Clean Run Magazine - September 2008 - 64

Is your dog a terrier or a sighthound? Incite play by tying a long line on a fuzzy toy and dragging it behind you as you run around wildly. Can’t run? Then swing it around you! Try a rabbit fur toy. One Bichon owner told me she took cat hair off a brush and bagged it with her dog’s tug toy. The toy suddenly took on high value which was heightened because the cat-scented toy only came out in conjunction with agility training. After each training session, the toy was rebagged with the cat hair to keep it fresh and interesting! Play with Your Food Do you have a food hound instead of a toy hound? Then find special foods that your dog will receive only while doing agility such as steak, liverwurst, or meatballs, and make the food move. Roll the meatball or cheese ball out in front of your dog as a reinforcer for moving faster. Let him chase it down and eat it. Before he has a chance to sniff and become distracted, run off, and as he catches you, roll another out in front of you. Try tossing your food treats up in the air so he has to leap up to catch them. If he misses any, quickly grab them up, tease him, and run off to try tossing them up again. Don’t point out any treat your dog missed on the ground as this will encourage foraging and sniffing. Instead, grab it up, tease your dog with it and run off again. Reinforce your dog for coming away with you instead of sniffing. Let Go of Breed Barriers Let go of any preconceived notions that your breed is just plain “stubborn” or you can’t teach a lead-out because your dog is “that” breed. Behavior is behavior and all of it can be changed to a certain degree. Instead of accepting barriers, become a better trainer so your dog can outshine any other of the same breed. would have tried to train a recall. I used the principles of operant conditioning and at an early age, Scorch had the best recall out of all my dogs, even in the midst of a mad chase after ground squirrels. Control Your Emotions Many dogs, not just unusual breeds, tend to be sensitive to their handler’s emotions. When mistakes are made, laugh, play, and resolve to do better, but control any frustration or anger that you feel. Do not sigh, yell, or let your body look disappointed. When my Whippet makes an error I laugh and play and get him even more pumped up and then I try the exercise again. The only way he knows he made an error was because a reinforcer such as food or a toy was not given immediately following the exercise. This way, he never wilted because of an emotional outburst from me. Keep it fun, fun, fun. © clean run © marcy mantell photography People told me I would never get a reliable recall from my Whippet, Scorch, because he is a sighthound, and therefore, he must always be on leash—forever! If I had believed what all those breed people said I never 64 Behavior is behavior and all of it can be changed to a certain degree. Instead of accepting barriers, become a better trainer so your dog can outshine any other of the same breed. © clean run © clean run © Doghouse arts Clean Run | September 08

Clean Run Magazine - September 2008

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