DIG – Distraction Initiate GAMES!
Perfect Step by Step Heeling
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DIG= DISTRACTIONS INITIATE GAMES = Dog Ignores Distractions
Often a distraction can cause your dog to lose focus, to worry, or even create a negative experience for your dog. However, distracting situations are a perfect time for you to turn a possible “negative” experience for your dog into a “positive” one. If trained appropriately, not only will your dog become more confident, but he will “try harder” and learn to focus more intensely on you no matter what the situation.
This skill cannot be rushed! Work on the DIG skill a few minutes in every training session.
DIG is an introduction into proofing and can determine how your dog responds to pressure. It is teaching your dog how to be successful when faced with new locations, environments, and or people. In addition, it is teaching your dog that distractions both visual and auditory, are a rewarding cue to your dog.
Pay close attention to discover what your dog’s threshold is in a variety of environments and situations! The threshold or distance from a distraction your dog can remain focused may vary. Some dogs work comfortably 10 feet from a distraction while others need more distance or space.
Working with distractions will help your dog become confident and will enable him to concentrate and successfully do his “job” and focus on you in many different situations or new locations. After all, the “ring” is a continually changing new environment.
DIG ~ Introduce New distractions – generalize the concept
- First, you must find your dog’s threshold. Video your training session. The video will help you see changes in your dog that you can miss while training.
- Begin heeling from play. RESIST the habit of always starting your heeling with your dog in an SIT!
- Heel towards a barrier such as a ring gate, wall, table, or line of chairs.
- Reward and release your dog at or BEFORE your dog notices or looks at the barrier.
- After 1 repetition, check your video. Where did your dog falter or acknowledge the barrier? In general, most dogs acknowledge 10-12 feet from the barrier/object.
- How do you know if your dog notices/looks at a barrier? PRE signs can include: your dog dropping his head, changing his gait, ears going back, his mouth closed or opened, etc. Basically any sign that he knows you are approaching something.
- Next, get your dog and your distance plan from the barrier.
- Reminder – No visible treats on this test or when training.
- While heeling toward a barrier, release and reward at the distance from the barrier noted from the “test”. Always better to reward further away and build a reward history.
- Reminder: your dog may not actually LOOK at the barrier. In most cases a dog gives “PRE” signs before actually looking. It is Your job is to be able to see the PRE signs!
- Pick loads of different barriers to heel toward. The ore the better BEFORE you ever heel closer to any barriers. Example I might heel and play at 10 feet from 50 different objects over many weeks before ever moving closer.
- Please take your time when teaching and training DIG to your dog. It is the JOURNEY and Not the DESTINATION!
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