Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!faqserv
From: rpd-info@netcom.com (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs.info,rec.answers,news.answers
Subject: rec.pets.dogs:  Training Your Dog FAQ
Supersedes: <dogs-faq/training_869305671@rtfm.mit.edu>
Followup-To: poster
Date: 18 Aug 1997 10:06:31 GMT
Organization: RPD FAQ auto-posting
Lines: 787
Sender: tittle
Approved: news-answers-request@mit.edu
Expires: 1 Oct 1997 10:05:22 GMT
Message-ID: <dogs-faq/training_871898722@rtfm.mit.edu>
References: <dogs-faq/introduction_871898722@rtfm.mit.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: penguin-lust.mit.edu
Summary: Discusses how to obedience train your dog.  Tips on good books,
         differences in methods, etc.
X-Last-Updated: 1995/08/24
Originator: faqserv@penguin-lust.MIT.EDU
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.pets.dogs.info:3635 rec.answers:33214 news.answers:110038

Archive-name: dogs-faq/training
URL: http://www.zmall.com/pet_talk/tittle/pets/dog-faqs/training.html
Last-modified: 23 Aug 1995

=======
There are nearly 50 FAQ's available for this group.  For a complete
listing of these, get the "Complete List of RPD FAQs".  This article
is posted bimonthly in rec.pets.dogs, and is available via anonymous ftp
to rtfm.mit.edu under pub/usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list, via
the Web at http://io.com/user/tittle/dogs-faq/lists/faq-list.html, or via
email by sending your message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with
send usenet/news.answers/dogs-faq/faq-list
in the body of the message.
==========


                               TRAINING YOUR DOG
                                       
Table of Contents

     * Prologue
     * Questions about Training
          + I trained my dog to do X and now he won't!
          + How long will it take?
     * Comments on Obedience Training
     * Attention
          + Umbilical cords
          + Watching
          + Food in your mouth, spitting it at your dog
          + Talking softly
     * Corrections
          + Young puppies
          + Older dogs
          + Proofing
     * Using Food
     * Training and Corrective Collars
     * Learning to Sit
     * Down, Stay, Off
     * Heeling
     * Learning Recall
          + Starting young
          + On leash
     * Beyond Basic Obedience
          + Classes
          + Books
          + Magazines
          + Mailing list
     * Gaming Dogs
          + Flying Disk, aka Frisbee, Dogs
          + Scent Hurdling
            
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Prologue

   First, you should understand that there are two components to
   "training". There is the kind of training that solves behavioral
   problems. There is also the kind of training that creates a
   command-response pattern. It is perfectly possible to have a dog that
   heels, sits, and stays perfectly and digs out all your marigolds.
   Conversely, you may have a dog that does not destroy things in your
   house but does not sit or heel. "Obedience training" does not
   necessarily cover both of these aspects of training. In fact, they
   usually just teach a command-response pattern and that's it. You need
   to be aware of whether your dog needs behavior modification (where you
   will have to find out the underlying reason why your dog digs and not
   just put chicken wire over everything) or obedience training to
   understand commands. Certainly, the two may be related: a dog that
   digs because it is bored may become less bored with obedience training
   and stop digging. It is important, however, to understand that the dog
   stopped digging because it was no longer bored than because it now
   knows how to heel. You will need to modify your approach, or select a
   trainer to help you, with behavior vs. training in mind.
   
   That said, good books on how to train your dog include:
   
   Baer, Ted. Communicating with Your Dog. Barron's, New York. 1989.
   ISBN 0-8120-4203-4 (oversized paperback).
   
     Heavily illustrated with color photos. A sensible approach to laying
     a good foundation for extensive obedience training (even if you
     don't take the dog any further than what's outlined in here). Simple
     instructions for teaching a 20-word language, with emphasis on
     understanding and building on previous work.
     
   Bauman, Diane L. Beyond Basic Dog Training. New, updated edition.
   Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991.
   ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
   
     Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
     pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training.
     Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and
     often recommended book.
     
