Competition obedience training is difficult, especially when done properly. Dogs do not naturally walk around with their undivided attention on you, all while staying perfectly straight in heel position. They do not naturally retrieve an object while doing a perfectly straight front, with their head up and their eyes on you.
We’ve all heard the statement “make the right thing easy and wrong thing difficult”. But what happens in our world of competition obedience, when the right thing is already hard? You will hear me talk a lot about effort. If the dog does not put forth enough effort during training, I immediately stop working on what I’m doing and go back and work effort. I put a lot of myself into my training, and I expect my dog to do the same. My dog quickly learns that if he would have done the exercise correctly the first time, it would be a lot easier. This doesn’t mean my definition of “correctly”, is without effort, it just means that if he doesn’t do it correctly, he’s going to have to work MUCH harder.
Let me give you a few examples...
1) I send my dog to the article pile. He finds the correct article, picks it up and trots back. “Oops, good find it, but you didn’t ‘hurry’!” I require that my dog runs back to me in practice, every time if possible. At this time, I may require that he do a couple of hand touches or bounces, something to give me extra effort. I then set up and do it again. If he runs on the next article, I may break off during his run back and give him some cookies. Notice, that I said I break off “during his run back”. Why not wait until he got to front? Because I want to reward the RUNNING. How does he know which part I’m rewarding if I wait for him to get to front. Worse yet, say his front isn’t perfect and I have to ask him to work harder on his front. I’ve now lost the opportunity to reward the run entirely!
2) My dog adjusts the glove in his mouth when he’s coming back to me on the Directed Retrieve and the glove falls out of his mouth. I say “Oops!” and I quickly walk out to get the glove. I hold my dog’s buckle collar with one hand, while my other hand holds the glove. I tell him to “get it”, as I’m keeping the glove just out of his reach (picture me spinning in a circle). Only when he’s really driving to get to the glove, do I let him jump up and get it. I do not force fetch him to the glove, that’s an “easy” correction in my opinion. Anyone can force a dog’s nose down to the glove and make him pick it up, but YOU are doing all the work. My correction gets the DOG to give the effort. The only way he is going to stop chasing the glove around in circles is if he really runs to get it. As soon as he grabs the glove, I praise heavily and tell him how smart he is.
3) During heeling, my dog is crabbing slightly or not working his rear on left turns. If that left turn is too difficult for him to put in effort, my dog will now be required to do left about turns, left 270 turns, he will be asked to spin in the middle of his left turn, etc. Anything that requires more effort.
Don’t fall into a habit of simply “correcting” your dog for an error. What are you teaching your dog? Not much, except for maybe how to avoid a collar correction. Instead, step back and think about how you can require more effort from your dog. Trust me, after a bunch of left about turns, that 90 degree left turn will be much easier for your dog.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Food as a crutch
When I first start training a dog to heel as a young puppy, I always use food. Actually, I use food for quite a while to develop muscle memory for a desired head position. But everyone knows that the food has to go away eventually. You may still reward with food, but the food can no longer be visible to the dog as a lure.
In times of pressure or stress, if you continually bring the cookie back out, the dog will never be able heel properly.
Examples:
In times of pressure or stress, if you continually bring the cookie back out, the dog will never be able heel properly.
Examples:
- Your dog is off of a cookie lure, and while at a match, the dog gets stressed. You immediately pull the cookie out of your pocket and put it on your dog’s nose.
- During a training class, your dog starts to give you less effort than you would like, so you pull out the cookie and put it in your hand.
- You are getting ready to go into the show ring and you HAVE to keep cookies in your hand before going into the ring. Your thought process is that you need to keep your dog’s attitude up while waiting your turn.
If you continue to pull out a cookie when your dog (or you) starts to wilt under pressure or stress, you have turned that piece of food into a crutch.
Teach your dog to work through their stressors without bringing a cookie back out. This is only masking the underlying problem....a lack of confidence, a lack of commitment or a lack of understanding. Work on building and maintaining drive in all types of conditions. Reward the dog profusely when he gives you effort during difficult situations, even if the overall look is not what you want for the ring. Your reward should be something that your dog finds valuable, whether it be a toy, food or hands on praise. Better yet, teach your dog that all three things are high value rewards.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Saturday, July 5, 2014
You can’t solve a problem by avoiding it....
My evil, little laugh escaped this morning. I couldn’t help it. Every time someone tells me “I can’t make him do it in practice”, it just comes out. Maybe it shouldn’t...maybe it’s not politically correct...but since when have I worried about being politically correct?
It is not that I want the dog to screw up in practice, but for me to be able to tell my dog he’s doing something incorrectly, first he has to DO it incorrectly. And, my definition of “incorrect” may not be the same as your definition of “incorrect”. Clear as mud? Let me explain. My definition of heel position means straight, in line with my left leg, head up, eyes on me, and focused attention. One word (“Close” to my dog) means all of those things. If my dog meets four of those requirements, but not the fifth, he is incorrect. How I respond may vary, depending on what thing is incorrect, but I WILL respond.
The dog in question is doing a couple of different things - laying down on the Novice sit stay and not coming into front position straight enough on the recall. It was actually the sit stay issue that brought out the evil laugh, when the owner said the dog NEVER fails in practice. The evil laugh escaped and I said “I bet I can make him fail.”
But, the topic of this post is more in relation to the second one...the fronting on the recall. She said the dog comes in too fast and couldn’t get his front. She had been trying to slow the dog down on the recall, to make it easier for him to find front position. Well, maybe, but the “problem” is that the dog can’t find front position, not that he is going too fast. So, instead of trying to slow the dog down, work on helping the dog find front position when he is coming in fast. Make sure the dog understands what and where front position is, instead of just assuming he understands. Now, in doing some of this work, the speed may taper off slightly on the recall, but it is because the dog is thinking about his next job of finding his front position, not because we are trying to slow him down.
When I was showing my German Shepherd years ago, she had the opposite problem. She was low drive and sometimes didn’t put forth enough effort to get back to me. I listened to everyone’s advice, which included never doing any fronts, running away from her when she was coming in, and throwing a treat or a toy. I did all of those things, and you know what? My problem got worse. She knew I wasn’t going to move in the ring. She knew I wasn’t going to throw a toy or a cookie. I was AVOIDING the problem. After one trial where she walked the entire way back to me on a dumbbell retrieve, I decided to address it head on. If she couldn’t trot 30’, she was going to have to trot 5’. So, I went back and worked on short fronts. In the beginning, she worked exclusively on a training collar and a flexi lead. Later, we dropped the flexi, but left a pull tab attached. I would leave her on a sit, walk 5-10’ away and call her to front. If she walked, she got a little bounce forward (basically a failure to come correction) and I’d release her to try again. It only took a few corrections and she never walked in on another exercise in the ring again...although it is a drill that was practiced often.
As an instructor, I often hear people using avoidance as a training tool. If your dog auto finishes, never do finishes in practice. If your dog lags during off lead heeling, never heel off lead. If your dog likes to go and visit people in the ring, don’t ever give them the opportunity to leave your side. Well, I look at it a little bit differently. You can’t fix what doesn’t happen. Let your dog anticipate things. Let your dog try to auto finish. Let your dog start to lag on heeling. Let your dog think that the steward probably needs to be checked for cookies. But, as soon as they do it, FIX IT!! Help your dog understand what they are supposed to be doing. If they make the decision to do the exercise perfectly, then reward them profusely!! Have a party! Show them they made the correct choice and that they are the smartest dog in the world.
Just don’t think that the problem is going to magically disappear if you micromanage your dog so the problem never happens. I hate to burst your bubble, but you can’t micromanage everything.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
P.S. If you are wondering about the dog who NEVER broke his sit stay in practice...I nicely asked the dog to lie down during the sit stay. He didn’t even think twice. Down he went. :)
It is not that I want the dog to screw up in practice, but for me to be able to tell my dog he’s doing something incorrectly, first he has to DO it incorrectly. And, my definition of “incorrect” may not be the same as your definition of “incorrect”. Clear as mud? Let me explain. My definition of heel position means straight, in line with my left leg, head up, eyes on me, and focused attention. One word (“Close” to my dog) means all of those things. If my dog meets four of those requirements, but not the fifth, he is incorrect. How I respond may vary, depending on what thing is incorrect, but I WILL respond.
The dog in question is doing a couple of different things - laying down on the Novice sit stay and not coming into front position straight enough on the recall. It was actually the sit stay issue that brought out the evil laugh, when the owner said the dog NEVER fails in practice. The evil laugh escaped and I said “I bet I can make him fail.”
But, the topic of this post is more in relation to the second one...the fronting on the recall. She said the dog comes in too fast and couldn’t get his front. She had been trying to slow the dog down on the recall, to make it easier for him to find front position. Well, maybe, but the “problem” is that the dog can’t find front position, not that he is going too fast. So, instead of trying to slow the dog down, work on helping the dog find front position when he is coming in fast. Make sure the dog understands what and where front position is, instead of just assuming he understands. Now, in doing some of this work, the speed may taper off slightly on the recall, but it is because the dog is thinking about his next job of finding his front position, not because we are trying to slow him down.
