Clean Run Magazine - October 2008 - 37

Training the End Contact Behavior Before you work on the next stage of training the end contact behavior, teaching your dog to engage a nonskid pad (such as a mouse pad or a square of Griptex shelf and drawer liner, your dog must be comfortable performing the skills introduced in last month’s article: ■ Your dog is comfortable standing by your side in a relaxed fashion, head at your knee, and facing in the same direction as you. Remember, this is the default position. ■ While at your side, your dog will rock into a down or a bow position when a treat is presented low, toward his chest, and near his front feet. ■ Your dog will remain in this position until you give your verbal release cue to end the behavior. Step 1: Introducing the Nonskid Pad Be ready with your treats in the hand closest to the dog and the pad in your other hand. With your dog standing comfortably at your side, drop the pad just in front of his feet. Ideally he will step onto the pad in a moment or two. Immediately use your reward marker, say “yes” or click, and drop down to present his treat using the same mechanics as before so that he rocks back into a down or bow. Feed, feed, feed to reinforce the connection of the paw in contact with the pad and the down on the pad. Verbally release the dog and escort him straight off the pad; if necessary, have the dog on leash. Repeat until the dog is offering to touch the pad as soon as he sees it. Some dos and don’ts when trying to solve problems: ■ Don’t reward nose touches; the pad is a foot target. Do feel free to shape the touching of the pad if the dog is unaccustomed to offering behaviors. The pad should initially be very close to the dog so that if even a toe touches it, you have the opportunity to reinforce. If the dog is really stuck, it may help to have him stand somewhere other than at your side to break the ice; but once the dog starts to understand that touching the pad with his paw will result in a food reward, reintroduce the pad with the dog standing by your side. Do remember to give the treat with the hand closest to your dog and on the other side of his head (so that he maintains a straight position) as much as possible. Don’t walk the dog onto the pad. Do be sure to stand still when offering the dog the opportunity to touch the pad. ■ The pad should initially be very close to the dog so that if even a toe touches it, you have the opportunity to reinforce. ■ Use the same treat-delivery mechanics that you have been practicing so that the dog rocks back into a down or bow. ■ ■ ■ ■ Do mix and match picking up the pad and dropping it with leaving the pad on the ground, walking away from it, and returning to it. Just be sure to pause before allowing the dog to touch the pad so the dog doesn’t come to believe he is to touch the pad when escorted to it. Don’t point at the pad; the only cue to touch the pad should be its availability. Feed, feed, feed to reinforce the connection of the paw in contact with the pad and the down on the pad. Step 2: Shaping the Down on the Pad When the dog readily and eagerly touches the pad with his foot in anticipation of his treat and has a reinforcement history of receiving his treat when in a down on the mat, you can start to shape him to offer the down as soon as he touches the pad. Simply try delaying the reward for a moment when he touches the pad and see what happens. He may just remember he has always been in a down when the treat was delivered and try offering a down to encourage you to give him his treat. If so, feed, feed, feed. Don’t wait too long (you don’t want him to give up), but do wait long enough to see if he will offer the down. If not, continue to reinforce for the pad touch in the usual way and build more of a reward history, then try shaping the down again. October 08 | Clean Run 37

Clean Run Magazine - October 2008

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