   Benjamin, Carol Lea. Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way To Train Your
   Dog. Howell Book House, New York. 1985. ISBN 0-87605-666-4. $15.95
   hardcover.
   
     She uses praise, contact, play and toys to motivate puppies, but she
     does not recommend food training a young puppy. She does recommend
     crate training and she also recommends sleeping in the same room
     with the puppy. She provides methods to teach no, OK, good dog, bad
     dog, sit stay heel, come, down, stand, go, enough, over, out,
     cookie, speak, take it, wait and off to puppies. She talks about
     canine language and talks some about mental games you can play with
     your dog such as mirror games, and copying your dog and having him
     copy you, chase games and even playing rough with your puppy. Most
     training methods rely on the foundational relationship between an
     owner and his dog, and this book provides some ideas on establishing
     that relationship while the puppy is still young.
     
   Brahms, Ann and Paul. Puppy Ed.. Ballantine Books. 1981.
   SBN:0-345-33512-0 (paperback).
   
     Describes how to start teaching your puppy commands. This is a
     thoughtful book that discusses in practical detail what you can and
     cannot expect to do with your puppy in training it. They stress that
     by expecting and improving good behavior from the start, later, more
     formal training goes much easier.
     
   Burnham, Patricia Gail. Playtraining Your Dog. St. Martin's Press,
   175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. c1980. ISBN 0-312-61691-0 (trade
   paperback).
   
     An excellent book that describes how to use play to motivate your
     dog through obedience training. She focuses on how to teach each
     exercise in the AKC Novice, Open, and Utility classes. Her
     philosophy, though, lends itself to any type of training. Well
     written and informative. For you greyhound lovers, all her dogs and
     inside photos are of greyhounds.
     
   Strickland, Winifred G. Expert Obedience Training for Dogs. Third
   revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company), New
   York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardcover).
   
     Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of
     training and competition including the formal training for AKC
     obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some
     general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written
     Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs.
     
   Tucker, Michael. Dog Training Step by Step.
   
     Tucker is an ex GDB instructor and his books are easy to read and
     follow. His others are Dog Training Made Easy, Solving Your Dog
     Problems.
     
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Questions about Training

  "I TRAINED MY DOG TO DO ALL THESE THINGS AND NOW HE WON'T DO THEM!"
  
   This is typical. Think of adolescent rebellion in teenagers. First
   your dog learned and obeyed your commands because you were
   unquestionably the leader. Then, while your dog understood what the
   command was, it was older and decided to test you. This is where
   corrections become crucial. If you pass this struggle (and it varies
   with the individual dog), you will generally get past this hump,
   although each individual command may go through a mini-sequence like
   this.
   
  "HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE ME TO FINISH TRAINING MY DOG?"
  
   You should not think of training as consisting of some fixed set of
   exercises after which the dog will always be "trained." Training is
   ongoing. Dogs being what they are, they will take advantages of lapses
   in training behavior. If you train your dog to stay off the couch and
   then subsequently forget or stop correcting it for getting on the
   couch, the behavior will not go away. You must continually work with
   your dog on what it knows to reinforce it and keep the good behavior.
   Thinking of training as a lifelong process does more to ensure a
   well-trained dog & a happy owner than anything else.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Comments on Obedience Training

   There are a number of different training methods available. None of
   these methods are perfect and none are guaranteed to work on your dog
   (regardless of what it says on the cover). Each dog is different and
   the interaction with its owner is unique. Some methods work better
   than others for you and your dog. It will depend on your per sonal
   preference (dogs are good at telling when you are hesitant or unhappy
   with a particular technique) and your dog's temperament and ability.
   
   People frequently disagree over which methods are "good" and even
   which are "best." This kind of argument is fairly pointless, as the
   effectiveness of each training method is subjective. Find one that
   works for you and don't worry about criticisms. On the other hand,
   suggestions to help overcome specific training problems may be what
   you need and you shouldn't reject it out of hand because it's not in
   the method you chose.
   
