RL-BASICS OF OBEDIENCE TRAINING

Do start as you mean to go on. Teaching the dog to do an exercise correctly in the first instance is important whether you are starting out with a pup or an older dog. The trainer must be consistent, dependable and predictable. The pup must be taught from the very first day he arrives home, an older dog’s bad habits must be corrected immediately the new handler starts to train him. It is far easier to teach an exercise correctly in the first place than to break bad habits later.

Do know the obedience rules for each exercise before you begin to train. You must have a clear idea of what the principle features of the exercise are, what the judge’s commands will be, what will be penalised and what you can and can’t do in the exercise, BEFORE you start training for it.

Do thoroughly understand the training methods available to you. Unless you are working on a one-to-one basis with an experienced and open minded instructor, you won’t be shown more than one or two methods on how to train for an exercise and even then little detail of why the methods work or don’t work for you and your dog. Find the method that suits you and your dog - which is not necessarily the method that suits your instructor. This page contains many methods - some contradict one another in some ways but I have included them for completeness sake and not to conform to a set of strict training methods. The handler must be comfortable with the methods he is using and the dog must be responsive to those methods in order for them to work well. They will all work for the right handler and the right dog but not necessarily for every dog and every handler.

Do ensure your equipment is in good shape. A burr on a check chain, dumbbell or scent discrimination article which hurts the dogs neck, mouth or gums, a lead that continually gets tangled and knotted and unintentionally jerks the dog’s neck, a badly tied shoe lace that strikes the dog in the eye, a flapping coat tail, etc all have the propensity to cause major and lasting set backs in training.

Do understand the correct use of the Collar and Lead. The collar and lead are used to define boundaries or limitations, they are not used to punish the dog. Many handlers train with a lead that is too slack. These handlers are defining limitations which are too wide. They allow the dog to make a greater mistakes than is necessary in holding the position desired by the handler. The difference between a tight lead and a slack lead should only be a few inches. If the lead is held in the correct way, there is no need for accidental of deliberate jerking on the lead.

Do Get your Dog’s Attention and Hold It. During training, the dog’s attention should be on you at all times. Keep training sessions short so the dogs attention does not wander and he does not get bored. There is no point in calling a dog if he is not paying attention to you and so it is with all commands.

Do use a work and release word. Let your dog know when he and you are working and when he can relax and be himself. Be absolutely consistent with these commands. “Free”, “OK”, “That’il do”, “At Ease” are good for the release words, “Working”, “Listen Up”, “Smarten Up”, “Attention” are good for the working command.

Do stick to one command for each exercise. Every command should convey an image to the dog and one image only. Every member of the family and others who handle the dog must know the command words for each exercise and use these words only when they want the dog to carry out that exercise. ‘Sit’ means Sit, ‘Drop’ means Down, ‘Sit Down’ is confusing the dog. By the way, that is one of the reasons I use ‘Drop’ for the Down exercise. Another reason I use Drop’ is because the Judge’s command for the exercise is ‘Down Your Dog’ and I don’t want my dog inadvertently responding to the judge’s commands. The dog’s name should only precede a command if he is being called. Don’t use his name to reprimand or to correct the dog.

Do Understand the importance of Timing in Dog Training. The timing of praise, the click, the reward is absolutely critical in dog training. The trainer must know the exact moment when to reward the dog or correct the dog. To avoid the dog looking for a reward before the end of an exercise always praise (click) at the exact moment of action you want to reinforce and then treat a little while later. This will condition the dog to understand that the primary reinforcer (food/toy/play/tummy rub/etc) will also follow the secondary reinforcer (praise/click).

Do always insist on Straight Sits, Stands, Downs, Jumps, Go Outs, Recalls and Fronts. This follows on from ‘Do start as you mean to go on’. Most of the qualifying obedience dogs at a trial lost most of their points because of repeated infringements of these basic requirements. No matter whether a handler leaves the ring with a 199 or a 169, s/he will rue the crooked sit or front that cost the team that important point. See ‘Positioning in Training. However, if the dog has a problem with a particular part of an exercise, and you are training to correct it, don’t confuse the dog by correcting small imperfections in other parts of the exercise at the same time, eg a slightly crooked Sit in front when training for the Finish.

Do Use Predictable “Punishment”. The punishment for undesirable behaviour should be taught from the time the dog comes home as a pup (7-9 weeks old). Bad behaviour must never be allowed to become a habit. I use a sharp ‘No!’.,At first, this “verbal punishment” is given with a fixed stare (glare) straight into the puppy’s eyes. The next level is a scruff shake. The puppy will instinctively understand what a glare or scruff shake means and will respect you for using it. The dog will soon associate the glare and the shake with the sharp ‘No!’ and after a short time the ‘No!’ will suffice. The No!, glare and scruff shake are what the bitch uses to correct bad behaviour in her pups. The pups understand this rebuke so we adopt it too. They will soon learn to understand the difference between a rebuke and praise tones. Like corrections and reinforcement, punishment must be timed correctly. Do not confuse punishment with corrections. Do not use physical punishment that is abusive. Punishments are used in behaviour modification not in obedience training. Corrections are used in obedience training to indicate a wrong choice. Punishment is rarely used on an adult dog if he has been trained in good manners from a pup.

