Lessons from Agility

seazr · 08-26-2007, 03:43 AM

I know understand why the trainer doesn't put these in writing--they are visual exercises and hard to convey in text. Here's my best shot!

Self-Control/Bonding Exercises
These exercises are dual purpose:
1.Teach your dog to control his/her desire to “take” anything that is not “offered” to them by YOU. Since we cannot possibly ALWAYS be with/supervising our dogs, they must learn to control their natural desire to “go for it.”
2.Bonding. The ultimate goal of these exercises is to reinforce eye-to-eye communication between you and your dog.

TWO FISTS
-Put a treat in each hand and make fists. Hold fists, palm up, at eye level to your dog. Your dog will sniff, paw, etc, etc to get to the treat. DO NOT CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR, VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY. This part is really hard for me because in obedience, we were taught to always use “ahh--ahh” or “no”.
-When your dog exhibits “losing interest” in the treat by looking away (OR BETTER YET, LOOKING AT YOU) open your fist and tell your dog to “take it.”
-As your dog begins to develop self-control over the treat, begin lowering the treat below his/her eyes.
-In one of the last steps, the treat is lowered to the floor. At this point, most dogs will lie down to be near the treat. Ultimately, the treat is placed on the paws of the laying-down dog, and will remain on the paws until he dog breaks its attention from the treat and looks, hopefully, at your eyes for permission to take the treat.

OVERHEAD
-Same concept as above, but have dog in a sit and hold treat over their head.

TREAT DISHES
Place several small dishes around a 15’ x 15’ area. Place a treat in each dish. With your dog on short lead (I actually held Dakota’s collar because he is tall), let him explore the area but DO NOT allow him to take a treat until he loses interest in it; then offer it. Again, DO NOT correct if he/she tries to get the treat, just gently restrain.

THE PALM GAME
Move your open hand around, side front, etc. and when your dog touches his/her nose to your palm (not fingers) offer a treat BUT offer the treat at the point you want him/her to touch. (In other words, touch the treat to your palm and offer it there.) Do this repeatedly but unpredictably and it becomes a game. The goal is to get your dog constantly watching you for that palm to come out.

WORKING IN A CIRCLE
Walk you dog on a loose lead but restrain him/her to walk within the length of your arm in any direction: front, back or side of you.

River Rat · 08-26-2007, 08:28 AM

Diane, thanks so much for posting those exercises. Brian Kilcommons does a lot of that sort of thing, often using the body to block the dog until the dog looks up for permission/guidance. I just printed your post out for future reference!

With the palm game, do you put the treat on your palm, or are you trying to get the dog to touch a certain place on your palm? Or is the point that he should touch the palm and not the fingers....?

Leslie

**MaxandMe** · 08-26-2007, 09:14 AM

DIANE thank you sooooo much for taking the time to share that with us.
I really appreciate it

seazr · 08-26-2007, 01:08 PM

I'm glad you guys are enjoying these! It's hard to get across in text, but when you do these exercies, you "get it" from the way your dog responds!

Leslie-
You want your dog to touch your palm and not the fingers. You don't treat until AFTER the dog touches--or initially LOOKS t the right spot. When you treat you place the treat on your palm exactly where the dig did or should have touched. does that make sense? I wish I could somehow illustrate this . . .
This would actually be an easier "clicker" game. When the dog touched the right spot, you would immediately "click" and treat; so what we're doing above is "reinforcing" a behavior by bringing the treat to the spot we want to reward.

blueteal · 08-26-2007, 02:46 PM

Thank you Diane, these are wonderful.
Denver and I have always done the "Touch"
I hold my hand,(like a stop or wait) palm of my hand facing him to within his reach and he touches the middle of my palm with his nose.

Is that what you do?

seazr · 08-26-2007, 07:13 PM

Perfect!!! Give that handsome doodle a treat!!!

FoodLady · 08-27-2007, 08:54 AM

Diane,

Am going to print and try these excercises with Ebbe. Instructions were great! Thanks for sharing!

BTW ... What do I do when she bites off my hand?

ellabee · 08-27-2007, 09:05 AM

Oh Diane - thank you for sharing these exercises with us! Much appreciated, very fun!

ellabee · 08-27-2007, 10:08 AM

PS - I just realized that I may have shot myself in the foot with this one.

I taught Dex the "find the treat game" where I would hold a treat in one closed fist, have him sit, and then he would have to sniff and put a paw on the fist that has the treat in it. TOTALLY the opposite of what Sue is explaining here....I've always been encouraging Dex to PAY ATTENTION to closed fists. Now I just have a confused doodle....

seazr · 08-27-2007, 11:12 AM

Poor Dex!! "But, Mom!! I found the treat just like you said, right!!!???" Now, how come it's wrong????!!!!"

ellabee · 08-27-2007, 11:35 AM

Exactly...........................................