   A good expert shouldn't reject any other methods out of hand; the
   Monks in their books point out that readers should consult other books
   as well. Being an expert doesn't mean being able to only use or do one
   method. The more methods you look at and try, the better data base you
   have to draw from. There are many methods for training dogs out there.
   
   
   What is best for your dog? This really depends on the temperament and
   intelligence of your dog, and your own ability. There is no one method
   that works for all dogs since breed and temperment play a large part
   in your dogs reaction to any particular method.
   
   Good results in obedience training require large doses of consistency,
   good timing, and patience. You must be consistent: use the same word
   for a particular command every time (e.g., don't use "Come" sometimes
   and "Come here" other times). You must develop a fine sense of timing
   when introducing new commands and later correcting behavior on learned
   commands. Patience is needed: losing your temper is counterproductive.
   Get the whole family to agree on the commands, but have only one
   person train the dog to minimize confusion for the dog.
   
   Establish a daily training period, preferably just before dinner. It
   can be as short as twenty minutes, or longer. Establishing a routine
   helps.
   
   Don't expect overnight success. It can take up to two years of
   consistent work, depending on the dog, for a properly trained dog.
   (This is where the patience comes in!)
   
   You must praise often and unambiguously. A smile won't do it. Give
   abundant verbal praise, scratch your dog on the head, etc.
   
   Try making the command word part of a praise phrase. In this case,
   whenever your dog is in the desired heel position, you could say
   something like "Good heel!" in a praising tone of voice. Note that you
   only give the command once but that the command word is repeated in
   the praise phrase for reinforcement. That seems to satisfy the
   objective of the proponents of repeating the command (i.e. letting the
   dog hear the command often) without actually repeating it as a
   command. Further, because it is being said when the dog is doing it
   right rather than during a correction the dog doesn't create any
   negative association with the command as the latter is likely to
   cause.
   
   If you have a puppy -- don't wait! Enroll in a kindergarten puppy
   class once its up on its shots. Don't wait until the pup is 6 months
   old to start anything.
   
   Training before "six months of age" is fine if you see the puppy
   having fun with these lessons. Just remember to keep the lessons
   short, don't loose patience when your puppy suddenly forgets
   everything it ever knew, and give it plenty of time just to be a
   puppy. In the long term, the time you spend with your puppy exploring,
   playing together and meeting new people is probably more important
   important than your short "training" sessions, but both activities are
   very helpful.
   
   Remember:
     * Make it fun for the pup.
     * Expect setbacks. Just because the pup understood what you meant
       yesterday, doesn't mean he'll remember it today. This means lots
       of repetition. Teach the basic commands: sit, stay, and come for
       now.
       
   You may find it well worth your while, especially if you are new to
   training dogs, to attend obedience classes. Most places have local
   training schools. Be sure to check up on these places. Call the Better
   Business Bureau and your local SPCA for any specific complaints
   registered with them. Especially check carefully places where you ship
   your dog out to be trained: many of these places are suspect, because
   YOU must also be trained to handle your dog. Beware of advertising
   that claim LIFETIME warranties on the training, GUARANTEED solutions,
   etc. It is best for you and your dog to go through obedience training
   together, so that you both learn from each other.
   
   No matter what kind of class you're looking for: from basic puppy
   kindergarten for your little puppy to basic obedience for an older dog
   to more advanced training for a dog that's already done some work,
   you'll want to pick the class out carefully.
   
   First and foremost, pick out a class where you are comfortable with
   the methods and the trainer. If you don't start off with this footing,
   learning anything positive from the class simply won't happen.
   
   Next look at the size of the class and how much time the trainer
   spends with each person. Ideally, the smaller the class the better,
   although for puppy classes you want at least four or five dogs since
   socialization is an important part of the class. Does the trainer
   allocate time outside of class for questions (either an extra several
   minutes before or after class or giving you her phone number for
   class)? What sort of guarantees do they offer? If they say your pooch
   will be trained in six weeks permanently, no questions asked, run do
   not walk away from this outfit. If, however, they offer followup help
   after the class is over or offer a few extra classes for specific
   problems after or during the class, this is a good outfit.
   