Do Use Predictable “Corrections”. When we train and proof our dogs, we constantly and deliberately place them in a position of choice. The dog under training should expect and welcome a Praise or Click as much as he does the correction command ‘Ahhhh!’ and learn equally from both. The dog should never have cause to fear a correction command - the Ahhhh! is not given in a tone of rebuke. Corrections cannot be given randomly, to be effective they must be consistent, predictable and superbly timed. A badly timed correction is absolutely worthless as a training tool just as badly timed praise/clicks are absolutely worthless.

Do not correct the Dog for Handler Errors. This is self explanatory but one of the main reasons dogs lag and go wide in heeling and develop the resigned helplessness we see in some dogs. The dog is being trained by the handler, the dog is not training the handler - he is not responsible for handler errors.

Do Praise and Reward your Dog Appropriately. Praise every attempt by the dog but don’t praise the dog unnecessarily - a dog must earn his praise. The dog must be encouraged to try again even if he hasn’t got it quite right when teaching a new exercise. The dog should be praised and/or rewarded every time he completes a new exercise correctly. Thereafter, he should be praised and rewarded randomly. This is not a simple subject and needs to be understood well, see Training Methods for details

Do Not Expect Your Dog to Act like a Machine. Like humans dogs make mistakes, have lapses in concentration, misjudge things, feel off colour at times, have bad hair days, etc. Work your dog up to an excellent standard but don’t expect perfection 100 per cent of the time.

Do Select a Suitable Training Area. The ideal outside training area is a cool, grassed, enclosed area free from all unwanted distractions. The area may be less than the size of a trial ring to begin with but after the dog has learnt the basic exercises, the regular training area should be no less than the size of a trial ring. The trial equipment for the class the dog is training for should be set up in the training area. Vary the location of your training area frequently and vary the orientation of your rings with in these training areas. See proofing for mock trials.

Do quit training if you are tired or upset with the dog. The dog will sense your demeanour and will not perform well and you are likely to take your frustration’s out on the dog. It becomes a vicious circle. Don’t ever lose your temper, if you are feeling ill with the world then skip training until your mood improves.

Do Be Patient and Persevere. Patience and perseverance are essential in dog training.

Do Proof all Training as you Go. The suggested proofing for each exercise is shown in the pages which describe the training for that exercise.

Do Teach Your Dog the “Working” and “Free” Commands. The dog must know when he is working under your command and free to do what dogs do or free to play with you. Don’t command your dog to ‘Stay’ and then walk away for an hour or two. Always give the release command after training has been completed for the day.

DON’T-s

Don’t use your feet or hands to kick or hit the dog. Your feet and hands are important training aids. The dog should not be given any reason to be foot or hand shy. In any case, physical punishment is almost always counterproductive and unnecessary. Of course, the hands and feet can be used to gently correct a dog.

Don’t Heed the Anti-Food Brigade. Food (treats) is a very valuable training tool when used correctly. Don’t feed your dog immediately before trialling or training. See Training Theory and Training Methods.

Don’t Heed the Positive Reinforcement Only Brigade. Positive Reinforcement is the right training method, it teaches the dog what is right. The dog must also be taught what is wrong so corrections are necessary - most corrections are indicated by the correction command followed by Negative Punishment (withholding the reward). There is no place for physical punishment or abuse in obedience training. See Training Theory and Training Methods.

Don’t religiously follow new fads and trends. The are no magic methods for obedience training - period! There are clever dogs and natural born trainers who will find it easier than the average handler and average dog to progress. There are right ways and wrong ways to train but there are no magic wands or any other de% ices or methods that will replace common sense and practice. Most of the methods touted as ‘new and innovative’ are merely adaptations of tried and proven principles and techniques. The clicker is merely a secondary reinforcer like praise. The clicker does provide some individuals better timing with the secondary reinforcer but that is all it does.

Don’t repetitively train entire exercises to correct a part of an exercise. Analyse problems carefully and concentrate on the areas that need training and practice. Don’t bore the dog by overtraining entire exercises unnecessarily. If the dog has a problem with a particular part of an exercise, and you are training to correct it. don’t confuse the dog by correcting small imperfections in other parts of the exercise at the same time, eg a slightly crooked sit in front when training the Finish.

Don’t compromise. Training isn’t a democratic process, your dog does not have a choice or a vote in the process. Dogs don’t understand or respect weak or laissez faire leaders. All your commands, once they are understood by the dog, should be demanding, firm, uncompromising, unequivocal. The dog is yours to command and the dog is to obey - period! This is my advice, it doesn’t come from a harsh trainer - I am an old softie at heart - and I love my dogs. This is responsible dog ownership.

Don’t rush the dog’s training or skip stages or steps In his training. Ensure the dog can carry out each step properly (perhaps ten times in a row each day for a week) before progressing to the next step. Rushed training and missed steps always comes back to haunt and bite you later.