When I was showing my German Shepherd years ago, she had the opposite problem. She was low drive and sometimes didn’t put forth enough effort to get back to me. I listened to everyone’s advice, which included never doing any fronts, running away from her when she was coming in, and throwing a treat or a toy. I did all of those things, and you know what? My problem got worse. She knew I wasn’t going to move in the ring. She knew I wasn’t going to throw a toy or a cookie. I was AVOIDING the problem. After one trial where she walked the entire way back to me on a dumbbell retrieve, I decided to address it head on. If she couldn’t trot 30’, she was going to have to trot 5’. So, I went back and worked on short fronts. In the beginning, she worked exclusively on a training collar and a flexi lead. Later, we dropped the flexi, but left a pull tab attached. I would leave her on a sit, walk 5-10’ away and call her to front. If she walked, she got a little bounce forward (basically a failure to come correction) and I’d release her to try again. It only took a few corrections and she never walked in on another exercise in the ring again...although it is a drill that was practiced often.
As an instructor, I often hear people using avoidance as a training tool. If your dog auto finishes, never do finishes in practice. If your dog lags during off lead heeling, never heel off lead. If your dog likes to go and visit people in the ring, don’t ever give them the opportunity to leave your side. Well, I look at it a little bit differently. You can’t fix what doesn’t happen. Let your dog anticipate things. Let your dog try to auto finish. Let your dog start to lag on heeling. Let your dog think that the steward probably needs to be checked for cookies. But, as soon as they do it, FIX IT!! Help your dog understand what they are supposed to be doing. If they make the decision to do the exercise perfectly, then reward them profusely!! Have a party! Show them they made the correct choice and that they are the smartest dog in the world.
Just don’t think that the problem is going to magically disappear if you micromanage your dog so the problem never happens. I hate to burst your bubble, but you can’t micromanage everything.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
P.S. If you are wondering about the dog who NEVER broke his sit stay in practice...I nicely asked the dog to lie down during the sit stay. He didn’t even think twice. Down he went. :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Week of the trial...
I trained with a great group of ladies this morning, most of whom are working on their Utility titles with their dogs. Green handlers with greener dogs. :) We are all headed to a dog show this weekend, three trials over two days. Nerves are coming into play for some, as Utility is the most difficult class to pass.
One of the handlers was warming up her dog and I asked her what she wanted to do in the ring. She didn’t answer right away and I commented, “You are not doing a run through. Pick 2 or 3 exercises to work on.” Her response was “What?!? I can’t do a run through?” No....2 or 3 things, that’s it.
Let me explain my reasoning. Everyone knows that trials are where we “prove” our training. During our normal training sessions, we work hard on keeping our dogs happy and pushy. We work through issues. We proof our dogs to increase their understanding of what is expected. We polish all of the little pieces of each exercise. We reward a lot, with food, toys or play. But, when a trial is looming around the corner, some people change. They decide to make it more serious, more “ring-like”. They decide that they need to do every exercise, every time they walk into the ring. They don’t want to carry any cookies or toys on their body. All of a sudden, the dogs see a different person standing next to them. The fun, upbeat person has turned into a nervous, silent stranger. There is nothing more boring, for dog or handler, than doing run through after run through. It may make the handler feel better, but they are not helping their dog.
So, this morning, this particular team came into the ring and did gloves, articles and directed jumping. The dog did everything perfectly and both dog and handler left the ring happy and encouraged. Later, they came back in and did the signal and moving stand exercises. Again, nice work from the dog, and the handler left training a lot more encouraged (I think) about the upcoming weekend.
I try to train my dog with the “train like you show” mantra in my head. I’m not over the top, but I’m not dragging around the ring either. I’m liberal with food (not much toy drive for my current dog) and I’m even more liberal with praise. I work exercises fairly silently, but I acknowledge good effort and correct lack of effort. I break from exercises mid-stride often and rarely do an exercise from start to end. The way I train doesn’t really change, whether we have a trial next weekend or we don’t have a trial for two months. My dog knows all of the exercises, so right now, I consider all work to be maintenance or if I’m working on a new problem. Training dogs is the easy part....maintaining it is something else entirely. This is why a dog who is trained on one end of the spectrum (either a lot of compulsion or reward only) can go into a ring and earn titles, but yet they can not maintain it long term. Dogs are smart. They learn very quickly their handler can not correct them in the ring and they also learn that there aren’t going to be any cookies.
The week of a trial, I do very little, if any, proofing. I want the dog to get it right EVERY time. I don’t make things easier, I just don’t make them more difficult. Why would I risk damaging the dog’s confidence immediately before a show? Every time I train, I have cookies on me or in the ring. I don’t let the dog see me put the rewards around the ring or the cookies in my mouth, but they are always there. I will often break and run to one of the containers in the ring or I will let him chase a cookie that I take from my pocket or mouth. The number of days or times of day I train will not change. If I normally only train 2 or 3 days a week, I will not train every day the week of a trial.
Does this mean I never do a run through? No, but they are very rare. If a handler has not been in the ring very often, they should do run throughs once and awhile. But, this is more for them to understand the judge’s commands, proper protocol, and how to move from exercise to exercise, not just to get “ring time”. If your dog can work (not play, but work) for 5-8 minutes during training without any cookies, why does it matter what they are doing? It is irrelevant if they do every single Utility exercise, if they do a little bit of everything, or if they concentrate on a couple of different exercises.
And don’t forget, you are able to praise in the ring. Teach your dog that praise MEANS something. But, make sure the praise you give your dog is genuine. Show it in your voice, your face and your hands.
Remember, this is a sport we do for fun with our dogs. The training that we do in the months and years before a trial is A LOT more important than what we do the week of a trial. The attitude that we so carefully build and cultivate can be ruined by a well-intended handler who tries to cram in “just one more” training session the week of a show.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
One of the handlers was warming up her dog and I asked her what she wanted to do in the ring. She didn’t answer right away and I commented, “You are not doing a run through. Pick 2 or 3 exercises to work on.” Her response was “What?!? I can’t do a run through?” No....2 or 3 things, that’s it.
Let me explain my reasoning. Everyone knows that trials are where we “prove” our training. During our normal training sessions, we work hard on keeping our dogs happy and pushy. We work through issues. We proof our dogs to increase their understanding of what is expected. We polish all of the little pieces of each exercise. We reward a lot, with food, toys or play. But, when a trial is looming around the corner, some people change. They decide to make it more serious, more “ring-like”. They decide that they need to do every exercise, every time they walk into the ring. They don’t want to carry any cookies or toys on their body. All of a sudden, the dogs see a different person standing next to them. The fun, upbeat person has turned into a nervous, silent stranger. There is nothing more boring, for dog or handler, than doing run through after run through. It may make the handler feel better, but they are not helping their dog.
So, this morning, this particular team came into the ring and did gloves, articles and directed jumping. The dog did everything perfectly and both dog and handler left the ring happy and encouraged. Later, they came back in and did the signal and moving stand exercises. Again, nice work from the dog, and the handler left training a lot more encouraged (I think) about the upcoming weekend.
I try to train my dog with the “train like you show” mantra in my head. I’m not over the top, but I’m not dragging around the ring either. I’m liberal with food (not much toy drive for my current dog) and I’m even more liberal with praise. I work exercises fairly silently, but I acknowledge good effort and correct lack of effort. I break from exercises mid-stride often and rarely do an exercise from start to end. The way I train doesn’t really change, whether we have a trial next weekend or we don’t have a trial for two months. My dog knows all of the exercises, so right now, I consider all work to be maintenance or if I’m working on a new problem. Training dogs is the easy part....maintaining it is something else entirely. This is why a dog who is trained on one end of the spectrum (either a lot of compulsion or reward only) can go into a ring and earn titles, but yet they can not maintain it long term. Dogs are smart. They learn very quickly their handler can not correct them in the ring and they also learn that there aren’t going to be any cookies.
The week of a trial, I do very little, if any, proofing. I want the dog to get it right EVERY time. I don’t make things easier, I just don’t make them more difficult. Why would I risk damaging the dog’s confidence immediately before a show? Every time I train, I have cookies on me or in the ring. I don’t let the dog see me put the rewards around the ring or the cookies in my mouth, but they are always there. I will often break and run to one of the containers in the ring or I will let him chase a cookie that I take from my pocket or mouth. The number of days or times of day I train will not change. If I normally only train 2 or 3 days a week, I will not train every day the week of a trial.
Does this mean I never do a run through? No, but they are very rare. If a handler has not been in the ring very often, they should do run throughs once and awhile. But, this is more for them to understand the judge’s commands, proper protocol, and how to move from exercise to exercise, not just to get “ring time”. If your dog can work (not play, but work) for 5-8 minutes during training without any cookies, why does it matter what they are doing? It is irrelevant if they do every single Utility exercise, if they do a little bit of everything, or if they concentrate on a couple of different exercises.
