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 common occurrence 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 recommendations. Younger than 7 weeks shouldn't be separated 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!

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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!

Teaching Clicker and Target

Dog Training: Clicker
Flyball Box: Target

"Click and treat, click and treat! I got something good to eat!"

If one is involved in dog training in any fashion, you are going to hear the term "Clicker Training". It is a popular way to refer to classical conditioning.

Clicker training is simply a way to use positive reinforcement to illicit a desired behavior. The clicker portion pinpoints for the dog the moment the desired behavior occurred. The learning takes place when the dog displays the desired behavior in order to receive the positive reinforcement. The reinforcement comes when the dog actually displays the desired behavior. Reinforcement can come in a variety of "rewards" such as food or toys. It could simply be play interaction with the trainer.

Before you can use the clicker to pinpoint desired behavior, you must teach the dog that hearing a "click" is a good thing. For this introductory lesson, it is desirable to have a hungry dog. Do this just before feeding time. Take a portion of their kibble or, if you do not feed kibble, bite size pieces of cheese, hot dog or liver. Have these tidbits right at hand. Bring in your "student" and have your clicker in one hand, the treats within easy handling of the other. Now, click the clicker and if the dog reacts to the sound indicating that they heard it, give your dog a treat. Click the clicker, treat the dog. Before five minutes have elapsed doing this over and over, I guarantee that you will have a dog looking for a treat at the instant they hear a click.

It only takes two or three short click and treat lessons to condition your dog that the click is desirable and means "food". Now what? We use the clicker to pinpoint desired behavior and the "food" reinforces this desired behavior.

In the case of "target", we take a round piece of plastic or heavy cardboard or paper to use as our target. The lids used to seal coffee cans work excellent or you can cut out part of a disposable plate to use. It doesn't matter. You simply want a size that is small enough for you to handle easily but large enough for the dog to see and identify. Hold the target with a treat under your thumb. Your thumb should be on top of the target so that the dog can see and smell the treat. You should hold the treat firmly under your thumb so that the dog cannot get the treat unless you release the pressure of your thumb. Present the target with treat to your dog. You are looking for any moment when the dog tries to use their feet to get at the treat under your thumb. At the very moment your dog paws at your thumb "click" your clicker and release the treat to your dog. It may take a minute or more for this first attempt. Do this 5-10 times in a row. It is still the same "click and treat" lesson from above but, we have raised our criteria to only rewarding the dog when the dog touches the target with their paw.

Repeat this lesson two or three times a day for two or three days in a row. At some point, offer the target without hiding the food. If your dog touches the target without seeing or smelling the treat as a prompt, make sure you click right away, go heavy on the praise and give the food reward to your dog right away. Since the food is not under your thumb, your dog will have to wait a moment or two before receiving it. That's fine for now. You are teaching that the click is what the dog wants and the treat simply reinforces that the click is something good.

Every two or three days (depending on your dog's ability to learn) raise your criteria for reward. If you click for one foot on the target, later click for only two feet, not one. If you click while holding the target, try putting the target on the box and clicking when your dog touches it away from you. Also, gradually increase the time frame between the click and the treat. Eventually, you will click your dog a few times before giving the food reward. You will reserve a large food reward or "jackpot" for a particularly complex behavior that your dog succeeds at learning.

Once you have your dog touching the target wherever you put it, you need to teach your dog a swimmer's turn on the box using the target to tell your dog where his feet should go. DO NOT use the target over the hole! This is a common mistake that first time flyball trainers make. The hole must present the ball to the dog. The dog won't try to catch the ball if he has been conditioned to put his feet there! The target should be placed (taped) to the box slightly below the hole and towards the center of the pedal. You should determine which way your dog turns before this lesson. Refer to the previous article, Which Way Does My dog Turn?" before putting the target on the box. If you still aren't sure exactly where on the box the target should go, try box judging at a tournament. While you are judging, observe where the best turning dogs put their front feet on the box. It will vary according to breed and size but it should give you the general area you should be teaching your dog to put his feet on the box.

You want the dog to jump on and off the box rapidly. Stand on the side of the box next to the lane in the direction your dog turns. Encourage your dog jump on the target and then back towards you. Be picky about when you will click for this behavior. Use your hand or a toy to guide the dog onto and then off of the box. Do not reward "double stepping" or you will have a dog that double steps on the box all the time. This causes bobbles, loses time and defeats the purpose of the swimmer's turn. You want a clean jump onto and off of the box. Eventually, your dog will learn how to approach the box so that he is always in position to catch the ball and push away from the box simultaneously!

See you at practice!

Dog Training Mastery---An Owner's Manual

REVIEW: Dog Training Mastery---An Owner's Manual





This blog is written for people starting out in flyball and learning how to train their dog for flyball. This book, available online, is a more generalized dog training manual but, is filled with highly effective techniques for all kinds of dog training.

