Clean Run - March 2012 - 60

the dog’s weight forward and downward. If you use a harness for restrained recalls, never try jumping your dog with the harness on because this restricts the front legs from extending completely forward. In addition, a harness can bang on the weave poles as the dog goes through, which is quite likely to put him off. If the behavior of your dog changes when the environment changes, it shows a breakdown in the relationship between you and your dog. This is because you haven’t built your dog’s commitment to play with you to a high enough level. You need to make yourself the center of your dog’s world. What we want to achieve is a dog that will play anywhere and anytime, with any amount of distraction. My dogs don’t think they arrive at shows to socialize with other dogs or to say hello to people, but, first and foremost, to play with me. The other things can come when the play is over. After all the play doesn’t take long, 5 minutes at most. If your dog can play with you for 5 minutes, then he can concentrate for 1 minute in an agility ring.

other dogs. Never let your attention wander from your dog. Each sequence you are training should be trained at as fast a speed as you can get, then quickly reward your dog and put him back on the lead or in a crate.

· Your full focus should be on your dog

Restrained recalls are a good way to build drive.

Once I have a dog that will play with me anywhere then I don’t play for “free” while out walking.You see some handlers just aimlessly throwing balls or toys for their dog while out walking. Not only can this cause impact injuries but the dogs are getting lots of play without doing anything to earn it.

Some Notes About Building and Maintaining Motivation
Here are some important points to note when you are trying to build and maintain motivation:

once near the agility equipment. I expect my dog to give me his full attention around obstacles, so I should do likewise. I will never stand around and chat or get feedback from a mentor while my dog wanders about and gets bored around equipment. Dogs should approach agility obstacles in a heightened state of excitement ready for an explosive release onto the equipment. It isn’t a place where your dog should become used to wandering around, sniffing, and greeting other dogs and people. Your dog should view equipment as his chance to run flat out and get quickly rewarded. valuable but just a little below the value of the reward he will get after a run in the competition ring. Remember that in the competition ring there are lots more distractions for your dog, and a whole course to get through as well as different equipment to tackle, so a slightly higher reward makes a lot of sense. There are many small dogs in particular that don’t go at the same speed in the ring as they do in training. you attempt on agility equipment ends in a reward for your dog. Don’t just

· Your dog’s rewards should be highly

· It really helps if you don’t train at jump heights that look uncomfortable for your dog

because this makes his job difficult. Make sure your dog’s job is easily achievable until you have good speed over the jumps. Get drive over the jumps before slowly building jump height. flowing and technical sequences—alternate between the two during each session so that your dog can keep his speed and enthusiasm.

· Throughout your dog’s career, always make sure that you train a combination of · Speed is a habit, so be sure that your dog is focused and attentive to you before train-

ing. You don’t want him to wander onto equipment that you haven’t cued since this obstacle then won’t be done at top speed if you aren’t running with him and driving him forward to a reward point. Dogs should never be getting bored and just wandering around an agility facility. Neither is it a place where they should be playing with

· Make sure every handling sequence

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Clean Run - March 2012

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