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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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.

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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:

1. Dog Psychology


2. Canine Learning Theory


3. Obedience Training - Basic and Advanced


4. Solving Problem Behavior

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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!

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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