Clean Run Magazine - February 2009 - 19

First Things First • Have your dog examined by your vet or physical therapist before starting these exercises. Some of the exercises are physically taxing, so if your dog is recovering from surgery or an injury, be especially careful. • Keep in mind that the dog is never forced to do all the exercises. Shaping using a clicker is ideal for these exercises because the method does not use any physical force to get behaviors. • Be patient and never overface your partner • Never physically hold your dog in a position. or cause him to lose confidence. You can encourage better performance by using high-value treats and keeping the rate of reinforcement high. 4", (cut down from a 7" stool if a 4" stool is unavailable), 7", and 10". I start with the lowest and then gradually progress to the next height. If, however, you have a small dog or a dog recovering from an injury, start with a low-height 12" x 12" x 1/2" piece of plywood and then gradually progress to each different height of stool. (If necessary, you can trim down the stool legs to make the transition easier for very small dogs). • Put a non-skid surface on your step stools (and plywood square, if you’re using one). This prevents slipping that may result i n a n i n j u r y. R u b b e r d r a w e r l i n e r i s a f f o rd a b l e a n d c a n b e g l u e d t o t h e sides and top. Always let your dog step off the stool or stop doing the exercise. Be mindful that your dog may be capable of holding a position for only a second to start, but as he grows in strength and balance, he should be able to repeat an exercise or hold a position for progressively longer times. • I use stools of three different heights: • The higher the step stool, the more important it is to weight the stool so it does not fall over easily. I use duct tape to attach a brick to the bottom of the stool. One Front Foot Start by shaping your dog to put a single front foot on the stool. If your dog has a Shake cue for shaking “hands” with you, you can position him close to stool, cue Shake, and then click when his paw makes contact with the stool. Reinforce so that he gets his treat while his foot is still in contact with the stool. Another way to bring your dog’s attention to his foot is to put a small piece of Scotch tape on the top or side. As your dog raises his foot, even a micro-bit, click and then deliver the treat toward the opposite Watch carefully because your dog will try to always put the same foot on the stool. The object is to shape your dog to put either front foot on the stool. Position your reinforcement to the left or right of the dog to influence where he places his weight and to encourage him to lift the other paw. By keeping the behavior slow and deliberate, you draw the dog’s attention to a particular foot and also teach your dog to balance on the other three legs. For the front feet, it teaches your dog to shift his weight so that he becomes coordinated when using either foot. February 09 | Clean Run 19 shoulder to emphasize the weight shift and keep his weight off the target foot. Still another idea is to put a hair scrunchie on a particular leg, and click and treat for lifting up the leg. Personally, this is not my favorite way because some dogs are bothered by something on their foot and are not mentally present during the training process. No matter what method you use, think carefully about timing your click when your If you have a dog that works too quickly and throws behaviors at you, try putting an ex-pen in front of the stool to keep your dog from stepping completely over dog first attempts to lift the foot. Then evaluate where reinforcement should be given so the weight shift (and therefore foot lift) is emphasized. and off. Reinforce close to the dog and quickly so he doesn’t have time to move out of position.

Clean Run Magazine - February 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2009