Recently I was listening to a few dog trainers discussing the best way to teach a dog to retrieve a dumbbell. Apparently the owner in question had completely burned her dog out on the exercise by repeatedly working on it in a manner that was very aversive to the dog - although she wasn't using forceful methods the dog was totally unmotivated to learn to take a dumbbell from her hand.
The owner was stressed and frustrated - her motivation was that she wanted this dog to compete in AKC obedience and to get high scores as well! She just couldn't handle the fact that she was stuck in this exercise. Therefore the trainers were discussing what this owner should do to break the stalemate and get this dog to retrieve.
A couple of the trainers felt that it would be best to give the dog a "vacation", let him learn to play and have fun with the owner, and then start over using different techniques to teach the retrieve. A couple of others felt that it was the owner's right to want to compete and to expect that her dog would do well; they were advocating using an ear pinch method, or a collar twist to "make" the dog understand that he has to retrieve. What is a retrieve? Is it the owner's right that her dog should earn high scores in obedience no matter what? In my opinion a retrieve demonstrates that a dog is both willing and that he has learned "how" to take whatever he is asked to take and to bring it back to the owner. A good retrieve demonstrates trust between owner and dog - the dog can give his item to the owner, the dog will come to the owner offleash. A wagging tail and lots of animation are what you want to see. It does take good timing and some skill to teach a retrieve, and some dogs can certainly be more challenging than others - but as in so many dog training situations - if you think for a minute about ways that you can get that dog to actually *want* to retrieve, and ways that you can make them excited about retrieving, then half your battle is won already. In order for the dog to understand that they also "must" retrieve whether they feel like it or not is workable when you make sure that the dog's foundation training includes understanding the concept of doing a Stay even in the face of distractions; that they know to Come in the face of distractions, etc. It's the setting of standards - something that has unfortunately dissipated over the last several years. Such a thing doesn't require force, it requires consistency and the thoughtful use of consequence. It also requires that a trainer believe that dogs can be trained to levels of off-leash responsibility. Once you've instilled that mindset it's easy to transition it into other exercises, such as the retrieve.
In recent years I have a certain distaste for the pursuing of high scores at the expense of trust, or at the expense of a relationship. I suppose the owner has the legal right to pursue those scores - but I would love to see the dogs in the AKC rings doing their work with animation and excitement rather than what you too often see: dogs barely dragging themselves through the exercises, hardly moving as they return on a Recall to their owner; barely walking out on their Go-Outs. That is not worth it, in my opinion. When I was competing I always lost a few points for a slightly crooked sit as my dog would fly up to me on a Recall, or returning from the retrieve over the jump - but we always got applause from the crowd just at his boundless enthusiasm. I hope that owner's dog gets the help he needs to successfully function as his owner's project. I hope things get much better for him in the future.
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I just started competing
I just started competing with my dog this year (in APDT Rally), and in my quest for high scores, I began drilling over and over on the exercise (come front) we weren't very good at. I was absolutely stunned and dismayed when not only did that exercise fall apart, but so did all of her enthusiasm for training. Previously she was tail wagging happy and full of enthusiasm when I brought the clicker out, and now the sound would make her cringe. We went to one competition, and she received high scores, but I could see that she was only there because I asked her to be, not because she was enjoying it.
So, we took time off. Then, we started playing easy, fun shaping games- tricks and touch exercises mostly. Finally, we started working on other exercises, including LOTS of running, chasing and ball throwing. FINALLY we started working on fronts again, and I was amazed at how much better those fronts were after that.
Part of competition is learning how to work with your dog in a way that is fun and respectful. For my dog, that means VERY brief training sessions interspersed with LOTS of fun. It makes me very sad for dogs whose owners believe it is their right to compete and have high scores. I want to compete, and I want high scores, but those high scores feel pretty hollow when "the dance"- that feeling of connection and beauty- isn't there.
Crystal and Maisy RL1 AOE-L1 CGC St. Paul, MN
High Scores
In my career, I would like a high score so that I know I am handling the best that I can. Remember, the humans can get way more points off than the dog. If you take the time and wait until the dog is ready (or that you have put the proper amount of attention and time in), then the exercises themselves should cease to be a problem. When considering to go beyond a CD, I do take into account whether the dog is right for that adventure or not. My dogs are show offs, and enjoy doing all of that.