   Check out what their policy is with aggressive dogs in class. It does
   happen that one of the dogs attending the class frightens and
   intimidates the other dogs. There should be a clause for dismissing
   such a dog (or better yet, going into private training with it), or
   having it muzzled and otherwise restrained to minimize disruption to
   the class.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Attention

   An important aspect of obedience training is getting your dog's
   attention. Your dog will not perform as readily if it isn't paying
   attention to you. There are a number of things you can do to get its
   attention, and you should be sure to praise it for paying attention.
   
   The Monks of New Skete stress this a lot in their book (with the
   addition that in turn, you've got to pay attention to what your dog is
   communicating to you during training). If there's one piece of
   definitive advice about dog training this must be it.
   
  UMBILICAL CORDS
  
   Put your dog on a medium-to-short leash and tie it to your belt. Now,
   go about the house on your ordinary business. Do not pay attention to
   the dog. It will quickly learn to pay attention to you to determine
   when you are going to get up and walk around, or where you are going.
   This is an especially effective exercise with puppies and also lays a
   good foundation for learning to heel later. Start with short periods
   of time, say 15 minutes, and work up as your puppy gets older and more
   familiar with this exercise.
   
  WATCHING
  
   If you look up and catch your dog watching you (this is different from
   the staring contests mentioned above because the dog is not "staring"
   at you when it is watching you move around), praise it.
   
  FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH, SPITTING IT AT YOUR DOG
  
   An excellent exercise for teaching attention. It gets the dog to
   concentrate directly on your face, not your hands or pocket. Do this
   as a separate exercise, until your dog understands that it must watch
   your face. Also, DON'T let them pick up the food from the floor or
   ground. If you do, they will learn that they don't have to catch the
   treat. They can just wait and pick it up. And don't let them come back
   later to clean up.
   
   Do not, however, use food in general when obedience training. See
   Using Food below.
   
  TALKING SOFTLY
  
   Talk softly to your dog. It will have to pay more attention to you.
   This is especially effective when younger, and is a good habit to get
   into.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Corrections

   You should never correct when you yourself are upset, angry or
   downright mad, especially at your dog. Good correction depends on
   timing, a keen awareness of what the dog is thinking, and quick
   switching between correction and praise, all of which are difficult
   when you are upset. Stop the exercise until you regain your
   equilibrium. You will have much difficulty training your dog if you
   continually get mad while doing it. In fact, if you always or often
   get mad when training your dog, someone else should train it. You will
   get absolutely nowhere yelling at your dog.
   
  YOUNG PUPPIES
  
   The dictum "don't train before 6 months of age" doesn't make any sense
   unless you're talking about the correction involved in formal
   obedience training. If you think about it, you train your dog all the
   time whether you realize it or not. Dogs are great at picking up your
   body language and tone of voice. Even if you're not trying to train
   them, they're "training" themselves using the clues we give them (and
   many "problems" are classic cases of the dogs misunderstanding their
   owner's signals).
   
   If possible with a young puppy it is best to use the "correction" of
   distraction. When you deny the puppy something, try to replace it with
   a positive activity rather than just being negative and oppressive all
   the time. Otherwise, limit your corrections to a verbal "no."
   
  OLDER DOGS
  
   There comes a time in training any dog that it must do what you ask
   just because you asked the dog to do it. You have been helping your
   dog with this particular task for a while and you see the look in its
   eye that says, "Yes, I know what you want, but I don't want to do that
   right now." This is very different than the look that says, "Huh???"
   You do have to know the dog you are training and be able to tell the
   difference between these looks. That is just part of being a trainer,
   and no one can really teach you this skill, but you do have to learn
   it.
   
   Always praise the dog immediately when it listens to your corrections.
   Again, this gives the "jekyll and hyde" feel to dealing with your dog.
   But it is very important to immediately praise your dog for listening
   to you. This helps build confidence and keeps the dogs from having
   that "hang-dog" look when performing.
   
