time, as long as she maintains impulse control.

Conditioned Relaxation
Concurrent with teaching impulse control, we introduce the puppies to conditioned
relaxation; in other words, relaxing on cue. This is particularly useful with puppies
that are high energy and easily distracted. It is a skill that also helps tremendously
with impulse control. To successfully teach the puppy conditioned relaxation, the
handler first has to learn to focus and relax in the face of distraction. Using an inexpensive heart rate monitor that clips on your finger, or one of the fancier fitness
bands that measures heart rate, work on slowing yourself down, breathing deeply
and slowly, speaking softly, and moving slowly to cause your heart rate to go down.
When your heart rate lowers, immediately switch to high activity for a moment.
Jump up, laugh, wave your hands around, etc., and when your heart rate is up, repeat this. Soon you will be able to switch from high to low quite quickly. When
January 16 | Clean Run

Working on Impulse Control
as an Everyday Life Skill
We also practice impulse control
at home as an everyday life skill.
Most puppy training at our house
takes place at the kitchen during meal preparation and while
we are eating. What a perfect
time for a puppy to use impulse
control to stay out of trouble.
Our dogs are fed from, and allowed to beg at, the table when
invited to do so; but until invited,
the puppy is expected to remain
calm and controlled regardless of
what other dogs are doing.

you teach your puppy conditioned relaxation, you will be teaching the dog
this same skill, and you will largely be
teaching it by mirroring the behavior
you want from the puppy.
Start in a quiet, distraction-free area
(this is the only thing we teach puppies in a distraction-free area). Gently
massage the puppy using long, slow
strokes, speaking softly, and breathing
deeply and slowly. When the puppy
shows signs of relaxing, release him
from the relaxed state with whichever
cue you use as a release, and immediately start playing wildly together-tugging, tossing a ball, dancing
around... whatever fires the puppy
up. Play for 15-20 seconds and then sit
down and start massaging the puppy
again, making sure to slow your heart
rate, your breath, your voice, and your
movements. As soon as the puppy
shows signs of relaxing, release with a
wild game again. Repeat this several
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - January 2016