2 min 8 sec
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Most handlers have uncertainty about how to systematically move from the food and toy on their person to out of the ring. I will outline steps I have taken to demystify this process which I call "Climbing the Ladder". The four rungs of the ladder represent the dog's fluency in each exercise, as well as his/her understanding to access the reward "through" the handler.
It is important to understand that we should never attempt to trick our dogs into thinking that the toy is on our person. This will work for a short period of time only. The dog must learn to access the reward by completing a task. Typically, new handlers make the task too difficult. In dog training circles it is referred to criteria. If the criteria is too high, the dog may lose hope.
1st Rung-Lure
The lure is simply the dog being positioned and shown precisely where we want their head, neck, rear end, etc. Proper lure technique maintains a dog that is thinking.
A highly accomplished accuracy mentor of mine in the field of obedience work, Curt Brock, taught me something very simple. This simple lesson, but entirely overlooked and over simplified aspect of food training, is as follows: "If the dog is licking then they are thinking." It made perfect, simple sense and an indicator of a "thinking state of mind" (absorbing and learning) as opposed to a reactionary state of mind (conditioned in drive and acting on impulse).
Within the spectrum of thinking to reactionary state using food, one can encourage careful and precise luring all the way to the other end of the spectrum using food in chase games or "pushing" into the palm of the hand. The harder the dog works to access the reward the less they are thinking and transitioning to being reactionary in food drive. I often teach my students to practice rolling the food lure from the tips of the fingers (where the dog should be mindful and licking for precise positioning) to the region where the thumb meets the hand. Being able to transition the food to the tips of the fingers and back into the hand seamlessly will help in subtly transitioning states of mind with food drive and achieve the desired performance.
Importance of Carefully Accepting the Lure (Thinking State of Mind)
Accurate lure technique often takes practice and can be uncomfortable to teach an older dog who is in a reactionary state due to fingers getting nipped. However, with pairing an "easy" cue work it is possible to teach even older dogs to accept the treat in a mannerly fashion. If distance is created between the lure and the dog's mouth, then the lure then becomes an "Direct Reward".
The first time I heard specific terms that I had already been applying to my training repertoire, I fell in love with them and use them frequently to this day. The mainstream terminology of Lure, Direct, Indirect, and Remote I first heard in a workshop by a very well known Belgian trainer by the name of Bart Bellon. While my training is primarily reward based in comparison, the similar concepts apply in transitioning the food from your hand to a distant location in a thoughtful, systematic manner.
Returning to the first rung of the ladder (lure) be mindful of where your hand is
positioned in relation to the dog's muzzle as well as positioning the angle of their neck.
I have a equestrian background in dressage and hunter/jumper. In horse riding,
disengaging the hind end to yield to pressure and move independently of the front end is a fundamental exercise taught to young horses. In lieu of a rider's leg applying pressure and release techniques to the horse's side to move their hind end, a dog handler may apply pressure with the fingers on each side of the dog's muzzle while luring to move their hind end from side to side without the use of props.
This video focuses on the drive building and conditioning of drive states, and the basic concepts of putting the pieces together. The accuracy gained through proper food teaching is an entirely different topic and requires a separate video, however teaching the dog to think while luring is a critical component in a systematic approach to moving up the ladder.
2nd Rung-Direct Reward
The second rung of the ladder is to keep the reward in the direct line of vision with the dog's head to maintain position, but creating distance between the food (or toy later) and the dog. This stage allows the development of muscle memory as well as developing impulse control.
Be mindful that if you are working lure and direct rewards frequently, balance your training sessions by encouraging the dog to offer behaviors in other areas by capturing innovative behaviors to keep them active and thinking, as a dog kept at the state of direct reward becomes very visual and non thinking over time. An example is if I am working head position or strut in heeling with direct which elicits a very automated response, then balance your dog's training with fun exercises that may be captured or shaped such as place, bow, spin, etc. These exercises are less stylized and therefore the dog can do them creatively.
3rd Rung-Indirect Reward
The third rung of the ladder is to ask the dog to do a behavior regardless of the
positioning of the reward. For example, the toy or food may be held under the dog's chin, but the dog still must look past the reward to the focal point to access the reward. In this phase, the reward is still in the handler's possession.
4th Rung-Remote Rewards
The fourth rung of the ladder is to remove the reward off the handler's body to a
"remote" location. As with stepping up each rung, I recommend first starting with food before transitioning to toy. By using food they are more toward the "thinking state of mind" side of the spectrum, and we are able to reward more frequently. During this stage many handlers make the error of 1) keeping the reward positioned in the dog's direct field of vision. The dog should make the choice to look away from the reward and perform a very simply task (such as "watch") before the handler marks and releases. As the dog becomes practiced at breaking their attention away from the reward, the handler can increase criteria, chain exercises, and create more distance between the dog and the reward until the reward is eventually on the outside of the field or ring (example). In this way we are never tricking the dog into performing. They must trust that the reward is coming, and be clear on how to access the reward through our established common language of communication.
Common Language of Communication
My common language of communication is as follows for my personal dogs:
• Click=Treat
• Click, "Get it!"=Treat @ Remote Location (dog may leave position)
• "Yes!"=Toy Reward
• "Yes, get it!"=Toy Reward @ Remote Location
Establish a common language with your dog and put forethought into what state of mind it is triggering. There are no right or wrong markers, just associations. For example, with a high drive dog that thinks readily, an interchangeable "yes" marker may work for you. However, in dogs that require either building or have drive containment issues, I have found it beneficial to the dog's learning to split markers and condition the thinking versus reactionary states.
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