  PROOFING
  
   Proofing is a method where you make sure your dog understands a
   command, after you have taught the dog the command. It isn't fair to
   proof a dog on a command when it is still learning what it means.
   
   For example, you teach your dog to stay. After making it stay in a
   relatively distraction-free environment, you step up the pressure. You
   throw balls up in the air and catch them, squeak toys, have someone
   stand near your dog and talk softly to it. If your dog gets up, gently
   put it back. If after doing this for a while, the dog still gets up,
   then you start putting him back less gently, i.e. taking your dog
   roughly by the collar and putting it back, escalating to picking your
   dog up by the collar so that its front legs come off the ground and
   VERY slowly putting it back in its place, escalating to picking the
   dog up by its skin so that its front legs come off the ground and VERY
   slowly putting it back. Some dogs get the idea more quickly than
   others; stop your correction when it stays down.
   
   When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by throwing
   balls all around him, bouncing them on the ground, etc. Also, someone
   else should try to offer him food, make strange noises such as
   clapping , barking like a dog, meowing like a cat, using toys or
   things that make strange noises.
   
   When your dog passes this step, increase the pressure by putting it on
   a stay and having someone shout in a loud voice "ROVER, COME!" (do not
   use your dog's name), "OK", "DOWN" (if doing a sit stay). If at home,
   put him on a stay and go and ring the doorbell. It should take several
   months (6-8) to work through all of these distractions and care must
   be taken to not blow the dog's mind by putting him in a situation that
   he is not ready for or by never letting the dog "win" (i.e.,
   successfully perform an exercise).
   
   Always let the dog "win" on the last exercise in the session. That is,
   end the sessions on positive notes, with much praise. This keeps your
   dog interested in the work.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Using Food

   According to the last chapter of Diane Bauman's book Beyond Basic Dog
   Training there is more to dog training and to trainer-dog
   relationships than just the dog performing for food and toys. The dog
   should have a relationship with you and work to please you and work
   for your praise. That should be the important thing in your training,
   the relationship.
   
   Remember, the goal in obedience is consistency. If you have a
   hard-charging dog when you train with treats and toys, but have a
   slow, depressed dog when you take the treats away, getting any kind of
   consistent performance out of the dog will be VERY difficult. Sure,
   with a slow dog you may loose a few points for lack of "Utmost
   willingness" but if the dog does every sit correctly, every front
   correctly and works confidently, you will still do well in the show
   ring.
   
   Further, there are many cases of dogs trained using these techniques
   that are "ring-wise." They know they will not be corrected nor will
   they be rewarded "properly" for their performance, so why should they
   work?
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Training and Corrective Collars

   There are several kinds of collars. There are the plain flat buckled
   ones for everyday use available in a wide variety of colors, sizes and
   fastners (from buckles to quick-release).
   
   Note that puppies do not need corrective collars.
   
   For training purposes, there are choke collars (also called training
   collars), pinch collars and prong collars. Used properly, there is
   nothing wrong with any of these collars, although they often look
   rather alarming. The point is that these collars are for control, not
   for pain infliction. Yanking savagely on these collars is
   counterproductive; firm corrections get the point across without
   injury. Try this experiment: wrap each of the collars around your arm
   in turn and have someone experienced with corrections give a
   correction to your arm.
   
   To prevent your dog from injury from corrective collars, do not leave
   them on when you are not around. Its usual collar should be a plain
   flat bucked collar; save the choke and prong collars for actual
   training and when you are around.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Learning to Sit

   Command, "Sit!". Pull straight up on your leash (do not jerk),
   simultaneously push (do not hit) down on the dog's rump. After the dog
   knows the exercise, a tap on the rump is appropriate if the dog
   refuses to sit.
   
