Clean Run - December 2017 - 14

all and run fast, we needed to make
this game something they truly loved.
We do this through cookies, toys, and
a rich culture of play. Still, reinforcer
skills like marker signals, reinforcement
strategies, and dog-dependent toy
usage are largely lacking. For students
in foundation classes, a bare-bones
education in these three things might
mean the difference between success
in the sport and dropping out.
Marker signals, or cues to take reinforcement, are already being used by
anyone training a dog. If a dog takes
advantage of the toy or food present
he was cued by something to do so.
Getting clean with these signals reduces frustration, eliminates unwanted
reinforcement, and helps solidify the
dog's understanding of what is being taught. A quick lesson in basic
mechanics and consistency regarding
markers should be at the front of any
foundation course.
Dropping a toy on the dog's line in
course work, throwing a ball out ahead
in running contact training, and using a remote feeder at the end of a set
of weave poles are all reinforcement
strategies. They improve our training
immensely when we understand them
and use them intelligently. Including
information about smart strategic reinforcement in foundation classes em-

powers students to better train their
own dogs at home. Be it imbalanced
obstacle or handler focus, broken start
lines and contacts, or lack of followthrough on equipment performances,
altering our reinforcement strategy is
usually the key. As humans, we want
to gravitate toward correcting dogs for
these mistakes. If we understand the
value of strategic reinforcement we
will be able to avoid corrections and
teach through positive reinforcement.
Toy play is an area in agility that could
use a cultural shift; and it starts in
foundation class. When a dog takes
a lap with the toy before bringing it
back, refuses to out the toy on cue, or
just can't play in certain contexts he
is not being bad; he is providing his
trainer with information she should
not ignore. Teaching students to recognize their dogs' wants and needs
during toy play is seriously lacking
in most agility curricula. Not all dogs
want to tug, not all of them want to
chase, but all of them play. Tapping
into that play is a vital skill for a fast
and happy performance partner. The
days of insisting that all dogs tug like
maniacs should be behind us by now;
a new era of paying attention to how
dogs like to play is on the horizon.
Sample Lesson for Marker Mechanics:
Students are divided into pairs and

their dogs are crated. They are each given a Dixie cup, one student has a cup
of peanuts the other has an empty cup.
The "trainer" has the peanuts and will
shape a behavior. To mark the "learner,"
the trainer will take a peanut out of
their cup and place it in the empty cup
the learner is holding. Then they trade
roles and compare number of peanuts
transferred as well as mechanics.
Sample Lesson for Reinforcement Strategies: Each week when the action
stations are introduced, students will
be asked what a smart reinforcement
strategy will be for each. The wingwrap station will have a reinforcer
placed on the ground, setting the dog
up for the next wrap. The two-on-twooff station will have a target where students will place reinforcement, right
between the dog's front feet. Involving
the students in deciding on the strategy will help them to troubleshoot this
themselves at home.
Sample Lesson for Toy Play: Students will
engage in a discussion about how their
dogs like to play. They will be asked to
observe how their dogs play in daily
life, and will discuss how they might
mimic this in class. Instructors can demonstrate different play styles with their
own dogs or with comfortable student
dogs. This should be an ongoing topic
of discussion throughout the class.

Treat Huggers
Treat Hugger Tug

Treat toys for all sizes
of dogs that
aren't made with
Velcro!

Fleece Treat Hugger

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