Don’t repeat the voice commands over and over. Otherwise, the dog will associate the ‘Retrieve’ command, for example, with ‘Fetch,.. Fetch, .. Fetch,.. Fetch, .. Fetch ...‘ etc, with ever increasing pitch and desperation in the tone of voice, or the dog will learn that the ‘Retrieve’ Command means to fetch on the eighth or ninth time the dog hears the ‘Retrieve’ command. Give the voice command at the start of the exercise and perhaps with praise in the sit position in Front, ie ‘Good Fetch’, then phase out the second voice command.

Don’t forget to play with your dog. Break up the training sessions by playing vuth the dog. Make all training session great fun for you and the dog. Your dog can’t concentrate for ever no matter how good he is so give him a break and keep training sessions short interspersed with short and exciting play sessions.

Obedience Voice Commands

What the Rule Books Says: Where the word ‘command’ appears in specific exercises, it means, ‘command and/or signal, unless otherwise specified. All verbal commands must be in the English language unless approved otherwise by the Judge. One command only is given to the dog for a specific action on the part of the dog. The verbal command must be a single word. The command may be given by the use of the Handler’s voice and/or specific action of the Handler in the form of a signal. A voice command and a signal may be given, but must be used simultaneously. Where the dog’s name is used to attract its’ attention a distinct pause between the name of the dog and the command is required. if a Judge considers that but for an additional command the dog would not have performed the Principal Feature of the exercise, it will receive a non-qualifying score. Unless otherwise stated under Description of Exercise the dog’s name may be used only at the commencement of any exercise.

A Dog’s Sense of Hearing. A dog is born into the world deaf. The dog’s ears are closed until about the tenth day of life. The dog’s hearing is fully developed at three to four weeks of age. A dog can hear a wider range of sounds over longer distances than man. A man’s hearing capacity begins at about 20 and stops at about 20,000 cycles per second. Dog’s hearing starts at about 20 but goes up to 30,000 and some experiments claim as high as from 35,000 to 70,000 cycles per second. A dog’s hearing is most acute in dogs with open, funnel shaped ears and dogs that can prick and swivel their ear flaps. Congenital deafness does occur in dogs and is often associated with white coat colouring. Dalmatians, Australian Cattle Dogs are particularly prone to congenital deafness.

Training Implications. There is never any need to shout at a dog. The dog is extremely sensitive to changes in his handler’s voice tone, pitch, tremor and will react accordingly. Very loud noises and some high pitched sounds, eg smoke detectors, may cause discomfort and even pain to dogs - some dogs develop sound shyness of gun shyness which is extremely difficult to overcome. See dealing with difficult dogs.

General Comments. If the dog is to work enthusiastically and willingly in the obedience ring, the obedience commands (and the dog’s name) must have a positive reinforcement association with them. This is a major drawback with some of the compulsive methods used in training. It is virtually impossible to teach a dog an exercise using harsh compulsive methods only without associating the command with negativity. For example, the ‘Heel’ command using the jerk method is associated with an unpleasant choking sensation, the retrieve command using the Koehler method is associated with a pinch on the ear. Much of the dreaded ‘lagging’ seen in heeling is caused by the dog associating the ‘Heel’ command with an unpleasantness. Lagging at trials often occurs during the turns or at the change to fast pace because in training, the dog has received a painful jerk to bring him to heel during turns and on changes of pace. The voice command should be firm and unequivocal. None of the voice commands should be given in a reprimanding tone. But do remember a command is an order not a request. When giving a command in trialling, we expect implicit and immediate obedience, so let’s not get into the silly debate about whether we are making a polite request or not.

Choice of Voice Commands. Care should be taken in the choice of the obedience commands so that none of the commands sound like the word used with punishment (‘No!’) or the correction command (‘Ah!’). For example, in the utility ‘send away’ some handlers use ‘Go!t which, of course, can be confused by the dog with the punishment word ‘No!’, particularly if the handler is nervous and his/her voice sounds shrill. By choosing only one correction command the chance of this occurring is greatly reduced. For the same reasons, the voice command should not sound like any other judge’s orders, e.g. 'Down' ‘Halt’, ‘Call’, ‘Send’

Number of Voice Commands. Keep the number of voice commands down to a minimum. My dogs understand the meaning of many words but I use only the following basic voice commands in the Novice, Open and Utility trial rings i.e, ‘Stand’, ‘Drop’, ‘Close’, ‘Stay’, ‘Come’, ‘Over’, ‘Box’, ‘Fetch’ and ‘Free’. In training, I add the correction command ‘Ah!’ and the following adjustment commands: ‘Front’, ‘Close’, ‘Quickly’, ‘Back’, ‘Up’, ‘Look’, ‘Hold’ and ‘Give’. When my dogs hear any of these commands they know they are ‘working’ until they hear the release command ‘Free'.

