The signals for the recall and the finish were covered in Chapter 8. If for some reason you haven’t taught these signals, then do so now.
When the dog is comfortable with the Signal Exercise divided into three parts, combine them: the stand and stay, the down and sit, and the come and finish. If the dog has trouble with a signal, help him out with a verbal command and break off the exercise at that point. Review that signal separately from the rest, and don’t put the exercise back together until the dog is consistently remembering the signal he had “forgotten.” And yes, you can expect your dog to “forget” the signals, usually one at a time, after you are convinced that he knows them. When you give him a signal you know he knows, and he looks at you and says Huh?, don’t panic. You don’t have a problem unless you create one by over-reacting. Be patient, give your dog time, and he will get it together again with very little relearning required.
The signal sequence, starting with “Stand Your Dog,” should be taught as a self-contained exercise separate from heeling; the stress of learning signals, if they always come at the end of a heeling pattern, will cause the dog’s heeling to deteriorate. In fact, a dog that is too stressed by this exercise may deliberately look away when you give a signal, clearly saying If I don’t see it, I don’t have to do it. Most handlers don’t see this as stress; they consider it deliberate disobedience and correct accordingly. When the dog looks away in the ring and the handler is unable to correct him, there will be more pressure in practice, increasing the dog’s nervousness, resulting in an even worse signal performance. And so the downward spiral goes. Because of this, it is of utmost importance to be able to read your dog in this exercise. Is he not responding to a signal because 1) he doesn’t yet know the meaning of the signal, 2) he is confused, 3) he is afraid to make a mistake, or 4) he is openly defiant? Rarely is it number four. Numbers one, two and three are your responsibility.
Another unfortunate tactic often employed to correct a dog for distraction on this exercise is to deliberately give a signal when the dog is not looking, then verbally reprimand and charge in to physically correct the disobedience. Should you, in all good conscience, correct your dog for missing a signal he didn’t see? Absolutely not! Yelling at or running in to correct a dog who has no idea he has done anything wrong is going to destroy – at least for a time – the entire exercise. With a small, soft dog, your best course is to invest additional practice time closer to the dog, rewarding him for attention and building his confidence.
REFINEMENTS
In practice, interject a little suspense into the wait between signals. Verbally rev up the dog; make it a game. Break the sequence off in the middle and return to reward the dog. A dog that is on the edge of anticipation always gives a better performance than a dog that is nonchalant and emotionally uninvolved.
Vary your distance from your dog; in the ring you could be as close as 20 feet, as far away as 45 feet – or anywhere in between – for the signals. You should also practice varying the length of time between signals, from rapid-fire to delays of several seconds.
Recruit friends to play “judge.” Small dogs are easily distracted and intimidated by the presence of a stranger looming behind them. Though most judges are discreet in signaling the handler, some will wave their arms, wave their clipboards, position themselves too close to the dog, or move up to see if the dog is all the way down. Practice with a “judge” often enough so that the movement of anyone behind or beside your dog doesn’t upset him.
When the dog can confidently work in the presence of a stranger, make the exercise even more challenging by adding various distractions at different training sites. Dog training in public places almost always attracts attention; if people stop to watch, ask for their help! It is amazing how energized this exercise can become for your dog when there are strangers clapping and cheering his every move.
Occasionally a dog who can perform the signal exercise perfectly in practice begins to anticipate the signals in the ring. If this should happen, don’t be too quick to blame the dog. Remember that most dogs have exceptional peripheral vision. Is the dog anticipating your signals or responding to the movements of the judge? In either case, the dog must be taught to ignore the antics of everyone around him and concentrate solely on you. Is the dog anticipating the signal when you break off eye contact to look at the judge? The dog needs assurance that eye movement does not count; only certain hand and arm movements can be construed as signals.
Every so often, check the clarity of your signals in front of a full-length mirror. It is also a good idea to have a friend get down on your dog’s eye level, 40 feet away, and tell you how well your signals can be seen. Are they too fast? Too slow? Too much alike?
A friend’s UD Sheltie suddenly began having a problem with the Signal Exercise. On the sit signal he would jump up, run forward a few steps, and then stop and sit. The handler was quick to blame the dog (after all, he knew the exercise), but no amount of correction seemed to remedy the problem. A videotaped ring performance finally revealed the truth. The handler’s signals had gotten lackadaisical, so that the start of the sit signal looked exactly like the start of the come signal. The dog was doing exactly as he was told: come in a little and then sit. Cleaning up her signals cleared up the problem.
Barbara
Every time you give a signal in practice or at a show, be aware of the environment around you. Are you lost in the shadows, or can you reflect the limited light off your hand and arm to your dog? If your printed shirt causes you to disappear into the ringside crowd behind you, would a plain long-sleeved black or white shirt or jacket make you more visible? Has your dog had a chance to practice when your back is to another ring where breed dogs are running in circles or another obedience dog is working? Practice signals in as many different locales as possible because every time you change the backdrop you are subtly changing the exercise.
