Sunday Salutation and Doggie Distractions

What is the one distraction that your dog has trouble ignoring?

We are back at dog training, taking Competition Skills. Class was a blast this weekend. Our trainer is really good at highlighting where we need work. We worked on getting our dogs to focus on us, regardless of distractions. And man, did she pull out distractions.

In general, the class works on heeling, having the dog focus on you, and standard top five commands. (More on commands in the postscript.) The fact that we focus on only a few commands can make class seem simple, but it isn’t. The commands might be what you learn in basic dog training, but by adding distance, doing them off leash or on light lines, or with distractions — it is anything but simple. Each of these induces a lot more complexity than one thinks.

It is a lot of work for me and Crokell. Not because Crokell doesn’t know the commands, but because of the distractions. Crokell LOVES to play with other dogs or really any other animal that will play with him. (Except birds. He’s part European, and in Europe they breed Newfies for bird hunting. He wants to *get* birds. -Tod) So, just the fact that there are nine other dogs in the ring with him is a distraction in and of itself. It is also a major part of why we are taking the class. Our trainer this week decided the group needed to work on having the dogs ignore distractions.

Oh joy! LOL

Therefore, she added items to the ring environment, some for Crokell were easy like cones (both small and VERY large), and poles to walk through or step over. (The stepping over items is harder for me than him. I seem to need to work on my situational awareness there. But I managed not to faceplant, so yay me.) But on top of that she pulled out tennis balls. And she made it very tough by placing a tennis ball on the cone at Crokell’s eye level. And later on, the floor to challenge not just Crokell but smaller dogs in the class as well.

After that we did stays, while she bounced a tennis ball while walking behind the dogs. I am very happy that Crokell managed to stay. Although he almost got whiplash from turning his head to watch her instead of me. Next goal is to have him focus on me even while someone walks by bouncing tennis balls.

I am thinking of having Tod play with his remote-controlled cars or drone while I train at the house sometimes. I had never thought to add items like that before this class. I don’t think EVERY practice should have it, and definitely not when I am working to train a new trick. I really have never worked on training with distractions except when I train outside the dog park. I have been so focused on trying to train Crokell to ignore other dogs while I am working with him that I forgot that there are hundreds of other items that can be a distraction. A bouncing ball. Cats. (Although he thinks cats are just dogs with furniture privileges.) Squirrels. (He thinks squirrels are cats.) Flying Drones. People. A plastic bag.

It was a fun class and we managed to get through it without him running up to meet other dogs, picking up the ball from the floor or cone, or otherwise being a douffus-newfus.

And miracle of miracles, he did an off leash come to me without going to the other dog in the ring or the trainer – who he knows and adores. (Yes, it doesn’t sound like much, but he really likes other dogs.)

All in all, we did decently. It showed me what we need to work on. Distractions are a huge part of training. Crokell has over a dozen tricks he can do. That doesn’t mean much if he can only do them in our backyard or at our house. Sometimes, in dog training, writing, or life it seems the foundation is the most important. As is finding a way to get beyond distractions.

I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend.

~Anna

PS

For those of you curious about the top commands in obedience, my list is not in any particular order. And all of these are supposed to be able to be done, while someone the dog doesn’t know comes up to them and pets them. Tod can talk about that part as he is routinely asked to come and be the “stranger” and examine each dog.

The top 5 commands in training class

1. Sit
2. Down
3. Come
4. Stand
5. Stay

Additional important obedience commands

6. Focus – have the dog look at you. Not one so much tested in class, but used to teach the dog to pay attention.
7. Stop/freeze – not used in class but one I think all dogs should learn.
8. Leave it
9. Get it
10. Heel with auto-sit at stop
11. Finishes – Sweep/Around
12. Front – come and sit on one command
13. Go out – go to designated person

There are lots of others, but most of them are variations of these.

What is the one trick or training item you have the most trouble doing with your dog (or cat)?

PPS

Tod here. Most of the people being trained in class where we go are women. Most of the judges in competition are men. (Curiously, our trainer is a female judge. Which just goes to show, statistics are just statistics.)

I often get asked to pretend to be a judge, so the dogs get used to deep-voiced, males coming over and groping them. (Sometimes literally. In “Confirmation”, what most people think of as a “Dog Show”, you have to check the male dogs are still intact.)

I theoretically know three or four different ways to “test judge” a dog – petting different places and different styles. I’m still way too eager about it. I need to get Anna’s trainer to direct me someplace that shows the “more proper” way to do it. I need to be able to study it when I’m not in the middle of ring with ten people waiting for me to correctly pet their dogs.

It was really nice to walk into one class and have six women all scream excitedly “it’s a man!” And then drag me away from my wife.

To pet their dogs.

Correctly.

Anna was jealous.

Of the dog petting.