Clean Run - March 2014 - 11

gage with me. Popi, my now 11-year-old
Border Collie bounced back at me maybe 30 times, so however much I was not
ready for a Collie whilst I was studying
for my LLB Law degree, she came home
with me that day. So to clarify, bounce
back is that moment when the dog joyfully springs back to engage with us after
having been pushed away momentarily,
but it can translate to all different scenarios later on in the dog's training career.
I try to create bounce back in a number
of different contexts. First, I want to use
it in play so that when my dog has a toy
he will dance in front of me with it, trying to get me to engage. I push him away
and he comes back toward me. Now
don't get me wrong, I don't want you
to use force here-this is a gentle game
of give and take to encourage our dogs
to really want to come back to us. It inspires confidence and is also the basis of
a good retrieve. Initially I play this game
in a small room and pick a toy the pup
doesn't want to run off with and shred!

I also play a similar game with food. I teach my pups to step on a perch fairly early
on in their lives. A perch is a raised station, anything from your phone book to a small
camping step. Once the pup has learned there is value in being on the step, I gently
add some pressure to his chest to move him off, in the hope that he will push against
me and fight to stay on the perch. The more confident the dog is, the harder I will
push-but I don't go overboard; it's important always to bear in mind the weight, size,
and type of dog you are working with. For example, if you have a 2kg very-sensitive
Papillon, you need to use a lot less pressure than with a 65kg strong-as-an-ox (mentally and physically) Bull Mastiff.
At the end of the day we want to see a good, confident attitude that incorporates bounce
back and resistance to our pressure. We want to see the dog come back time and time
again, ready and willing to try a little harder. This is going to make teaching 2x2s or
running contacts much easier since your dog is going to be so willing to just keep offering the behavior. That training will become just another form of bounce back.
I also work on shaping random behaviors, things that are unimportant to me but really
do help to make my pup more robust. This involves things like the pup standing on
unusual objects, exploring objects that make a noise and/or move, or getting involved
with different textures. I show all of this in detail in my DVD. I remember at the time
thinking how many different surfaces I had exposed Coco (the star of the DVD) to, yet
they are less than 1% of the surfaces she may come across during her early life. The
more your dog is happy to throw himself in and invest in what we are doing, the easier
his training will be. So don't throw anything away: every box, piece of packaging,
wrapping paper, bubble wrap, or whatever is another opportunity to train!
I always include plastic bags that rustle and flap (we tend to have windy and wet shows
in the UK with a constant assortment of plastic bags blowing about) in my training
games. Similarly I make sure that things falling in the house are also incorporated
into my games: anything like this is another chance to explore and have fun, and just
another opportunity for a good game. I want my pups to be confident about whatever
life might throw at them and take it all in as best they individually can.
With confidence your dog is a joy to work, life isn't a worry and failure is just looked
at as another opportunity. You will have an easier run at all of your training and you
will have a lot more fun. A dog that is resilient and confident will bounce back and
keep trying, at the very least, to make you laugh. Life is a fun and a confident dog lives
for the moment and his relationship with his owner-now go get started! D

Lauren has been training dogs internationally for many years with a knowledge spanning all canine disciplines. Lauren competes in agility at grade 7, the highest level
of competition in British agility, with all of her dogs, and was chosen to represent Great Britain in the FCI Agility World Championship in 2006 and 2007. She has qualified
for the Olympia Agility finals every year from 2007-2013! Lauren is known for her creative and motivational training techniques with performance dogs as well as her
insight into problem solving. Lauren teaches worldwide, from Canada to Scotland, as well as designs and develops the Devon Dogs' classes, workshops, and events.
She recently released her highly successful DVD on foundation puppy training, Pup2perfection. Contact Lauren at contact@devondogs.co.uk.

March 14

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Clean Run - March 2014

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