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Throughout much of Phase 2 training I will leave a leash or light line on my dog that is approximately 5-10' in length. The length is just long enough that I can either place my foot on the line or pick up the line. As in Exercise 3 and 4, if I call my dog and he doesn’t respond I may call him one or two more times (using his name only). If still no response, I will walk toward him and pick up the end of the line. I will then walk backward away from my dog. As he turns to look at me I will stop my motion backward and praise. Depending on the previous level of training I will decide if my dog will receive a reward or not. I continue Phase 2 training until my dog has been exposed to a vast number of different distractions.

Phase 3
During Phases 1 and 2 I have added the cue once I knew my dog was committed to coming away from the distraction and would complete the recall. In Phase 3 I will say my recall cue up front. Since my dog has been trained to recall from many different distractions it is rare that he doesn’t come when called; however, if he doesn’t respond when I use his recall cue, I will walk calmly toward him. When I reach him I will simply put my foot on the line he is trailing and take hold of his collar and give him a short time-out by turning him away from the distraction. After a few seconds I will let go of the collar and walk back toward the original place I called my dog from. If my dog follows me, I continue to walk until he leaves me to re-

sume interacting with the distraction. Sometimes my dog will stare at me for a few seconds before resuming his interaction with the distraction. Occasionally he will take very little notice of me and go immediately back to the distraction. I call the dog again, using both his name and his recall cue. If he responds and heads toward me, I use enthusiastic praise immediately. If the dog ignores his recall cue a second time, I return to the dog and this time hold him a little longer. I have found that if my dog does not recall on the third attempt it is time to quit and go back to Phase 2 training. The line my dog has been wearing during his daily exercise and recall training is removed as the recall becomes more reliable. D

Rachel Sanders has competed in agility since 1994, and with her Border Collie, Whist, and JRT, Trump, has won three USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility Championships and a Steeplechase Championship. Rachel and her BC Fable represented the U.S. at the 2008 IFCS World Championships in Belgium where they earned a silver medal. In addition to teaching across North America at seminars and camps, she teaches full time at her agility center in Atascadero, California. Contact her at www.fastforwarddogsports.com.

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Clean Run - April 2012

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