Trial Voice Commands. If you, the handler, cannot explain what the command means an a few words, how do you expect your dog to understand it? See the Wait vs Stay Commands below. Before I can describe what my commands mean, I must first define the Heel position. The obedience rules state: ‘The dog is at the Handler’s left side as close as practicable to the Handler’. For most judges that means: The dog is positioned no more than six inches (150mm) from the handler’s left side nor close enough to cause interference, with the dog’s collar adjacent to the handler’s left knee, hip or shin. To be straight at Heel, the dog’s front and rear right legs parallel to an imaginary line that passes midway between the handler’s feet. Here is what my commands mean to my dogs:

Stand. ‘Stand’ means: ‘Stand still (steadily) in the heel position’. This is the only command that I use that is the same or sounds like the judge’s command for the exercise. I taught my first dog the ‘Stand’ and ‘Sit’ in obedience classes long before I knew that obedience trials existed and I have not had reason to break the habit since.

Drop. ‘Drop' means: ‘Drop in the heel position, remain still’ or ‘Drop in your present position, remain still’.

Close. 'Close’ is used for my heel and finish commands, it is also an adjustment command - this is deliberate. As the heel command, ‘Close’ means: ‘Move to or remain in the heeling position’. As an adjustment command, ‘Close’ means: ‘Move closer!’. Each time I use the word in the trial ring both meanings are deliberately reinforced.

Stay. ‘Stay’ means: ‘Remain as still as practical in your present position until I give you another voice or signal command’. The other commands could be, for example: ‘Come’ (recalls), ‘Fetch’ (retrieves), ‘Over’ (broad jump) or ‘Free’ (end of group exercises) or the signal command only ‘Drop’ (signals only).

Come. Come means: ‘Come briskly to my front or until I give you another command.’ The other command would be: ‘Drop’ on the open recall.

Over. 'Over' means: 'jump straight over the obstacle in front of you and then ‘Come’ to the front position’ or ‘Jump straight over the obstacle I indicate and then ‘Come to the front position’.

Box. ‘Box’ means: ‘Go out directly to and ‘Sit’ within the prescribed area and wait for my next command’.

Fetch. ‘Fetch' means: 'Retrieve the thrown, lost or hidden object, with my scent on it and return it to the sit in front position

‘OK’. ‘OK’ is my release command/s.

The Correction Voice Command. The handler should choose one correction command and stick to it. I use ‘Ahhh!’ - pronounced ‘Arrrr’, it is a natural command, short and sharp and easy to get out quickly to aid timing. The correction command cannot be used in the trial ring.

The Adjustment Voice Commands.

4djustment commands are used as training tools to correct the way an exercise is being carried out. I have already partly defined the way I use ‘Close’. These voice commands can also be used in the trial ring, by a handler who has his wits about him and uses a degree of Ringcraft, when things are going awry. I use the following adjustment commands:

Front. ‘Front' means: 'Get straight in front!’. The command can also be used instead of ’Come’. I teach the meaning of the command by saying it as I physically place the dog into the correct position with my hands, while using my foot to tap the dog’s behind into the correct position or while using my legs or arms to restrict the dogs options in the position. See Sit and Positioning Training.

Close. ‘Close’ means: ‘Move closer!’. The command can also be used for the Heel and Finish commands. I also use the command in a static situation to adjust a Sit at Heel.

Back. ‘Back’ means: 'Stop forging or anticipating, come back!! The command can also be used for the Heel command. I also use the command in a static situation to adjust a Sit at Heel.

Up. 'Up’ means: ‘Stop lagging, Come Up!’ The Command can also be used for the Heel command. I also use the command in a static situation to adjust a Sit at Heel.

Leave It. Leave It, means: ‘Leave alone whatever is distracting your attention from me’. The adjustment command is used to get the dog’s attention back on the task at hand. The distraction may be itching, scratching, sniffing, annoying, interesting, digging, socialising, etc.

Quickly. ‘Quickly’ means: ‘Move more quickly!’ The command can also be used instead of ’Come’.

Hold. 'Hold' Means: ‘Hold the retrieve object in your mouth until I give the 'Give' command and take it from you’. 'Hold’ cannot be used for this purpose in the trial ring.

Give. ‘Give’ means: ‘Release the retrieve object from your mouth now’. ‘Give’ can be used in the trial ring to mean the same thing.

Look. ‘Look' means: ‘Look where I am pointing!’ Great for teaching directed retrieve and handy on other occasions too. I teach the command when the dog is a pup, the best method is to send the dog to a loved one by pointing to them - ‘Look, point, go to Mummy’. Later, when the dog is familiar with the meaning of ‘puppies’, ‘horses’, ‘sheep’, ‘kangaroos’, etc you can say identify animals by their names and point to them while driving in the car, out walking or at any other opportunity. The dog will soon learn to look for your point and follow its direction to see the animal or other interest.

Sleep. ‘Sleepy means: ‘Go to sleep’. This command is taught using the Opportunity Method. It is used in Down Stays to get the dog to loll on to one hip, tuck one paw under and, if possible, relax and to go to sleep.

