The purest expression I can make as a dog trainer is in those private moments with my dog in the back yard. I come to the task presumably equipped with some objective. And I am prepared to take small thoughtful steps to accomplish that desired goal. My mind is uncluttered, and unfettered.
I begin with a vision of the immediate objective that is well focused and granular. That one tangible goal however is a small bit that is completely influenced by and tied to my philosophy of dog training.
Let me try to give a bit of definition to the idea of a training philosophy, specifically as that philosophy is applied to dog agility:
- Teach your dog in the context of play; it’s all an extension of the game.
- Allow your dog to think; allow your dog to offer; allow your dog to solve the puzzle.
- Be happy when your dog is right. Be neutral when he is wrong.
- Be patient and undemanding. You have the advantage of knowing exactly how long it takes for a dog to learn a thing.
- Foundation is never a completed task.
Down to Earth
That sounded a bit lofty I suppose. But it was short; and that’s what I was going for. None of this is really very complicated. Funny, I’m gearing up for foundation training with four dogs through the upcoming winter. We have three rescues pup in our house: an 8 week-old (Katness), a one-year old (Phoenix), and a two-year old (Haymitch). I also have my boy Kory who is nearly four now. I have training plans for all of them for the upcoming winter.
For the baby pup we’ll be doing the Two Minute Dog Trainer thing. That’s the name of Marsha’s blog, don’t you know (http://2mindogtrainer.wordpress.com/).
My attention is going more to Phoenix and Haymitch. Both of them are on a program for wicked good distance skills. My guiding objective is to make them both perfect dogs for an old man. That means I have absolutely no intention of wearing a dog on my hip when we do agility. The dog has to be out there working. My job is to give direction… not to micromanage.
I could go through a list of everything we’re going to do from a training POV. But you know, I’ve already put most of it in writing. It’s all in the Joker’s Notebook, issue #0.
With Kory I’m doing new stuff. Right now I’m teaching him to do a Switch. I should define: The command “Switch” means that I want him to circle my body tightly in a counter-clockwise direction.
I know this seems like a curious objective. You’re just going to have to trust me. I expect in ten years everybody with a fast (and trainable) dog will have both the Switch and the ComeBy in their basic foundation training. The upshot of the skill is that on course I can create corners and set lines without handling. Ooh, what a concept.
I’ll draw a picture to tantalize you:
The green figures showing the handler sending the dog out to do the pinwheel (you’ve taught that to your dog, right?) The red figures shows the handler turning around to assume a post position, actually facing the pipe tunnel, and calling the dog to Switch as he comes over jump #4. You’ll note that the dog’s path coming over jump #4 favors the wrong course side of the pipe tunnel.
Due Diligence
This is Dog Agility Bloggers Action Day! And today’s topic is Backyard Training. You will find a index to a fine family of posts on the topic here: http://dog-agility-blog-events.posterous.com/pages/backyard-training.
Blog886
Questions comments & impassioned speeches to Bud Houston Houston.Bud@gmail.com. The web store is up and running. www.dogagility.org/newstore. I have five volumes (over 100 pp each) of The Joker’s Notebook available on my web-store at an inexpensive price. These are lesson plans suitable for individual or group classes for teaching dog to work at a distance.
Tags: DABAD, Dog Agility Training
Bud Houston's Blog 
December 7, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Your switch and come-by seem to be interesting twists on what most handlers are doing with directionals. You also seem to use an absolute left and right. How do you teach that? I need to teach my Chis!
December 7, 2012 at 2:56 pm
Ah.. It is in the Jokers Notebook 0.
December 7, 2012 at 9:47 pm
What’s a Katness?
December 9, 2012 at 10:14 am
I’ve played around with this, but the hard part for me is recognizing on a course map when to use it. I’ll try this set up. I like the Zen, the more you learn in dog training, the more there is to learn, and the connection when it works is the best!
December 9, 2012 at 6:37 pm
You could just face the dog and flick back with your left hand as in the start of a ketschker ? You would be ready to move off as dog exits.