Dog Obedience 3

This is the third in a series of articles written for the Malaysian Kennel Association, who asked for some comments on the principles of dog obedience training from a judge's perspective. Most of each article is directed at people who are simply interested in having a better behaved dog, but I hope there may also be something to interest the experienced handler and competitor.

"Why won't my dog heel properly?"

There is an old joke which goes "I called my dog Herpes because he never heels". Yes I know that's pretty corny, but teaching your dog to walk nicely on the lead seems to be something a great many owners have trouble with.
I don't know what the Dog Laws are like in Malaysia, but they are very strict in Australia, and there are depressingly few places where dogs are allowed to run freely. So most people have to walk their dogs on a lead, and everywhere you look there are owners being dragged along, even by very small dogs.
Not only must it be very tiring for the owner to walk like that, and uncomfortable for the dog, but it also means there is almost no control over what their dog does at the other end of the lead. It might suddenly lunge at another dog, or try to snatch a child's carelessly waved ice-cream or hamburger, or step suddenly onto the road, or walk right in front of a cyclist, or wrap the lead around a light pole, or someone else's legs, pram, or walking stick.

All of these possibilities detract greatly from the enjoyment of going out with your dog, and it is for this reason that it is so important to teach your dog the basics of heeling.
It is not the place of this article to tell you how to do that - there are many ways of doing so, and your local dog obedience club is probably the best place to start. Failing that, there are instructional videos on the internet, and countless books on the subject.


Walking "nicely" on the lead
There is a difference between this and the sort of "heeling" expected in Obedience activities. I think it is unrealistic to expect a dog to be working and concentrating every time you go out for a walk together, so even while you are training your dog, it is important to allow time for him to look around, sniff things, and walk along casually. This is something that all dog owners can achieve with just a little time and practice.
The key principle here is that the lead should be loose, even if the dog is walking a little ahead or behind or out to one side.
Consider it from the dog's viewpoint: A dog straining ahead on a tight lead cannot move any faster than one on a loose lead, so there is no advantage to the dog at all, and he can enjoy his outing even more when he is not continually being jerked here and there by an owner using the lead as a brake.
From the owner's point of view, his arm and hand do not get tired or sore, and he can relax, without constantly having to watch what his dog is doing way ahead at the end of the lead. He knows that his dog is walking close to him, and that any change in speed or direction will be noticed by the dog without the owner having to haul on the lead.
And for other people walking nearby (with or without dogs), there is the peace of mind that comes from seeing a dog properly under control, walking calmly along on a loose lead. A very reassuring sight, because they realise that the owner has put some effort into training the dog to behave well, and they are far less likely to have their own progress interrupted by a wayward dog.


Formal heel-work
By this I mean having the dog walking in the position considered optimal in Obedience work: with his shoulder about level with your left leg, close but not touching it, matching his pace to yours, and remaining in this position through turns in all directions. Needless to say, if he is on a lead, this must be completely loose and not used to keep the dog in that position or to "steer" him around corners!
Obviously, this requires considerably more training than the casual walking described above, and as I mentioned, it is impractical to require this sort of behaviour every time you go for a walk together. But well-trained dogs should be able to adopt this walking position whenever their owner chooses, such as when passing other people or dogs. It is also a primary component of Obedience work, as well as many other dog sports such as Heeling to Music, Jumping, and Agility.
Again, the best place for you and your dog to learn this skill is at a reputable Obedience Club, using positive training methods. The "old" method of constantly correcting the dog by sharp jerks on the lead, or through the use of "training collars", has been conclusively shown to be far less effective than positive methods like "clicker" or reward-based training. These methods teach the dog to enjoy doing the right thing, instead of fearing doing the wrong thing - a very important distinction which leads to a much better relationship between owner and dog.

So I encourage all dog owners to spend time teaching their dogs to at least walk nicely on the lead, even if you don't go on to do any more Obedience training. That simple skill (as well as the automatic sit covered in the previous article) will make walking together a pleasure for you both, and it will avoid detracting from the enjoyment of others. Happy Dog-walking!

Hacking hacks under attack

It is almost shamefully satisfying to watch the unravelling of a tabloid empire whose "journalists" and "news"papers have intruded so relentlessly into other people's lives. The fact that in many cases this intrusion was not only amoral but also (we now learn) completely illegal is more than justification for the finger-pointing and name-calling currently taking place around the world.

But the apparent involvement of top level Scotland Yard policemen and politicians is less risible and more depressing, because their job is to uphold the law and protect the rights of individuals, whereas we all accept (however reluctantly) that tabloid hacks are unscrupulous when it comes to getting a scoop. The flood of denials continues, even as those who stoutly reject the very idea of involvement one day are rushing to fall on their swords the next. It's become a ghoulish guessing game, wondering who'll be next.

