Clean Run Magazine - May 2009 - 66

When he’s having fun with touch, you can turn touch-play into “Tag, you’re it,” by running away after you touch your dog and encouraging him to chase you. Take just a few steps away from him at first, gradually running longer distances as he learns the game. Be sure to use a play cue, such as Tag, to distinguish your play touch from calming touch, such as grooming, petting, or massage, or reaching for him to put on his leash. Shaping Play © cLean run Shaping lends itself beautifully to remedial play skills. The very definition of shaping—breaking a behavior down into tiny pieces (splitting) and reinforcing those tiny pieces in steps until you’ve built the finished behavior—is exactly the answer for many play-reluctant dogs. Shaping teaches dogs to offer behavior rather than quietly waiting to be told what to do. This is a trait valued by many trainers, but sometimes scorned by trainers who tend to be more controlling in their training methods. Certainly a dog that feels comfortable offering behaviors can be a more innovative play partner and is often more willing to try new behaviors, such as climbing on a new piece of agility equipment. If your dog doesn’t already know about shaping, you might start with free shaping by playing 101 Things To Do with a Prop. This game works best if you use a clicker or verbal reward marker to signal your dog the instant he earns a treat. It’s often played with a cardboard box, but you can use just about anything as a prop that you’re willing to let your dog play with. With clicker in hand (or verbal marker at the ready) set your box in the middle of the room. Your dog can be on leash, or off if he’ll stay with you. Watch for tiny pieces of behavior to click and treat, any behavior that relates to the box, a look, a step, a sniff, a push. Since you have no specific goal in mind at first, random behaviors are fine. You want to click a lot, so look for even the tiniest smidgeon of behavior to click and reward. Remember, every time you click, your dog gets a treat. As your dog gains confidence and interacts with the box more energetically, shape for playful behaviors, bouncing toward the box when you first set it down, batting at it with a paw, biting it. Remember to split, not lump. Splitting (clicking for the tiniest of behaviors and raising your criteria very slowly) helps your dog succeed. The more he succeeds, the more fun it is for him and the more he has fun, the sooner he’ll play. Lumping (holding out for big pieces of behavior) sets your dog up to fail. Failure is no fun; it’s aversive to your dog (and you) and discourages play behavior. Match your dog’s level of response to encourage him to play more boldly. Interactive food toys can elicit play behavior. Capturing Play Notice when your dog seems particularly cheerful and lighthearted. Analyze the environment. What’s he doing? What were you doing? What’s happening around him? What time of day is it? When he offers spontaneous play or behaviors that are precursors to play, reinforce his behavior in a way that won’t shut him down, a soft word of praise, a gentle “Yay, good boy!” Only engage in playing with him if you’re sure it won’t intimidate him and stop his embryonic play. You may need to just observe, capturing his play by providing low-key reinforcement. Wait until he’s more confident with his play behavior to actually play with him. If you can unobtrusively recreate the environmental conditions that elicited his pre-play behavior, do it. The more you can get him to practice his play behaviors, the sooner he’ll be ready to play with you. Teaching your dog to play will not only improve your agility performance, it will improve your quality of life and his. When your dog doesn’t know how to play, you’re both missing out on one of the greatest joys of the canine-human relationship. Help him find his inner puppy, and he’ll invite your inner child to come out and play. Now, go play with your dog! D © DianeLewisPhotograPhy.com Notice when your dog seems lighthearted. Pat Miller, a certified dog behavior consultant and pet dog trainer, offers classes, behavior modification, train-the-trainer programs, and workshops at her Peaceable Paws training facility in Fairplay, Maryland. She presents seminars worldwide and has authored several books: The Power of Positive Dog Training, Positive Perspectives, Positive Perspectives 2, and Play with Your Dog. Pat is training editor for The Whole Dog Journal, and writes for Tufts University’s Your Dog, and several other publications. Her website is www.peaceablepaws.com. 66 Clean Run | May 09 © Pat miLLer / PeaceabLe Paws, LLc

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Clean Run Magazine - May 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - May 2009