Clean Run Magazine - May 2007 - 17

Ex, Ex,Ex, Ex,Ex,Ex, x,Ex, E Excellent! © MATTALLISONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM Teaching the Intermediate Bridge Teaching the intermediate bridge is easy; most dogs get the idea in a matter of minutes. Although many people prefer mechanical bridges because they are consistent and unemotional, I prefer a verbal bridge precisely because I can modulate it. If I’m using the intermediate bridge Easy to reinforce a dog for lying down calmly, I bridge softly and calmly; for fast and furious running contacts, the bridge takes on the same emotion. Excellent may also seem like an awfully long word to use as a terminal bridge, and it is. In fact, the dog learns to respond to the Ex part of the word, the rest being somewhat superfluous. But I’ve found that it is much easier for a person to clearly differentiate between the intermediate and terminal bridges when using Excellent rather than Ex. The hardest part of using intermediate bridges in agility training, at first, is getting the sounds out quickly enough. It takes me about a second to say Guh, Guh, Guh, Guh or Ex, Ex, Ex, Ex, and that seems to be a good rate to aim for. With a little practice the sounds flow together smoothly into a rhythm that is punctuated by the What to do: Great or Excellent terminal bridge. You might want to practice saying the intermediate bridge on your own before bringing the dog into the picture. Be forewarned, if you choose Ex and Excellent, that the intermediate bridge, when spoken correctly and quickly, can sound an awful lot like you’re saying “sex, sex, sex” and people might look at you a little strangely! Once you’re comfortable with the sounds, it’s time to teach the dog. What you need: • Dog that is in the mood for treats • A handful of tiny, easy-to-swallow treats • A hand End result: Your dog will understand that the sound Ex, as in excellent, spoken softly and repeatedly, means that he’s doing the right thing, heading in the right direction for a treat and that a loud and enthusiastic Excellent means he’s done the right thing. 1 Sit down comfortably and let the dog know you’ve got treats. 2 Present a piece of food in the palm of your hand as you say a nice, crisp, enthusiastic Excellent. Repeat three times. 3 Put your hands behind your back. Say Excellent and watch for the slightest eye or ear movement (that tells you the animal noticed the sound Ex) and then say Ex, Ex, Ex, Ex, Ex until the dog gets close enough to reach the food and then present the food from behind your back saying Excellent. Do this at least three times, or until your dog looks over eagerly every time you say Excellent. 4 Make sure your dog understands Excellent by waiting until he is distracted and looking away from you. Then say Excellent. If he instantly looks back at you, give him the food. If he does not respond to Excellent let him rest for a little while and go back to the first step. Repeat this cycle until he is responding to the sound Excellent instantly. Dogs generally pick this up within a few minutes, but there are always exceptions that need to “sleep on it” and take a bit longer. May 07 | Clean Run 17

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Clean Run Magazine - May 2007

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