Clean Run - October 2012 - 56

Table Manners
Proofing the Table for Competition

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By Kathleen Alles, photos by Final Productions

So you have trained your dog to perform the table well at home, but in competition, you feel you have to escort your dog to the table (otherwise known as “babysitting”) and you must stand by the table to make sure your dog doesn’t jump oﬀ prematurely while the judge counts down. How wonderful it would be to be able to give your dog a verbal command to perform the table while you make your way to the next obstacle! This article will show you how to have this skill.

Before You Start Prooﬁng

Before beginning this proofing program your dog should be able to perform the table consistently on a verbal command when you’re a few feet away from the table. You should be able to move around the table without your dog moving, and your dog should know to stay on the table until he hears his release word. I do mostly USDAA trials, so I also teach an automatic down. The down is a nice, stable stay position so this makes it a good choice for a default position for the AKC table as well. How I train all these behaviors is explained in my previous article on training the table in CR February 2012. I prefer using a clicker when training. It marks the instant my dog performs the correct behavior, so it makes it very easy for him to understand what I want at each step. I will use the terms “click and treat” when I describe when to mark and reward. You can substitute saying, “Yes!” or any other positive marker instead of using a clicker. Be sure to do all the steps described here with your dog on both sides. Note: When initially teaching the table, the work mostly involves staying on the table. Now you will be teaching your dog various ways to get on the table. This means you will be putting your dog on the table and releasing him off a lot. At this stage, it is important to do a few repetitions of distance work (walking away from the table, clicking, and returning to treat) before releasing your dog off each time. This reinforces that the dog is to stay on the table until released and not anticipate jumping off right away. Be sure to stand very still when releasing your dog off the table. If you move every time you say your release word, your dog will start leaving the table as soon as you move. You don’t want to have to stand like a statue to keep your dog on the table!
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Let’s get started. There are three ways to do all obstacles:

· Send: Your dog goes ahead of you to an obstacle · Recall: The obstacle is between you and your dog You run with your dog the · Run by: and he performs it as youtoconobstacle
tinue on by

Step 1: Teaching the Send

The send is usually the most diﬃcult for the dog, so I teach this first. To begin, stand about one dog length (i.e., your dog’s length) away from the table with your dog at your side. Give your release cue followed immediately by your verbal table command. Your dog should move ahead of you to jump on the table and lie down. Click as soon as his elbows and hocks touch the table and step forward to deliver a treat between his front feet, as
Clean Run | October 12

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Clean Run - October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - October 2012