Clean Run - January 2020 - 34

Test Yourself
When a student comes to me for help, I have to assess their skills as a trainer. These are the things I look at. Feel free to use this
as a test.

1. Do you think about the placement of the reward?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
2. Do you consider the rate of reinforcement?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
3. Do you know more than one technique to train the behavior you want?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
4. Do you know how to break behaviors down and when to do it (how to "go back to kindergarten")?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
5. Do you know how and when to increase diﬃculty?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
6. Do you know how to communicate when your dog has a breakthrough ("That was it or the next big step to it!")?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
7. Do you know when to reward the dog for less than you actually wanted, because of the level of progress that he
just made?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
8. Do you know how to tell your dog he is on the right track?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
9. Do you know how to tell your dog he is on the wrong track?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
10. Do you know what your dog already knows so you can "parlay" that knowledge into your next training project,
making your task easier?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
11. Do you know what your dog already knows that will undermine your next training project, making your task harder?

❏ Never ❏ Rarely ❏ Sometimes ❏ Very Often ❏ Always
It Is the Handler's Obligation to
Understand the Dog
I can't think of a better hobby than
dog training. I loved it long before
agility, and I will love it long after. I
wish for everyone who owns a dog to
find the joy in the challenges of com-

munication with another species. On
my website, I have written, "It is the
handler's obligation to understand the
dog, not the dog's obligation to understand the handler."

hope to remain forever curious about
how dogs see their world and what is
important to them as I work to make
their lives better by helping them fit
into mine.

I try my best to live by those words;
I think I am a better trainer for it. I

You can be the trainer you have always
wanted to be, take it on. D

Sandy Rogers has been teaching obedience and agility since 1991. Her career switched to focus solely on agility in 1999 when she founded ACE Dog Sports in San Francisco,
California. Sandy's specialty is helping the average handler get to the next level and getting the most out of non-traditional breeds. Her students' accomplishments are
a source of pride in and out of the competition ring. With her Border Collie Brink and JRT Quill Sandy is a four-time National Champion and has proudly represented
the USA at the World Agility Open in 2011, 2012, and 2013 where "Quilly" brought home gold, silver, and bronze medals. Sandy has written for Clean Run since 2009,
teaches seminars in person and online, and has two DVDs available.

Clean Run | January 20

Clean Run - January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - January 2020