These Are Amazing Insider Secrets That You Can Use Right NOW To Completely Transform your Dogs Behavior Quickly And Easily!

Ask yourself….. “Have you ever dreamed about having the perfectly behaved and trained flyball dog?”

Sure..... every dog owner has dreamed about having the perfectly behaved best friend, haven’t they?

For some, it’s about having the best "in-home" dog that is perfectly toilet trained. While for others, it’s about having the perfectly behaved dog while their out for a walk or at the local park. Still others, it's that perfect four-footed box-turn.

What ever your particular dream, sometimes behavior problems like jumping, chewing, aggression or even potty training problems, etc., can really get in the way of realizing that dream, can’t it?



The "secret" to dog training is understanding the four essential areas of dog training:

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See you at practice!

Which Way Does My Dog Turn?

Dog Training: Box Turns (Introduction)

Before you introduce your dog to the box, you need to know which way your dog turns. Does this really matter? Yes, it really matters. In order to teach the "Swimmer's turn" on the Flyball box, it is crucial to know ahead of time which way your dog naturally turns since the swimmer's turn puts the dog at an angle on the box in the direction of his "turn".

More races are won or lost at the box than any other element in the race. A swimmer's turn not only saves "time" at the box but, decreases your dog's chances of injury at the box. A properly taught and properly executed box turn dissipates the energy built up by a dog's speed and inertia hitting the box. A "straight on" approach puts a lot of stress on a dog's front musculature, particularly the neck and shoulders. A lot of dogs also suffer "impact" injury to their face and mouth with a straight on approach. Once a dog learns this approach, it is nearly impossible to re-train proper technique so, our goal is to never allow your dog to hit the box the wrong way!

Some dogs always turn the same direction no matter what and its easy to determine if they are lefties or righties. Others are more "ambidextrous" and may require some experimentation to learn if there's a preference.

The test is simple. Use a room with lots of floor space. While holding your dog, get your dog's attention on a ball or some other toy. It should be something they like alot so they are not thinking about how they turn. Roll or toss it a few feet away and then let your dog get it. Observe which way they turn. If after several tries, your dog seems to turn both ways, keep a score. Try this over several days. Eventually, one side will win out over the other.

A more formal approach is the 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 is your dog ready to learn the box? I usually think about introducing the box when my dog is doing dead ball retrieve consistently over jumps and a dog is working in the opposing lane.

See you at practice!

Dog Training: Runbacks

Dog Training: Runbacks

"Runbacks" are a link in the flyball chain that we can introduce without jumps or a ball. That makes it ideal as another puppy training technique that is virtually "no-impact" on soft, growing bones and yet, if done properly, encourages a dog to return to you at top speed.

Begin by identifying your dog's motivator. I like a tugging dog so find a tug that really turns your dog on. Some have squeakers in them. Some are hard and some are plush. Some even have a ball or kong or some other toy attached. Plush might be better for a puppy who might be teething and has tender gums.

Get a helper to hold your dog until you are ready. Before you walk away, make sure you have your dog's attention on you. Step only a few feet away and then call your dog and tease him with your motivator. He should be excited and run to get his tug. If not, look for reasons why. Is your dog distracted by something? Remove the distraction. Is your dog thirsty and looking for water? Provide him water but, not too much. Some dogs exhibit thirst when actually they are "stressed" possibly because they know you want something (a behavior) but they aren't sure what it is.

Repeat this exercise several times always looking for an excited and enthusiastic return to you. Whenever you get that, reward lavishly. Make this tons of fun for your dog. Remember to let him "win" the game of tug with you!

Introducing Jumps

Before introducing jumps, you should have a fast, enthusiastic and reliable recall on your dog. Your puppy should be developed enough to safely hop over a 6" obstacle. If all this is true, you are ready for introduction to jumps.

Remove all jumps from the lane except one. Your helper should be standing close enough to that jump with your dog that your dog has no other choice but to jump that jump in order to come to you. Everything else is the same as before.

You should practice at least a dozen or more times at this close an interval before attempting to start the dog any further away. You are attempting to teach the dog that jumping jumps is FUN and part of the game. Don't move back too soon or your dog may learn that it's ok to go around a jump occasionally. That is a huge "no no" and it's best to not allow the dog to err in the first place.

Once it is clear that the dog knows to take the jump, introduce a second jump. Start as close to this second jump as you did when introducing the jump for the very first time. Take these steps s-l-o-w-l-y. By establishing early on that the jumps must be taken, you will have a dog that will choose to take the jumps during the excitement of running a race, even if he finds himself out of alignment with the jumps. This could make all the difference between winning or losing a heat, a race or even a placement.

