Clean Run - June 2020 - 18

and they do need downtime. However,
that habit of stuffing a dog in a crate at
the end of a run does rather sidestep
the opportunity to work on self-control during class. If your dog does get
over-excited at class, he's really going
to struggle at a trial. So as a halfway
house, why not take a mat to class instead of your crate and put your dog
in a down and reward him for it in
between runs? You can keep him on
lead. If he struggles, start as far away
from the action as you can get and
gradually work your way closer.
If that idea strikes horror into your
heart, ask yourself the question why?
If this is avoidance behavior on your

part, have a careful think about the
levels of excitement your dog will
face at a trial. If he's a bundle of impulses, stays on the start line and
contacts are going to be problematic,
and all the brand-new training methods in the world won't be successful
until he has learnt that all-important
impulse control.

a good thing! You can have lots of
fun with a dog with no start line and
dodgy contacts, as long as you clearly bear in mind that those are your
aims! Problems arise when people
who don't have the time to train more
than one class a week start to compare themselves and their results to
professional trainers.

Final Thoughts

Write yourself a note, clearly state
your goals: "I'm here to have fun with
my dog. We don't have time to train,
so we do the best we can." Read it before you go in the ring, and keep your
dog's enjoyment firmly at the forefront
of your mind. D

My final thoughts are for those who
have busy, busy lives and don't have
the time to train. No matter what
trainers tell you, that's okay, You are
taking the time to provide a fun outlet for your dog's energies, and that's

I started agility training and competition in the late 1980's, about the same time I started clicker training, and have also competed in working trials and obedience.
After all these years, I still think agility is the best of all dog sports for both dogs and handlers, and clicker training is the best way to teach it. I am a positive trainer
because reward builds behavior so much faster and better than any other method. If the solution to a problem is going to upset my dog, it clearly isn't the right solution.
I thoroughly enjoy training my dogs and teaching others. Over the years I've been privileged to teach all over the world, from Australia to Japan, and across North
America and Europe. I have worked with many talented handlers and thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Contact me via my website at www.kissagility.com or via my
Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KISSagility.

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You put the work in, and you're a great
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18

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Clean Run | June 20

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Clean Run - June 2020

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