   Another way is to have the dog focus on your hand. Say "sit," move
   your hand over its head so that it must sit to keep it focused. Praise
   it when it is sitting.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Down, Stay, Off

   One caveat is to be sure that you are consistent with "down" and
   "off." Do not use them interchangeably, you will only confuse your
   dog. "Down" should be the classic "lie down on the floor" command,
   "off" needs to be "get all your paws on the ground (and off me or off
   the chair) NOW!"
   
   Traditionally, you start by putting the dog in a sit position. Then,
   using your hand, or a toy, guide its nose down until it's in a down
   position. Once it understands "down" try to eliminate the sit-down
   sequence, or else your dog will start to "down" when you say "sit"!
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Heeling

   To make the process of learning to heel easier, start when your dog is
   a puppy. Don't expect it to heel, but discourage from the beginning
   any forging (lunging) or lagging on the leash. Keep the puppy focused
   on you when on leash. This may mean constantly talking to your pup to
   keep its attention. Pretty soon, you'll have a pup that stays pretty
   close to you on leash and doesn't pull in any direction. The umbilical
   cord approach suggested for attention can be a good way to start and
   maintain this. Don't worry about "perfect heeling" for several months
   yet; it is too much to ask of a puppy right away.
   
   When you and your dog are ready to learn heeling, there are several
   approaches to take.
   
     * Try binding, where you have only a few inches of slack on your
       leash. Hold the lead like a baseball bat handle, with your hands
       almost on his collar. "Plaster" you arms against your body. When
       you start off (with your left leg) tell him heel and hold him
       right there at your side. If he pulls ahead, add pressure in the
       lead backwards and say "get back". Once he stops pulling tell him
       "good boy". Stop and do about four straight lines first (no turns
       yet). Just counter any way he pulls with either "get back",
       "get-up" "get-in" or "get out". When he is in the right spot, tell
       him he's good. Just do a few short heels first and increase
       length. As he learns where heel is, he should stop pulling then
       you can let more leash out and do the same thing. If he starts
       pulling again, go right back down to just a few inches.
       
     * Put your dog on a 6 foot leash with either a choke collar (not
       prong) or flat collar. Hold the loop of the leash in your right
       hand and keep your hand against your waist. Loop the slack over
       the thumb of that hand. Walk around the back yard and when your
       dog walks past you and is not paying attention, turn 180 degrees,
       drop the slack from the leash and RUN! Your Dog will get turned
       around and will have to follow. As soon as the leash is slack STOP
       moving. Say "good <name>," pick up the slack and walk around the
       yard again. Whenever your dog goes ahead of you and it can't see
       you, drop slack, turn and RUN again. Don't jerk the leash like a
       correction. You want a constant pull and if you keep your hand
       against your waist a jerk on the leash won't happen.
       
     * Practice your foot work. Make sure you are clear with your
       about-turns, left-turns and right turns. Bauman illustrates the
       way to turn with photographs in her book. Being clear with your
       turns helps clue your dog into when you are going to turn.
       
     * Along with foot work is timing - count out loud "1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2"
       and keep each pace the same length. When going slow it's "1 and 2
       and 1 and 2" same length paces but at 1/2 time. Fast is "121212"
       again but twice as fast and with the same length paces.
       
     * Simple direction changes help as well: do an "about-face" turn
       whenever the heel starts disintegrating. That way, your dog has to
       stay closer to you to watch where you're going.
       
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Learning Recall

   First of all, the golden rule of recall: 
   
     NEVER PUNISH YOUR DOG WHEN IT COMES TO YOU! 
     
   It will not want to come to you if it associates that with punishment.
   *Always* praise a dog for coming to you. Remember its associative
   powers are limited, and it will only understand that it was punished
   for coming to you, regardless of what it just did before that.
   
  STARTING YOUNG
  
   Understand that teaching a 1 year old dog the recall is not the ideal
   situation. Your dog should be taught the recall by 4 months or so, and
   when the dog is younger, it is much easier. By the time the dog is a
   year old, and starting to exert its dominance, the recall should be a
   well-established habit and a few relatively minor corrections should
   re-establish that habit in case there are minor lapses.
   
