Competitive Obedience Training for the Small Dog Read online

  If the dog becomes distracted or is not wired into the game, return and entice the dog again, but this time don’t go as far away. The attitude of the dog depends upon the caller, and you want a WAHOO! response. Nothing less will do!

  Groundwork for the Go Out can also be laid with puppy recalls. As soon as the holder releases the dog, he can give the “Away” Go Out command. You should start praising the dog for coming after you have said “Come” and heard the holder command “Away.”

  Don’t grab for the dog when he gets to you; let the dog make physical contact first. Give the dog a treat, make a big fuss over him, and then turn him around and hold him for the other person, who now becomes the caller.

  Each time you play this game, you can increase the distance between the callers. If you are playing puppy recalls in an unconfined area, keep a long line on the dog; the line is not used to jerk the dog toward you or to reel him in, but as something to grab onto in case a distraction takes the dog in a third direction.

  You can even practice a variation of puppy recalls if there is no one to help you, as long as you remain in a relatively small, confined space and the exercise is structured for success. Get the dog’s attention with a treat, command “Come!” and run away from him, arousing his chase instinct. He gets the treat when he catches you.

  You can continue to play puppy recalls — it’s a great game for revving up a slow “Come” — as long as your dog enjoys them. Ever hear the old Dale Carnegie truism, “Act enthusiastic and you will Be enthusiastic?” Add these words: “…and your dog will be, too.”

  Each time you call your dog, reward him with a treat held knee-high between your legs. This is important pre-training for the front. Soon you will want the dog to sit each time he comes, but initially it’s enough if he is just willing to put himself between your legs.

  The next step is to teach the dog to come after he has been released. This is more “real life” than formal obedience; your objective is immediate recognition and response to “Come!” With the dog on a Flexi and the collar on the dead ring (as it is throughout recall training), verbally release him. When he is distracted, call him and back up. The Flexi will compel the dog to come, and you can use a treat to lure him between your feet and into a sit. Is it fair to give the dog a command after he has been released? Yes, especially if it’s “Come!” This command takes priority over any other command. It must be obeyed!

  When the dog is reliably coming from a release, you are ready to teach the formal Recall. Each time you leave the dog, give him a “Wait” command. (“Wait” means “Don’t move until I give you another command.” “Stay” means “Don’t move until I have returned to heel and released you.”) Initially you should only walk about five feet away before you turn, pause, and call your dog. Over time, add distance to a maximum formal Recall of 50 feet.

  Whether you are 5 feet or 50 feet away from your dog when you call him, your “Come” should have a tone slightly more upbeat than your other verbal commands. (Verbal commands are business-like; they are never pleading or threatening.) On the Recall, the tone of your voice, your facial expression and your body posture should all convey “Come! We’re going to have great fun when you get here!”

  You should introduce the signal for “Come” early in the recall training. For a clear, easily decipherable signal, extend your right arm straight out in front of you. Keeping your arm at shoulder level, bend your elbow to bring the palm of your hand against your chest. According to the AKC OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS, “When a signal is permitted and given, it must be a single gesture with one arm and hand only, and the arm must immediately be returned to a natural position.” In training, to keep your dog’s attention focused on your hand, keep treats inside your shirt pocket; that’s where your hand goes to get the reward at the signal’s end.

  Teach the “Come” signal with the dog on leash, and catch the leash with your extended right hand. As your right hand moves to your chest – the last half of the signal — the leash will get the dog up and moving. At first, combine the signal with the verbal command, and then phase out the verbal by making it softer each time it is given. Show conditions will often determine whether you will use a signal or a verbal “Come” in the ring; the dog should confidently respond to either one.

  As your training progresses, you need not become more formal and constrained. The opposite is true: you need to become more creative and fun. Sometimes you will command “Front” as the dog nears; sometimes you will squat down and let the dog jump on you. Occasionally you will call the dog and then move your feet further apart so you can throw food or a toy through them, encouraging the dog to run between your legs with a “Get It!” and a release. Perhaps you will turn and run away from the dog as he starts running toward you; as soon as he catches you, he gets a treat. And sometimes you will even return to the dog, praise him for the “Wait,” and release him with no recall at all. Mix it up! Don’t be boring!

  The come signal

  My very favorite Recall story: Judith’s dog had been ignoring “Come” in the ring, so Judith decided to make her “Come” signal so dramatic that the dog couldn’t possibly miss it. When the judge motioned her to call her dog, Judith jabbed her arm forward and then threw it against her chest with such force that she fell over backward into the ring gates! It was a Recall signal for the record book. Did her dog come? No one remembers!