Mat. ‘Mat’ means: ‘Go to your mat’. This command was used with my first pup to control him in the house. A piece of carpet was his place inside the house. I discovered later that I could use the command to teach the ‘go out to the box’ for the ‘Directed .Jumping’ exercise, ie by placing his mat in the box and sending him to it. It worked superbly. I have used it ever since.

The Release Command.

The release command means: ‘All formal work has now ceased- you may relax - do your own thing’. I use the command ‘OK’. Some trainers believe the words ‘OK’ are used too frequently in conversations to be safe for obedience trialling - I have never had a problem with it.

‘Wait’ vs ‘Stay’ Voice Commands. At the beginning of this section I stated: If you cannot explain what the command means in a few words, how do you expect your dog to understand it? You may also have noticed that I do not use the word ‘Wait’ as a trial command. I have trained my dogs to the Obedience Champion level and have never seen the need for a command that distinguishes the handler defined subtle meanings of ‘stay’ and ‘wait’. When I ask triallers who do use both commands what the commands mean to their dog, a torturous explanation usually follows which would keep a hungry constitutional lawyer in constant high class dinners and Chardonnay for years. The intended difference between ‘stay’ and 'wait' means different things to different triallers (and schools) but these are the most common intended meanings of 'wait' and ‘stay’:

Stay. ‘Stay’ is intended to mean: ‘Remain as still as practical in your present position until I give you another command. I AM leaving you now but WILL return to you before I give you another command’, eg stand for examination, stand free, food refusal, speak on command, group stays.

Wait. ‘Wait’ is intended to mean: ‘Remain as still as practical in your present position until I give you another command. IF I leave you now, I will NOT be returning to you before I give you another command!, eg recalls, open retrieves, broad jump.

I believe the distinction between Stay and Wait is so subtle as to make not a shred of difference to the dog. Indeed, I believe if the commands were inadvertently reversed, the dog would not behave differently than usual. 1 do not have too many problems with the following version of ‘wait’:

Wait. ‘Wait’ can also be intended to mean: ‘Remain in this general vicinity until ~ give you another command!, eg an instructor commands his dog to ‘wait’ untethered in a shady area while he takes his class for an hour, the dog is to ‘wait’ while tethered outside a shop while the 1~andLer ducks in for some groceries, the dog is to ‘wait^tin an open car until the handler gets organised and is ready for the dog to accompany him/her. In this version of !wait^t, the dog can move about, stand, sit, drop, etc as long as it remains in the general vicinity of where the command was given~

Signal Commands

What the Rule Books Says: Where the word ‘command’ appears in specific exercises, it will mean ‘command and/or signal’ unless otherwise specified. One command only is given to the dog for a specific action on the part of the dog. The command may be given by the use of the Handler’s voice and/or specific action of the Handler in the form of a signal. A voice command and a signal may be given, but must he used simultaneously. A signal should be a single gesture of the arms and/or hands only, which must be promptly returned to their normal position. Signals must be inaudible and must not touch the dog. Any unusual noise or movement of the Handler may be considered by the Judge as a ‘signal’, or extra command. If a Judge considers that but for an additional command the dog would not have performed the Principal Feature of the exercise, it will receive a non-qualifying score.

A Dog’s Sense of Sight. Puppies are born blind. The eyes are fully developed and open by ten to fourteen days after birth. Generally speaking, the dog does not see as well as a human being does. When I make this comparison, I refer to the fact that a person can see a reasonably wide range of the light spectrum, while a dog can see only some colours. A number of studies have been done to investigate the colour vision of dogs and the results have been conflicting. However, more recent studies indicate that dogs do possess and use colour vision, but not to the same degree that humans do. The photoreceptor used for colour vision is the cone and there are cones present in the canine retina. Two distinct types of cones appear to be present in the canine retina. One type is very sensitive to light in the wavelength that appears violet to people and the other type is very sensitive to light in the wavelength that appears yellow-green to people. Therefore, it appears that the visual spectrum of colour in dogs is divided into two hues; one in the violet and blue-violet range, probably appearing as blue, and the other in the greenish-yellow, yellow and red range, which is probably seen as yellow by the dog. Light that appears blue-green to people probably appears as white or shades of grey to dogs. Dogs are unable to differentiate colours that appear as green, yellow-green, orange or red to people, and are unable to differentiate greenish-blue from grey. This is similar to people who are red-green colour blind.

- One study indicates that dogs are better able to differentiate between subtle shades of grey than people are, which would be advantageous in increasing visual discrimination in low light conditions. Dogs have proportionately more rods (the photoreceptors that contain rhodopsin, a pigment that functions in dim light). Thus, dogs are better able to see in dim light than are humans, but they see with less resolution. They are long sighted and perceive moving objects better than stationary objects. They have difficulty focusing on small stationary objects at close range.

- A dog has a wider scope of vision than humans. If a line equivalent to the horizon is considered as a base, the dog can see from 50 to 70 degrees above, 20 to 60 degrees below it, 100 to 125 degrees out to the side and 30 to 45 degrees on the nasal side with either eye. These figures vary with breeds. A human being has a field of vision of about 180 degrees (half of a circle) or 90 degrees on each side of his nose.

