From The Editor
The snow is still falling and the cold weather prevails, but …… the days are getting longer and summer is just around the corner. And a brand new season of disc doggin’ fun awaits. It won’t be long now before the snow & ice melt and we can get outdoors and throw discs for our dogs. In the meantime, basic obedience, muscal freestyle, and trick training skills can be taught indoors, and will improve &/or add to your disc dogs repertoire. So come on out of hibernation and start gearing up for summer!
On a personal note I am happy to announce that I was nominated for, and subsequently voted in as, one of the country reps for Canada, on the USDDN Steering Committee.
And finally, just a reminder to those who have not yet renewed their club memberships > in order to be eligible for yearly club awards, your membership must be in good standing and at least 6mths current. So renew now to ensure your eligibility for year end club awards.
Happy Disc’n
Jackie
Attention Writers!
New York Times best-selling authors Dr. Marty Becker (of "Good MorningAmerica") and Gina Spadafori are working on a new book series for thepublisher of the "Chicken Soup" books. Looking for writers (you don'thave to be a professional, or even published before) withinspirational stories on dogs, cats and horses. Also looking for greatphotographs. Payment for all published submissions. Deadline forsubmissions is March 15, with the books coming out in the fall.Here's where to go for information on how to get stories and picturesin the books: http://theultimatepetlover.com/
Help! My Dog Won’t Bring Back The Disc!
The problem with dogs is that they learn patterns very quickly and the problem with that is that once they form a habit it is very difficult and sometimes almost impossible to change. Often we inadvertently teach our dogs the wrong things through repetition of the “help” that we give them, such as running out to pick up a dropped disc. The more often a dog rehearses a certain behaviour the more ingrained that behaviour becomes and the more likely it is to become a habit. Can you change that habit with work? Yes, but all habits that are modified are subject to spontaneous recovery, which means that the old habit is not gone, it's just lying dormant and will re-surface from time to time unless you really stay on top of maintaining the new behaviour that has replaced it. What this means is that, the more often you have to run out to pick up the disc, and then carry it back to the throw point together, the more likely the dog is learning that, this is the game you want him to play. You could be inadvertently teaching him the very thing you don't want him to do.As dog trainers (whether professional or not) we all accidentally teach our dogs the wrong things from time to time. And usually when we are "in the moment", we don't realize it. If only I had a nickle for everytime my dogs have learned something that I haven't intended to teach them!!For the dog that drops the disc in mid-field, or even just a few feet out from you, you could try ending the game if the dog drops the disc, or stops to chew on it, but ..... if that is all that you do, then all he is likely to learn from this, is that dropping the disc or stopping to chew, ends the game. He is not learning what you would like him to do instead of dropping or stopping to chew. So be sure to teach him (using short distances that prohibit him from having time to drop or chew) to pick up the disc from the rim, and praise the heck out of him for doing it right > make him feel like he is the most special dog on the planet! Teach him to pick up the disc and give it to you. Up close and personal > no throwing. Just pick it up and deliver it. When the dog can perform this basic task, then start to toss the disc short distances for him to retrieve.
If you focus on the delivery of the disc, and make a big fuss of the dog for this simple task, the problem of dropping the disc mid-field, or stopping to chew the disc, should resolve.
Quotable Quotes
"Relationships are difficult, time-consuming, baffling, and sometimesheartbreaking. They're also what make life worth living."--Martha Beck
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby series was inspired by the Quadruped and has been developed with the help of experienced disc competitors (both Canadian and U.S. players). Thank you to all who helped me develop the Canadian Disc Dog Derby. The success of the Derby is dependent upon YOU ... the players.
Host a Derby/Compete in a Derby
The more competitors > the bigger the prize!
Southern Ontario Disc Houndz will commit to hosting one of the Southern Ontario region Derby's > date/location TBA
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby Series is a furthest catch stakes competition. Each player pays an entry fee and the winner receives 50% of the pot at the conclusion of the series.
The Derby season starts with the first Derby offered in any given year, and ends in October of that year. All sanctioned Derby’s must be held between January and October of any given year and all Derby records/fees must be received by the Derby Director before October 31st of the current Derby year, in order to qualify for inclusion in the Derby Results.
In this first year of the Canadian Disc Dog Derby, two Derby’s may be held in each designated region. These regions have been designated based on canine disc activity in those regions:
1. Eastern Ontario (Ottawa area)
2. Quebec
3. Southern Ontario
4. Alberta
*If you know of another region in which the sport of canine disc is competitive please let us know so that we can include that region in the Derby.
Anyone can host a competition in any area > the Derby series is not exclusive to any club or organization, and no memberships are required. Anyone can compete in the Derby. Players may compete with as many dogs as they like. If you would like to host a Derby either as a stand alone event OR in conjunction with a disc event you are already hosting, please contact rowdydiscdog@yahoo.com for information. Once your Derby is booked it will be posted on the Southern Ontario Disc Houndz website and also on the Canadian Disc Dog Derby site so that other potential hosts & competitors will know when/where the Derby’s are being held.
