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The Three R's of Flyball

Dog Training
Flyball
Three R's

Flyball is easily understood to be a series or "chain" of behaviors. These behaviors are trained seperately and then put together in sequence when the dog has demonstrated mastery of the seperate parts. How can we, as trainers, use this concept when developing a training program?

There are THREE seperate and distinct portions of the flyball run. A run begins with the "go-out" portion. For the sake of memory, let's call that "R" the retrieve. The dog is sent to get his ball so "retrieve" makes that easy to remember and it is accurate.

The second "R" to remember in the chain is the reverse, otherwise known as the box turn or swimmer's turn. Box turn and swimmer's turn describe what the dog is doing but, assigning the behavior a word beginning with an "R" makes it easier to rememember so I choose REVERSE. Besides, it is also accurately describing the dog's behavior and the purpose of that behavior: To catch the ball (retrieve) and change direction (reverse).

The third behavior we assign an "R" to is the recall. After the dog has has retrieved his ball and reversed his direction down the flyball course, we want a lightening quick return to his handler, thus choosing "recall" as the word we want to associate with this portion of the flyball run.

So, now we have three very easy descriptive words that label the three critical portions of the behaviors we teach a dog to perform flyball. No matter how much more we break down the behaviors, it is these three elements that make up the basics of flyball and where we begin each dog's lessons. We can also use these elements to evaluate each individual's progress in training or to analyze training issues. We can also use these elements to develop class structure and lesson plans for teams or training clubs. There is a never-ending list of possibilities that help us to organize our efforts to train and improve our flyball canines by using the three "R"s as a core curriculum.

I shall go into more detail in later articles how picturing the flyball run into these three basic elements saves time and effort and will result in a better trained flyball dog.

See ya at practice!

Immersion Training

I am the team captain for a small team. We offer flyball lessons to newcomers who show an interest in flyball. Unfortunately, it takes at least 6 months to get a flyball dog ready to race and sometimes a year or more. By then, most new people lose interest and drop out. Do you know of a training method that can shorten the time necessary to get a dog tournament ready?

A.G. from Seattle, WA

There is a "technique" that has the potential to greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to prepare a dog for Flyball competition. Known as "Immersion" Training, it takes advantage of the fact that any creature with a "brain" is capable of learning several things simultaneously. This has been proven in scientific behavior labs all over the world. It even works with humans!

When you think of it, schools everywhere already use this. We take courses in Arithmatic, Reading, Science and Geography simultaneously. Of course, while each subject is being taught, we are not necessarily discussing all the others but, before the day is over, each subject has had a lesson to further education goals. It is not necessary to have taken ALL the lessons in Arithmatic in order to begin learning Geography and Science.

How can we apply this to Flyball Training? First, we must recognize that "flyball" is a series of seperate behaviors that are performed in an ordered sequence. We call this "chaining'. Some trainers actually teach their dogs in a sort of "reverse" chain. First, they teach a recall. Then, they introduce the box. Last, they train the dog to jump the jumps and fetch a ball. After the dog has mastered these different behaviors, these trainers will string these behaviors together in a "back-chaining" technique. You will produce a flyball dog using the back-chaining method but, the question becomes "how long will that take?" The answer is often much longer than people who are "new" to flyball or dog training are willing to invest.

Immersion Training in flyball is simply breaking down the "flyball chain" into its simplest parts and teaching them as seperate behaviors but, receiving lessons on all the behaviors on the same day. As an example: You might begin your practice session with several recall exercises. You might begin on the flat and then introduce jumps as "one jump", two jumps and so on. Then, you may give your dog a small 10-15 minute break and bring them back into the training area to do some box work. Could be on a slant board or the real flyball box. The point is that working on the swimmers turn is worked seperately from the recall exercise.

After another break of sufficient length, you again work the dog on some aspect of the retrieve. Whether you choose to work "with" jumps or no jumps is up to your choosing and depends on the dog's level of understanding. But, retrieve (or, going away from you) should definitely be worked seperately from the box and the recall.

Work these behaviors seperately until they are fully ingrained in your dog's understanding and your dog is fully "proofed" and consistent with thses behaviors before you start "chaining" the behaviors together. You will find that doing so will shorten the time necessary to prepare your dog for tournament competition.

See you at practice!

Let 'Em Win!

Flyball Training

Fast Recall

One of the first lessons a puppy or an older flyball prospect learns is to "chase". Why is this exercise so important? It is important because we want the dog to return to you as fast as they possibly can. In flyball, the reason for this is obvious. Flyball is a race and so we train for faster than lightening returns. ....but, I submit to you that a consistent and enthusistic "recall" on your dog will serve you well in whatever activities you pursue with your dog. These techniques will work no matter if it is AKC Obedience titles, Agility competition or just a romp in the ol' dog park. A fast recall works!