Training Implications. Use hand signals and voice commands when working with the dog a long distance - recalls and directed jumping signals. Wear contrasting colours with the background. Wear white, blue or yellow long sleeves, if possible. Select a ‘seek back article’ which is light in colour and will cast a shadow. Do not use a flat leather article.

General Comments. As a general rule, command signals should be given with a moving hand and arm only in such a way that the palm of the hand faces in the direct the handler wishes the dog to move. There is an unwritten rule that the hands must start and finish at the same place but do not have to start and finish at the same place for every exercise. There are no prizes given in obedience presentations for the handler with the fastest hand signal; indeed, if the dog misses the signal there may be no prizes at all. A hand signal must be given in an almost continuous motion from start to finish. Different schools and trainers teach different signals and different hand signals are required for large and small dogs, etc. The voice and hand signals for each exercise are covered in detail in the page dealing with the exercise concerned so I will not dwell on the exact nature of the hand signal for each occasion here.

Non Verbal Signals. Every nuance is picked up by the dog as a clue to what’s coming next. The feet, head, eyes, facial expressions, etc are used by experienced handlers to communicate with the dog. For example:

The Halt and Sit. To the casual observer watching a team in an obedience trial, there would appear to be no signals given for a halt and sit. The observer would be incorrect. The dog received at least seven signals or indications that a halt was imminent, ie:

1. The ‘Halt’ command from the judge.

2. The handler’s slowing pace

3. The handler’s body shift from the forward to the upright position.

4. The last half pace of the handlers’s left foot.

5. The handler’s swinging right arm ceased to swing - most handlers keep their left arm/hand still when heeling with or without the lead.

6. The handler’s head and eyes remained facing forward, so no turns were indicated.

7. None of the other known command or hand signals was given.

If the handler uses some subtle Ringcraft in this exercise, he could add an eighth signal to the above ie, without moving his head he could have moved his eyes from the ahead position to glance down at his dog just as his left foot came to rest. The handler’s eyes can be used in very subtle ways. Staring, glaring, glancing, looking in direction of an imminent turn, looking in the direction he wants his dog to proceed, where he wants the dog to sit, stand, drop, etc. More about this aspect in the training for each exercise.

Notes:

1. If the handler moves his head in order to glance down at the dog just prior to the ‘Sit’, she will be penalised for using a second command. The anomaly for the ‘Sit’ exercise is that there is supposed to be no voice or signal commands at all, so the head movement in this case would have been the first command. But don’t try to argue this point with the judge - you won’t win - the ‘Sit’ on the halt is supposed to be automatic.

2. Extended Signals. Extended signals will be penalised. An extended signal is one which continues long after the normal hand signal would have reasonably been completed, ie the hand does not return to the original position immediately. A common example on an extended signal occurs with the ‘Down’. The hand is pointed to the ground long after the signal should have ceased, in order to command to the dog carry out a ‘Down’ not a ‘Sit’, ‘Stand’ nor a crooked ‘Down’.

Positioning in Training

General Comments. Position training is conditioning the dog to take up the correct position at the right place for the exercise concerned. Why? Because a perfect upright sit placed 10 degrees from the front position is going to cost at least 2 points every time it occurs. This training is fundamental to good scores in obedience. Incorrect positioning is usually caused by a dog with a lazy or forgetful tail end. Position training can be achieved using the compulsive or inducive methods of training or both.

Positioning training should be commenced while the dog is a pup, it should also be used during play training. First and foremost, regardless of what method of training is used to establish the position heel and front positions, the dog must have a datum - the datum in this case is the handler’s feet. To be an effective datum, the handler’s feet should not move during the positioning training.

Heel Position. The heel position means: ‘In the static position, the dog is positioned about six inches (150mm) from the handler’s left side with his collar adjacent to the handler’s left knee, with his front and rear right legs parallel to an imaginary line that passes midway between the handler’s feet’. However, in practice, this means: ‘Roughly parallel to the handler’s left foot’.

Front Position. The front position means: ‘Dog facing the handler with the centre line of the dog’s body in line with an imaginary line that passes midway between the handler’s two feet with the dog’s nose about 6 inches (150mm) from the handler’.

Establishing the Correct Heel Position All of the following training is conducted initially on lead. I use all of the methods described.

The HEEL Position

The Simple Compulsive Method. The compulsive methods used to train the ‘Sit’, ‘Stand’ and ‘Down’ are described in the training for each of these exercises. The compulsive method of training the ‘Sit’, ‘Stand’, ‘Down’ at heel is to physically ‘guide’ the dog into the correct position with the lead, hands and feet at the same time it is ‘guided’ into the ‘Sit’, ‘Stand’ and ‘Down’.

Warning: Harsh physical guidance can cause the dog to become hand or foot shy. All physical guidance should be applied steadily, firmly but gently. When using the lead to guide the dog, it should be fitted to a fixed ring or gentle collar.

