Hunt Test Tip: Steadying High Drive Dogs
High drive dogs can't wait to get to the bird. Unfortunately, at the junior level the importance of teaching them to sit quietly before being released oftentimes is overlooked. While restraining at the line is legal, it adds to the problem; hold the dog back and the opposition reflex kicks in, making the dog pull even harder to move forward. Once the dog must come to the line off-leash, creeping, controlled breaks and outright breaks result.
Steadying high drive dogs begins with the platform and a series of simple drills. Start by sitting the dog on the platform. Take several steps out in front of the dog, turn and face him and place a bumper on the ground next to your feet - NOT in front of your feet. Place the bumper, don't toss it. Encourage the dog to remain on the platform with calm praise. If the dog remains sitting, release to pick up the bumper and walk the dog (with the bumper in his mouth) back to the platform. If the dog moves forward at all, simply indicate this as the wrong behavior with a calm, quiet 'no' and pick up the bumper. Put the dog back in position and try again.
Once the dog is consistently successful at this step and at this distance away from the dog, the progression is as follows: 1. Toss the bumper on the ground next to your feet, 2. Toss the bumper away from your side, 3. Toss the bumper behind you.
Once the dog is consistently successful with all these steps, move to the platform and stand next to the dog in heel position. Toss the bumper to your side away from the dog and slightly forward. (if your dog is on your left, toss to your right) Gradually angle your toss so that the last toss is straight out in front of the dog. Keep the toss short and calm. Praise to help the dog hold position. If the dog moves simply mark the movement with a calm 'no', walk out and pick up the bumper and try again. If the dog breaks outright, be ready to run out and get the bumper. If the dog gets there first, simply (and calmly) take the bumper from the dog.
Finally, when the dog is consistently successful, it's time to have someone throw for you. The key to this drill is that YOU remain calm. Your high drive dog is learning self control and how to think, while you are learning how to work with your high roller in drive using reward based training, instead of trying to suppress his drive with punishment.
Obedience Training Tip: Go-Outs To A Platform
In your dog's mind, the Go-Out is one of the stupidest (yes, stupid) things we ask her to do. Placing food on the stanchion or using a target are two methods of teaching the dog to leave our side and run straight out away from us down the middle of the ring. However, once the food or target is gone, the Go-Out oftentimes falls apart. And if you've trained it to a stanchion and encounter pvc ring gates without a stanchion at a trial, many dogs simply don't know what to do since the visual picture has changed.
Teaching your dog to run to the platform is a fun and clear way to teach this concept and skill. Last month's Hunt Test Tip explained how to introduce the platform to your dog. To teach the dog to run to the platform, set your dog up in heel position (standing or sitting, it makes no difference at this point) a few feet away from the platform. If your dog has a positive association with the platform, she will want to get to the platform. Let her go with an OK release. Don't insist she wait, don't insist on a sit; simply let her go. She's indicated she wants to be there and this will build speed and drive. As soon as her front feet are on the platform, mark it with a yes and get in there and reward her. Chances are she will automatically sit and face you - if not, don't fuss with that now.
Practice with the platform placed randomly around the room in different locations. Gradually add distance. Once you see that your dog understands you want her to run to the platform and she does it with drive, it's time to give the behavior a name. Call it whatever you want. Cue her as you send her, then cue her before you send her. Always get in and reward. If she moves off the platform as you are coming in to reward, simply indicate this forward movement to you with a calm, quiet 'no' and walk her back to the platform and reward her.
Next month: Adding/cueing the turn and sit. Until then, have lots of fun with the platform!
