Lyn Richards
How to Hold a Leash Timing Footwork Body Language and Facial Expession Hello friends, today we should give our furred friends a break and work on ourselves. Today we'll try to Train the Trainer!
So many times we get wrapped up in "My dog won't do this" or "My dog always does that". We tend to forget the basic fact that many times we cause or at least allow problems to exist, due to our own neglect or ignorance. The training process involves not only schooling our dogs, but constantly learning new methods of teaching ourselves to be better trainers. We must continuously learn better ways to communicate with our dog and to conduct ourselves during that process, so that our dog better understands the lesson we are trying to teach.
The items that are of importance here are: Leash Handling, Footwork, Timing and Use of Body Language and Facial Expression. These may seem to be primary details-THEY ARE! And because of this, they tend to be overlooked. How can we train our dog correctly if we don't THINK about what we are doing, and how it affects our partner (dog).
For instance, do you know the proper way to return to your dog or do turns? About turns, left and right turns can be done so that they flow like water, or they can look as clumsy as the first steps of a new colt. YOU can control the outcome by simply placing your feet properly. If you hold your leash incorrectly, telegraphing information to your dog through the leash becomes impossible. The information becomes garbled. Think of your leash as a water pipe, it must be free of kinks and loops to work well. I hope the following lessons will help make communications between you and your dog crystal clear.
Begin with your arms hanging loosely down in front of your legs, palms facing in. In the right hand place the loop of the leash over the thumb, loose end crossing the palm. Fold the leash like an accordion, back and forth across the palm until it is a manageable length for working with your dog. The loose end should exit the right hand under the little finger. With your left hand make a loop of your thumb and index finger, run the leash through the loop and across the palm. Wrap your other fingers loosely around the leash which should exit the left hand under the little finger. At this point there should be enough lead between your left hand and the dog's collar to form a small loop or J, which hangs just before the snap attaches to the collar.
This position is known generally as the "Control" or "Start" position. Use of this position or variations of this position, allows better control of the dog and prevents over control. Basically, the left hand makes corrections and the right hand is stationary when used properly. The leash travels loosely in the left hand and if the dog stays at heel, he is never corrected. This position allows the dog to work himself, instead of being hauled around at the end of a tight leash. It also allows for instant checks (short jerks) and releases, which coupled with the proper verbal messages teach the dog his lesson. The size of a dog will determine at what level of your body you hold your hands. When training a short dog, you might want to leave your hands down in front of your thighs. I am 5'1" and training a 36" Dane, so I find that holding my hands at waist height works for me. Use this as a guide only.
This can be so complicated, but it is so important. The importance of timing when working with a dog can be compared to a traffic jam. To prevent one, every thing must move together. The following is an example:
When you give the command "Apollo, Heel" you don't step off as soon as the word "Apollo" spills from your lips. If you do, he won't know what the next word was going to be (unless he's psychic), and you will end up jerking on his neck for no apparent reason. This can cause him to lack confidence, because he thinks he constantly is being corrected, which results in lagging. The proper sequence would be as follows: Give the command "Apollo, Heel", wait a beat, then step off smartly. This allows time for the dog to hear the command , process the information and react.
When you and your dog are working with an instructor and are given a command such as "forward" how many times has your dog left the heel position without you? Anticipation of a command by your dog is a timing issue. When he hears the instructor give the command, he thinks he is doing well to move promptly. Work on using varied delays of between 1 and 5 seconds before responding to your instructors commands (please inform your instructor first!).
Use similar tactics when practicing Long Sits and Downs. In Novice Class, you are required to perform 1 minute Sits and 3 minute Downs. NEVER do them for exactly the required amount of time. Your dog has an internal clock that remembers everything, if you perform an exercise the same way each time, at exactly 1 minute the dog will eventually release itself from a sit. This can be disastrous in the show ring. It is good practice to extend drill time to 3 to 3.5 minutes on the Long Sit and 5 to 5.5 minutes on the Long Down. This is done as a gradual process over time. The reasons for this are twofold, first Open Work requires the longer time and second, by varying the times by a half minute, your dog never expects a certain release time.
