Clean Run - October 2019 - 7

have also gained a unique understanding of your dog's TAR level along with a
full set of toy activation skills that will
continue to benefit you and your dog's
interactive play experiences.

the art of activation
The real question, here, is how do you
activate your toy in a way that suits
your dog? Mastering the art of activation is the answer: let me explain how.
The aim of the game is to ignite your
dog's TAR, which means you have got to
make the toy irresistible. Remembering that your dog's TAR level revolves
around movement, you need to ignite
and utilize his natural chase response.
What type of movement? Think about
times when you watched two sociable
dogs-those happy-go-lucky types-
chasing each other around and playing.
If you observe closely, you will see a
number of commonalities. Often, before
the chase begins, the dog that is going
to be chased ("the chased") will use just
enough movement to tease and ignite
"the chaser's" interest. This often takes
several attempts with what can best
be described as "catch me if you can,"
close-up, teasing movements, which consist of "the chased" moving in and out of
"the chaser's" range of contact, without
being caught. Once "the chased" has
ignited enough interest for the chase to
begin, he will set off running, maintaining enough speed and movement so
that "the chaser" knows he can catch
up, but he still has to work to reach
his playmate. This will generally be the
case, regardless of the difference in the
two dogs' speed capability. The chase
is rarely in a straight line; more often
"the chased" will make unexpected, unconventional movements with sudden
directional changes, running in circles
and S shapes, zig-zagging and executing
quick turns. Then, before "the chaser"
loses interest, "the chased" slows down
just enough so that he can be caught and
close-up interaction can begin.
Our dogs offer us the best information
and knowledge available, and we can
make good use of this when activating
a toy. When you start, the toy needs
to be activated with enough speed and
movement so as it draws your dog's
interest and teases him into engaging.
October 19 | Clean Run

"Enough" is the most important word
here, because if you don't bring enough
speed and movement into play, you will
fail to gain your dog's interest. On the
other hand, if you use too much speed
and movement, particularly in the developmental stages of your interactive play
experience, your dog may feel that engaging the toy is too difficult a task and
not worth his while to attempt.
The art is to activate the toy with
enough speed and movement so that
your dog feels he has to work to engage or catch the toy, but he does not
see it as an unachievable task. When
activating the toy, use unconventional
movements; move the toy in and out
of his contact range in different directions and formations, teasing him with
the toy and making it super interesting.
Your toy activation needs to involve the
same rhythm and energy as if you were
dancing; it has got to be fun and interesting for you and your dog. Also bear
in mind the impact of your body language and the need for positive energy,
as they will both help when it comes to
mastering the art of activation.
Once you have ignited your dog's interest in the toy, keep it moving but slow
the pace so he can engage or catch the
toy. From your dog's perspective, the
game is more fun if he catches the toy
on the move rather than being given
it. This will also help when it comes to
maintaining engagement with the toy.
If you freeze the toy the moment your
dog shows interest, it may well kill his
enthusiasm for the game. He has to perceive catching the toy during activation
as super interesting, a little challenging
but very achievable and, most of all it, it
has got to be fun for both of you.
If you can get your dog to engage with
the toy through movement, you are
on your way to establishing interactive
play. But what if your dog shows little
or no interest in the toy, even when
you move it?

activation accelerators
As we know, every dog's TAR level is
different, meaning that every handler's
activation technique will be different
depending on the adjustments and adaptations made to suit their dog. If your

dog has a naturally low TAR level, you
will need to use different methods of
activating the toy, which will accelerate
your results-I call these activation accelerators. These techniques will help
you customize your activation process
to suit your dog, giving you every chance
of success. Let's look at the options.

arm's length activation
This is one of the most popular methods of toy activation, if not the most
popular. All you need to do is hold the
toy and activate it at arm's length to
gain your dog's interest and begin the
interactive play experience. This is the
chosen method of toy activation for
most handlers as it allows maximum
flexibility; you can carry the toy in a
pocket and instigate a game where, and
when, it suits you and your dog.

Work at your technique to encourage
the dog to interact with the toy.

The majority of dogs take to this type
of activation very well and experience
no issues with it. But if your dog is
struggling with this method, you can
make some adjustments to your technique, which should have a positive
impact. If you make a conscious effort
to activate your toy at arm's length,
away from your body, with loose arms,
it will give you a diversity of rhythm
and freedom of movement which will
enhance the toy's value. It may help
if you envisage an orchestra conductor, using a baton. His movements are
choreographed to direct the orchestra,
but they are flowing and natural as he
interprets the music.

7
Clean Run - October 2019

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