And don’t forget, you are able to praise in the ring. Teach your dog that praise MEANS something. But, make sure the praise you give your dog is genuine. Show it in your voice, your face and your hands.
Remember, this is a sport we do for fun with our dogs. The training that we do in the months and years before a trial is A LOT more important than what we do the week of a trial. The attitude that we so carefully build and cultivate can be ruined by a well-intended handler who tries to cram in “just one more” training session the week of a show.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Training 24/7
I often get asked how often I train my competition dog. My answer...“24/7”. This usually elicits a laugh and a “No really, how often do you train?”.
I am always training. I’m either training my dog how to behave in the house properly, how to relax when I need him to, how to properly go through doorways, how to behave around my other dogs and, oh yeah, how to perform on high-level obedience exercises. ;) I want as many experiences to be as positive as possible for my dog. This doesn’t mean I hesitate reaching for his collar when he behaves improperly in the house. If he jumps at one of my other dogs, I take him by the collar, drop my voice and tell him to “stop”. But, in the end, I want the positives to FAR outweigh the negatives.
Every interaction with your dog is an opportunity to train. And, in the meantime, you are building your relationship. I once went to a top breed handler’s seminar. He talked about keeping the dogs in kennels until they were jumping up and down every time he approached...just begging to be worked with. Inwardly, I cringed. You take a social creature, isolate him from the ‘pack’ and expect to have a good relationship with you. It’s impossible. Instead, I want my dog to look at me like I hung the moon. I want to build so much drive to work with me, that he is willing to jump through fire just to look into my eyes. If you have never had a dog that was this devoted to working with you, I hope you one day do, as there is no better feeling in the world.
Training a high level competition dog requires a change in your mindset. You need to look at everything as training. Lets look at the simple act of going to my dog club to train.....
I am always training. I’m either training my dog how to behave in the house properly, how to relax when I need him to, how to properly go through doorways, how to behave around my other dogs and, oh yeah, how to perform on high-level obedience exercises. ;) I want as many experiences to be as positive as possible for my dog. This doesn’t mean I hesitate reaching for his collar when he behaves improperly in the house. If he jumps at one of my other dogs, I take him by the collar, drop my voice and tell him to “stop”. But, in the end, I want the positives to FAR outweigh the negatives.
Every interaction with your dog is an opportunity to train. And, in the meantime, you are building your relationship. I once went to a top breed handler’s seminar. He talked about keeping the dogs in kennels until they were jumping up and down every time he approached...just begging to be worked with. Inwardly, I cringed. You take a social creature, isolate him from the ‘pack’ and expect to have a good relationship with you. It’s impossible. Instead, I want my dog to look at me like I hung the moon. I want to build so much drive to work with me, that he is willing to jump through fire just to look into my eyes. If you have never had a dog that was this devoted to working with you, I hope you one day do, as there is no better feeling in the world.
Training a high level competition dog requires a change in your mindset. You need to look at everything as training. Lets look at the simple act of going to my dog club to train.....
- As I’m packing up to leave, I want my dog following me through the house, making sure that I don’t leave without him. Or, at minimum, he needs to be watching my actions from somewhere. I do not want him running to another room or hiding (huge red flag!)
- Dog has to sit while I put his collar on.
- As I open the door to the garage, I practice a sit stay...VERY hard for my dog who wants to get in the car.
- I walk through the door and I call the dog to heel position. If he doesn’t do it right (straight and with attention), I simply put him back inside the door and try again.
- I leave him sitting on the rug just inside the garage while I go open the back hatch of the car. Another sit stay opportunity!!
- I call him to get into the car. I expect him to come fast and go immediately into his crate.
- Dog relaxes as we drive to the dog club.
- Unload my gear at the club while my dog waits in the car.
- Open my dog’s crate. Dog is required to wait for his lead to be attached and is then given permission to jump down from the car.
- Bring my dog onto the training grounds. He does not have to heel, but he isn’t allowed to pull me around.
- Take him to the potty area. No pulling!
- Unhook his lead. He is NOT allowed to leave me when I unhook the lead. And, I do not tell him to stay with him, it is a required (and trained) behavior. I play with him for a minute (off lead), before I release him with a “go potty”.
- As soon as I call him from the potty area, he’s required to respond promptly and come to me to be put back on lead. If he doesn’t respond, I walk him down and he gets a mild recall correction.
- Dog is placed on a floor mat while I set up the rings. I don’t care what position he stays in on his mat, but he has to stay ON the mat.
Look at all of those opportunities for reward and interaction! And I haven’t even started to train yet!! And, no, I don’t keep treats in my pockets for rewarding around the house. If your dog can’t perform basic skills for praise and petting, this is something you need to work on. As long as the praise is genuine and the physical interaction is something your dog enjoys (back scratches, belly rubs, ear scratches, etc.), the dog does not need a cookie.
There are always going to be some negatives applied during training. A lack of effort on a finish may result in a collar bounce. If he doesn’t respond appropriately when I ask for a hand touch, he may have to run to touch the next hand. But, I want the positives to outweigh the negatives. And, not just in training, in life. Think of it as if you had two buckets. Every time you had to correct your dog or do something negative, you have to put a penny into the “negative bucket”. But, every time you do something positive or are able to reward/praise your dog, you put a penny into your “positive bucket”. Now, when you are finished at the end of the day, all of the pennies in the negative bucket disappear, but all the pennies in your positive bucket go back into your pocket, to be used again and again.
Most people don’t pay attention to all of the little things, until they start to turn into big things. But, now, you will have to use up a lot of your negative pennies to get back on track. And, to clarify, negatives aren’t necessarily corrections. In my mind, withholding a reward is a negative, as is stopping an unwanted behavior. Make the right thing easy, so you can reward it, and make the wrong thing difficult.
So, every minute you share with your dog, you need to consider the interaction that is happening. Which bucket are you dropping a penny into? The negative bucket or the positive bucket?
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Decision Making
If you correct a dog for “thinking” about making a wrong decision, you have basically taken all decision making away from the dog. Instead, you need to give your dog time to think.
Give him the opportunity to arrive at the desired decision...without your help. If he makes a wrong decision, help him to be correct. When he makes the correct decision by himself, make sure you tell him how wonderful he is. Do not put pressure on him while he’s thinking. Just wait.
Dogs fail in the ring (and in life) because their owners micromanage them. They are never allowed the opportunity to think for themselves and to arrive at the correct conclusion. So, when you are unable to help them, they start to flounder.
Practice putting your dog in positions where he needs to make decisions. In competition, this can be accomplished through proofing. The intent of proofing is to help solidify the correct behavior in your dog under more difficult circumstances. Good proofing will increase your dog’s confidence and his understanding of each exercise. Bad proofing, on the other hand, can destroy a dog’s confidence.
Does this mean that I only proof my dog on what I KNOW he will do correctly? No. While I’m not going to set him to fail, I will make some of my proofing more difficult on purpose. In these scenarios, I will help him make the correct decision before asking him to do it by himself.
It may make you feel better to micromanage every detail of your dog’s life (in and out of the ring), but give them a little credit. Nothing makes me happier than to see my dog actually make a conscious decision to correct his behavior. When you see the little lightbulb come on and the dog shows you that they know what the correct behavior should be. For me, that is one of the true joys of training dogs.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Give him the opportunity to arrive at the desired decision...without your help. If he makes a wrong decision, help him to be correct. When he makes the correct decision by himself, make sure you tell him how wonderful he is. Do not put pressure on him while he’s thinking. Just wait.
Dogs fail in the ring (and in life) because their owners micromanage them. They are never allowed the opportunity to think for themselves and to arrive at the correct conclusion. So, when you are unable to help them, they start to flounder.
Practice putting your dog in positions where he needs to make decisions. In competition, this can be accomplished through proofing. The intent of proofing is to help solidify the correct behavior in your dog under more difficult circumstances. Good proofing will increase your dog’s confidence and his understanding of each exercise. Bad proofing, on the other hand, can destroy a dog’s confidence.
Does this mean that I only proof my dog on what I KNOW he will do correctly? No. While I’m not going to set him to fail, I will make some of my proofing more difficult on purpose. In these scenarios, I will help him make the correct decision before asking him to do it by himself.
It may make you feel better to micromanage every detail of your dog’s life (in and out of the ring), but give them a little credit. Nothing makes me happier than to see my dog actually make a conscious decision to correct his behavior. When you see the little lightbulb come on and the dog shows you that they know what the correct behavior should be. For me, that is one of the true joys of training dogs.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Friday, May 2, 2014
Understanding....
There are so many training tools on the market, it is amazing that new dog trainers don’t throw their arms up in confusion. What happened to old fashioned training? Old fashioned work?
Everyone wants immediate results, but no one wants to work at it. Gimmicks and training tools may work, but the result is the same. If the dog does not understand, as soon as the tool goes away, the desired behavior disappears.