The same principal applies to returns and the finish after a recall. Do you always return to your dog after a long sit or down and release immediately? Don't! After a bit of time your dog will just get up instead of waiting to be released, this can result in non-qualifying scores in the ring and begin a habit that is hard to break. While practicing, occasionally return to your dog, and then leave again without releasing. Alternate this with a random 1 to 5 second lag in the time between returning to your dog and releasing him. It is also a good practice to release your dog after a recall at least half of the time, instead of always having the dog return to heel position.
Using a metronome or music with a steady beat when doing Heel Work helps develop timing. This can keep your normal walk at a steady pace, keep your turns from being too fast or slow and acts as a centering point to keep your fasts faster, and your slows slower than your normal walk. Doubling or halving your pace makes changes of pace more noticeable and consistent. A quick change of pace is easier to achieve when listening to a beat as well. This keeps the dog on his toes and paying attention to you, rather than just slouching along.
Footwork is a very detailed subject, and is an integral part of a successful performance in the obedience ring.
Your feet can be your biggest aid in training, or your dogs worst enemy. When executing turns, if you do not place your feet properly, you can trip your dog and cause permanently slow turns as an after effect. Conversely, you can turn too quickly even with your feet placed properly, thus causing either forging or lagging. When stepping off into a heeling pattern, be consistent. Always use the foot closest to your dog (left) to lead off. Don't saunter one time and then race off the next. When leaving your dog in any Stay position, use the leg away from your dog (right) to lead off. This gives you another effective aid to clue your dog in to the expected response, along with your words and/or hand signals. This is not cheating, it is a useful method of training and helps focus your dog when he is distracted.
When doing about turns, place your feet in a T position. To accomplish this turn smoothly, place the right foot first pointing straight ahead, next, place the left foot across the tip of your right toe (as in a T). Turn your right foot around so that the arch is behind the heel of your left foot, and then follow with the left. At this point you should be facing 180 degrees from your original direction. This sequence requires practice, but will keep your feet under you, instead of behind you which will trip your dog. It also has the added benefit of slowing your turn so that your dog has time to get around you. I think you can begin to see the importance of thinking about where and how you place your feet.
Body Language and Facial Expression
Finally, we come to the subtle art of saying much without speaking. Our animals learn facial and body language from their moms, and inherit knowledge of this from their ancestors as instinct. We have to learn this language and adapt it as part of our training method. Just as we use the "pack" theory to maintain dominance and respect, so we may also incorporate our own body language as a teaching aid. Again, this is not cheating but using what resources are at hand to train our companions.
A smile is easy for a dog to read. When asking your dog to come, do you not unconsciously smile to make him feel welcome? Towering or leaning over your dog can be a threatening posture. While never uttering a word or raising a hand, it is possible to threaten. Do we wish to threaten when teaching? The answer is no.
In beginner class when asking your dog to sit in a "come front", you are taught to bend at the knee and keep your back erect while bringing the dog forward and into a sit. This is to help avoid a perceived threat. In the same way we can use subtle signals to aid in our teaching method. Raised eyebrows can be a signal to stay. A smile can be a signal to roll onto a hip and relax when your dog is in a long down. A negative expression is perceived as such, and a positive motion or expression is sensed as positive.
The reason that your arms must remain "hanging loosely by your sides" on a recall is that a subtle shift or motion could be understood by your dog as a hand signal. This signal would also fit into the non-verbal and body language category if subtle. There is no set of rules governing what a specific expression means, and you can tailor your training to your specific needs, but you must be consistent.
In closing, I would like to share the impressions I gathered while completing Apollo's Canadian CD over the Thanksgiving weekend (1994). The competition was tough, and the people were extremely friendly. The atmosphere was very different than that of an Obedience Competition in the US, maybe a little more relaxed. I will say that the Top Competitors and High Scorers were from the US. Apollo won High Dane in Trial on the second day of competition, against 3 other Danes who all qualified. The other Dane owners were standing there applauding when we got our award. And through it all, there was a distinct feeling of camaraderie and support among the competitors. Everyone cheered each other on, and when a team failed to qualify there was genuine sympathy. All in all, I enjoyed the experience and would recommend attempting a Canadian CD for all novices, if only for the relaxed atmosphere and fellowship.
Please send brags and questions or input, and I'll gladly include what I can. Until next time keep those training sessions Short and Happy!
Contact Lyn Richards About Lyn Richards
Copyright© 1995, Lyn Richards DaneLady@doglogic.com
Obedience Train Your Dane!
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