for Beginners
Although I consider myself a good 'first trainer' for puppies and dogs, in terms of giving support to new dog handlers, helping them manage their puppy/s around their schedule and teach them to play games with their young dogs, it is inevitable that people who do formal puppy school have a desire to try the sport of Agility. For about 10 years I followed the sport closely with my little Border Collie/Corgi cross and made the grade to ADX. I also started Midge the Pigdog at Agility but she actually preferred Obedience and as, in those days, she was measured as a Maxi, a big dog, when she wasn't really and would today be considered a Midi, Agility was pretty tough on her body and I had to keep her very slim to make it over the hurdles. So I did ten years of Agility Link and ten years of getting up every weekend and driving around the North Island to Champ Shows, and Ribbons etc.
I learnt a bit about the sport, although I do consider Flygility the true New Zealand Game for Dogs, and prefer that. Flygility relies on the dogs having a very good understanding of Agility Equipment, so the two kind of go together.
Therefore I find myself teaching new handlers and their dogs the basics of Agility and to that end I run a couple of Saturday beginner classes and a Wednesday night competition class for those wishing to compete at Elementary and Starters Level, learn to weave, and get the basic 'stand on the contacts' work going. Back in the day, we used to put our dogs on lead and run around the course and teach them to do Agility beside us and weave them in and out and it was very pedestrian. This is no longer the way of Agility and the dog needs to learn independent running early on and move around the course assisted by the body language and verbal instructions of the handler. The Sport is hugely faster than it was when I was seriously competing.
But in saying that, Agility is not Rocket Science, and everybody can learn it if they have the desire and the patience to build a bond with their dog so that they can work as a team. Early on in the training we need to do the team building work so that when the handler turns the dog turns, and get the dog switched on to its handler. I just love doing this work, because no matter whether the dog goes on to compete in Agility or Obedience or continues to be a House pet, this training will stay with it forever. Once people click on to the fact that there is a push button and a pull button on their pet, then they become fascinated with the result and go on to learn the gear and the hurdles so that they can enjoy their new found power.
I always say it takes twelve months of twice a week training to get all the Agility gear under your belt and be ready to try yourself in a competition. One of the early lessons I learnt was that my dog would 'do it at home' great - even 'do it at my dog club' but when we went to another town or club then the wheels fell off. It took me a while to realise that when you introduce a new place to a dog it does not associate the game with that place, and that was when I realised the power of training with distractions. I also discovered that if I had a set of exercises and/or a game that was portable, then I could take that action anywhere.
What this means is that I play tug with my dog from the time I get it either as a pup or an adult dog. Then I take the tug game to the dog park, then I take the tug game to the beach, then I take it to a place where there are lots of other dogs running around and I play with my dog in those highly distracted situations. This is tough training and you have to build it up. I also have a set of exercises that I call 'Control' which I do in every new place. Both the control exercises and the tug game settle the dog. Because I often then go on to do Agility or Flygility having just done the tug game and the control, they are expecting something to happen beyond the game with me. So when we go to a new place, I say 'new place' and do the stepping over Control and have a good game and get them to piddle etc to mark the new space, then I play some more and do some more Control. Then the dogs are in the car until I am almost into the ring. As I get the dog out of the car I play tug all the way to the ringside, I really don't let them take in the whole new place they stay focussed down. Then I leave the toy at the end of the course, well outside the ring space and rip off into our turn at the Course, and at the end have another jolly good game with the tug toy. This usually gives me a really good fast run, no guarantees that the hurdles will stay up all the time or that all contacts will be perfect but it is an acceptable effort on most occasions. Because if you are not giving it your all you might just as well not be there.
I go out to an Agility Event seldom now only to the odd Ribbon Trial, I even struggle to get away to Flygility Tournaments these days due to lifestyle constraints, however, when I plan a day out with my dog/s I want to have fun. I don't need to win, I need to enjoy. I need my dog to enjoy as well. So I live in the realm of game playing with my dogs. Interestingly, I can teach everyone to get the body language on track, the dogs take to the equipment like a duck to water and over a couple of months they can be working together to achieve a reasonable semblance of an Agility Elementary course.
But I am blowed if I can teach people to play with their dogs. Dunno what it is, but they just can't get a handle on it. Maybe I look such an idiot playing with my dogs that it puts them off? But you know I really don't care what other people think. I know my dog likes to growl and tug and I like to growl back. Those people who have increased their play level with their dogs always get an increased return from the willingness to work on the part of the dog. There is no other training that will give a keen agiliteer a keen dog every time. I get so sick of seeing people trying to train their dog by co-ercing it with bits of food, just to keep it going, or talking incessantly and loudly to try and get their poor distracted dog's attention on either a Flygility or Agility course, it is, again, a sad sight to see.
I have trouble persuading beginners that I actually don't care if their dog runs around a few hurdles instead of jumping over them, I can fix that, but I can't fix that they don't play with their dog as an incentive to work. The poor bored dog limps around a course at half pace, or worse, doesn't recognise his handler in the ring and wanders off to see the Judge, or talk to onlookers or to do a piddle on the tunnel or something else................
So maybe I should change my Title from Agility Trainer to 'Play Trainer'. I have a program for puppies aged 4months to 6 months called 'Play to Learn'. I lose a lot of handlers and pups before they even get to the class. They ask on the phone or by txt if I will be teaching sits, stays, and comes, and I say eventually when the pup is ready, but right now I need you to tell me about the game you are playing with your pup. Silence. Do you play with your puppy? Has your puppy got a piece of rag or a ripped soft toy that he loves? Silence. I would say that only 10% of new handlers will answer with a positive 'yes'.
The more training I do with my own dogs and other people's the more I play the more fun we have, the wider the dog opens up its mind to do the work and to want to do the work. I like the dogs to be showing what I call 'Aggressive Play Bounce' where they perform in front of you to ask you for a game. If they are doing that before they play Agility or Flygility, then they will have fun out there.
As your dog gets older and slightly more sensible, the tug game will not matter, it will be substituted by the real game, and you and him are that game and you know each other inside out. Life is a huge laugh. In a world where everything is just so sad and serious and difficult, imagine having a best friend who is a dog, with whom the main activity is to have fun and a laugh together. What's more it is available 24/7 if you want it to be.
After that people just don't cut the mustard really. If you have two, three or four of these best friends all having a good time with you, then life has a new meaning.
Dogsplay - the way to go
Raewyn Saville 3 October 2012