If your signals are distinctive, each from the other, and if each signal clearly conveys your meaning, they will be easily understood by the dog. You are, after all, speaking his language; humans communicate verbally, dogs physically. Consider the Signal Exercise an opportunity to communicate in a language that is mutually understood.
DROP ON RECALL
It takes time to teach the Drop On Recall: time for the dog to understand what is expected of him and time for him to develop the confidence needed to perform with pizzazz. You could expedite things by teaching the drop in a traditional way, by popping the leash across your dog’s shoulders or by smacking him on the head with your hand as you command “Down.” Both techniques turn the simple command “Down” into a correction and a reprimand. Perhaps bigger dogs can handle this, but teaching a heavy-handed, compulsive down will cause the small dog to dissolve.
Before you begin teaching the dog the Drop On Recall, he should be responding consistently to random verbal and/or signal commands to down or to come. To test whether or not your dog can do this, verbally release him on leash. When he is distracted, command “Down” or “Come.” Did he respond immediately? If so, great! Go straight to the teaching sequence below. If not, reinforce your command; step into the dog to down him or run backwards after you call him. Practice the random down or come until the dog is consistently and confidently obeying your command; this is essential pre-training for the Drop On Recall.
TEACHING SEQUENCE
Don’t rush the teaching of this exercise. When the dog is comfortable with one step, move on to the next, but allow enough time between steps for the lesson to “sink in.” If your dog can perform random drops perfectly and if he finds steps one, two and three in the following sequence demotivating, you can start with step four.
Throughout the teaching sequence, continue to practice straight recalls. By the time you reach step six, your training sessions should include far more straight recalls than drops.
1) Down the dog on leash from a sit at heel using only a verbal command. Tell the dog “Wait,” go to the end of the leash, then
alternately return to heel or call the dog.
2) With the dog on leash and in a sit, step immediately in front of him and command and signal “Down.” As in the Signal Exercise, reinforce a quick drop by using your hand to push down and back on the snap of the leash at the end of the signal. Don’t give the dog time to roll on one hip or get comfy; quickly end the exercise with a recall or a release.
3) Stand the dog on leash, tell him to “Wait,” step two feet in front and down him using a verbal command and signal. Back up to the end of the leash, wait a few seconds, then call the dog or return to heel.
4) Command “Let’s Go!” (not “Heel”), and move forward a few steps with the dog on the leash or Flexi. Quickly pivot in front of him with a verbal command and signal to down. Praise, tell the dog to “Wait,” and back up varying distances to call him to you. Don’t worry about the front and finish. Your goal is a fast drop and a fast recall.
5) With the dog off leash, command “Let’s Go!” Jog a varying number of steps before turning directly in front of the dog to down him. Without a “Wait” command, back up a few steps. After a three to five second pause, randomly alternate returning to heel to release the dog or running backward as you call him. Your goal is to have the dog successfully hold the down, without a reminder to wait, until given another command.
If the dog does not hold the down, quickly step in, grasp the leash by the snap, and push the dog down. Remind the dog to “Wait,” stand up and step back. Praise, and break the exercise off at that point. Repeat until the dog understands he is to wait until he is given another command.
6) Perform the formal exercise in miniature on a six foot leash. Tell the dog to sit and wait, go to the end of the leash, call the dog and backpedal a few steps. Stop abruptly as you command and/or signal “Down,” dropping the dog about three feet in front of you. Step in to physically praise the dog or give him a treat. (Be sure you are not stepping in and then commanding “Down,” because this makes your movement a signal.) Call the dog, backing up again. You are working on the format and pattern of the exercise. Keep it fast and upbeat!
7) Perform the exercise off leash. Starting 10 feet from the dog, increase the distance between you with each successful comedown-come. Vary the distance for the down. Don’t step in to down the dog, and don’t backpedal for the come.
8) Teach the dog to watch and listen. Each time he is called, one of four things will happen as he is approaching:
-a verbal down,
-a signal down,
-instead of a “Down” command, another verbal “Come,”
-or nothing.
Correct or praise accordingly.
PROBLEMS AND POLISH
When a dog anticipates the drop, he thinks he is doing the exercise correctly by doing it on his own. Temper your correction with this thought in mind. This is not disobedience; this is the dog’s sincere desire to please. If the dog starts to slow down as he is coming toward you, interrupt the recall by walking to him; take him back to the starting point and call him again on a Flexi. If the dog comes to a complete stop in anticipation of the drop, quietly say “No.” Walk in and take the dog by the collar, telling him “Come” with praise as you back up all the way to the point from which you called him.
Don’t try to jolly the dog into a faster recall if he starts anticipating the drop. Your encouragement to “keep coming” sounds like praise to the dog for his anticipation. Soon you will have your prototypical Open A dog who comes, slows down but doesn’t drop, and then creeps in for the front. He won’t be able to understand what he is doing wrong because this is the very behavior you have been reinforcing in practice.
Some dogs respond better to a verbal command and some to a signal to down. The dog should know both. Show conditions – noise or visual distractions – often dictate which you will use in the ring.
The verbal “Down” is never given in emotional terms. Too many people make it sound like Down or Die! Who could blame a dog for not wanting to perform for someone who keeps threatening his life? Also experiment with using, and not using, the dog’s name before the verbal “Down.” The use of the name is optional, so determine what works best with your dog.
