Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 15

Proofing from a Recall Position The next step in proofing is to begin with your dog in a stay. Place the touch board 4'-6' in front of him, and place the toy 4'-6' beyond the touch board. Stand directly behind the toy, facing the dog, in a recall position and give your Hit It command. In this exercise there are two ways you can reward your dog for a correct Hit It—you can mark with Yes and kick the toy to him as soon as he hits the board, or you can mark with Yes immediately followed by Get It to release him to the toy. Place the toy 4'-6' beyond the touch board while you stand facing the dog right behind the toy, in a recall position. the toy, facing the toy, and give your Hit It command. Mark a correct performance with Yes followed immediately with Get It to send your dog forward to the toy as a reward. Initially do this exercise while standing still, then progress to walking toward the toy as you give your Hit It command. As your dog’s success rate goes up, begin to increase handler motion by leading out less until you are eventually starting with the dog. Start out by walking and then progress to running. Continue to vary the position of the placed toy until the dog is making a 90° turn after hitting the board. If the dog completely neglects to hit the board, hits it with only one foot, or gives what you think is incidental contact rather than a deliberate pounce, simply step on the toy so that he may not self-reward. Remain neutral for a moment, allowing the dog a moment to think and possibly go back on his own and offer the Hit It behavior. If he does offer the correct behavior, mark with Yes and kick the toy right to him. When the dog returns with the toy, tug with him or feed him on the touch board. On the next few reps, kick the toy to him when he hits the board correctly. As his success rate goes up and he is increasingly accurate in nailing that board, you can change the reward placement from kicking the toy to him to allowing him to come forward and get it—mark with Yes immediately followed by Get It. Always go back to the board for a game of tug on it or to feed on it. The more accurate your dog is with hitting his touch board, the more you should let him come forward to get his toy. The less accurate he is, the more you should be kicking the toy back to him once he hits the board. Progressions: Continue with this exercise in the form of a recall, but begin to change the placement of the toy so that it’s no longer in a straight line with the board and your dog has to turn slightly after hitting the board to retrieve the toy. As your dog gains confidence in accurately hitting the board and driving off it, move the toy so that it’s 8'-10' away from the board. You can also set up the dog farther away from the board. Once you have at least an 80% success rate when recalling from different angles and straight on, change your body position. Lead out halfway between the touch board and August 07 | Clean Run An example of varying the placement of the toy until eventually the dog is making a 90 degree turn after hitting the board. An example of leading out less and introducing handler motion. Troubleshooting: If the dog steals the toy, do not engage in a game of tug. Remove the toy from his mouth, replace it in position, and restart the exercise.This time ensure that you’re close enough to the toy that if he misses his board again, you can either pick up the toy to protect it or you can call the dog off the toy to restart. If your dog is losing focus on the board, do a repetition where you lift the board while in the recall position and have him hit it out of your hand, immediately followed with a send to the toy. You can keep the same orientation you’ve been using; you do not need to go back to starting from a restrained send. 15

Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

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