  Barbara

  There are four components to the Recall: the “Wait,” the “Come,” the sit in front, and the finish. When there is a problem on any one part, separate that part from the rest of the exercise and work on it alone. Do not recombine the parts until the problem has been resolved. For example, the AKC OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS require the dog to perform the Recall “at a brisk trot or gallop.” Each time you practice, this picture of speed should be foremost in your mind. Never, ever, should an enthusiastic recall be sacrificed for a straight sit in front. If there is a problem with the front, make a mental note of it, and work on it away from the rest of the exercise. The consequence of trying to fix this problem in the context of the exercise will be to slow everything down; one of the toughest problems to “fix” is an unenthusiastic recall.

  FRONT

  Imagine yourself 10 inches tall, weighing in at six pounds, being compelled to come close to a giant with big feet who could swoop down on you at any moment, and you can understand why only non-threatening methods are used to teach the front. The word “Front” is used as a command to mean a position or location. In practice, you can say “Come” to call the dog and “Front” as he nears your feet. Using the word “Front” in the teaching phase will help the dog find the location of “Front” with precision and without interfering with the speed of “Come.” The “Front” command will eventually be phased out in the formal exercise, but it can continue to be used from time to time in training.

  With the dog on leash, command “Front” and lure the dog into a sit between your feet by offering the treat from behind and between your knees. (In all front training, always alternate the hand that gives the treat.) Keep the treat at the dog’s eye level, and don’t worry about straight, just close. It’s easy later to back off a dog who fronts too close, but tough to persuade a dog who is tentative or worried to come in closer.

  Use food to teach your dog to front closely.

  After the dog understands the concept of coming in and sitting close, the work on straight begins. To start, use two pieces of rain gutter, each about two or three feet long, laid on the floor about 18 inches apart. The dog should first be introduced to these guides by walking him through them, then calling him through them while backing up. When the dog is no longer worried about the barriers, have him do a short recall ending with a front between them. As the front work progresses, slowly reduce the distance between the two barriers until there is just enough room for the dog to sit. Barrier work is done with the dog on the Flexi; the Flexi is pulled from behind and between your knees so the dog continues to come in c
lose while learning the concept of straight.

  When the dog is confidently coming and sitting between the barriers, take him off the Flexi and teach him to front from an angle. You can then begin reducing the size of the barriers, first to 1-inch by 2-inch boards or pieces of PVC pipe 18 inches long. Later, these can be cut so they are about 12 inches long. You can then progress to 10-inch lengths of one-fourth inch dowels and then to six-inch rulers. You might even want to try practicing with another pair of your shoes set directly in front of your feet. To some small dogs, the relevance of centered and straight in terms of your feet suddenly becomes clear when your feet are clown size.

  When you see that the dog is keying in on the guides and your feet for a straight front, it’s time to teach “Head Up.” This command is given as the dog is sitting. You don’t want what the handler of the average-sized dog wants, which is the dog looking up into his handler’s face as he is coming in for the front. Your face is too far from your dog to be a good target for front alignment. You want your dog to front to your feet and legs, and then look up.

  “Head Up” is taught as a separate command. As soon as the dog has sat in front, lure his attention straight up by flashing a treat right in front of his nose and then quickly drawing the treat and his attention up to your eyes with the command “Head Up!” When the dog makes eye contact, praise him and give him the treat. Smile! A smile is legitimate reinforcement that you can use in the ring. Do not use any sort of a collar correction if the dog fails to look up on command; a correction will only cause anxiety and decrease your chance of eye contact. If he needs a reminder, you can bend over and put the fingers of your right hand under his chin to raise his head while you point to your eyes with your left index finger.

  Have your dog front between another pair of shoes in front of your feet.

  Eventually the dog will raise his head and make eye contact as part of the front. A “Head Up” is also expected in the finish and at each halt in heeling, and that is about as much of the Border Collie’s continuous eye contact you can demand from the small dog.

  With or without physical guides, many handlers feel the need to point out the front position by bending over and bringing one or both hands forward to point at their knees. There are two problems here. When you bend over, you are compelling the dog through a dominance maneuver to sit farther out than you would really like him to be. Also, the dog quickly becomes dependent on the movement of your hands so that when they are not there to point out front, the dog has no idea where to go. According to the AKC OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS, “A substantial deduction shall be made if a handler’s arms and hands are not hanging naturally at his sides while the dog is coming in and until the dog has sat in front.” Your hands will have to be at your sides in the ring, so keep them there while the dog is learning to front.

  If you already have a dog in training who fronts to one hand or the other, anticipating the source of his reward, overcompensate for awhile by Keeping your hands behind your back when you call him. Alternate between your right and left hand in offering a treat from behind and between your knees for the front. When the dog has learned to focus on your knees, you can again start calling him with your hands at your sides.

  You will continue to work on fronts and utilize front barriers in exercises from Novice through Utility. Be forewarned that using guides to teach the front is not a quick fix; it takes months of repetition. The beauty of this method is that it is completely non-compulsive. There is no grabbing, pulling, or using your feet. It is tailor-made for the small dog.

