Clean Run Magazine - April 2007 - 43

Handling Games Kiss Your Pup: Kiss your pup all over the face and reward him for kissing you back instead of nipping or growling. Teach him to kiss on command. him from side to side with your feet and legs. Rock-a-bye Baby: Carry your pup around like a little baby in your arms. Reward him with cookies and cooing and tickling his belly gently. Lifting: Condition your pup to being lifted onto and off different surfaces. Pick your pup up, then set him down and throw a toy or cookie. If he hates it, first pretend to lift him by putting one hand under the belly and the other between his front legs, say yes or praise, and then feed or play. Eventually lift him just a few inches from the ground, say something silly, then put him down and have a game of tug. Beach Blanket Bingo: Get your pup to jump on a blankie or a big soft dog bed and then reinforce him for staying on while you Susan Garrett’s “Smack da Baby Game”: Open-palm “patting” of your dog’s body while you play tug. Bang It: Bang your hand on the floor, encouraging your pup to chase your hand. Switch to banging the opposite hand when your pup gets to your hand. Transition to banging a toy noisily on a hard floor surface while playing. Try to get your pup to grab the item being banged. Transition to using two different toys, with your dog moving to grab the toy that is making noise on the floor. Ne v e r go above your dog’s threshold and scare him with these games. Start with tiny actions or motions and find out what your dog will tolerate, what he thinks is cool, and what kinds of handling you’ll need to condition carefully. gently pull his chosen chariot a few feet away. Tie ’Em Up: Tie your dog to something immovable, wall or fence or post. Reward him for hanging out and not panicking about being tied. Do not leave him unattended, and never tie him to any object like a chair that is not secured into the ground. Reward every few seconds at first, and then over time move farther and father away from him, returning to reward with toy play or treats. Kick a Pup: Sit in a chair with your leashed pup on the floor; play tug or feed him cookies for hanging out with you. Gently move a foot toward him, then remove it and do the same with the other foot. Do multiple sessions while playing or rewarding your dog for allowing you to actually push Grab a Pup Sweep decided last week to take a step backward when I reached for him, which is not unusual for a pup this age. To condition him to enjoy it when we reach for him, I started by holding a cookie at my knee. I called his name to get him started, and as he reached for the cookie, I reached out for him while holding my hand like a claw just above his head. As he walked under my hand I marked it and let him eat the cookie. We’ve progressed to holding a hand out like a claw while he walks forward under it; I mark/reward and he gets cookies at my knee. The cookie is no longer visible; I hold it behind me until he comes forward and under my hand. Occasionally I take hold of the collar or lay my hand on the back of his head as he eats the treat. I remove my hand from his head or collar, then repeat a few more times. My friend Sandy calls her version of this game “London Bridge” because the pup is walking “under the bridge” of your hand to get a reward. April 07 | Clean Run 43

Clean Run Magazine - April 2007

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