Clean Run Magazine - July 2007 - 27

Toys, Tugging, and Retrieves Sweep loves to tug and play with toys. This month I focused on using the toy as a reinforcement for a behavior. Until now toy tugging was just a game or a way to end stays or recalls. Jim has worked to teach a good retrieve to Sweep so that he will grab a thrown toy and return immediately. As a general rule we do not play Frisbee or tennis-ball retrieving with our dogs, nor do we use retrieving as a way to physically exercise our dogs. We use toys with handles so we can interact after a short retrieve, and we do not want our dogs to crash into a retrieve object over and over again. There are too many dog injuries caused during retrieving games. Toys are our tools for agility, and we are careful how we use them. Sweep is being introduced to having a toy thrown to him as a reinforcement for doing a behavior, rather than being rewarded with food and then having the toy used to end the behavior with a tug game. I hope you have introduced your pup to click and tug as a reward instead of food sometimes. You need to work diligently with a pup that has strong food drive and weaker toy drive. This week I taught Sweep to go through a hoop, then I clicked and tossed his toy to him and called him in to tug with me. This is the first behavior I have taught him that sends him away from my side and is rewarded with a toy toss. You could use any kind of device or behavior to reward with a toy toss. We use hoops on our A-frame in training so this skill is one that I want to teach eventually anyway. But my purpose this month is to find something to send him to and then reinforce with the toy. Find something for your pup to go over, under, around, or through, and use click/toy as reinforcement rather than a cookie. As soon as you toss the toy, call your pup in and play tug, and then start again. July 07 | Clean Run Moving at Speed in Heelwork We are increasing the duration and speed at which we move w ith Sweep at our side. Generally the leash is tucked into the back of our pants, not carried in our hand. We move our arms as if we are running when practicing, even if we are moving slowly. We want Sweep to accept that we will be sprinting with him at our side in both straight lines and in circles. We don’t want our arm movement to be cause for him to jump up and bite at our hands or a toy we might be carrying, or try to get in front of us. We still give a lot of both food and tug rewards for his staying at our side. We expect to be perfecting his moving groundwork over the next couple of months, gradually adding more distractions. We’ll begin to do the work off leash as well, starting with his dragging the leash or light line on the ground while we work. Front Cross While doing heelwork we are starting to practice turning into Sweep and rewarding him for turning with us. He is rewarded for swinging into position at our side with a treat so that we can isolate the position he is in on the front cross. Spins Reward your dog for staying close to your side by spinning in place and giving multiple cookies while you turn away from your dog. I do 180° turns in the opposite direction with a minimum of one reward, or a game of tug at the end of the turn. Striding Over Jump Bumps Sweep had a couple short sessions recently on learning to go over three jump bumps. This early stride training is Susan Salo’s invention. Sweep is sent to a plastic stool that is turned upside down and a cookie is placed inside it. You could also train your pup to go to this target with a clicker, but this method that we use for our adult dogs works perfectly. The upside-down stool is not something that your dog will see on an agility course, so it is doubtful that salting it with cookies will cause a problem. I want my dogs to keep their head lowered during this training, not looking at me while they are moving. I don’t throw a toy because I don’t want him to crash through the bumps. Sweep is placed in a sit-stay in front of a bump and is released to travel forward to the stool that I am standing next to. I do not want him to go forward of my body right now, so I stand in a lead-out position. I would not have started this training unless Sweep had a really good sit-stay, which he does! Note: Jump bumps are made by cutting large-diameter PVC pipe in half lengthwise You need to use jump bumps that are the appropriate size and height for your dog. For a Sheltie-size dog I use 6" pipe, which makes a 3" high jump bump. For an almost grown Border Collie like Sweep we use 10" pipe, which makes a 5" high jump bump. As a starting distance, place the bumps at a distance from each other that is 2.5 times your dog’s height. Sweep’s bumps are placed 3' apart to begin with. For more information on Susan Salo’s methods, see www.jumpdogs.com/index.html. 27

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Clean Run Magazine - July 2007

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