So, how do we get a fast recall on our dog? First, we begin by identifying what "motivates" our dog's behavior. Each dog is different when it comes to motivation so be attentive as to what motivates your dog to run. With a puppy, I would start playing with the puppy. Try different toys. Some squeak, others do not. Some are hard and others plush. Some roll and others rattle. Offer several to your puppy and see if he/she prefers one more than the others.

Try to do this evaluation when the puppy is not tired or hot or hungry as these conditions will distract your puppy from paying full attention to you. Also, offer the toys on several different occasions as sometimes what is a "favorite" today will be ignored tomorrow.

Eventually, your puppy (or older dog, this works for both) will tell you which toy he/she prefers. Now, on to our recall lesson. If you can get another person to hold your puppy while you call them, great! ...but, if not, then you have to wait until your puppy is distracted and not looking at you before you call out their name. Either way, this is what you do:

• Call out your puppy's name.
• Show them their wonderful toy!
• When you are certain that your puppy is committed to running to you, turn away from your puppy and run a few steps.
• Allow your puppy to catch up to you and give them their toy. This is their reward for reaching you.
• This is most important: Play and have fun with your dog! Don't shorten or cheapen the experience in the beginning. Remember, we don't just want a fast dog. We want a consistent dog. Consistently running back to you whenever and wherever you ask him to.
• Let your puppy win! ...now, what do I mean by that? I mean, in the game of "tugging" with your puppy, you've got to release the toy to your puppy. They need to feel they've "won" the game, even if its only 5-10 seconds. Tug and release, tug and release in rapid succession at least 3-4 times.
• At the moment you decide that the exercise is over and you want to end the game, do not take the toy away from the puppy forcibly. Instead, take your puppy by the collar to gain control and/or pick them up. Let them release the toy by their own choice. DON'T force the puppy to give up the toy. Let 'em win!

Now, why do I stress the "let 'em win!" portion? ...because, the most important thing to build when training your puppy is trusting you. You can't build your dog's trust in you if you're going to emphasize the fact that you are bigger and stronger than your puppy and steal his toy away! (eventually).

So, what we do is maneuver the dog into choosing to give up their toy voluntarily. This is essential in the racing lanes so you might as well build the foundation for this right from the start.

What do we do if the puppy doesn't give up his toy so we can do the recall again? Well, there are several options. First, carry your puppy in your arms until he drops the toy. Or, offer the puppy a second toy or food. You can try water, too. If all else fails, give your puppy to someone else to hold while you deliberately ignore your puppy. This usually does the trick as your puppy should really miss you and lose all interest in anything else just to get you to come back.

An older dog that doesn't release their toy can be a bit more stubborn. You may have to leave the room and have him lose sight of you before giving up the toy to look for you. Engage the help of others if this is the case with your grown up dog.

The point you are trying to establish is this: If they want the game to continue, they must choose to drop their toy. The only way you will play with them again is when they drop their toy for you.

Five or ten minutes for this exercise is all you need in the beginning. You can put them up and bring them out again in 30 minutes or an hour. Don't continue to play until your dog is exhausted. If the dog is tired or looking for water, they are too distracted by their physical condition to pay much attention to you. Learning only takes place when they are focused on you.

Start out your new flyball prospect building their trust and confidence in you and you will be rewarded many times over.

See you at practice!

..................Chris

My New Puppy

Bringing a new puppy into the home is a commen occurance at this time of the year. Many dog trainers also take advantage of the abundance of puppies around the Holidays and plan (or "un-plan") for a new bundle of joy of the canine variety.

The question is: What should you do for the best possible experience for yourself and your new canine companion? Is there a "right" way or a "wrong" way?

How you plan will depend heavily on the exact circumstances which brought your new puppy to you. If you have been planning and expecting your puppy well in advance, then you probably have all the toys, blankets and food you will need. If your puppy is a last minute decision, perhaps to "rescue" the little fella from a bad situation, you may need some advice on how to proceed.

First thing to consider is the puppy's age. If he/she is 16 weeks of age or older, a trip to the Vet's office is necessary to get up to date on Vaccinations and a general exam for overall health. If your pup is under 16 weeks but, older than 7 weeks, I would call the vet's office and ask for their recomendations. Younger than 7 weeks shouldn't be seperated from their mother and I would only under dire circumstances.
Puppies like to chew because they are usually teething and need to massage their gums to gain relief from that. Get some sturdy Nylabone chews or Puppy Kongs which are made with a soft rubber perfect for puppy's soft mouth and needle sharp teeth. They shouldn't need encouragement but, it's ok to use peanut butter or liver paste to entice them to concentrate on "their" chew toy and not shoes or slippers.
Since a tug toy is often used as a reward for flyball training, it's a good idea to choose one now and play a short game of tug with your pup. Don't overdue it! ALWAYS let the puppy win at playing tug and always end the game while your pup wants to play. If you play tug until your pup stops from exhaustion, the tug will never be looked at as a reward by your adult dog.

