Clean Run - October 2014 - 28

A Cue Taught with Inconsistent Criteria
The most obvious example of a cue taught with inconsistent
criteria might include star t-line stays or c ontact behaviors
where handler's expectations at home and a t trials seem
mismatched from the dog's point of view. Especially, if you
consider the message in m y previous article on beha vior
chains-maybe you are reinforcing one beha vior at home
and a completely different one in the ring? Your poor dog will
find it ha d to know the difference.
Broken Chain
Also, as discussed last mon th, the timing of each cue is es sential to maintain a strong behavior chain. Think hard before stopping a sequence part way through without paying
attention to your dog. Leaving him in limbo to try to work out
what happened will c ompletely confuse him. Observant bystanders will often see sniffin or other stress behaviors when
this happens. If you do this too often, and maybe pair it with
a particularly challenging handling maneuv er that you are
struggling to get r ight, you might just find our dog doing
unexpected things as y ou try your best to position yourself
well for your fancy new turn or blind cross. He is probably just
trying to avoid this stressful situation or new cue alt ogether.
Yes, you might just be poisoning it!

What To Do If You Have
a Poisoned Cue?
If you have a behavior that you feel your dog just isn't getting,
or one that seems to be an ongoing problem in the ring or at
home, consider whether a poisoned cue might be the culprit.
You may be able to trace the beginning of the problem back
to a certain incident or training session.

Having recognized what is happening, you can at least begin to
work on a plan t rectify the situation. This is likely not going t be
o
o
a short term project and will probably be quite a challenge, depending on how long the problem has been going on. However,
knowing the root of the pr oblem will be a huge st ep forward.
The way to begin to resolve such challenges is t o isolate the
behavior causing the problem. Take it out of any chain and retrain it (shaping the behavior if you can) from the beginning
(using a clicker and plenty of positive reinforcement). During
this process do not use any known word or gesture to cue the
behavior. Then, when your dog is confide tly performing the
behavior again, put it on cue but give it a completely different
,
name so there is no associa tion with any previous anxieties.
Of course, if the poisoned cue has something t o do with a
large piece of equipment (a table, for example), this will pose
even more of a challenge since the obstacle itself is a big environmental cue. However, there is no w ay round this problem other than t o spend plenty of time and pa tience going
through the process I have described here. It's sad, but true-
there really are no magic pills or short cuts.

Conclusion
As you can see, it really is quite easy to poison a cue and cause
a problem in the behavior chain that comprises agility or your
chosen sport. It can also be challeng ing to identify and then
remedy the damage caused b y a poisoned cue . Of course,
the best solution by far is to avoid poisoning a cue in the first
place! But we all know that is easier said than done.
A little scientific knowledge will help us t o avoid such problems in the future though! Maybe with our next puppy.
Good luck and happy training! D

Originally from England, Lynne Stephens KPA CTP has been living in North Carolina since 2004. Her passion for dogs and dog training has spanned more than three
decades, during which she has achieved the highest levels of competition in both the U.S. and U.K. The highlight of her agility career in England was being picked as
a member of the British team for the 2003 and 2004 FCI Agility World Championships. In the U.S., she has competed at the USDAA Cynosport Games four times with
three Border Collies and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Her Cavalier has also earned his MACH and finished 23rd overall in the 12" class at AK Nationals. Lynne trains
C
and teaches using purely positive methods and recently qualified with distinction as a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is known for her patience
and sense of humor. Lynne currently competes with two Border Collies (Turbo and Bizzy) and a Cavalier (Tynamite). She is the agilit y specialist, trainer,coach, and
co-owner at DogLogic in Statesville, North Carolina. She can be contacted by email, lynne@doglogictraining.com, or through her website www.doglogictraining.com.

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Clean Run - October 2014

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