Clean Run Magazine - April 2007 - 45

Recalls E x p e c t a t i o n s or criterion: Sweep should stop anything he is doing and turn his head toward us when we call his name. That is what we mark. He turns his head, we say “Yeah,” in an excited tone of voice, then he runs in to get the treats—multiple treats. Usually our side. We don’t throw “reset cookies” on the grass; we only do so in locations where Sweep can see the cookie being thrown onto the floor. Walking on Leash Sweep is rewarded constantly for choosing to stay at my side while walking on leash. If he hits the end of the leash, I stop moving forward and wait for him to return to my side. He is not immediately rewarded for coming back; he must stay by my side for a couple of my steps before he is marked and rewarded. If I rewarded him for returning, he would just learn to hit the end of the leash and come back for a reward. Neither Jim nor I will move forward when the leash is pulled taut by Sweep. I often train with him dragging the leash on the ground, or no leash at all, rewarding every couple steps for either his looking at me or for staying at my leg on a loose leash. Jim has taught Sweep a Close command, which is his come-to-heel cue on Jim’s left side that Sweep performs with great flourish. Sweep is also learning a Side command, which is Sweep’s come-to-heel cue on Jim’s right side. Until Sweep really understands how to find his position at our leg, it will be difficult to explain how to stay in that position while we are walking. Next month I will tell you all about “square heeling,” and how to teach your puppy to find heel position and to swing his rear end to get lined up with your leg. Until then, have fun with your pup; we are certainly enjoying ours! D he gets five or six cookies, one at a time, discouraging “dine and dash syndrome.” The cookies are presented at our side, right next to our leg, in a position that will eventually encourage him to stay at our side and swing into line with us when we move forward. We never expect him to do another behavior like sit when he comes to us before we reward the recall. We are marking the head turn and speedy run to our side with immediate cookies at our leg or a game of tug. While Sweep is eating the treats next to our leg, we slide our opposite hand under his collar, so that when he has finished the cookies, we have his collar in hand. In the house or on the patio we “reset” the game, by dropping a few pieces of kibble for him on the ground or tossing them a short distance away for him to chase. While he is eating the kibble we move to a different location and call again just as he is finishing the kibble. We have a higher value treat than kibble for the recall, which is rewarded at Nancy Gyes and her husband Jim Basic run Power Paws Agility in San Jose, California. The AKC World Team Coach for 2006 and 2007, she has been on the AKC World Team seven times, four years with Scud and three with Riot. Nancy and Riot finished 1st in 2002 and 2nd in 2001 in Individual Agility classes at Worlds. Nancy also won the USDAA Nationals four years in a row, 1998 to 2001, with three different dogs, Scud, Riot, and Wicked. In 2001 and 2002, Nancy and Riot were the 24" jump height AKC National Champions. Scud retired in 2001 after winning the USDAA Veterans Championship. Contact Nancy at www.powerpawsagility.com. April 07 | Clean Run 45
http://www.chase.com/AKCVisa http://www.chase.com/AKCVisa http://www.chase.com/AKCVisa http://www.powerpawsagility.com
Clean Run Magazine - April 2007

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