People ask all the time about teaching a young puppy to "jump". My recommendation is to teach your pup to go over a stick or board that is lying flat on the ground. He may give a little "hop" while going over it until he figures out that it will not reach up and get him. But, never ask a really young puppy to jump over a reulation flyball jump. You are risking a bad training experience at best and worst case scenario is a serious injury to soft, growing bones and joints. DON'T DO IT!

Finally, your puppy should be given a sense of his own identity. He should have his own dish for food, his own bed/blanket for sleeping and his own leash, collar and toys. He will be at the bottom of the pack for a while in a multi-dog household but, he shouldn't be given a reason to want to take objects away from other canines. You are laying a foundation for complex training behaviors later on. Your pup should always feel secure about his place in your home.

See you at practice!

Using Target and Clicker to Teach the Swimmer's Turn

Dog Training: Swimmer's Turn
Box Turns: Introduction

When you put the target on the box... won't the dog just touch the target with both front feet? How do you get the back feet up there too for the swimmer's turn?

-Cynthia Blue

My short answer to the comment above was that it depends on how you set up the dog. When I thought about it, I realized that there are a lot of factors to consider about how to set up the dog for this exercise and what you must do to achieve a four-footed swimmer's turn.

Factors to consider:

1. Dog size. Big dogs have a harder time getting their back feet up on the box than little dogs. In between "big" and "little" there is every size imaginable! If your dog is medium to small build, the easiest swimmer's turn amounts to pouncing on the box and planting all four feet onto the pedal simultaneously. If your dog's build is too large for all him to actually "fit" all four feet up there comfortably, then you are going to have to teach him a two part swimmer's turn which will involve kicking off the box with the back feet after the front feet have made contact.
2. Temperment. Some dogs have a high energy level coupled with high "prey drive". They may be so motivated by the prospect of reward that it may be problematic to slow down their path on and off the box enough to pattern the back feet for a proper swimmer's turn. Others may have such a low energy level that they treat approaching the box like a walk in the park.
3. Maturity level. A puppy or a young dog may have a short attention span. You can't work very long before they are looking for something else to do, especially if they do not understand what behavior will get them their reward.

Every dog is unique in their genetic behavioral make up. I'm sure there are more factors then the ones I've listed above but I consider them to be the major factors.

Now, how do you set up the dog to illicit the swimmer's turn on the box?

• First, we assume the dog responds to the clicker.
• Second, we also assume you know which way your dog naturally turns.
• Lastly, we assume dog has learned to put his feet on the target with a word cue.

You will need at least two assistants for this exercise. One person stands on the box. Of course, there is no ball involved. However, the box will need bracing against the force of the dog jumping on it and also, you want to teach the dog to expect a human to be standing on the box.

The second assistant will be holding your dog for you until the proper time to release the dog.

If your dog turns to his left, have your assistent hold your dog on the right side of the lane. (Dog's right.) You should have your left foot planted in front of and center of the box. You should find you are semi-facing your dog. You should have your dog's "motivator" ready to guide his path on to and off of the box. Your dog should only be one step away from you as a starting point. You should have placed the target onto the box where you want your dog's front feet to make first contact with the box.

When the dog is released, you must be prepared to use your body to help guide the dog from your right side, onto and then off of the box, and then back down the lane on your left side. You will do a "half pivot" right in front of the box with your dog jumping onto and then off of the box in a half circle around you. You shouldn't need to move more than one step away from the box while doing this exercise. Your dog should get a click every time both his front and his rear feet touch the pedal. It might be helpful to have your box assistant do the clicking so you can concentrate on guiding your dog's path.

If your dog turns to his right, you will set up the exact opposite way. Your dog will begin from his left side of the lane. You will place your right foot in front of and center of the box, etc.

Anyway, when you, your dog and your assistants are ready, offer your dog's motivator (food or toy), call your dog's name and use your word cue for "target". (Could be "PUSH" or "HIT IT", whatever you choose) Your assistant should release the dog the moment the dog is focused on you, the target and the motivator. In one smooth motion, pivot in front of the box and guide the dog up and then off while using the motivator. Lavishly praise your dog for any effort to get his feet on the box. Eventually, raise the criteria for a click and reward only the best turns.

What if your dog consistently "misses" putting his rear feet on the box?

Then, it is time to use a "jump board" in your training as part of your set up. A jump board is a training aid designed to guide your dog's feet onto and off of the box. It is placed a few inches in front of the box. It is usually 6-7 inches high with only one upright to hold it in place. The distance between the jump board and the box is determined by what will make the dog clear the jump to reach the box.

