Chapter 14: Starting a Training Group

Persuade one or more of your friends to train their dogs with you. That way, you can observe and critique each other's training techniques. What if neither you nor your friends know how to train a dog. That's Okay. You have a Tutorial that shows you precisely how you might proceed. It's a way of training that you and your dog will enjoy.

Planning

The players decide:

• the place where the training will be done. A public park is a good plce.
• how often you will meet. You might consider one hour, once or twice a week.
• if your group accepts new members.
• if the course is open-ended with no set training weeks - dogs work at their own speed.

Suggested Class Schedule

1. Spend a short period mingling socially with other players and their dogs before class events begin.
2. Start the class period with a five-minute brisk stroll. Take your valuables with you.
3. When you return, spend a brief period discussing training problems that you and others encount-ered during the past week.
4. If you have more than four persons in your training club, break off into two or more work groups. Three persons in a work group works well. Each group member demonstrates what they have been working on during the past week; each person is free to present- any previous work. Following each presentation, fellow group members will critique the person's training technique. Help each other, but have fun doing it.
5. Following the group work, the students all come together and each person explains the work that he or she hopes to do the following week. Also, at this time, anyone can ask for additional help in doing a particular procedure. Talk it over among yourselves or refer to the Manual for assistance.
6. End of training session.

Training Tips

Work off-leash, whenever possible. In home training, allow the dog to do anything within the confines of a training enclosure - your family room, for instance. When in class with other dogs, keep your dog on leash - leash held by you or another person, leash tied to something firm, or pressed under foot.

Way to prompt. When helping (prompting) your dog to make a response, always do it gently.

Ways to do a sequence of training actions: Assist your dog to make a response with a prompt only after you deliver your command or signal, and not do it simultaneously with the command or signal.

Ways to do a proper food delivery. Don't begin a food delivery before you say the GOOD or OUT sound. To do other-wise, your dog will start looking for the start of these food-delivery movements instead of listening for the sound.

Do not compel your dog to perform. You'll only be interfering with his performance. Allow the rewards to work for you. If the foods are tasty, the dog will begin and continue to work eagerly without your urgings.

Be silent during the training session. Don't talk, except to say the sounds that are found in the training steps).

Be as inconspicuous as you possibly can. Don't do anything to get the dog's attention.

Allow the dog to quit at any time, without penalty. If the dog looks like he wants to quit on you, stop the session, and resume later. If the dog refuses to "play the game", it usually means that your choices of "tidbit" and/or "grand" foods are not working. But, the dog must obey you in social settings, outside the formal training sessions.

When the dog makes mistakes. Ignore them. And, if necessary, repeat the trial or do some remedial training.

Your composure. Relax and enjoy the work. Accept whatever the dog does with an evenness of temper. The dog will always enjoy game playing with you, because the games are fun and easy for him to do.

When all else fails. Do the work precisely as described in the Manual. The procedures have been time tested.

Practicing a new procedure. Do it first without the dog. Observe yourself doing the procedure in front of a full-length mirror, or ask someone familiar with the system to watch you do it.

Critiquing a performance of a player. After a group member completes his or her presentation, don't hesitate to comment on the performance - use any of the points that are listed in this section, or reference the Manual. Observe the performing person and comment on his or her performance, not the dog's.

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