This will be a learning experience for me as well as for the Reader’s of this column.  I have tried to make it fun, informative, and humorous.  It will assist you with your obedience problem areas also.

Starting at the beginning, you need to know I am still a student. Obedience Exhibitors are students forever!!  I have Instructed, but I still love to and would much rather be in a class, with my dog, in a one on one, where we can just enjoy each other’s company for an hour.  No cell phone, no distractions, no one but us two.  I bring her favorite treats which I refer to as cookies.  To her the “cookies” are the world, so I make sure she knows we are packing to train.  Getting ready for “school” is a whole process.  I groom her; she knows she’s going to school. She is excited; we practice the night before her special routine.  We get her special lead out, she knows her equipment is different than conformation and she anticipates the day.

In years past, choke collars were used to do obedience. Now, obedience is totally positive, we use clickers, and a buckle collar and a long lead and cookies.  The dog wants to work, loves to please and working as a unit is a joy. 

We start training as soon as the puppy can focus on your nose.  But you can start training any time you want. I can prove to you that it can be done later. My Bunny now is 7 yrs old, started her obedience training at 3 yrs old, and has her C.D. and is almost ready for her C.D.X.  It’s never too late to start. 

Lesson #1

When you are ready to start always begins with ATTENTION. 

You have to get the dog’s attention, to teach anything.  So, let’s use this quick exercise.  You are looking for eye contact. 

Say the dog’s name.  BUNNY

When she looks at you in the eye…..click.

Then follow with a cookie.  And say   GOOD.  

You must have eye contact to click. The click means she did it right.  The cookie is the reinforcer, and then the word is the vocabulary for right.   

EYE CONTACT is the basis for everything that happens in Obedience.  If they don’t see you, they won’t see the signal, they may not hear you, and they will fail the exercise.  They must look at you all the time.  ATTENTION is critical.  Just say the name and click……then a cookie. Do it different places, different ways, attention will improve your other activities as well. 

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Lesson #2

Remember to start all training with ATTENTION. Do a few voluntary attentions, with cookies. Remember the dog must look in your eyes before he gets the cookie.

Then do involuntary with the dog’s name and getting attention. You say the name, the dog looks you in the eye, and then he gets the cookie.  Then you’ve warmed up and you’re ready to begin.  

SIT

Teaching the sit is pretty easy.  It’s all about repetition.  Take a cookie, a little piece of food, or some small tidbit. Dog should be on a lead. Holding the cookie in your Right hand, put it just over the nose of the dog, as you guide with ONE FINGER on the base of the tail, the dog to sit. DO NOT PUSH ON THE DOG'S BACK. As the cookie rolls over the dog’s nose backwards, the motion will be for the dog to sit automatically, using the guiding motion. After a while, put the SIT command, with the action and the dog will learn a new vocabulary word and command. This should be done daily to teach the SIT, a very important command for basic living.

DROP

From the stand, DROP can also be taught .You should have the dog on a lead, and you need to be seated in a chair. Place the cookie between the dogs front legs, up near the chest, the dog will curl under to get the treat, then move the cookie to the floor and the dog will crouch down on all fours. After awhile, the word DROP can be used with the action. I prefer not to use the word DOWN, because it’s used for another purpose later on in the training. This will take a couple of times for the dog to go down to the floor completely. Just keep trying. It will happen.

Enjoy this time with your dog, they really enjoy your attention.

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Lesson #3
 

BACKWARD GAITING

 

This exercise is to get the dog to gait freely with his head up, with confidence and poise. It would lend itself to conformation showing in that it teaches gaiting and moving with the handler

You just start out with the cookie on the dog’s nose, you FACE the dog. You walk backwards, he walks forwards, you take a few steps and then give him the cookie if his head was up while gaiting forward. Each time you do it, you’ll go farther with the dogs head up, try to accomplish 20 steps then you are ready to gait the dog forward.
Remember to do this on a smooth surface, so not to trip while going backwards.

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Lesson #4

LEAVE IT ---GET IT

 

This is a very important skill, if you want to feed the dog while training. You don’t want the dog to eat your fingers.  It's important that the dog be patient.

Leave it happens when you have the cookie in your hand, fingers are curled around the food, the dog can’t get it, but tries.  Then when he stops trying, 1 second later, you say GET IT and open your hand.

He learns that when he’s patient, he gets it. When he bites at your fingers, he doesn’t get the reward. He will understand the game rules and sit back and wait because he knows how to win.

When he has it down pat, make a game out of it.   And when you are tired of playing the game, use the command GAMES OVER, TO TELL HIM YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE. Then he will understand when the game is on and when it’s not time for it any longer. This LEAVE IT command is really good for other things too. It will come in handy.