Clean Run Magazine - June 2007 - 28

3-Way Ell Get Started With Our 4-Jump Kit includes all necessary pipe, fittings and jump cups to build 4 jumps that adjust from 3" to 35" in height Treat Delivery Exercise All the PVC You Need to Build It Yourself 4-Way Tee We have taught Sweep to stay in position (sit, down or stand, close or side) without moving when we give him cookies. I like a little game that my student Moe Strenfel plays with her dogs and teaches in her classes; some trainers call it Doggie Zen. This game teaches the dog to wait in position for the cookie to be delivered. Don’t mix up this exercise with Step 1 of “Sit with Distractions.” Train Doggy Zen at a different time. While your pup is in a sit, hold a cookie between your forefingers and very slowly move the cookie toward your pup to feed. If he moves even slightly, like shifting his feet, pull the cookie away, then start again moving the treat slowly toward your pup. Don’t let go of the treat until your fingers are making contact with your pup’s mouth, and be ready to draw it away if you see the slightest motion. Feed one cookie each time the pup is able to stay motionless and wait for the treat arrival. Approach the pup with the cookie from all sides as well as directly over his head. Don’t wave the cookie back and forth; use a slow deliberate approach to your pup’s mouth. Don’t correct the pup if he moves; just remove the treat. If he gets out of the sit position, re-cue the sit. If your pup keeps moving or can’t earn a treat this way, you have made it too difficult. Start with the cookie closer to his mouth, and just move a short distance so he is able to succeed. Now try this while your pup is lying down (shown in the photo above) or standing. Cue Discrimination Snap-on Jump Cups We know what discrimination means in agility: the dog must respond to our cue to take the correct obstacle when there is a choice to be made. In training your pup the first discrimination you will teach is the understanding of your verbal commands. Remember, each time you cue a sit, then a release, you are working on two separate behaviors, and you are asking your pup to discriminate between the words he hears and respond correctly. Until you can accomplish Step 1 of the “Sit Training Exercise” and your pup is responding to a position cue (sit, down, stand), you should not be asking him to do more than two behaviors at one time (for example, sit and release or down and release). Do not add a third or fourth by doing: a sit, then a down, a release, a stand, a close, then sit, and so on, until he has a good understanding of each one of those cues individually. Once you have a few of the positions well taught you can switch back and forth and see if your pup can discriminate between the cue words like sit, down, release, and stand. Training Reminders Here are the training reminders we have posted on our fridge this month. Recalls Stays Cue discrimination Heel work Using the Dremel on nails Don’t forget to post your own reminders for current training objectives, and have a great time with your pup this month! Next month: Jump bumps, adding distance, targeting, and more distractions on stays. D 5-Way Cross PatiosToGo.com Furniture Grade PVC Low Minimum Order · Box Quantity Discounts 352.243.3220 vinyl tape for striping too! Nancy Gyes and her husband Jim Basic run Power Paws Agility in San Jose, California. She is the AKC World Team Coach for 2006 and has been on the AKC World Team seven times, four years with Scud and three with Riot. Nancy and Riot finished 1st in 2002 and 2nd in 2001 in Individual Agility classes at Worlds. Nancy also won the USDAA Nationals four years in a row, 1998 to 2001, with three different dogs, Scud, Riot, and Wicked. In 2001 and 2002, Nancy and Riot were the 24" jump height AKC National Champions. Scud retired in 2001 after winning the USDAA Veterans Championship. Contact Nancy at www.powerpawsagility.com, where you can also view other articles and videos. Clean Run | June 07 28

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Clean Run Magazine - June 2007

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