Drag Racing

Double runbacks or "Drag Racing" as we sometimes call it is when two dogs are doing runbacks to their owners side by side in each lane. This is a good way to introduce the concept of another dog in the opposite lane. In the beginning, you will want to put up gating or some other barrier to prevent crossing over. If your dog seems to be ready to stay in his lane while racing another dog, take the gating down and station people in the middle as a precaution. Every dog is different and every dog will make a mistake at some point.

Should your dog be ahead or behind the other dog? That is a judgment call based on your experience with him. Pay close attention to the circumstances around your dog's mistake when he made it. If the dog was ahead of him, try to start them evenly or even start your dog ahead of the other dog. The reasoning is that some dogs that are clearly racing the other dog will "blow the jumps" in order to beat that dog. That's why you will allow him to beat that dog in a practice situation in order to stay on the jumps.

Some dogs will "crossover" when they are ahead in the race in order to cut off their opponent. In that circumstance, you will do the opposite. You will let the other dog get ahead before releasing the dog that likes to cross. Eventually, you will let them go closer together untill they can start together without a mistake.

Conclusion:

This is how you do runbacks and gradually work in taking jumps and racing other dogs. We will look at ways to troubleshoot dogs that seem to have issues with jumps and or crossing over later in this series. Until then,

See you at Practice!

Dog Training: Sit, Stay, Fetch!

Review: "Sit, Stay, Fetch!" by Daniel Stevens

This is a comprehensive course designed to teach you how to teach your dog anything. It also gives you effective and humane ways to stop unwanted behavior.

Training flyball gives specific goals and steps. Your training should work well beyond flyball. Sit, Stay, Fetch gives you techniques that work so well in a short time span, that your friends and family will be asking you, "How did you get your dog to do that?"

Sit, Stay, Fetch is now offering a completely FREE 6 day course that utilizes the techniques for super dog training.

I urge you to check out Sit, Stay, Fetch and take advantage of Daniel Stevens FREE offer!

See you at Practice!

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Dog Training: Stand for Measuring

Dog Training: Stand

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Many people stress out when it comes to standing your dog for measuring. There is no need because teaching the "stand" is easy to do. The results will be a dog that not only stands for measuring in flyball and agility but, should easily allow children to pet him or a veterinarian to examine him.

The "stand" is actually two commands. One is for stand itself. The other is the "stay" command. Stay will be used for sits and downs in formal Obedience but, has no counterpart in Flyball.

Slow is Fast so don't rush any of the steps. Begin by examining your dog all over his body. Be soothing, almost like a massage. Encourage your dog to stand on all four feet as you do this. You are building trust with your dog so, I repeat, slow is fast.

After several times of doing this, if your dog seems to stand solidly without moving as you examine him, try picking up his feet one at a time and place them back on the floor. The goal is to get your dog to allow you to re-position his feet without any movement at all on his part. While being measured under a wicket, you will likely have to re-position his feet so that your dog's weight is evenly distributed so being able to re-position his feet without fussing is crucial.

Assuming you have reached the point where you can give your dog the "stand" command and he is standing on all four feet and then you tell him "stay" and your dog knows he is to stop moving, now is the time to introduce the concept of a wicket. Lightly touch your dog on the shoulders for a moment, praise and treat. Gradually, build the time you have your hand on your dog's shoulder. Continue to touch his shoulders and move down his back towards his tail. Slow is fast. You will not be doing this all in one training session. Eventually, you will have a dog that will "Stand/Stay" for several minutes reliably.

Finally, have some family members examine him while doing "stand/stay". Eventually, you should have some strangers examine him as well.

Remember to keep it fun. Training sessions should be short in duration and, if possible, several times a day. I think every dog should be taught to do this, not just little dogs that are destined to become "height dogs".

See you at practice!

Dog Training: Focus

Focus

One of the first skills we want our flyball prospect to learn is "Focus". This is one of those universal dog training lessons that can be used in almost any dog sport. If you cannot get your dog to focus on you, it is almost impossible to direct your dog into performing a desired behavior.

This exercise utilizes classic conditioning. I will write a more detailed article later as to what constitutes classic conditioning: what it is and how can we use it to achieve results.

In the meantime, I want to discuss how we get your dog to focus on you.

By now, I am assuming that you've had your dog long enough to know what motivates your dog. Some are motivated by a toy but, most will respond to food. Identify which is most important to your dog and have that "motivator" ready to use for this exercise.

Enter an enclosed area that is free from distraction. This can be a small room indoors or an enclosed pen outdoors. To begin this lesson, your dog will be allowed some freedom. The reason for the small space is for you to control just how much freedom your dog can have.