Conspiracy theorists are having a field day, of course, especially with the as-yet unexplained death of one of the first whistleblowers. Even without the sensationalist conjecture, what faith can we place in an investigation by a police service whose own reputation has been severely tarnished by the revelations which he set in motion?

Let us sincerely hope that when the dust finally settles, all those who should be brought to account have been exposed and suitably dealt with. It would also be satisfying if all those whose tragedies were made worse by the actions of the greedy and unprincipled receive something a little more tangible than a PR-spun apology from one of the world's richest men.
If not, I think many of us will be seriously hacked off!

Dog Obedience 2

As I explained in my last post (goodness, that was too long ago!), I've been asked by the Malaysian Kennel Association to write a series of these articles, and I'm making the most of the pencil-chewing they involve by posting them here too. They are aimed at people who are interested in understanding some of the principles of basic dog obedience training, and are absolutely not a substitute for practical assistance. Experienced handlers and competitors will find nothing new here, although each article will include some final comments from a Judge's perspective.

Why the "Automatic Sit" Matters

Many people wonder why Obedience Training seems to place so much importance on the dog and handler learning how to have the dog sit automatically (i.e. without any signal or command) when the handler stops.

It is one of the exercises which determines when a dog and handler are ready to progress to the next level of training, and it is a skill which is required in even the most basic Obedience Trial.

So what's the big deal?

Well, for a start, it is an excellent indication of how much the dog is paying attention to the handler. If a dog is more interested in nearby sights or smells, it is unlikely that he/she will notice when the handler slows down and stops. So the automatic sit is proof that the dog is primarily focussed on his owner.

Secondly, there are obvious safety implications, even for those owners who have no intention of entering Obedience Trials.

When walking along with your dog beside you, you might stop for a number of reasons:

• coming to a busy road
• meeting a friend
• noticing a problem up ahead
• pausing to decide which way to go
• wanting to look at something
• stopping on a narrow path to let someone else go past

In all these cases it is far more convenient if your dog quietly sits without your having to say anything, until you are ready to move on. It leaves you free to concentrate on whatever made you stop, and it reassures other people that your dog is under control and not a pest.

So there are many practical reasons for this exercise.

But it also indicates the strength or weakness of the bond between dog and handler, and this is the basis for all obedience work, whether for competition or not.

Many years ago, when I was just starting out in Obedience, I had a dog who always placed her paw on my foot whenever I stopped. I thought this was a charming display of affection until an Obedience instructor suggested that she might be doing this so she could look around, smell the breeze and generally ignore me until she noticed when I moved on!!

Those of you who do take part in Obedience Trials may be interested in what judges look for in terms of the Automatic Sit. It is a part of many exercises, but does not have any specific marks attached to it, so it is up to each judge how much importance they place on it. Obviously the dog must "sit when the handler stops, without any command or signal", as it says in the rule books, but there are many different ways this can be done, and judges differ in how much they care about the variations.

1. Some dogs take longer to sit than others, and this can be due to all sorts of things. If the judge feels the dog is slow because he is not paying attention, or because he is waiting for a second command, then sometimes this means a deduction of points. However, most judges realise that bigger dogs, older dogs, dogs with tails, dogs with large testicles, pregnant bitches etc may all have a very good reason for being a bit slower, and it is unlikely that any points would be lost. Oh and by the way, remember that all judges used to be competitors, so don't think we won't notice that little movement or whispered command to make your dog sit. ;-)
2. Handlers often worry about exactly where the dog sits, and they are not satisfied unless the dog is sitting precisely in line with their left leg, facing straight ahead, and often actually touching their leg. Again, this is a matter of personal preference, and some judges will deduct points for "untidy" sits, where the dog is sitting a little forwards or behind, or is facing slightly to one side, or is sitting a little apart from the handler. Other judges will not mind such minor imperfections, unless they are trying to differentiate between two almost faultless performances.
3. And what if your dog doesn't sit automatically while you are in the ring? Well, you and the judge could stand there in anxious silence for minutes unless one of you says something, so it may as well be you! If your dog hasn't sat within about 10 seconds, it probably isn't going to, so you may as well give it a command (NEVER a correction). Sure, you might lose a few points, but if your dog doesn't do any automatic sits, you are very likely to fail the whole exercise, so at least you have reminded the dog what to do, and hopefully it will do it properly for the rest of the round.

So in general, I would recommend all dog owners to work on the automatic sit because it is so handy in everyday life.

And for those of you who participate in Obedience Trials, it would be a tough judge who took more than a couple of points off for poor sits, so don't fuss too much about getting a "perfect" sit unless you think that the rest of your performance will be perfect as well!