The fundamental, core exercise in competition obedience is attention heeling. So, it is no surprise that trainers have developed “tools” to help you. But, is a tool needed? Absolutely not! Is it more work? YES! However, if your dog UNDERSTANDS exactly what is expected of them, they will perform more consistently, under varying conditions. The caveat to this is that YOU as a handler, need to first understand how to teach attention heeling.
There are tons of exceptional trainers out there, who sell a “method”. But, yet, you very rarely see their success duplicated among their students. Why? Because the students do not have the same level of understanding of the method. After awhile, their dog’s heeling doesn’t improve, so they move onto a different method. Unfortunately, the “method” isn’t the problem, it’s the fact that the handler does not know enough about the method to apply it properly. This does not mean the handler doesn’t have a good knowledge of the method or even good training skills, but rather that they do not understand the method well enough to apply it to their own dog. Instead of switching methods, maybe the handler needs to spend more time trying to understand their current method better.
"Knowledge and skill in themselves do not guarantee understanding. People can acquire knowledge and routine skills without understanding their basis or when to use them. And, by and large, knowledge and skills that are not understood do (people) little good!” David Perkins, American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American Federation of Teachers; v17 n3, pp. 8,28-35, Fall 1993.
Now, apply this same reasoning to your dog. If your dog does not “understand” an exercise, you have failed in your training. When our dog performs well, we feel better...about ourself, our dog, and our training ability. So, when we go out and train, especially if someone is watching us, we make sure our dog is successful. There is nothing wrong with failure. Sometimes, we (or our dog) need to fail, in order for us to learn the correct way to do something.
Honestly, when I see someone showing off their dog’s heeling online, my first reaction is to look for a visible cookie or a toy. If the dog is supposedly “trained” and I see one, I stop watching. Granted, if it is a young dog, that is different, but if the dog is TRULY trained and you have a cookie in your hand, you are creating an illusion. An illusion which may look awesome, but it’s still an illusion. Show me a video of your dog’s heeling in competition. Show me a video of your dog working when they KNOW you don’t have a reward on you. The fact that your training partner pulled the toy from behind your back as you were walking into the ring may make you feel better, but really, who are you kidding??
I will pick on my own dog for a moment....my Springer is extremely food driven. His toy drive is fairly low, depending on where we are training. I train with food a lot, regardless of the surroundings. In doing so, I have not done as much proofing with food that I should have. Two weeks ago, while retrieving his dumbbell in competition, he actually set his dumbbell down to check out a leaf that was on the ground (outdoor trial). When he saw it wasn’t food, he quickly picked up the dumbbell and did a beautiful front and finish. Normally, I would NQ myself and give a second command, but I was trying to salvage a UDX leg, so I bit my tongue and let him work it out. But, I knew I would have to address it in practice.
I needed to pull out his errors, which proved to me the lack of “understanding”. Does he know the basics of the job? Yes, he does...he has his OTCH for heaven’s sake. But, he didn’t understand that the same rule applied when the visible cookie was on the floor directly in front of him. We worked through the issue this morning and will probably need to continually revisit the topic.
So, when you are training or learning something new, strive for understanding, not just knowledge. Ask questions. Challenge yourself and your dog. Instead of training for a certain “picture”, train your dog to think on his feet and to work through problems. And, above all, put in the work.
Work hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Everyone wants immediate results, but no one wants to work at it. Gimmicks and training tools may work, but the result is the same. If the dog does not understand, as soon as the tool goes away, the desired behavior disappears.
The fundamental, core exercise in competition obedience is attention heeling. So, it is no surprise that trainers have developed “tools” to help you. But, is a tool needed? Absolutely not! Is it more work? YES! However, if your dog UNDERSTANDS exactly what is expected of them, they will perform more consistently, under varying conditions. The caveat to this is that YOU as a handler, need to first understand how to teach attention heeling.
There are tons of exceptional trainers out there, who sell a “method”. But, yet, you very rarely see their success duplicated among their students. Why? Because the students do not have the same level of understanding of the method. After awhile, their dog’s heeling doesn’t improve, so they move onto a different method. Unfortunately, the “method” isn’t the problem, it’s the fact that the handler does not know enough about the method to apply it properly. This does not mean the handler doesn’t have a good knowledge of the method or even good training skills, but rather that they do not understand the method well enough to apply it to their own dog. Instead of switching methods, maybe the handler needs to spend more time trying to understand their current method better.
"Knowledge and skill in themselves do not guarantee understanding. People can acquire knowledge and routine skills without understanding their basis or when to use them. And, by and large, knowledge and skills that are not understood do (people) little good!” David Perkins, American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American Federation of Teachers; v17 n3, pp. 8,28-35, Fall 1993.
Now, apply this same reasoning to your dog. If your dog does not “understand” an exercise, you have failed in your training. When our dog performs well, we feel better...about ourself, our dog, and our training ability. So, when we go out and train, especially if someone is watching us, we make sure our dog is successful. There is nothing wrong with failure. Sometimes, we (or our dog) need to fail, in order for us to learn the correct way to do something.
Honestly, when I see someone showing off their dog’s heeling online, my first reaction is to look for a visible cookie or a toy. If the dog is supposedly “trained” and I see one, I stop watching. Granted, if it is a young dog, that is different, but if the dog is TRULY trained and you have a cookie in your hand, you are creating an illusion. An illusion which may look awesome, but it’s still an illusion. Show me a video of your dog’s heeling in competition. Show me a video of your dog working when they KNOW you don’t have a reward on you. The fact that your training partner pulled the toy from behind your back as you were walking into the ring may make you feel better, but really, who are you kidding??
I will pick on my own dog for a moment....my Springer is extremely food driven. His toy drive is fairly low, depending on where we are training. I train with food a lot, regardless of the surroundings. In doing so, I have not done as much proofing with food that I should have. Two weeks ago, while retrieving his dumbbell in competition, he actually set his dumbbell down to check out a leaf that was on the ground (outdoor trial). When he saw it wasn’t food, he quickly picked up the dumbbell and did a beautiful front and finish. Normally, I would NQ myself and give a second command, but I was trying to salvage a UDX leg, so I bit my tongue and let him work it out. But, I knew I would have to address it in practice.
I needed to pull out his errors, which proved to me the lack of “understanding”. Does he know the basics of the job? Yes, he does...he has his OTCH for heaven’s sake. But, he didn’t understand that the same rule applied when the visible cookie was on the floor directly in front of him. We worked through the issue this morning and will probably need to continually revisit the topic.
So, when you are training or learning something new, strive for understanding, not just knowledge. Ask questions. Challenge yourself and your dog. Instead of training for a certain “picture”, train your dog to think on his feet and to work through problems. And, above all, put in the work.
Work hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Hate mail...
I received my first piece of hate mail this week. Some positive-only person decided since I sell prong collars, I must be “sick” and an animal abuser. Fortunately, my "thank you" mail far outweighs my "negative" mail.
I sell A LOT of prong collars and I would estimate that probably 60-70% of them go to competition people. These people know how to use the collar or they are working with a trainer, who advised them to get the collar to deal with a particular issue. Other, non-competition people who call me are dealing with a variety of issues - dogs who pull and choke themselves on a buckle collar, dogs who have trachea issues and can not use a collar (but are uncontrollable on a harness), large dogs who have become unmanageable, or owners who don’t have the strength to control their dog on a regular collar. In some cases, these “strength” issues are a result of health issues on the part of the owner. On more than one occasion, I’ve had customers tell me that they were contemplating rehoming their dog because they couldn’t control him on walks or in the house.
I have several resources on my website, including an in-depth video on how to introduce a prong collar correctly. I also have information on how to fit a prong collar. If someone has never used a prong collar in the past, I advise them to seek out professional assistance. Can a prong collar be used incorrectly? ABSOLUTELY! But, so can a head halter, a slip collar, a buckle collar and a harness.
Have I ever talked to a person and refused to sell them a prong collar? Yes. The people who call me, who spout how their dog needs to be disciplined more or they tell me that their dog is having issues and they think a prong collar will “fix it”. Trust me...a prong collar does not “fix” anything. It is merely a tool to help a person communicate with their dog. A training class helps you “fix” things. A knowledgeable instructor helps you “fix” things. A prong collar is simply one tool that can be used as a PART of fixing something. So instead, I refer these people to an obedience club or any type of training class where an impartial (and hopefully qualified) person can help them deal with their dog.
The people who deal with animal abuse on a daily basis have my utmost respect. It is a difficult job and, unfortunately, a never ending one. But, deal with the people who do the abuse, not with a piece of equipment you do not agree with. Deal with the people who leave a dog on a chain, where the buckle collar has embedded itself in the dog’s neck. Deal with the people who confine their dogs in cages 24 hours a day and breed them for profit.