  FINISH

  A dog can finish to the left or to the right on a verbal command or signal. It is to your advantage to teach all of the options because ring conditions, which must sometimes be gauged from moment to moment, will often determine which one you will use. You will also have straighter, more attentive fronts if the dog has to wait to be told whether to finish left or right.

  To teach the finish to the left, use food in your left hand. Step back on your left foot; use the food as a lure to guide the dog past your foot, into a left about turn and back up into a sit at heel. This movement of your hand becomes the signal for the left finish. The finish to the left should have a different verbal command than the finish to the right, such as “Swing” versus “Heel.”

  After your dog has an understanding of the left finish signal and command, add a 1 by 2 by 12-inch board placed parallel to your left foot with just enough room for the dog to pass through, turn around and sit. This is actually another chute, just like those used for the front, through which the dog must pass before he begins his turn. The dog should go his full body length straight back before he turns; otherwise he will just turn “inside out,” ending up crooked and forged.

  If the dog wants to sit behind you on this finish, put another 1 by 2 by 12-inch board extending back from your left heel. Chicken wire can also be used, but most small dogs are more comfortable with the boards. When combining the finish with the Recall, keep the finish board in place when you call the dog. After he fronts, the board will help him figure out where he should be on the finish.

  Use two boards to keep the dog straight in teaching the finish to the left.

  To teach the finish to the right, use food as a lure in your right hand. Step back on your right foot to get the dog moving as you give the command to finish, and then transfer the food behind your back to your left hand as you put your right foot back into place. The dog follows the path of the food behind you and up into heel position. The signal is incorporated into the lure – the movement of your right hand backward. Eventually, food will be kept only in your left hand, and the dog’s movement will be initiated with your right.

  When you use a signal for the finish, give your dog the maximum amount of signal to see. Bend your wrist so that the dog is looking up into the flat of your hand. (You cant bend your body or you will incur a deduction in the ring; you can bend to the extent necessary to give a signal on the dog’s eye level only when the dog is in heel position.) You don’t need to move your arm slowly – a dog will usually respond in kind – but move it deliberately so that the dog has a chance to see it and respond. A signal should not be a desperate attempt to get the dog’s attention; you need the dog’s head up before you give the signal. A lot of emotion can be conveyed with a signal to finish. Make the signal informative and respectful. Unless, of course, your dog is behaving like a little brat, and then you can make it informative and emphatic!

  The biggest problem with the finish is that often the dog does not know when to stop moving and sit. He either stops too soon and sits behind the handler or keeps going until he can see the handler’s face, ending up forged and crooked. The secret is to give the dog something to aim for — not your face, but your left hand. It’s foolproof and only works with short dogs! In the finish, the dog should always end up “sitting under the food.” At first, you will have to verbally encourage him and command “Sit” at exactly the right moment. The food must then be brought straight down (bend your knees, don’t turn your body) to the dog’s upturned head. The only sits reinforced with the treat are those that are directly under your fingers.

  Flying finishes, with the dog leaping and landing at heel, look snazzy but are fraught with deductions. They can seldom be performed without the dog touching you or landing crooked. Leave leaping to the Goldens. Go for precision and keep the points.

  Some obedience instructors advise trainers that they should seldom, if ever, combine the front and finish in practice. That is foolish advice; you cannot prevent an anticipation problem by avoiding it. You know that a finish always follows a front, and it won’t take long until the dog knows it, too. All you need to do is train a “Wait” into the sequence of front and finish, asking the dog to wait with his head up for a variable number of seconds until given the command or signal to finish. Sometimes, of course, the dog should be released from the front and not do a finish at all.

  Every so often (frequently as you prepare to sho
w in Novice), have someone play “judge.” Ask the judge to give you a verbal command and/or signal to call your dog and to finish. Being left behind in the presence of a stranger can be an exercise in intimidation for a small dog. Have the judge walk up behind the dog as he fronts; help your dog with a reassuring “Wait” command during the pause before the finish.

  In much of your training, your finish should be practiced separately from the front, which is practiced separately from the recall. When you put them together, a correction on any one — the recall, the front or the finish — will have repercussions on the other two. Remember, this is your public relations exercise. Keep it happy!

  “Every time you step onto a lane you should learn something. You can’t always control whether you will score well or not, but you can control your attitude. No loss is a defeat unless you failed to learn something that will help you in the future.”

  Aulby and Ferraro

  BOWLING 200+

  Chapter 9

  THE GO OUT

  Not just one, but multiple books for the price of one! Gerianne’s Go Outs, Barbara’s Go Outs, and Every Other Go Out We’ve Ever Heard or Read About, in this one chapter…as well as our combined sympathy if you live on the west coast where in the “ring” there may be nothing to go out to….

  G. and B.

  THE GO OUT ACCORDING TO GERIANNE

  The go out is one of the easiest exercises to teach, yet it is one of the most difficult exercises to maintain in the competition dog. The go out takes a long time to perfect, so it is introduced early in the dog’s formal education. The dog will need literally thousands of opportunities to “get it right.”