Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - Dog Agility & Tricks! Chat with Leigh Siegfried July 19 [ ]

Leigh Siegfried, CPDT & Behavior Consultant, will be taking YOUR questions about agility and teaching tricks to keep your dog busy this summer. Join us July 19 - 24.

Leigh Siegfried began her work with dogs as a volunteer at a nonprofit animal shelter. She has been a professional, positive-reinforcement dog trainer since 2002, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer since 2004, and has managed an award-winning dog daycare and training facility in Northern Virginia. She is an associate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She conducts private behavior counseling sessions, group training classes in basic and advanced manners and agility, and a variety of workshops through Mission Dog (www.missiondog.com)

Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:18 pm Post subject:

Hi Leigh!

I have wonderful 2 1/2 y.o. border collie mix who has mastered the most of the basics (sit, down, paw, roll over) and I'd love to teach him something new, any suggestions for neat new tricks?

Also, do you any have tips on teaching frisbee catching tricks?

Leigh's Answer:

Neat tricks, yes! It all depends what you want to work on, but I tend to like to shape tricks and have fun with my own dogs. Shaping, if you have never tried it involves first picking a target behavior and then rewarding anything close to that final behavior (sort of like playing "hot and cold", the warmer the dog gets, that's what we react to and reward). If your dog already does something that you find fun or interesting, you can always shape this into a trick. For example, head turning (classic for commercial training), looking up and down (as though the dog is saying, "Yes"), picking up an object/shutting a door or even sneezing! Another approach is to "lure and reward" the dog. Which simply means having the dog follow a treat in your hand. When you get the dog in position, you mark (say good! or click) and reward with food. The more traditional tricks generally involve things like: playing dead, crawling, rolling over, bowing and such.

Here's a link to a nice article on shaping too: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/9_3/features/Dog-Training-Equipment_15792-1.html

You can always lure and reward some classic tricks too. Luring involves using a bit of food and having the dog follow food in your hand. Once the dog is in position, you reward. I like teaching a dog to play dead (it's dramatic and a crowd pleaser). How? First start by getting the dog in your basic skill- "down". Then using a food reward lure the dog slowly onto its side and then good!/click and feed. I'd repeat this at least 50 repetitions and then start to introduce a "cue" (like a finger "gun" and saying, "bang!"). Then repeat several more times. The eventual goal is that your cue becomes the clue for the dog to go into the position (without having to lure them with food) and then you reward generously!

I like to shape dogs to touch things (first with their nose and then perhaps with their paws). It's a skill that I find can translate to a lot of other scenarios from teaching a dog to go investigate an object (by starting with a nose touch)
to teaching them to push something, paw at something, pull something, pick something up or deliver that object to an owner! You can start by having the dog begin to touch your hand- and even if they are looking at your target hand for starters (that's a good place to start with shaping) and you reward. Once the dog will consistently offer touching your hand 8:10 times, then put an object in your hand, like a margarine container lid. Have the dog touch that object.
Then...move the object- hold your hand with the lid in various places while you stand- then hold it down on you knee- then the floor. Each time you practice this, you are building that behavior in a different scenario, but you want
to proceed at the level at which the dog is successful, if things seem shaky, back up and make things more do-able for the dog! This can then translate to things like teaching a dog to push open or close a door (first using the target on those spots), going to a mat, etc!

Frisbee catching tricks? It sounds like you are looking to perhaps build your dog's drive to catch a frisbee? Well, I'd just recommend starting with a fabric frisbee, play lots of tug with it and then toss it a short distance- just a few
feet for starters. In some cases, attaching a leash to the frisbee and dragging it a bit can initially get a dog interested in pursuing it! I'd focus on using the frisbee as an interactive tug toy and tossing it short distances and gradually
"growing" that distance while rewarding the dog for coming back to you, so that you can toss it again. Stop the game while the dog is still interested and put the frisbee away. Have fun!

Leigh Siegfried
CPDT & Behavior Consultant
888-672-2757 | www.opbarks.com

Posted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:06 pm Post subject:

I have two dogs, a 4 year old Lab and 2 year old Chihuahua mix, how do I get started with some basic agility training? Does the size difference matter? Can I try to teach them both the same tricks?

Leigh's Answer:

Great question. Size "does" matter, but not when getting them started on some basics. You can certainly teach them the same tricks, the biggest difference would really be on the height of the equipment (if you were competing).
To get them started on some basic agility training, I'd recommend first starting with teaching them a basic concept that goes a long way in agility training- hand targeting. Hand targeting is simply teaching your dogs to follow
your hand (left or right- better yet- both!). How? Start with your palm flat and facing the dogs while they are standing and facing you. Rub a bit of a treat on you open hand and when they touch their nose to your hand- click or say good! and reward with a treat from your other hand. Ex: My right hand is flat and open, dog touches, I say "good!" and reward from my left hand. Then start to move around a few steps at a time, if they follow your hand- repeat saying "good" and rewarding when they touch your hand. To make things interesting, start to make slight turns to the left or right. Targeting is used as a great basic skill to help the handler direct the dog over the equipment.