However, it is also OUR jobs as competitors and instructors to deal with issues that we see in the competition venue. You can not turn a blind eye to the person over-correcting their dog (in ANY type of collar). You can not turn a blind eye to the person you see at a trial, who is outside behind a fence smacking their dog around because it did not do well in the ring. You can not turn a blind eye to the person at the match, who runs to their dog on stays and hits it repeatedly in the head because it moved out of position. While it is difficult to walk up to someone and say “stop”, it must be done. Does that mean every time you see someone correcting their dog that you need to step in? No, that is not what I’m saying. But, we all know when we see something unreasonable. We all know when the handler has let emotion come into play and is taking it out on the dog.
As I am definitely rambling now, I will end with this....I always recommend using the mildest type of collar and/or correction which obtains you the result you are looking for. There is no reason to use a level 10, if a level 2 gets you results. Seek out a professional if you don’t know how to use a piece of equipment properly. Keep your mind open regarding ALL of the tools that exist in dog training...whether it be a clicker or a prong collar. Do not accuse and categorize people based on their tools. Instead, step back and look at their dog working. Maybe, just maybe, you will learn something.
Work hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Some people think the USA is still in the “dark ages” regarding this tool. If you don’t like a tool, don’t use it. But, don’t categorize people because of their use of a particular piece of equipment. I use whatever tool works best with a dog - this may include toys, cookies, my hands, my voice, a buckle collar, a slip collar, and (yes) a prong collar. I have seen people use their hands much worse than anything I could ever do with a prong collar.
I sell A LOT of prong collars and I would estimate that probably 60-70% of them go to competition people. These people know how to use the collar or they are working with a trainer, who advised them to get the collar to deal with a particular issue. Other, non-competition people who call me are dealing with a variety of issues - dogs who pull and choke themselves on a buckle collar, dogs who have trachea issues and can not use a collar (but are uncontrollable on a harness), large dogs who have become unmanageable, or owners who don’t have the strength to control their dog on a regular collar. In some cases, these “strength” issues are a result of health issues on the part of the owner. On more than one occasion, I’ve had customers tell me that they were contemplating rehoming their dog because they couldn’t control him on walks or in the house.
I have several resources on my website, including an in-depth video on how to introduce a prong collar correctly. I also have information on how to fit a prong collar. If someone has never used a prong collar in the past, I advise them to seek out professional assistance. Can a prong collar be used incorrectly? ABSOLUTELY! But, so can a head halter, a slip collar, a buckle collar and a harness.
Have I ever talked to a person and refused to sell them a prong collar? Yes. The people who call me, who spout how their dog needs to be disciplined more or they tell me that their dog is having issues and they think a prong collar will “fix it”. Trust me...a prong collar does not “fix” anything. It is merely a tool to help a person communicate with their dog. A training class helps you “fix” things. A knowledgeable instructor helps you “fix” things. A prong collar is simply one tool that can be used as a PART of fixing something. So instead, I refer these people to an obedience club or any type of training class where an impartial (and hopefully qualified) person can help them deal with their dog.
The people who deal with animal abuse on a daily basis have my utmost respect. It is a difficult job and, unfortunately, a never ending one. But, deal with the people who do the abuse, not with a piece of equipment you do not agree with. Deal with the people who leave a dog on a chain, where the buckle collar has embedded itself in the dog’s neck. Deal with the people who confine their dogs in cages 24 hours a day and breed them for profit.
However, it is also OUR jobs as competitors and instructors to deal with issues that we see in the competition venue. You can not turn a blind eye to the person over-correcting their dog (in ANY type of collar). You can not turn a blind eye to the person you see at a trial, who is outside behind a fence smacking their dog around because it did not do well in the ring. You can not turn a blind eye to the person at the match, who runs to their dog on stays and hits it repeatedly in the head because it moved out of position. While it is difficult to walk up to someone and say “stop”, it must be done. Does that mean every time you see someone correcting their dog that you need to step in? No, that is not what I’m saying. But, we all know when we see something unreasonable. We all know when the handler has let emotion come into play and is taking it out on the dog.
As I am definitely rambling now, I will end with this....I always recommend using the mildest type of collar and/or correction which obtains you the result you are looking for. There is no reason to use a level 10, if a level 2 gets you results. Seek out a professional if you don’t know how to use a piece of equipment properly. Keep your mind open regarding ALL of the tools that exist in dog training...whether it be a clicker or a prong collar. Do not accuse and categorize people based on their tools. Instead, step back and look at their dog working. Maybe, just maybe, you will learn something.
Work hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sometimes you have to fake it...
Everyone is in a position at some point, where they are not 100% confident in what they are training. Maybe it’s a new skill or a new exercise. Maybe it is an unusual reaction from your dog that you weren’t prepared for. Maybe you are trying different methods to work through a particular problem.
I often see people being cautious about how they handle and train their dogs. They are worried about doing something wrong, so their commands are wishy-washy, without spelling out exactly how they want their dog to perform.
How would you feel if you were sitting in your doctor’s office and your doctor came into the room to discuss what was wrong with you. Instead of him spelling out EXACTLY what the problem was, he beat around the bush. “Maybe" you have this or “maybe” you have that. We can “maybe” try this medicine, but “maybe” this would be better. You wouldn’t have much faith in your doctor, would you?
Your dog is the same way. They want (and NEED) specific and clear instructions. They need you to apply things confidently and with purpose.
It is better to do the wrong thing with confidence, than the right thing with trepidation.
You are not going to mess up your dog, or your training, if you don’t handle something correctly; as long as you handle it with confidence. As a disclaimer (because there is always one person in the bunch)....this obviously does not mean that you should “confidently” rip your dog’s head off if they perform an exercise incorrectly, this can cause lasting problems. But, most people train with cookies and/or toys. You are NOT going to do any lasting damage with a cookie.
I’d rather have my dog make a confident, wrong decision than an unconfident, correct one. Much, much easier to fix and build on.
So, if you get into a situation where you aren’t quite sure what to do, fake it. You always hear that dogs live in the moment, and I agree with this. You can always retrain something. You can always start over. But, if you start making your dog guess what you want, you are creating indecision and confusion. Neither of which is a good thing for the competition ring.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
I often see people being cautious about how they handle and train their dogs. They are worried about doing something wrong, so their commands are wishy-washy, without spelling out exactly how they want their dog to perform.
How would you feel if you were sitting in your doctor’s office and your doctor came into the room to discuss what was wrong with you. Instead of him spelling out EXACTLY what the problem was, he beat around the bush. “Maybe" you have this or “maybe” you have that. We can “maybe” try this medicine, but “maybe” this would be better. You wouldn’t have much faith in your doctor, would you?
Your dog is the same way. They want (and NEED) specific and clear instructions. They need you to apply things confidently and with purpose.
It is better to do the wrong thing with confidence, than the right thing with trepidation.
You are not going to mess up your dog, or your training, if you don’t handle something correctly; as long as you handle it with confidence. As a disclaimer (because there is always one person in the bunch)....this obviously does not mean that you should “confidently” rip your dog’s head off if they perform an exercise incorrectly, this can cause lasting problems. But, most people train with cookies and/or toys. You are NOT going to do any lasting damage with a cookie.
I’d rather have my dog make a confident, wrong decision than an unconfident, correct one. Much, much easier to fix and build on.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Stop training
Once and awhile you need to stop working and leave trainer “mode”. It is easy to stay sucked into the role of always working on your dog, always perfecting, always practicing. But, sometimes, once and awhile, it is good to stop and check where you are at on the different pendulums of training. These pendulums may be different for everyone, though some are common themes between teams.
One side of my pendulum is drive, energy and exuberance. The other side is precision and detail. Can you have both? Absolutely, but they need to be balanced. Too much focus on precision and detail can result in lower energy and flatness. Most dogs do not like being drilled on details over and over again. Things like fronts and finishes are extremely important, especially in advanced classes, but drilling them is not always effective. Drilling fronts with my German Shepherd would have dramatically reduced her speed coming into front position, something we struggled with towards the end of her show career. Does that mean we didn’t work on them? Absolutely not. But only a few a session. She had to have more drive building, more encouragement, more energy.
My Springer on the other hand, exudes energy. He needs to be reminded that precision is critical. He works on fronts and rear end awareness almost every single day. He needs to be reminded that, while animated heeling is beautiful, he is also required to stay straight, sit quickly and not lose attention. Sometimes, however, I fall too far on one side of the pendulum and get out of sync. I’m working too hard on precision and I lose sight of the overall picture. All of a sudden, my dog's heeling has flattened out and I’ve lost the “look” that I want. Once I bring his pendulum back into balance, I’ve got what I want.
I’m fortunate to have some fabulous training friends that I meet with at least monthly to work through issues. However, I train by myself the majority of the time. This works for me because I like to take my time, working through my problems and trying different approaches to solve them. If I trained with a group every day, I would not accomplish near as much with my dog and our training would suffer. However, I can tell when we need to be reinvigorated by a training group. Sometimes, it just takes a weekend dog show to put the balance back. But, sometimes, it takes a few hours of talking and working through problems with like-minded friends.
