Clean Run - July 2019 - 25

Part 1

Any Dog Can Have Awesome Contacts from a Distance
By	Stacy	Winkler,	photos	by	author
Establishing	fast,	independent,	and	solid	stopped	contacts	when	you're	at	a	distance	from	your	dog	is	a	manyfaceted	project.	However,	it	is	a	relatively	straightforward	
process,	and	when	approached	methodically,	pretty	much	
any	dog	can	have	awesome	results.	
Since	this	is	not	a	ground-up	article	series,	I	am	going	to	
assume	that	your	dog	already	has	a	good	two-on/two-off	
behavior,	meaning	that	he	knows	how	to	run	over	the	
contacts	and	stop	at	the	bottom	with	his	front	two	feet	on	
the	ground	and	his	back	feet	on	the	contact.	My	goal	for	
these	articles	is	to	improve	your	dog's	understanding	and	
value	for	his	contacts	to	make	him	much	faster,	confident,	
and	independent.	It	begins	by	having	great	reward	mechanics,	including	physical	reward	delivery,	vocal	interaction,	and	reward	value.

First Things First: How to Reward
for Maximum Results
This	is	our	first	core	concept,	and	it	is	integral	to	the	
success	of	creating	and	maintaining	our	awesome	
contacts.
I	always	tell	my	students,	"the	better	you	reward	your	
dog	for	his	behaviors,	the	less	training	you	need	to	do."	
I	will	admit	to	being	a	bit	lazy,	so	if	I	can	get	my	training	
accomplished	in	a	quarter	of	the	time	it	will	take	most	
folks	by	merely	having	a	clear	plan	and	by	rewarding	the	
heck	out	of	behaviors	I	want,	then	I	will	take	that	easy	
road	every	time.	
When	I	reward	my	dog	for	his	end	behavior	on	the	
contacts,	I	want	to	create	so	much	value	for	the	position	
that	the	only	thought	in	my	dog's	head	is,	"Get	the	heck	
out	of	my	way.	I	need	to	get	to	my	end	behavior!"	If	my	
rewards	fall	short	of	producing	that	kind	of	intense	value,	
then	I	am	losing	a	great	opportunity.
I	refer	to	this	type	of	rewarding	as	a	"reward	event."	This	
means	that	when	you	reward	your	dog	at	the	bottom	of	
the	contact,	it's	going	to	be	memorable	for	him;	it's	going	
to	be	awesome!	No	more	apathetically	popping	a	treat	
July 19 | Clean Run

or	two	(if	the	dog	is	lucky,	most	folks	opt	for	one)	in	your	
dog's	mouth	while	glancing	around	to	figure	out	where	
you	are	supposed	to	go	next.	This	does	very	little	to	
create	value.	For	many	of	you,	giving	your	dog	a	single	
treat	at	the	bottom	of	the	contact	may	be	an	ingrained	
habit.	You	may	have	been	doing	it	for	years,	but	it's	time	
to	dump	that	old	routine	and	develop	a	new	skill	set.	
So,	let's	take	a	hard	look	at	our	habits	and	make	some	
significant	changes	in	our	approach.	

How Do We Make this Reward Event
Successful? It's About Attitude and Value!
If	you	have	read	my	previous	Clean Run	articles,	I	hope	
one	of	your	takeaways	has	been	understanding	that	your	
dynamic	energy	is	integral	to	elevating	the	value	of	your	
dog's	reward	and	lack	of	enthusiasm	does	the	opposite,	
creating	disinterest	and	apathy	for	the	work.	Unless	your	
dog	is	off	his	stick	(crazy,	crazy,	crazy	excited)	to	work,	
your	attitude	will	have	a	tremendous	effect	on	the	value	of	
your	rewards.
To	make	this	concept	more	relatable,	let's	compare	this	
to	an	experience	similar	to	one	you	might	have	had	at	an	
agility	trial.	Imagine	that	you	have	just	finished	running	
your	Standard	run	and	you	and	your	dog	were	awesome!	
You	are	feeling	great.	Rainbows	and	happiness	are	
pouring	right	out	of	you.	You	worked	hard	for	that	Q,	and	
your	dog	was	a	superstar.	You	come	out	of	the	ring,	and	
one	of	your	friends	greets	you,	a	huge	smile	on	their	face,	
jumping	up	and	down:	"Wow!	You	rocked	it!	You	guys	
were	amazing!	Gush,	gush,	gush...."	And	is	it	possible?	
You	feel	even	better.	You	are	super	excited!	Yay!
You	start	walking	back	to	your	crating	area;	popping	a	
bunch	of	celebratory	treats	in	your	dog's	mouth,	telling	
him	how	awesome	he	was,	a	big	smile	of	your	face,	
feeling	really,	really	good.	Then	another	competitor	slowly	
walks	by,	hands	in	her	pockets,	hunched	shoulders,	and	
a	bit	of	a	dour	look	on	her	face.	She	looks	at	you	as	you	
pass	and	unenthusiastically	says,	"Good	run,"	and	then	
continues	on	her	way.
25
Clean Run - July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - July 2019
