Clean Run Magazine - January 2007 - 71

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/mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 Review: By
Martha Faulk We’ve all heard the old saying that “one picture is worth
a thousand words.” That’s especially true, I believe, of dog training.
Since training is usually broken down into a number of steps and the
timing of cues and rewards is all-important, there’s no better way to
understand training and timing than to watch it illustrated on this DVD.
Deborah Jones, a Ph.D. animal behaviorist, and Judy Keller, three-time
competitor for the AKC/USA Agility World Team, have produced an
easy-to-follow visual guide to solving training problems for performance
dogs. All the training techniques are described in their 2004 book, In
FOCUS: Developing a Working Relationship with Your Performance Dog. But in
this DVD, you get to watch dogs and handlers performing speciﬁc behaviors
and displaying various attitudes, all accompanied by descriptive voice-over
narrative. In the introductory section, Jones and Keller present answers to
questions the viewer would likely have, such as the following: • What is
foundation work? Foundation work describes the training techniques
necessary to ensure your dog will be ready to work for you in agility
training sessions and trials. As examples, the DVD shows an outof-control
dog running around frantically taking obstacles on his own, as well as a
dog with no desire to do obstacles on his own at speed. The absence of
consistency in both cases, the authors explain, is due to a lack of
foundation work. Foundation work can help you to train your dog to focus
on both you and the obstacles ahead. • Why do we need foundation work?
Many handlers rely on luck or chance to get their dogs around the course.
Jones and Keller explain that the dog’s ability to perform obstacles is
not nearly enough to achieve consistent success. If you are ﬁghting to
keep your dog’s focus around the course, then you are wasting valuable
training time. Those of us who have watched our dogs visit the jump
setters and the judge, January 07 | Clean Run In FOCUS, Foundation Work A
DVD by Deborah Jones, Ph.D. and Judy Keller run around the ring with a bad
case of the “zoomies,” or even fail to come off the start line know how
frustrating these behaviors can be. • When can you start it? Although
it’s ideal to start training puppies for FOCUS, you can change an
unfocused adult dog. Keller and Jones recommend giving your adult dog a
break from competition for a while as you retrain him. Continuing to show
unfocused dogs only leads to more trouble, they explain, by reinforcing
undesirable behaviors. Many handlers rely on luck or chance to get their
dogs around the course. Jones and Keller explain that the dog’s ability
to perform obstacles is not nearly enough to achieve consistent success.
• How is FOCUS different from attention? Attention often means the
dog’s sustained gaze upon the handler, such as we ﬁnd in much
obedience work. FOCUS, though, is more a state of mind than a behavior. It
means that the dog is not off pursuing his own agenda, but rather paying
attention to the handler and his own body as well as his
environment—without being distracted. Foundation FOCUS In this section
of the DVD, Keller and Jones explain a bit of basic knowledge about
learning theory because they believe it helps to know why something works.
Dogs and handlers are shown working with toys, food, and social interaction
as reinforcers. The use of primary and secondary reinforcers is
illustrated, along with especially helpful sequences showing the
appropriate timing for delivery. Since it’s vital to mark the exact
moment of the desired behavior, we are shown sequences with handlers
rewarding the desired response in the dog’s offered behavior with a
click or verbal marker and then subsequently delivering the reward. I
particularly like the segments illustrating how handlers can get their
dogs to turn on and then off the conditioned emotional response of high
arousal that’s necessary for foundation FOCUS. You’ll see how handlers
invite their dogs to play and then to relax. It’s important to train your
dog only when he’s ready to play. The “crazy dog” sequence in which
the dog is instantly playful and just as instantly quiet will help you to
learn how to always have your dog ready for training and competing. Baby
FOCUS Baby FOCUS refers to how to begin to capture your dog’s FOCUS
whether he’s a puppy or an adult dog. Because your dog needs to learn
that you’ll reward him highly for focusing on you, you’ll see many
examples of how to reward and reinforce behavior. Sequences begin with
hand feeding and move through recalls, sendaways, sits, and crate
training. Keller and Jones emphasize the importance of the Premack
principle throughout FOCUS training. Because we want the dog to offer 71 
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Clean Run Magazine - January 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - January 2007