  ON LEASH
  
   Make a fun game of it, get your dog to understand what that command
   is. With a puppy, call its name and "COME". Get down and open your
   arms wide as your pup comes in to "funnel" it toward you. Make a big
   fuss over it.
   
   Sit your dog down, on a lead, and make it stay. Walk to the end of the
   lead and say "<name>, COME" and give it just a little pop and run AWAY
   from your dog. As your dog gets to you, make it sit in front of you.
   PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!! Work on this way until your dog starts coming
   before you can give the little pop. Then get a long lead (15 feet or
   so) and do the same thing. Then progress to letting it drag the 15
   foot lead around. Call your dog as you are working in the yard, or
   doing other things. Always praise.
   
   Make your dog sit every time it comes to you. This avoids the later
   common problem of the dog running past you when you call it.
   
   Only call your dog once. If the dog disobeys, don't call again, just
   correct the dog.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Beyond Basic Obedience

   It is, of course, beyond the scope of this article to discuss any more
   advanced obedience exercises in any kind of detail. However, there are
   many resources if you are interested in further obedience training.
   
  CLASSES
  
   There are a number of classes, public and private, offered for more
   extensive obedience training. Especially if you get to know an
   experienced handler/trainer well, you can learn a lot from that
   person.
   
  BOOKS
  
   There are a several books available that devote a good deal of
   discussion to training dogs, above and beyond what most dog books do.
   These are:
   
   Bauman, Diane L. Beyond Basic Dog Training. New, updated edition.
   Howell Book House (Maxwell Maxmillan International), New York. 1991.
   ISBN: 0-87605-410-6.
   
     Emphasis is on training a "thinking" dog rather than a
     pattern-trained dog. Extensive manual on obedience training.
     Communication and understanding are discussed. A well known and
     often recommended book.
     
   Strickland, Winifred G. Expert Obedience Training for Dogs. Third
   revised edition. Howell Book House (Macmillan Publishing Company), New
   York. 1987. ISBN: 0-02-615000-X (hardcover).
   
     Strickland is a well known dog trainer. Covers all aspects of
     training and competition including the formal training for AKC
     obedience trials (novice, open, utility, tracking). Includes some
     general care (health and feeding) tips. Author has also written
     Obedience Class Instruction for Dogs.
     
  MAGAZINES
  
     Front and Finish
     P.O. Box 333
     Galesburg, IL 61402-0333
     1-309-344-1333
     Obedience related information.
     
  MAILING LIST
  
   There is an electronic mailing list devoted to dog obedience issues.
   This is not for the novice, but for the person starting on advanced
   obedience training, as well as those experienced with these
   techniques. It is a good forum for discussing particular problems that
   may come up in the course of training your dog. The list's volume is
   moderate, with occasional peaks and valleys, depending on how "hot"
   the current topic is. For more information, send email to the list
   maintainer at obedreq@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Gaming Dogs

  FLYING DISK, AKA FRISBEE, DOGS
  
   From: Andrew L Mouser Andrew@world.std.com
   
   Flying Disc Dogs do more then fetch a flying disc. They do leaps,
   weaves, vaults, takes and any variety of tricks imaginable. Currently,
   there is only one association that titles competing flying disc dogs;
   The Flying Disc Dog Association (FDDA). FDDA events are usually held
   in conjunction with other events such as pet fairs and shows, agility
   events, and other events where the added spectator sport of these dogs
   are beneficial.
   
   The format for competition involves 3 levels. Level 1 is the Timed
   Toss & Catch (TTC), Novice Freestyle, and Advanced Freestyle. At all
   levels, competitors generally supply the discs, which are required to
   be free of defects and obstructions. Multiple discs are allowed with
   the exception of the TTC where only 1 disc is allowed on the playing
   field.
   