The Simple Inducive Method. With the handler standing with his feet still in his position, the handler calls the dog into the heel position offering food as the inducement. As the dog nears the correct position, the handler commands the dog to ‘Sit’, ‘Stand’ or ‘Down’ and uses the food to encourage the dog to take up the correct Heel position. The handler may need to twist his body to the left or bend over in order to do this but the handler must not move his/her feet. If the dog hasn’t improved his position on the last occasion, the dog is given the correction command, no food is given and the exercise is tried again. All progress (personal bests) in the training should be praised and rewarded.

The Static Method.

The static method is basically heeling on the spot or dancing with your dog. The handler places the dog in the Heel Position, gives the ‘Heel’ command (voice and signal) and turns to the left or right or about turns to the left or right on the spot. The dog is helped into the correct position by use of the lead, food or physically placed there. Once the dog has progressed with the training, the handler can introduce ‘Stands’ and ‘Downs’. Later the lead and other aids can be phased out. Try it with signals only and voice only. It is a very effective method of teaching the dog the importance of the left foot in maintaining the Heel Position.

The Call to Heel Method.

This method is very effective also. Be inventive - but make it fun and dance with your dog! Basically the dog learns the importance of the handler’s left foot in the heel position. The dog is first put in a ‘Sit Stay’ on lead, the handler leaves the dog and proceeds slightly to the right to the end of the lead and halts. The dog will be at about the seven o’clock position behind the handler (as shown in the diagram). The handler takes one large step backwards on the left foot. The handler gives the dog the ‘Heel’ command, using the lead to control the dog’s progress. As the dog nears the handler, the handler moves the left foot briskly up beside the right foot, at the same time, the handler may give the ‘Heel’ command again. The lead, food and/or physical ‘guidance’ are used initially to help position the dog in the correct heel position. As the dog progresses, the handler can turn 90 degrees or 180 degrees to the right as the left foot moves and the second ‘Heel’ command is given, this practises maintaining the heel position in the turns. The lead and other aids can be phased out With practice you will soon be dancing with your dog using this method and the static method. The Call to Heel Method is basically an advanced version of the static method.

Call to HEEL

Establishing the Correct Front Position. All of the following training is conducted initially on lead. I use all of the methods described.

The FRONT Position

The Simple Compulsive Method. The compulsive methods used to train the ^'Sit^'
Is described in the training for this exercise. The compulsive method of training the ‘Sit in front’ position is to physically ‘guide’ the dog into the correct front position at the same time he is ^'guided^'into the ‘Sit^'.

Using the Punch Down or Come Fore Methods The Punch Down and Come Fore methods are described fully in Novice Recalls. To teach the Front using these methods, Recall the dog and as the dog comes in use the hand over hand method to gather up the lead until the hands are at the dog^’s collar under his muzzle. Pull the dog up and to the handler and at the same time command the dog to Sit. Do not jerk the lead. The dog’s nose should end up between the handler’s knees (the knees can be bent to accommodate the dog’s size) and his eyes should be on the handler’s face. If the dog is not looking at the handler, tickle him under the chin and call his name. The lead, feet, legs and knees can be used to nudge the dog into a straight sit in Front. Praise the dog for straight sits.

Warning: Harsh physical guidance can cause the dog to become hand or foot shy. All physical guidance should be applied steadily, firmly but gently. When using the lead to guide the dog it should be fitted to a fixed ring or gentle collar.

The Simple Inducive Method. With the handler standing with his feet still in his position, he calls the dog into the front position offering food as the inducement. As the dog nears the correct position, the handler commands the dog to 'Sit' and raises the food up and over the dog^'s nose and head until the dog sits. The path the food takes is controlled in such a way as to control the dogs sitting position. If the dog hasn^'t taken up the correct position it is given the correction command and the exercise is tried again.

The Recall Method This method is very effective It can be adapted for play training, the retrieve, etc. Be inventive! Basically the handler’s legs and feet are used to create a barrier around which the dog must move in order to return to the front position. This gets that lazy backside into the correct position. You can use the foot to tap the backside around and the lead to pull the dog into a close front. The dog is first put in a ‘sit stay^’on lead, the handler leaves the dog and proceeds to the end of the lead and turns part way about so that the dog is at an oblique position to the left or right of the handler (the left situation is shown in the diagram). The handler takes one large step forward on the foot closest to the dog. The handler then recalls the dog using the lead and/or food to control the dog’s progress around the outstretched leg. Once the dog is in the correct position the outstretched leg can be returned beside the other. The retrieve version is done by throwing a toy/dumbbell obliquely to the handlers front and sending the dog to retrieve it. While the dog is retrieving, the handler takes a step forward on the leg closest to the dog and the procedure for the recall method is undertaken. As the dog progresses, the oblique angle (recall and retrieve) can be increased to well beyond 90 degrees and the lead can be phased out.