It is natural for the pendulums to be continually swinging back and forth. But, the more you practice evaluating where you and your dog are at on “your” pendulums, the easier you will find it to stay in balance. And, when you find that “sweet spot”, there is nothing better. :)
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
One side of my pendulum is drive, energy and exuberance. The other side is precision and detail. Can you have both? Absolutely, but they need to be balanced. Too much focus on precision and detail can result in lower energy and flatness. Most dogs do not like being drilled on details over and over again. Things like fronts and finishes are extremely important, especially in advanced classes, but drilling them is not always effective. Drilling fronts with my German Shepherd would have dramatically reduced her speed coming into front position, something we struggled with towards the end of her show career. Does that mean we didn’t work on them? Absolutely not. But only a few a session. She had to have more drive building, more encouragement, more energy.
My Springer on the other hand, exudes energy. He needs to be reminded that precision is critical. He works on fronts and rear end awareness almost every single day. He needs to be reminded that, while animated heeling is beautiful, he is also required to stay straight, sit quickly and not lose attention. Sometimes, however, I fall too far on one side of the pendulum and get out of sync. I’m working too hard on precision and I lose sight of the overall picture. All of a sudden, my dog's heeling has flattened out and I’ve lost the “look” that I want. Once I bring his pendulum back into balance, I’ve got what I want.
I’m fortunate to have some fabulous training friends that I meet with at least monthly to work through issues. However, I train by myself the majority of the time. This works for me because I like to take my time, working through my problems and trying different approaches to solve them. If I trained with a group every day, I would not accomplish near as much with my dog and our training would suffer. However, I can tell when we need to be reinvigorated by a training group. Sometimes, it just takes a weekend dog show to put the balance back. But, sometimes, it takes a few hours of talking and working through problems with like-minded friends.
It is natural for the pendulums to be continually swinging back and forth. But, the more you practice evaluating where you and your dog are at on “your” pendulums, the easier you will find it to stay in balance. And, when you find that “sweet spot”, there is nothing better. :)
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Friday, March 7, 2014
Smile!
What is the most important thing you need to do when training your dog?
Smile at your dog!!!
Get up and go to a mirror. Make a mean, angry face at yourself. What happens? Your posture changes. Your shoulders become rigid, your body tenses and your breathing changes. Now smile at yourself and notice what happens. Everything softens...your face, your shoulders, your breathing...your entire body relaxes.
If you were your dog, what person would you rather be next to?
Even when I need to stop my dog to fix a behavior, I’m smiling. I’m talking to them in a silly voice, telling them how goofy they are for messing up. Does my dog know he messed up? Absolutely. My hands are on his collar, putting him in the correct position, bouncing him to his go-out spot, or taking him to his jump. But, while I’m “correcting” my dog, he also understands that it is merely a mistake, nothing to worry or obsess about. He doesn’t shut down and he doesn’t start to stress about what I’m doing.
Does this mean that I never show my dog true displeasure? No. If I need to make a point with a stern voice and a firmer correction, I will do it. But, this is normally reserved for the times that my dog decides that working is not an option. Maybe he decides that the grass is more interesting than the article pile or he decides that he’d rather sniff the person standing in the corner, rather than pick up his glove. It is up to you and your ability to read your dog that determines how you should handle any given situation.
Smiling is also shown to relieve stress, improve your mood, lower blood pressure and release good endorphins. How many of us couldn’t use all four of those things on show day? Train like you show...that’s the rule, right? So, when you prepare to walk into the ring, stop, take a big breath (and let it out!) and smile at your dog. Let him jump up on you while you tell him how smart he is. Then, when you are called into the ring, smile at the judge. You will set a good impression, telling the judge that you are confident and ready to show them what your dog can do.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Smile at your dog!!!
Get up and go to a mirror. Make a mean, angry face at yourself. What happens? Your posture changes. Your shoulders become rigid, your body tenses and your breathing changes. Now smile at yourself and notice what happens. Everything softens...your face, your shoulders, your breathing...your entire body relaxes.
If you were your dog, what person would you rather be next to?
Even when I need to stop my dog to fix a behavior, I’m smiling. I’m talking to them in a silly voice, telling them how goofy they are for messing up. Does my dog know he messed up? Absolutely. My hands are on his collar, putting him in the correct position, bouncing him to his go-out spot, or taking him to his jump. But, while I’m “correcting” my dog, he also understands that it is merely a mistake, nothing to worry or obsess about. He doesn’t shut down and he doesn’t start to stress about what I’m doing.
Does this mean that I never show my dog true displeasure? No. If I need to make a point with a stern voice and a firmer correction, I will do it. But, this is normally reserved for the times that my dog decides that working is not an option. Maybe he decides that the grass is more interesting than the article pile or he decides that he’d rather sniff the person standing in the corner, rather than pick up his glove. It is up to you and your ability to read your dog that determines how you should handle any given situation.
Smiling is also shown to relieve stress, improve your mood, lower blood pressure and release good endorphins. How many of us couldn’t use all four of those things on show day? Train like you show...that’s the rule, right? So, when you prepare to walk into the ring, stop, take a big breath (and let it out!) and smile at your dog. Let him jump up on you while you tell him how smart he is. Then, when you are called into the ring, smile at the judge. You will set a good impression, telling the judge that you are confident and ready to show them what your dog can do.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
What kind of trainer are you?
While warming up for a class at a dog show the other day, I was practicing some quick drops before going into the Open B ring. My warm up consisted of doodling with my attentive dog and telling him “down” as I went in with my hand on his shoulder blades. I wasn’t hitting him, I was simply reinforcing a fast down by putting my hands on him. In most cases, he was down before my hand even came in contact with him. A person walking by made a comment...”I saw that.” I must have looked at them pretty strange, because the person added “I thought you didn’t correct your dog.” I’m sure I probably made a funny face, and I responded “I don’t know what made you think that?”
No one can argue the huge societal change that has occurred over the past 10 years. Probably longer, but that’s as far as I’m going to go back. Why? Because that is longer than the length of time that I’ve been involved in competition obedience. I’m not going to debate the positives and negatives of different forms of training...that has been done ad nauseam. But, primarily, I just really do not care.
Fortunately, I don’t have to make my living as a dog trainer. Because, if I did, I would have to worry about what others thought of my training methods. I would have to cover my website in flowery descriptions, including “force free”, “positive only”, or “clicker” because that is how a lot of people think dogs need to be trained. (Ironically, some trainers who have these words plastered all over their websites, also order prong collars from me in bulk.) I would have to defend my props or tools, calling them “positive tools” to train a dog. I would have to micro manage my dog’s life and surroundings so they were never put in a position to think for themselves.
If you want to train with a clicker, go for it. If you are stuck in the old compulsion days, go for it. If you think you can talk to your dog telepathically, go for it!! I won’t judge you. I promise. Well, except for the telepathic people...I will probably judge you. :) But one thing I will do, I will call a spade a spade. If you are being unfair, I will tell you. If your dog has got your number, I will tell you that too. And, if I don’t know the answer, I will try to help you find one.
My belief is that dogs should be happy when training. I want my dog to push me to work and interact, even if it requires several training sessions each day. While I have trained dogs in a prong collar, I am currently training only in a buckle collar, relying on my hands to do any correcting (if necessary). I guide, I encourage and I require...depending on the dog, it's training and the given situation.
No one can argue the huge societal change that has occurred over the past 10 years. Probably longer, but that’s as far as I’m going to go back. Why? Because that is longer than the length of time that I’ve been involved in competition obedience. I’m not going to debate the positives and negatives of different forms of training...that has been done ad nauseam. But, primarily, I just really do not care.
Fortunately, I don’t have to make my living as a dog trainer. Because, if I did, I would have to worry about what others thought of my training methods. I would have to cover my website in flowery descriptions, including “force free”, “positive only”, or “clicker” because that is how a lot of people think dogs need to be trained. (Ironically, some trainers who have these words plastered all over their websites, also order prong collars from me in bulk.) I would have to defend my props or tools, calling them “positive tools” to train a dog. I would have to micro manage my dog’s life and surroundings so they were never put in a position to think for themselves.
If you want to train with a clicker, go for it. If you are stuck in the old compulsion days, go for it. If you think you can talk to your dog telepathically, go for it!! I won’t judge you. I promise. Well, except for the telepathic people...I will probably judge you. :) But one thing I will do, I will call a spade a spade. If you are being unfair, I will tell you. If your dog has got your number, I will tell you that too. And, if I don’t know the answer, I will try to help you find one.
My belief is that dogs should be happy when training. I want my dog to push me to work and interact, even if it requires several training sessions each day. While I have trained dogs in a prong collar, I am currently training only in a buckle collar, relying on my hands to do any correcting (if necessary). I guide, I encourage and I require...depending on the dog, it's training and the given situation.
All dogs are built differently. Some dogs can heel with their heads up and others can't. I do not believe that heads up heeling is required or necessary for all dogs. But, don't confuse attention heeling with heads up heeling. Attention is required to be competitive. Heads up heeling looks nice and improves the overall picture, but is not required. I do not believe it is good training to force a dog to keep his head up, if his structure does not allow it.