   Timed Toss and Catch:
          In the TTC, each team is allowed 1 disc on the playing field.
          With a time limit of 60 seconds, the handler/dog team attempts
          to make as many tosses and catches as possible within the time
          limit. Points are scored in relationship to the distance that
          the dog catches the disc and whether the catch was on the
          ground (OTG), where the dog is touching the ground with any
          part of his body when the catch is made, or in the air (ITA),
          where the dog is completely off the ground when the catch is
          made. Catches made 10-20 yards are worth 1 point OTG and 2
          points ITA. Catches made 20-30 yards are worth 3 points OTG and
          4 points ITA. Catches made 30+ yards are worth 5 points OTG and
          6 points ITA.
          
   Novice Freestyle:
          In the Novice Freestyle, each team has a maximum of 90 seconds
          to perform a freestyle routine with a maximum of 10 discs that
          consists of a minimum of the following compulsories; One ITA
          catch of greater than 10 yards. A controlled retrieve where the
          dog is placed on a down-stay or sit-stay until the disc comes
          to a complete rest. An Out where the dog brings a retrieved
          disc and drops it in front of the handler without any physical
          assistance from the handler. A Through-The-Leg where the dog
          must run under and through the legs of the arch made by the
          legs of the handler to catch a thrown disc. One Back Over where
          the dog leaps over the back of the handler to catch a thrown
          disc. Additionals are tricks that are added to the routine to
          generate additional points to be added to the overall score.
          Additionals may be any trick the team may desire to perform.
          
   Advanced Freestyle:
          In Advanced Freestyle, each team has a maximum of 120 seconds
          to perform a freestyle routine with a maximum of 10 discs that
          consists of a minimum of the following Compulsories; An ITA
          catch of greater than 20 yards. A Mouth Take where the dog
          takes a disc from the mouth of the handler. A Leg Vault where
          the dog catches a disc with the added assistance of "vaulting"
          off the leg of the handler. A Front Vault where the dog catches
          a disc with the added assistance of vaulting off the front of
          the handler and going over the handlers head (the handler may
          be in a kneeling position to compensate for smaller dogs) to
          catch a thrown disc. A Back Vault where the dog catches a disc
          with the assistance of vaulting off the back of the handler and
          going over the handlers head with kneeling optional to catch a
          thrown disc. A Back Over where the dog leaps over the back of
          the handler to catch a thrown disc. A Back Flip where the disc
          is thrown close and just over the head of the dog where the dog
          leaps in the air, catches the disc, and lands in a position of
          180 degrees or greater from the starting position. One
          Butterfly catch where the disc is thrown in such a way that the
          disc is spinning end-over-end.
          
   Titles:
   
   Flying Disc Canine (FC)
          A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc Canine after earning a
          minimum of 250 points in the Timed Toss and Catch competition.
          
   Flying Disc Canine Excellent (FCX)
          A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc Canine Excellent after
          completing 3 qualifying rounds of Novice Freestyle competitions
          at 3 separate tournaments.
          
   Flying Disc Canine Champion (FCCh)
          A dog may earn the title of Flying Disc Canine Champion after
          completing 3 qualifying rounds of Advanced Freestyle
          competitions at 3 separate tournaments.
          
   For more information write:
   
     Flying Disc Dog Association
     1471 LaSalle Street
     Burton, Mi 48509
     
  SCENT HURDLING
  
   As much fun for the owner as for the dog, scent hurdling is
   essentially a variation on flyball (see faq on flyball). Teams of four
   dogs race to jump hurdles, pick up one of four balls (scented by each
   owner) and return.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
    Training Your Dog FAQ
    Copyright by Cindy Tittle Moore, rpd-info@netcom.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is Copyright (c) 1994 by Cindy Tittle Moore.  It may be
freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice
is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commercial documents without the author's written permission.  This
article is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

Explicit permission is hereby granted to all humane shelters, animal
shelters, city pounds and rescue organizations placing animals to
redistribute the material under the conditions above.

Cindy Tittle Moore
Internet: rpd-info@netcom.com         USmail: PO BOX 4188, Irvine CA 92716
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