1. The purpose in all these methods is to get the dog to sit squarely in front. To do this the dog needs to find a datum for the Front. As the dog approaches, the first datum the dog uses will usually be the handler’s feet, the next datum should be the centre of the handler’s body, perhaps the knees, belt buckle or handler^'s chin. Because of this, the handler should keep his feet still and should point to the spot on the handler’s body that he wants the dog to use as the close head up datum. This can be done by merely pointing or holding the dog’s treat to the spot until the dog Sits. The problem of squaring up the dog’s tail end still remains. A dog can sit with his nose pressed to the handler’s midriff but may still not be sitting squarely, if his tail end is still pointing 45 degrees to the left or right. This is where the handler^'s feet, legs, knees and lead come into play.

2. Stepping back from a dog that has sat crookedly in Front, helps to correct the dog that is sitting too far out, using the lead and/or collar to pull the dog into the correct position. However, stepping back to correct a dog that has sat crookedly does not usually solve the problem because the datum/s have moved. It is far better to remain in place, give the correction command ‘Ah!’ and use the lead and/or collar, feet, knees and legs to reposition the dog in line with the datum while he is in the Sit

Call to FRONT

CHAINING

Chaining puts a series of simple exercises into one complete exercise or to look at it another way the exercise is broken down into simple parts which are trained separately and then put together to make the entire exercise. Firstly, the dog learns each simple exercise separately and then they are ‘linked’ together like the links in a ‘chain’.

1. Do not attempt to join one link to another link until these individual links are completely formed (learned by the dog). In other words, a chain (which is more than one link) cannot be made perfect until every link in the chain is learned perfectly as an individual exercise. Trying to join an open link (a partly learned exercise) to another link is very unwise indeed and sure to be counter productive in the end - the chain will surely break when stressed.

2. The second rule about chaining is that the first link in the next piece of the chain must start where the last link in the chain to which it is to be joined, ended. In other words, there must be a common link in the chain where they join - there must be a logical sequence. For example, in Directed Jumping the send away to the box ends with the dog sitting in the box and the next link for the directed part of the jumping must start with the dog sitting in the box.

Note: Here is a very important proviso to the second rule. I said the rule about links is that one must start where the other link finished - there must be common link. That doesn’t mean that that is where you need to start training for that individual link, it means that is where a fully formed (trained) link starts and finishes. For example, we don’t have to start training the Directed Jumping part of the DJ exercise with the dog sitting in the box but that must be the final aim of this link in the chain.

3. Chains come in all sizes - short and long - a chain can consist of just two links or many links - each link and each chain must be a stand alone exercise in itself, ie, they can be conducted with a logical start and finish, eg sit from the stand, drop from the stand can be legitimate individual links in a more complex chain, whereas a “finish” is already a chain because it has more than one link to it.

The individual links in any chain are very small but as the exercises become more and more complex, the chains get longer - the more complex the exercise, the larger the number of links in the chain. In complex exercises, long chains are joined to short and/or long chains to make one long completed, complex chain. Many of the exercises taught for Novice form the basic links/chains of the Open exercises and these exercises form the basic links/chains of the Utility exercises. This means that in any new Utility exercise, many of the links/chains are already known to the dog. For example, the initial part of the Directed Jumping exercise requires a move forward to a stand -this is similar to the Stand for Examination exercise in Novice and Open so this chain in the more complex Directed Jumping chain is already be known to the dog. The next two Directed Jumping links/chains are the send away to the box followed by a Sit. These links/chains must be learned for Utility because the send away link is new to the dog and a sit from a distance is also unknown to the dog (assuming the signals only exercise has not yet been taught to the dog). So teach these links/chains individually and then join them to the main chain. The next link/chain is the Directed Jumping part of the exercise which is new and must be taught as an individual exercise before it is joined to the main chain. The !)irected Jumping part of the exercise is followed by the sit in front and finish - these last two chains should be already known to the dog from Novice and Open so they can be easily joined to the main chain.

The Use of Eyes in Training. Eyes are expressive so the dog can read not only the handlers mood but what he is looking at and what has his attention. The eyes are another tool the handler can use to train the dog and use as part of his non verbal signal arsenal. The eyes are used in various ways in training, ie focus directing, showing intentions and commanding:

Focusing/Hard Eyes. By focusing carefully on an object or place, such as a thrown dumbbell or the point where you want the dog to land after jumping the broad jump, the handler is giving the dog a non verbal signal as to where to find the dumbbell, etc. By focussing on the high jump, bar jump, glove the handler can point the dog to the right jump in Directed Jumping or right glove in Directed Retrieve. Focusing means using “hard” eyes.

Showing Intentions. By looking in the direction the handler plans on going, the handler can give the dog a non verbal cue on the change of direction in a turn.

Commanding. By focusing a dropped article the handler can indicate to the dog to pick it up.

Peripheral/Soft Eyes. The peripheral vision is used to keep an eye on the dog but not to distract or intimidate him when he is working. Use the soft eyes during the recall, scent discrimination, seekback, stays, etc.

This article is provided as a service to all those interested in promoting the sport of Dog Obedience Trialhng The author hereby grants permission for individuals and non-profit organisatlons to reproduce and distribute this article under the following conditions Full credit is given to the author on each and every copy, with the notation “Copyright 1998 Ron Lawrence’ All copies distributed must be provided free of charge or reproduced in a newsletter or magazine, full credit must be given