Train the dog in front of you. If they need more positive and ego-stroking, do it. If they need more rules and boundaries, do it. But, don’t train a particular way because that is what the cult around is doing. Let your dog and his actions determine how you train. And, by all means, if the people around you are training in a way that makes you uncomfortable...LEAVE.
My methods are constantly evolving. I am continually watching other trainers work their dogs...how they train new exercises, how they respond to problems, and how they read their dogs. I find it fascinating. I look forward to training my dogs, working through problems and seeing the lightbulb come on. I love training with people who share the same views as I do, just as much as I enjoy training with people who have other training beliefs and backgrounds.
Oh...and if you are wondering what the person’s response was at the dog show, when I asked them why they thought I didn’t correct my dog...it was “because your dog is so happy in the ring”. It was one of the best compliments I have ever received. But, in truth, if he’s so happy, why does it matter “how” I train??
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Train the dog in front of you. If they need more positive and ego-stroking, do it. If they need more rules and boundaries, do it. But, don’t train a particular way because that is what the cult around is doing. Let your dog and his actions determine how you train. And, by all means, if the people around you are training in a way that makes you uncomfortable...LEAVE.
My methods are constantly evolving. I am continually watching other trainers work their dogs...how they train new exercises, how they respond to problems, and how they read their dogs. I find it fascinating. I look forward to training my dogs, working through problems and seeing the lightbulb come on. I love training with people who share the same views as I do, just as much as I enjoy training with people who have other training beliefs and backgrounds.
Oh...and if you are wondering what the person’s response was at the dog show, when I asked them why they thought I didn’t correct my dog...it was “because your dog is so happy in the ring”. It was one of the best compliments I have ever received. But, in truth, if he’s so happy, why does it matter “how” I train??
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Foundation skills
I’m always amazed by people who skip the foundation work and then wonder why everything falls apart later. Actually, the “foundation” needs constant work...as it’s the “basic” things that make or break a good run.
What things do I consider “foundation” exercises:
What things do I consider “foundation” exercises:
- Voluntary attention (HUGE!!)
- Hold
- Marking
- Hand touch & hand push
- Nose target
- Motivational pop
- Pop up release (to food for puppy, later a hand touch)
- Rear end awareness exercises
- Find heel position
- Move with me & stay with me (even when released)
- Bounce, spin, twist, backup
- Position changes
- Find front
- Come
- Spin back after picking something up
- Getting on a platform & send away to a platform
- Dumbbell games
- How to use their nose (beginning scent work)
- Send to a mat or crate
- How to come out of a crate
- How to play with me WITHOUT a toy or a cookie
- Chasing a cookie or toy
- Marker words
- Muscle memory for head position
- Responding to their name
- Responding to cue words that I can take into the ring, i.e. “Ready”
- and (most important) learning that training with me is the funnest thing in the world!!
Spend the time training these things to your puppy or young competition dog and it will pay off in the end!
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Friday, January 31, 2014
Asking for advice...
Everyone has to ask for advice at some point. We
simply don’t know ALL the answers to ALL the problems.
But before you start asking for advice, stop and
think…
1) Are you ready for peoples' opinions?
Maybe you are wrong, maybe you aren't...but are you
ready to hear what other people think? If you don't have an open mind going
into it, you may miss something wonderful. Did someone suggest a training
method or a tool that you aren't willing to use? If you say no before they even
explain their reasoning, you won't understand their methodology behind their
answer. If you want someone to give you their time by answering your question,
the least you can do is listen with an open mind. Understand, this is NOT the
same as when someone gives you an unsolicited opinion. But when YOU ask for
advice, be prepared to listen...to everything and everyone before making a
decision.
If you're wrong, be prepared...the truth hurts.
Maybe you've completely messed something up and someone (if they're being
truthful) will tell you. Is it the end of the world? Absolutely not. But,
maybe, most of what you are doing is correct and it just took someone from the
"outside" to see the issue. Either way, if you aren't prepared to
listen and HEAR, then don't ask.
2) Do you really need advice or are you just
looking for validation?
Yes, sometimes it may be a combination of the two
things. Where you "think" you are doing something correctly (or
handling a problem the right way) and you want to see what other people think
of your methods. But, if you are just looking for a pat on the back, don't
bother asking.
3) Who is the best person to ask?
There really isn’t a “best” person, but the only rule is that the person
needs to have more experience than you. And don’t evaluate a person solely on
titles. If you have having a problem with your little terrier’s retrieve, the
local “professional OTCH trainer” who has worked with countless Border Collies
or Golden Retrievers may not be the best person to ask. It doesn’t mean you can’t
ask them, but I’d also seek out a successful terrier person to ask for advice.
Be prepared for a different answer from every person you ask. Thus, don’t
ask very many people. Ask the people you trust, the people you respect and,
above all, the people with experience.
4) What are your reasons for ignoring advice?
Trust me, you do not have to listen to every piece of advice you are
given. You know your dog and your steps of training better than anyone. But, if
you are ignoring advice simply because it's not what you wanted to hear or you
don't like the answer, then you are never going to learn. Instead, think
through the person's advice and make sure you understand exactly what they are
trying to say. Maybe, after you understand it, you may be able to adjust the
advice to your particular method of training. If you don't understand, then ask
questions!
Don’t made decisions based on emotion. We are great at coming up with
excuses for not listening to “good” advice, simply because we are too close to
the topic at hand.
But, in the end, trust yourself. A mistake is simply a mistake. Even if
the advice doesn’t work completely, maybe it addressed a portion of the
problem. Keep working towards your end goal and surround yourselves with people
who want to see you succeed.
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Shannon
Monday, January 27, 2014
Interest vs. Commitment
I ran across a wonderful quote this morning....
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.” (Kenneth Blanchard)
Wow, how true. I know a lot of people who are “interested” in training their dogs, but make excuses when it comes time to actually do the work. The people who are committed are obvious. They are the people training their dogs in the early morning before it gets hot or the people in several layers of clothes because it’s cold outside. We train in the rain, in the wind (stake those ring gates!), in the heat and the cold. We haul our equipment to parks, fields, parking lots and anywhere else that has enough space for us to train our dogs. We get in the car and drive two hours to a match, where we will pay to rent a ring for 10 minutes, just to get back in the car and drive the two hours home.
When things don’t go right in the ring, we come out, sit down and figure out what we need to do to fix it. We don’t blame the dog, the environment or the judge. Instead, we blame our training or our preparation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with just being interested in showing and wanting to have fun on the weekend. But, if this is the case, don’t hold your dog accountable to YOUR failure to prepare him to compete against the dogs with “committed” trainers. And, by no means am I saying that being “committed” means all other areas of your life are ignored. I have a family, a home and a job that are just as important. However, you will only “get out” what you “put in”. Do you find time to do what is important or do you just say “I’ll train tomorrow”?
So, before you enter a show, decide which person you are....are you “interested” or are you “committed”?
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.” (Kenneth Blanchard)
Wow, how true. I know a lot of people who are “interested” in training their dogs, but make excuses when it comes time to actually do the work. The people who are committed are obvious. They are the people training their dogs in the early morning before it gets hot or the people in several layers of clothes because it’s cold outside. We train in the rain, in the wind (stake those ring gates!), in the heat and the cold. We haul our equipment to parks, fields, parking lots and anywhere else that has enough space for us to train our dogs. We get in the car and drive two hours to a match, where we will pay to rent a ring for 10 minutes, just to get back in the car and drive the two hours home.
When things don’t go right in the ring, we come out, sit down and figure out what we need to do to fix it. We don’t blame the dog, the environment or the judge. Instead, we blame our training or our preparation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with just being interested in showing and wanting to have fun on the weekend. But, if this is the case, don’t hold your dog accountable to YOUR failure to prepare him to compete against the dogs with “committed” trainers. And, by no means am I saying that being “committed” means all other areas of your life are ignored. I have a family, a home and a job that are just as important. However, you will only “get out” what you “put in”. Do you find time to do what is important or do you just say “I’ll train tomorrow”?
So, before you enter a show, decide which person you are....are you “interested” or are you “committed”?
Train hard. Play harder.
Shannon
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Train the details
In my opinion, two of the most important things to train your dog before showing are ring entrances and setups. I also consider removing the dog's lead as part of a ring entrance if showing in Open and Utility.
The next time you are at a show, sit and watch these two specific items. Who walks into the ring with an attentive, focused dog? What is their body language saying to the judge? Who moves easily between exercises, setting up efficiently and quickly for the next exercise?
These two items are not subject to judging (unless the handler has difficulty or delays the ring, then the judge can mark them below the line), but they need to be trained just like any other exercise. Obviously, dogs are different...some need to be formally heeled between exercises, while some need a chance to disconnect briefly and allowed to refocus. Some dogs need a spin or hand touch while moving to the next exercise.
