Clean Run Magazine - April 2008 - 14

Starting Your Pup the “Right” Foot Article and photos by Susan Salo Starting young puppies is one of my absolute favorite parts of teaching; they are so very willing and happy to learn new things. I enjoy watching them gain in confidence and understanding of task and am constantly amazed at just how quickly they “get it” compared to older dogs that have not truly been encouraged to think independently. It is my belief (and I have seen it work time and time again) that if young dogs are taught with Greg Derrett’s foundation work of shadow handling (away from equipment) to learn about our body language, taught from an early age to focus on their task (jumping), and then when old enough, taught the method shown in Susan Garrett’s Success with One Jump DVD to learn positional cues, those dogs would end up as incredible partners out on course. These processes make for a dog that possesses instant recognition of task and the skill set to deliver amazing performances in the agility ring. Dogs are so very clever and a young age is the time to begin teaching them the mechanics of the job ahead of them. When I say a young age, that is very dependent upon each dog’s mindset and coordination; but as a general rule, I start teaching them these skills between four to six months of age. Dogs at this age have not completed their neurological pathways yet, nor have their growth plates closed; so while I am encouraging you to begin this education, there are 14 This is an excellent example of a young dog moving confidently through a baby dog grid. Note the head position of this young dog: the head is down and the dog’s focus is forward and on task, allowing for a soft spine and fluid motion. Each stride regulator is meant to be the center of the dog’s stride, which this young dog is doing very well. The stride regulators become a road map as to where the dog places his feet. surely cautionary guidelines. Each dog is an individual and needs to be treated as such; some are ready for this at four months while some are not. Training sessions need to be very short in duration. Puppies do not jump any height (stride regulators are used for training at this point). Young dogs do not yet posses their full muscle mass; therefore they cannot count on strength alone to accomplish the tasks required of them, and as such, they learn quickly to use some finesse instead of brute force. I see many older dogs without adequate training that use or misuse strength as a substitute for mechanical skill; whereas the dog that learns skills at an early age is a better problem solver, more clever one might say, and has a greater sense of body awareness. Dogs that are now four to five years of age that have begun their careers in this way are amazing in their intelligence at finding the correct path, even if their handler is slightly out of position, because it simply makes sense Clean Run | April 08

Clean Run Magazine - April 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - April 2008