08-26-2007, 03:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
seazr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento Posts: 2,971	Lessons from Agility I know understand why the trainer doesn't put these in writing--they are visual exercises and hard to convey in text. Here's my best shot! Self-Control/Bonding Exercises These exercises are dual purpose: 1.Teach your dog to control his/her desire to “take” anything that is not “offered” to them by YOU. Since we cannot possibly ALWAYS be with/supervising our dogs, they must learn to control their natural desire to “go for it.” 2.Bonding. The ultimate goal of these exercises is to reinforce eye-to-eye communication between you and your dog. TWO FISTS -Put a treat in each hand and make fists. Hold fists, palm up, at eye level to your dog. Your dog will sniff, paw, etc, etc to get to the treat. DO NOT CORRECT THE BEHAVIOR, VERBALLY OR PHYSICALLY. This part is really hard for me because in obedience, we were taught to always use “ahh--ahh” or “no”. -When your dog exhibits “losing interest” in the treat by looking away (OR BETTER YET, LOOKING AT YOU) open your fist and tell your dog to “take it.” -As your dog begins to develop self-control over the treat, begin lowering the treat below his/her eyes. -In one of the last steps, the treat is lowered to the floor. At this point, most dogs will lie down to be near the treat. Ultimately, the treat is placed on the paws of the laying-down dog, and will remain on the paws until he dog breaks its attention from the treat and looks, hopefully, at your eyes for permission to take the treat. OVERHEAD -Same concept as above, but have dog in a sit and hold treat over their head. TREAT DISHES Place several small dishes around a 15’ x 15’ area. Place a treat in each dish. With your dog on short lead (I actually held Dakota’s collar because he is tall), let him explore the area but DO NOT allow him to take a treat until he loses interest in it; then offer it. Again, DO NOT correct if he/she tries to get the treat, just gently restrain. THE PALM GAME Move your open hand around, side front, etc. and when your dog touches his/her nose to your palm (not fingers) offer a treat BUT offer the treat at the point you want him/her to touch. (In other words, touch the treat to your palm and offer it there.) Do this repeatedly but unpredictably and it becomes a game. The goal is to get your dog constantly watching you for that palm to come out. WORKING IN A CIRCLE Walk you dog on a loose lead but restrain him/her to walk within the length of your arm in any direction: front, back or side of you. __________________ Diane (and Dakota) http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/seazr/

08-26-2007, 08:28 AM	#2 (permalink)
River Rat Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 983	Diane, thanks so much for posting those exercises. Brian Kilcommons does a lot of that sort of thing, often using the body to block the dog until the dog looks up for permission/guidance. I just printed your post out for future reference! With the palm game, do you put the treat on your palm, or are you trying to get the dog to touch a certain place on your palm? Or is the point that he should touch the palm and not the fingers....? Leslie __________________ \Portraits http://www.leslieficcaglia.org \ \Wild and Scenic http://mauriceriver.igc.org/ \

08-26-2007, 09:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
MaxandMe Super Moderator Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 15,103	DIANE thank you sooooo much for taking the time to share that with us. I really appreciate it __________________ *Annmarie, Max,& Peanut* "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France uncondtional love: what a dog always does for us and humans strive to do but can we?

08-26-2007, 01:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
seazr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento Posts: 2,971	I'm glad you guys are enjoying these! It's hard to get across in text, but when you do these exercies, you "get it" from the way your dog responds! Leslie- You want your dog to touch your palm and not the fingers. You don't treat until AFTER the dog touches--or initially LOOKS t the right spot. When you treat you place the treat on your palm exactly where the dig did or should have touched. does that make sense? I wish I could somehow illustrate this . . . This would actually be an easier "clicker" game. When the dog touched the right spot, you would immediately "click" and treat; so what we're doing above is "reinforcing" a behavior by bringing the treat to the spot we want to reward. __________________ Diane (and Dakota) http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/seazr/

08-26-2007, 07:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
seazr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento Posts: 2,971	Perfect!!! Give that handsome doodle a treat!!! __________________ Diane (and Dakota) http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/seazr/

08-26-2007, 02:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
blueteal Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 8,334	Thank you Diane, these are wonderful. Denver and I have always done the "Touch" I hold my hand,(like a stop or wait) palm of my hand facing him to within his reach and he touches the middle of my palm with his nose. Is that what you do?

08-27-2007, 08:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
FoodLady Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 1,411	Diane, Am going to print and try these excercises with Ebbe. Instructions were great! Thanks for sharing! BTW ... What do I do when she bites off my hand? __________________ Mary and Ebbe, I love her so ... wherever I go ... My Doodly Doodly Doo!

08-27-2007, 09:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
ellabee Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,551	Oh Diane - thank you for sharing these exercises with us! Much appreciated, very fun! __________________ -Lynn & "Dexter #3" (third Dexter to join the forum - and Sandy's littermate!)

08-27-2007, 10:08 AM	#9 (permalink)
ellabee Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,551	PS - I just realized that I may have shot myself in the foot with this one. I taught Dex the "find the treat game" where I would hold a treat in one closed fist, have him sit, and then he would have to sniff and put a paw on the fist that has the treat in it. TOTALLY the opposite of what Sue is explaining here....I've always been encouraging Dex to PAY ATTENTION to closed fists. Now I just have a confused doodle.... __________________ -Lynn & "Dexter #3" (third Dexter to join the forum - and Sandy's littermate!)

08-27-2007, 11:12 AM	#10 (permalink)
seazr Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Sacramento Posts: 2,971	Poor Dex!! "But, Mom!! I found the treat just like you said, right!!!???" Now, how come it's wrong????!!!!" __________________ Diane (and Dakota) http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e304/seazr/

08-27-2007, 11:35 AM	#11 (permalink)
ellabee Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,551	Exactly........................................... __________________ -Lynn & "Dexter #3" (third Dexter to join the forum - and Sandy's littermate!)

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