If the dog starts dropping slowly in practice, you can throw something but not in the traditional way. Don’t bounce rattle cans or bean bags off his head or in front of his body. Instead, as you give the verbal command or as your arm swings downward at the end of the down signal, throw something innocuous, like your keys, straight down on the ground in front of you. This is not an attempt to hit or intimidate the dog, it’s just to add emphasis – an exclamation point – to your command.
“Cycling out” the drop (developed by Max Parris) works well in countering anticipation. The cycle is a set of six recalls:
1) Formal Drop On Recall.
2) Straight recall – praise the dog all the way in.
3) Straight recall – start the praise when the dog is one-fourth of the way in.
4) Straight recall – start the praise when the dog is one-half of the way in.
5) Straight recall – start the praise when the dog is three-fourths of the way in.
6) Straight recall with no praise.
The cycle can then be repeated, beginning with another Drop on Recall.
Continue to work on the straight recall throughout your drop training, keeping the ratio of drops to straight recalls about one to five. After the dog knows the exercise, don’t drop him more than once per practice session. Once the dog has his CDX, not dropping him in matches will help break the “show sequence” in his mind.
Don’t forget to phase out praise before you show, except for an occasional “Good!” or “Good Down!” for a really great response. If your dog has been cheered on during an exercise each time in practice, he is going to have a problem with your silence in the ring.
The Drop On Recall is an exercise that takes time for the dog to work out in his own mind. Don’t try to slip by, thinking you will only drop the dog in the ring and never in practice. The element of surprise might work once, but after that you’ve got a “problem exercise.” TEACH the dog. Don’t try to trick him.
“Nothing succeeds like success. To train from a positive point of view, hang on to your successes and play them over and over in your mind.”
Jane Savoie
THAT WINNING FEELING!
Chapter 15
DIRECTED RETRIEVE
The Directed Retrieve is an exercise that fits right into the recurring theme of the smaller the dog, the more challenging the exercise. According to the AKC OBEDIENCE REGULATIONS for the Directed Retrieve, “All three gloves will be clearly visible to the dog and handler when the handler turns to face the glove designated by the Judge.” For the handler of a small dog, this sentence could continue “…unless the dog is short, then the dog will have to go on faith alone in the direction indicated until he finds the glove that he probably will not see until he gets there.”
The concept of this exercise is not complicated. The key to success is in the execution – the dog must go in a given direction to retrieve.
You can start teaching the Directed Retrieve as soon as the dog has a good dumbbell retrieve. Each of the retrieves – dumbbell, glove and scent article – reinforces the others. As the dog practices and performs the different retrieves, he will become more confident in his abilities. The more confident he becomes, the more proficient he will become and the more he will enjoy what he is doing.
The way you introduce an exercise is the way your dog will remember it and perform it. That’s why I introduce the Directed Retrieve as a great and wonderful game.
I encourage my dog to watch me put some of her favorite treats inside a small ziplock bag. She watches me put the bag inside a glove, and secure the glove closed with a rubber band. I then tease my dog with the glove, encouraging her to grab as much of the glove as possible in her mouth, even playing tug-of-war to encourage a solid hold. A fast grab of a lot of glove now will go a
long way to prevent a slow pick up and dainty one-finger return later.
We do a lot of play retrieves. Each time the dog brings me the glove I open it dramatically with a “Good Take It!” and give the dog a treat from out of the glove. It doesn’t take long before my dog realizes that the faster she gets the glove and the faster she gets it back to me, the faster she gets her treat.
Even though using this method is leaving the glove open to abuse, I’ve never had a dog who shakes or mouths the glove in the ring. (Gerianne believes that it is just a matter of time; she does not use the glove as a toy.) I often use the glove as a stress-reliever in training. If I am getting bogged down or too serious. I just pull out the glove for a good game of tug-of-war or grab-it-if-you-can. In the ring, the Directed Retrieve is my dogs’ favorite exercise.
Barbara
TEACHING SEQUENCE
In each step, every time you give a direction for a glove be sure your signal is accurate and informative. Keep your arm and hand straight out and extended until your elbow joint is opposite your dog’s eyes; you are not helping your dog if you keep your arm tucked next to your side. Continue to hold the signal until your dog’s body has passed your fingertips as he goes to retrieve.
1) Fold a glove halfway inside out so that it is easy to throw and easy for the dog to see and hold. (Choice of gloves and the importance of using small gloves for small dogs is discussed in Chapter 4, “Equipment.”)
Sit the dog in heel position, and hold him there by bending over and hooking the index finger of your right hand through his collar; the dog can be on or off leash. You don’t want to dampen the dog’s enthusiasm to retrieve by correcting him for breaking a sit stay, so hold him back physically while you rev him up verbally.
With your left hand, toss the glove about four feet straight ahead. Your left arm should come down into a signal alongside the dog’s head as you release the glove. When the dog looks at the glove, immediately send him to retrieve.
Competitive Obedience Training for the Small Dog Page 14