Take the time to teach these skills, so your dog will know exactly what is expected on show day. Teach your dog some stress relieving behaviors in case you need them to use them between exercises (spins, hand touches, bounces, front feet up on handler). These need to be practiced and reinforced OFTEN, not just taught, then forgotten. In practice, these behaviors (after taught) should be required. Meaning, that if I tell my dog to put his front feet up on me, he must do it. If I tell him to do a hand push, he must get into position and push.
While training, don’t forget the perfect picture in your mind. My “picture” includes speed, effort and precision. So, if I call my dog to setup, I require that he does it quickly and accurately. Anything that does not meet my expectations is addressed. Require 100% in practice, because you will probably only get 90% in the ring. Consistency is extremely important. Decide what you want from your dog and reinforce it. Every....single....time. No exceptions!
Your ring entrance sets the tone for the entire run. The judge’s first impression of a team is extremely important. It is your job to make sure it is the best impression possible.
Happy training!
Happy training!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
It’s the little things...
I started teaching a Competition Puppy class last night. Six people with visions of grandeur, all with future OTCH dogs on the ends of their leashes.
We started with “little things”...how to play, rewarding their dog’s name, basic position changes and voluntary attention. It made me think. In life, they say the little things make a difference. And they do. What good are the “big things”, if the “little things” aren’t that great?
Think of the “little things” as your building blocks. It’s what you are basing your dog’s future on. Doesn’t it make sense to have the foundation as solid as possible? I saw a few eyes glaze over last night, when I started explaining how important the dog’s name is. It needs to be taught. It needs to be rewarded. Sure, it sounds easy...most people probably thought to themselves “my puppy already knows his name”. But, does your dog come running when they hear their name called? If your answer is “no”, then you have a problem. And, honestly, it doesn’t matter if your dog is 12 weeks old or 2 years old, if they don’t respond on their name, that’s a problem. Is that a “little” problem or a “big” problem? If you ask me, that’s a HUGE problem. For one, it can be a matter of your dog’s life if they are loose and run after something, crossing a road in the process.
Keep this in mind as you are training exercises. People have a tendency to focus on the big picture, while losing sight of the “little” things which build the foundation of the exercise.
Let’s use directed jumping as an example - “big” things include the dog going straight to his go-out spot, taking the correct jump, etc., while little things may include attitude, precision and handler response. When I started training my first dog, I looked at the big picture. Heck, I was thrilled if he just got to where he was going!! I completely forgot about the little things and looked solely at the principles of the exercise. Why worry about the little things?
Why? Because my dog is always learning. I’m either teaching him to do something correctly or I’m teaching him to do something incorrectly. Say I’m working a green dog on articles. When he brings me back the correct article, I let him sit anywhere in front of me, while I tell him how smart he is for finding the right one...all while my dog is sitting at a 45 degree angle to front. How does my dog know this isn’t the way a front is performed? He doesn’t. I just told him how smart he was!
I’m not saying that the little things don’t sometimes take a step back when working on something, because they do, but the final product should always be at the forefront. Keep the ‘perfect picture’ in your mind and work towards it unwaveringly. Is this hard? Absolutely! But it’s worth it in the end.
So, while you work to get a handle on the “big things”, it still pays to focus on the little things.
Happy training!
We started with “little things”...how to play, rewarding their dog’s name, basic position changes and voluntary attention. It made me think. In life, they say the little things make a difference. And they do. What good are the “big things”, if the “little things” aren’t that great?
Think of the “little things” as your building blocks. It’s what you are basing your dog’s future on. Doesn’t it make sense to have the foundation as solid as possible? I saw a few eyes glaze over last night, when I started explaining how important the dog’s name is. It needs to be taught. It needs to be rewarded. Sure, it sounds easy...most people probably thought to themselves “my puppy already knows his name”. But, does your dog come running when they hear their name called? If your answer is “no”, then you have a problem. And, honestly, it doesn’t matter if your dog is 12 weeks old or 2 years old, if they don’t respond on their name, that’s a problem. Is that a “little” problem or a “big” problem? If you ask me, that’s a HUGE problem. For one, it can be a matter of your dog’s life if they are loose and run after something, crossing a road in the process.
Keep this in mind as you are training exercises. People have a tendency to focus on the big picture, while losing sight of the “little” things which build the foundation of the exercise.
Let’s use directed jumping as an example - “big” things include the dog going straight to his go-out spot, taking the correct jump, etc., while little things may include attitude, precision and handler response. When I started training my first dog, I looked at the big picture. Heck, I was thrilled if he just got to where he was going!! I completely forgot about the little things and looked solely at the principles of the exercise. Why worry about the little things?
Why? Because my dog is always learning. I’m either teaching him to do something correctly or I’m teaching him to do something incorrectly. Say I’m working a green dog on articles. When he brings me back the correct article, I let him sit anywhere in front of me, while I tell him how smart he is for finding the right one...all while my dog is sitting at a 45 degree angle to front. How does my dog know this isn’t the way a front is performed? He doesn’t. I just told him how smart he was!
I’m not saying that the little things don’t sometimes take a step back when working on something, because they do, but the final product should always be at the forefront. Keep the ‘perfect picture’ in your mind and work towards it unwaveringly. Is this hard? Absolutely! But it’s worth it in the end.
So, while you work to get a handle on the “big things”, it still pays to focus on the little things.
Happy training!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Confidence
Part of our job as dog trainer is to give our dogs the confidence to make their own decisions...even if that involves making mistakes. If you continue to make things easier for your dog, they will never gain the confidence to make the correct decision for themselves when necessary.
There is a saying that goes “Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.”
Step back and watch your dog work or have a knowledgeable friend watch you. If you train alone, videotape your session. Later, watch the video with the sound turned off. Watch your dog’s body language...how he moves, how he interacts with you, is he tense or loose, and does he respond quickly.
Watch your body language when your dog makes a mistake. Are you moving towards your dog or away from him? What is the expression on your face? Now watch your dog. How does your dog respond after a mistake? Does he shrink down or does he bring his head up, ready to try again?
If you see signs of tension, indecision or uncertainty, you need to stop training the exercise and work on the element of the exercise which is causing him stress...EVEN if your dog does the exercise correctly.
I had someone tell me the other day that they didn’t want their dog (who is training for obedience competition) to make any decisions for themselves. They wanted the dog to look to them, as the handler, for everything. They were surprised when I disagreed. Yes, I require attention in the ring and I expect my dog to listen to me, but I want them thinking for themselves too. I want them to solve problems and I want them to trust me to keep them safe. But, most of all, I want a happy, confident dog.
A mistake is not the end of the world. I can not micromanage my dog’s environment so he is never wrong, especially in the ring. Things are going to happen and the dog needs to be prepared to deal with the pressure. But, this doesn’t come naturally (or easily) for some dogs...my current competition dog is a prime example. So, one of the skills I had to need him was HOW to bounce back from an error. But, to do this, I had to first let him be wrong. He quickly learned that being wrong was simply a mistake and he would be given the opportunity to try again. He actually gets “higher” after a mistake, trying harder to get it correct. The confidence in his body posture is clear. His head is up, his tail is up and he’s focused on his job. Unfortunately, there are no “do overs” in the ring, but that is what is so fun about this sport. We work towards perfection, appreciating every step along the journey.
There is a saying that goes “Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.”
Step back and watch your dog work or have a knowledgeable friend watch you. If you train alone, videotape your session. Later, watch the video with the sound turned off. Watch your dog’s body language...how he moves, how he interacts with you, is he tense or loose, and does he respond quickly.
Watch your body language when your dog makes a mistake. Are you moving towards your dog or away from him? What is the expression on your face? Now watch your dog. How does your dog respond after a mistake? Does he shrink down or does he bring his head up, ready to try again?
If you see signs of tension, indecision or uncertainty, you need to stop training the exercise and work on the element of the exercise which is causing him stress...EVEN if your dog does the exercise correctly.
I had someone tell me the other day that they didn’t want their dog (who is training for obedience competition) to make any decisions for themselves. They wanted the dog to look to them, as the handler, for everything. They were surprised when I disagreed. Yes, I require attention in the ring and I expect my dog to listen to me, but I want them thinking for themselves too. I want them to solve problems and I want them to trust me to keep them safe. But, most of all, I want a happy, confident dog.
A mistake is not the end of the world. I can not micromanage my dog’s environment so he is never wrong, especially in the ring. Things are going to happen and the dog needs to be prepared to deal with the pressure. But, this doesn’t come naturally (or easily) for some dogs...my current competition dog is a prime example. So, one of the skills I had to need him was HOW to bounce back from an error. But, to do this, I had to first let him be wrong. He quickly learned that being wrong was simply a mistake and he would be given the opportunity to try again. He actually gets “higher” after a mistake, trying harder to get it correct. The confidence in his body posture is clear. His head is up, his tail is up and he’s focused on his job. Unfortunately, there are no “do overs” in the ring, but that is what is so fun about this sport. We work towards perfection, appreciating every step along the journey.
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