Clean Run Magazine - November 2009 - 46

Your foundation work is in place… , Now it s time to advance your training start over. When releasing for this reason, do not offer a tug game after the release. If the dog maintains the two-on/two-off position as you walk around, throw a toy forward and release to a game of tug. Adding a Cue When the dog is pouncing into the two-on/ two-off position on the travel plank, you can start adding a Touch cue as you did with the stair work. Many people train a verbal two-on/two-off cue in the beginning; but when the dog is performing the whole obstacle, they drop the two-on/two-off cue and let the obstacle name imply the two-on/two-off stop. I prefer to have both an obstacle name and a separate cue for the two-on/two-off position. If I do not give the two-on/two-off cue to some of my dogs they don’t stop. I believe this gives me more flexibility in training. Starting from the Four-on-the-board Position Place the dog on the plank just a few inches from the end. When starting the dog from this location, I don’t like to use a Wait cue to prevent the dog from moving into the twoon/two-off position. The goal is to have the dog wait where placed on the board until he hears the cue to move into two-on/twooff. You want the Touch cue to mean move forward into the two-on/two-off position rather than slow down and stop. After being placed on the travel board, if the dog does move forward before hearing the verbal cue, simply move the dog backward to his original starting point and say nothing. Do not take the dog forward off the board to restart. If the dog stands still, quietly praise before giving the Touch cue. Again if the dog does not move directly into the two-on/two-off position, take him off the board and restart. If the two rear feet leave the board, do not reward that attempt and restart. If this happens repeatedly review the earlier training steps with the dog and work on some additional weight-shift training. If the dog moves correctly into the twoon/two-off position and holds it, I reward. Again I reward either from my hand or by throwing food to the ground and if successful release to a game of tug. I might restrain the dog before giving the two-on/two-off cue but only occasionally. I have found many dogs have a higher drive level when restrained but without the restraint will not offer the two-on/two-off behavior with the same level of enthusiasm. As I progress with training, I want to stand away from my dog, cue his two-on/two-off, and have him move quickly into position. If the dog is dependent on the restraint as part of the behavior, I will be unable to move away. Building an Independent End Position Once I am satisfied with the performance from both starting points (see “Criteria” earlier), it is time to start building a more independent behavior. Up to this point the dog has been placed on the travel board just a few inches from the end. He now moves forward into the two-on/two-off position on a verbal cue. Imagine approximately 20 squares on each side of the travel board. Each square is approximately 12" x 12". Place the dog in the four-on-the-board starting position approximately 6" from the end of the board and stand in the imagined first square. Without moving, give the two-on/two-off cue. If the behavior meets the criteria, reward, release, and play. The dog should be sent to the two-on-two-off position with the handler standing in each “‘square” location around the plank on both the left and right side. Once the dog has successfully moved into two-on/two-off position while I stand in the first square, I move to the next square and repeat. I continue to train this behavior until I have trained the dog while standing in each square around the travel board and the dog can confidently move into the two-on/twooff position on cue without my moving. If you have trouble remembering where you ended the previous training session, draw out the board and your squares on some graph paper. The squares can be colored in as you complete that location. I then move the dog to a starting position farther back on the board, perhaps 12"-18" from the end, and repeat standing in each square as I give the dog the two-on/two-off cue. If the dog stops short of the two-on/ two-off position, do not repeat the cue. Doing so allows the dog to stop short and then on a second or third cue get into the two-on/ two-off position and be rewarded. The dog must move directly into the two-on/two-off position on one cue to receive a reward. Clean Run | November 09 Available at www.cleanrun.com
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Clean Run Magazine - November 2009

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