Give your dog some time to explore. 30 seconds to a full minute should be sufficient. Your dog should be busy checking out their surroundings. When you are certain they have acclimated to the immediate area, say their name out loud. Do not use a command such as "come"! You are not really asking them to "come". You are asking for their attention only. Hearing their name, they should stop whatever they are doing and focus their attention on you. Your dog should have his eyes on you as though to ask, "What's up mom/dad?" We expect a response that is anticipatory without a "bowl you over, I'm coming!" kind of exuberance. Your dog only hears his name. He must wait for you to see what comes next.

Once you get that focus on you, immediately reward your dog with your chosen motivator. Make it short but, definitely rewarding. We are not asking much from the dog so, we should reward appropriately. Later, as we "back-chain" behaviors, our rewards for desired behaviors will increase. If dog wants to receive a bigger reward (and what dog doesn't?), he/she will learn they have to earn it. That in itself helps to keep their focus on you.

Keep this exercise short. If you have other dogs to work (most teams do), then spend only 5 minutes on focus. Put your student away and bring him/her back out after 30 minutes to an hour. This also teaches them that you will return again & again. This re-inforces patience.

Focus is a beginner's lesson. I would think you would only need two or three weeks of work. An older dog or one with "rescue" issues might require more time. This is a building block kind of exercise. Before you can modify a dog's behavior in any way, you must have their attention focused on you. Also, this is a great way to break up a long or boring training session for an advanced dog. If you feel their attention span is waning, just do a couple of focus exercises and ask nothing more. For a dog, it works the same way as it does for humans. "Wake up!" Pay attention!

See you at practice!

Mighty Mite Small Dog Sports Forum

Dog Forums

There is a source of information for dog training on the web that is too often overlooked.

Forums on all kinds of topics from cooking to investing money abound on the internet. Curious, I did a Google Search to see what I could find in the Forums on the topic, "Dog Training"

I found a winner!

Mighty Mite Small Dog Sports Forum is loaded with timely and useful dog training information on a wide range of dog sports. I found Agility, Dock-Diving, Disc Dog, Go-to-ground for Terriers and a whole lot more!

Although it's name suggests it's for the small dog, the dog training techniques discussed there would apply to all breeds large & small.

I also was delighted to see that it is very active with the freshest post only 20 minutes before I got there. There are over 3,000 registered users.

Registration is FREE. The only drawback is the forum is moderated and you might have to wait a day or two for your registration to be approved. It's worth the wait, however, because the users are very friendly people and very willing to help newcomers and those who are struggling with training issues.

If you find a Forum on the internet that contains good information, is friendly and active, drop us an email so we can check it out!

See you at practice!

Dog Training Forums

Flyball: Dog Training

Dog Tag= Dog Training!

What makes a good flyball dog? Good dog training, that's what! ...but, how do you get that "super-smooth, super-fast" dog trained?

Let's start from the very beginning!

Good dog training begins the moment you pick out your dog! Most of the time, this will mean starting out with a puppy. ....but, not always! Sometimes, a full grown adult dog will join your household. I will attempt to include articles that may be applied universally to both dogs and puppies. I may use the words "puppy" and "dog" interchangeably.

Training a dog for a unique sport such as Flyball needs to utilize and tap into the dog's own natural instinct to chase and to bite. To begin, you need a "motivator". That's dog trainer's talk for a dog toy!

It can be a squeaky. It can be hard or plush. It can be a ball or frisbee. One of the most popular is simply a long, braided piece of cloth called simply a "tug".

Offer your dog the dog toy and call out his name. He should respond and want to bite the toy. Give it to him and engage in a little game of tug. Call his name often and praise him while you play tug.

Is this really "dog training"?

• The answer is "Yes!" You are teaching your puppy his name.
• You are teaching your puppy controlled play.
• You are teaching your puppy what his "reward" will be in the future.
• You are giving your puppy a reason to work for you & with you.

In return, you are learning how to read your dog. You are learning what your dog responds to and also, what he ignores. Pay attention to these kinds of things. Being able to properly "read" your dog's motivation will help you move quickly to a well trained flyball dog!
How do you end the game? First, look for signs that the puppy is tired. Use this natural loss of focus to take the toy out of the picture. You do not want to "force" your puppy into relinquishing the motivator. You simply do what it takes to control your puppy. It may be grabbing hold of his collar or harness. It may be picking him up off the floor. Whatever works for your puppy, use it to control when the play session ends.
See you at practice!

Flyball: Dog Tag

Hello!

Welcome to my flyball dog training blog. Here you will learn about training your dog to compete in flyball.
Flyball is a relay race for dogs over jumps to fetch a ball. Hence, the name "Dog Tag" added to my blog name.
I hope you enjoy learning tips and tricks to have a better trained flyball dog!

See you at practice!

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