A jump board is especially helpful for the big dogs who have a "two part" swimmer's turn. You can use the jump board even in the "introductory phase".

That's how I set up introducing the swimmer's turn using clicker and target. Does anybody have a different method? Tell me about it! ....and, in the meantime,

See you at practice!

Teaching "Catch" ....Dead Ball Retrieve

Do you have any suggestions on how to teach a dog to catch the ball from the box? In my case, my dog started out not able to catch anything out of the air. I ended up teaching him to catch food when thrown to him. He is getting better about that and working his way to catching the ball reliably (he's at about 50% now) but, hasn't yet made any attempt to catch the ball from the hole. Any suggestions of exercises would be greatly appreciated.
-Susan

Dog Training:Dead Ball Retrieve
Flyball Box: Introduction




This is a GREAT question! This exercise should follow after your dog is pretty good at jumping on & off the box and developing a good swimmer's turn style.

The first lesson for catching a ball is "dead ball retrieve". You may use jumps or not depending on your dog's age and development. You do NOT need a box or a slantboard for this. You also don't want a lot of speed with this exercise. Your dog is simply picking up a ball off the floor.

Have your "box loader" at one end of a lane. You and your dog at the other end. Have the box loader draw your dog's attention to them by calling your dog's name and waving or bouncing the ball. Once your dog's attention is on the ball, let him go to retrieve it. The box loader should place on the floor a ball for the dog to retrieve. Since there is no "box" your dog has to slow down to pick up his ball. Once the ball is picked up, both you & your box loader need to note which way your dog turns. Although your dog is learning to retrieve balls, you must prepare for his next lesson as well as the one he is learning now.

When your dog is 100% consistent doing dead ball retrieve AND is well developed doing the swimmer's turn, it is time to combine the two behaviors into one smooth dead ball retrieve with a swimmer's turn. For this introduction, remove the jumps. Using a piece of sticky velcro on the plunger, have the box loader place the dog's ball on the the hole that your dog will learn to catch from. The velcro will hold the ball in place with the sticky side keeping the velcro in place on the plunger. At close range, (close enough to allow the dog to jump onto the box and off again) release your dog. As soon as your dog picks up his ball, "mark" the behavior with a click. Lavish praise for retrieving off the box, especially if your dog manages to maintain the swimmer's turn while retrieving the ball.

Practice this combined box turn/dead ball retrieve several times at close range before re-introducing the jumps. In fact, wait a few days before bringing back even one jump. It's OK to practice restrained recalls over the jumps or even drag race but, while the dog is learning to retrieve a ball while doing the swimmer's turn, it's best to leave the jumps out of the picture.

Gradually, bring back the jumps one at a time. If the dog shows any regression, remove one jump at a time until the dog is successful again. Catching a ball out of the box while manuevering the swimmer's turn is a relatively complicated behavior and one you do not want to rush, unless you want your dog to "bobble" the ball alot during a real race.

When the dog is consistently jumping all four jumps, retrieving the "dead" ball from the hole of the box AND doing a decent swimmer's turn, it is time to "load" a ball for real. Give the dog three or four "warmups" with the dead ball and then load the box. If you have properly prepared your dog for this step, the ball should just "pop" into your dog's mouth as he does his swimmer's turn. He may be a little surprised at the "help" the box gives the ball as it shoots forward. Lavishly praise your dog for his efforts, even if it is not picture perfect. You want the transition from "dead" ball to "loaded" ball to be as seamless as possible.

What about a trained flyball dog that has difficulty catching? The dead ball retrieve will work for them, too. If your dog is willing to pick up a ball and bring it to you off the floor then, he can learn to catch the ball out of the box. First, determine if your dog has a preference for a smaller ball vs a full-sized tennis ball. A smaller ball is less consistent in flight and sometimes, a little bit harder to catch. After determining the proper sized ball for your dog, begin with the steps outlined above and treat your dog as though they have never played flyball before. This is re-training and you must go slowly and be patient. The problem may be that the dog learned the jumps and learned the swimmer's turn but, never really learned to catch. Using the dead ball retrieve teaches your dog to open his mouth to grab the ball wherever it is. Once your dog is consistent doing that, catching a "loaded" ball isn't really catching at all. It is having the box help the ball into your dog's mouth since he should already preparing to retrieve the ball while doing the swimmer's turn.

Box technique is a series of behaviors that, if introduced or retrained in the proper sequence, chained together should appear to be effortless. Don't be afraid to retace previous steps if your dog's technique should start to fall apart. Quite often, regression is part of the learning process. Dead ball retrieve from the box itself is the best way to insure your dog will catch consistently.

See you at practice!