Some of my client's dogs just wouldn't enjoy that, and some would not be physically fit enough. I think you also need to take in the temoerment of the dog (I am not saying that you can't train a behaviorally challenged dog to do this, but it does take more work, dedication, and time), age of the dog, and other factors before continuing on.
Personally, one of my proudest moments was just barely getting a leg the first time with my dog. My dog showed that he was particularly proud of that moment as well. We got first place, but we were the only ones that even got a leg with a 171.50. It seemed the sun shown down just on us for a moment:)
Maurice Peaches All Good Doggies
Dogs have to enjoy competing too
I will describe an agility dog trainer that I have came across and I did NOT like the way she viewed her dog. Her dog was in my dog's first 2 levels of puppy training. I learned that she had already made up her mind that her dog would be a world class agility dog. She used to tell people that she goes on TV and magazines with her dog. The thing is her dog was still a puppy. What if the dog doesn't like agility? What if the dog can't perform at world class level (there is more than training involved in competitive sports)? What will happen given that this is all she wants for her dog? I always felt that the agility was for her enjoyment and not for her dog's. When other dogs were playing after class, she said that her dog can't play. Now, I can only GUESS that it is because the dog can only know the rewards she gets from her handler for performing in agility and not from anything else like playing. As for my dog, I took a totally different approach. I introduced him to all kinds of things. Yes, it costed a lot but I want my dog to like what he is doing. I introduced him to agility. He liked going on the equipment but didn't like to be told which order to go on them. He liked having the mind of his own. So, I knew he can have fun running on the equipment but we can't compete. I introduced him to frisbees. But there is a problem. Like someone said, "When the frisbee is pointed upwards, he can't see. When it is downward, he can't walk!". This is because my dog is a Dachshund. Plus, later on as he grew, he disliked frisbees. This year, I introduced my dog to rally-o. I printed out the signs and the other relevant material from online and tried doing the rally-o. My dog was excited. But when he discovered he won't get treats at every station, he gave up on rally-o. However, his trainer said that he should be given treats at every station in the beginning but later fade out the treats. Hmmm... I don't know how my dog would like that since he likes working for rewards such as treats, empty water bottles and tennis balls. One thing my dog is crazy about is running and chasing tennis balls. When people see him run, their jaws drop because he is so fast. This year, I also introduced my dog to wiener racing. We both had a whole lot of fun. Although he wasn't chasing balls, he was running towards me when I called his name and held a tennis ball, which he likes. Right now, I am having a small conflict with one of my dog's trainers. I think he wants me to train my dog to perform well in rally-o or other obedience competitions. But I want my dog to do well at wiener racing. So, this week, I am planning to show him a short clip from a DVD depicting wiener dog racing and show him why what he wants me to do is counter-productive for the sport my dog is in. You see, I used to be an athlete for track and most importantly Taekwondo. Now, I am disabled. I could barely move and if I do, sometimes I am in agony. My dog has made me feel a part of a sports team again with his wiener racing. And that means a whole lot to me. I train him for speed, etc using principles from what I have learned as a Taekwondo instructor years back. Lastly, I want to make it clear that it does not matter if my dog wins wiener races or not. For his first wiener race, he won 3rd place and I was proud of him. I was so happy that my dog came when called - although, I should not expect that in the future because he might want to stop and greet the spectators.
It should be about the teamwork!
I train for and compete in obedience with both my dogs. My first obedience dog was a Whippet, a breed not known for its competetive obedience prowess, but I did my darndest to keep training fun and we went through AKC and ASCA novice with very nice (in the 190s) scores. Beyond Novice, however, it became clear to me that obedience wasn't really fun for her anymore, so we stopped and let her focus on lure coursing - her true love!
Then there's my Golden, a work-a-holic! We recently started trialing in Open and I'm having a blast with him. Keeping it fun is my #1 goal, but I also try and train to the highest level of perfection possible. My dog is quite "spunky" in the ring -- and while I aim for perfection, I'd much rather have a 1/2 point off here and there b/c some "spunk" got in the way of absolute perfection. What I love most is a consistent waggy tail! :-) Our recent Open experience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0YuhBPYdJQ
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