Now, we also have to introduce the dogs to the equipment, perhaps build a bit of confidence or help them understand exactly what we are working on.
I'd start with a basic bar jump (or if you have no jump- make one!). How? Two folding chairs and a broom stick will work. If possible, don't even have a bar or a broom "up". Just walk with them between the chairs or the upright
jump poles. Encourage them to follow you and reward them. Then perhaps put the bar or broom on the floor and repeat. Then...put the bar or broom up at a very low height and again encourage them to follow you over the jump and reward. I'd repeat this and keep the heights low and see if you can place your body on the outside of the upright poles or chairs. It's more about building confidence and familiarity than it is immediately raising the heights. Also you can improvise and try this with a duffel bag in a hall way and send you dog over the "jump" too! Check out affordable agility for "agility in a bag" sets and most importantly, have fun!

Leigh Siegfried
CPDT & Behavior Consultant
888-672-2757 | www.opbarks.com

Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:37 am Post subject:

I saw in one of the earlier posts a question about Frisbee training, my dog LOVES to play Frisbee. I’m not sure what it’s called, but I’ve seen trainers and dogs perform tricks where the person throws multiple Frisbees. The first one in one direction, the second in a different direction, and so on. The dog zigs zags around catching a Frisbee, dropping it, then darting off to catch another. Some dogs even jump off the person’s knee to catch the Frisbee and I always thought it was so cool! Any thoughts on how to start teaching something like that?

Leigh's Answer:

I'm no frisbee expert, but I would "think" the first place to start is just building the dog's drive to fetch and catch the frisbee. As mentioned in a previous post, I'd recommend starting with a fabric frisbee
(easier to grasp and carry) and start at a short distance of a few feet. Once the dog is reliably catching the "bee", I'd build distance and toss the frisbee further and further and then start to add some maneuvers.
I imagine once a dog is very driven to fetch the frisbee, that encouraging them to jump off the knee is a natural thing they are willing to try in pursuit of the frisbee.

Here's a link for more info on disc dog play and competition.
http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/disc.html

Leigh Siegfried
CPDT & Behavior Consultant
www.opbarks.com

Posted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 1:18 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much for being here with us this week!

I recently adopted a three legged dog who is missing his front left leg. He's super energetic and intelligent and has mastered an impressive number of tricks in the 10 months I've had him. Since he has so much energy and enthusiasm, I'd love to introduce him to some basic agility. Leaping really isn't in his repertoire, but I was wondering if perhaps there were any lower impact agility activities you would recommend?

Thanks Leigh!

Leigh's Answer:

Yes, absolutely you MUST check out K9 Nose work! It's a low impact dog sport that I find nearly every dog loves- and the best part? It naturally takes advantage of something your dog already does really well- scenting and sniffing.
Many trainers are offering classes that can give you experience playing this nose work game with your dog. Many folks do this for fun, while others do plan to compete in nose work- whatever your preference, your dog is sure to love it. To get started on the basics with teaching your dog to do a box search, you will need a few boxes (5-6) spread them out in a small area (1 room). Make sure all boxes are open and place some very stinky food (tuna, jerky, something that no dog nose can miss) in one of the boxes. Bring your dog into the space and pretend to be placing things into the box (to encourage them to start to sniff each box). When they zero in on the box with food, immediately drop more food in to the box close to where the food was found! Then remove your dog from the room, rearrange the boxes and repeat!

For more info visit: http://www.funnosework.com/

Leigh Siegfried
CPDT & Behavior Consultant
www.opbarks.com

Posted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 11:57 pm Post subject:

I’ve working on some agility activities with my dog and so far he's really enjoying himself. I’d like to teach him to run up the teeter totter but he doesn’t like the sound it makes when it hits the ground. Is there a way to help him get past this or should I move on to a different piece of equipment?

Leigh's Answer:

Sure is, good question. I would first start with putting the teeter flat and building his confidence just going across the teeter. It may still clank around a bit. Secondly when you do raise the height, have a helper ease the teeter down to prevent it from just banging off the ground and gradually allow the dog to ride down the teeter board a bit more and more.

To work specifically with the sound add a lot of distance from the teeter and have someone make the teeter hit the ground and be calm as a handler and reward the dog if the dog is calm when hearing the sound as well. Secondly, something that worked with my dogs is also having the teeter quite low, but having the board slightly raised off the ground- and teaching them to step on or touch the teether to have hit hit the ground- click/good + treat. In my experience, it helped with a bit of movement and noise, without the dog being completely on the teeter (imagine, back two paws on the ground, front one or two paws are touching or pushing the teeter down to make the noise) and reward!

I'm sure their are other approaches too, but you want to focus on keeping the dog below threshold (not just banging the teeter and them jumping off or becoming skittish) and also confidence building slowly and surely! If you find that the teeter is too stressful or this approach isn't working, take a break and build confidence on other pieces of equipment like the A frame or the pause table. Have fun!

Leigh Siegfried
CPDT & Behavior Consultant
www.opbarks.com

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