For full Derby information and rules go to http://canadiandiscdogderby.blogspot.com/
Rewards & Reinforcements > Does Click Always = Treat?
This is a BIG question in clicker training, and it also represents a problem with how clicker training has come to be perceived.Click = Treat
And to most people Treat = Food
Clicker training is not about "food treats" > it's about using a marker to identify correct responses and bridge the gap in time between when the dog hears the click and a "reinforcement/reward" can be delivered. That reinforcement/reward does not have to be a food treat all the time, although food treats are a very good way to quickly reinforce behaviour in the learning stages.Rewards/reinforcements can be considered to be ANYTHING the dog will work to achieve. Food, toys, verbal praise, social contact, or the opportunity to engage in a favourite activity are all examples that come to mind. Once your dog knows the meaning of the clicker (you have done the right thing and a reward is forthcoming), start to mix up your reinforcements > sometimes give a treat, sometimes verbal praise, sometimes petting, and sometimes offer a disc or other favourite toy. It also helps to vary between using the clicker as your marker and using a verbal cue such as, Yes!, as your marker. Two reasons ...... (1) you don't want the dog to build a dependency on the clicker (there are some dogs out there who will not perform unless they SEE the clicker!!); and (2) you’re not always going to have a clicker handy, therefore you need a verbal cue that holds the same meaning. For example, when playing disc with your dog, you won’t likely have a free hand for a clicker. Yes!, if it holds the same meaning as the clicker, can be effectively used instead.So mix things up and don't get hung up on the "treats" when you are clicker training. Use all the tools in your training tool box > varied rewards and treats, your clicker, toys, and your voice.
As soon as my dog(s) know the meaning of both the click and the Yes!, I mix it up, even within the same training session. Sometimes I'll use only the click or only the Yes!, but most of the time I mix it up. Part of the reason for mixing it up is so that the dog doesn't develop superstitious behaviour such as, trick A only earns reinforcement IF there is a clicker being used. You don’t want to create a situation where the clicker becomes a visual cue to let the dog know that reinforcements/rewards are available. I also don't usually have my food treats where my dogs can see them (and I never wear a treat pouch) because I don't want their performance to be dependent on knowing/seeing that the food is in play. I can’t tell you the number of people I know who have had a hard time weaning their dogs OFF the presence/sight of the clicker &/or OFF the sight of the bait pouch. In these cases the clicker and the bait pouches have become crutches in much the same way as leashes, halti’s, and even corrections can become crutches, without which the dog cannot reliably perform. All that being said, as all of us with multiple dogs have learned, every dog is different and while the basic premise of the training applies to all, we have to tweek and modify things to suit each individual dog. I find that dogs are wonderful teachers if we allow them to be.
How Do You Teach That?
The Human Hoop
The Human Hoop is a cool trick in which the handler holds their arms like a hoop and the dog jumps through.
· Start by teaching your dog to jump through a hula hoop & getting it on a verbal cue
· Once the dog knows how to jump through the hula hoop without any kind of luring, change the presentation of the hoop
· Hold the hoop in both hands like a steering wheel and tip it into a vertical position in front of your body & cue the dog to jump through the hoop
· When the dog is comfortable executing this jump, slide your arms farther around the hoop so that now you are hugging it up against your torso
· Once your dog knows how to jump through the hoop with you holding it this way, you will make the jump through area smaller
· Cut your hoop in ½ and now just use it to extend the hoop that your arms make
· As the dog gains proficiency, cut your hoop extension smaller and smaller until your arms alone form the hoop and the dog is jumping through your arms
· For bigger dogs that will not fit through the space your arms make, you can hold a disc or even 2 discs (one in each hand) to extend the hoop that your arms make
Now what to do with this trick? You could toss a disc and then when the dog is on the way back, you form a hoop with your arms (use one or two discs to enlarge the jump through space if needed) > the dog can either carry the disc on the jump through or he can drop it for the jump through > and then you use one of the discs in your hands to toss out another throw. For example, if you are right handed and the dog is coming back at you from the left side, make your hoop with your right arm on the top side, and holding a disc. Then as the dog is landing from the jump through (or has cleared your arm hoop), you use your right arm to throw a disc straight ahead of the dog so that he jumps through and keeps going in a straight line for a tossed disc.
Health & Safety > Protecting Your Dogs Feet
Now that spring is around the corner and the snow & ice are starting to melt, we are met with the challenges of keeping our dogs safe while out practicing on wet or damp surfaces. Running on damp or wet grass can result in sore, red, &/or blistered pads. And coming inside to train and running on an indoor surface with wet pads is a common cause of blisters and torn pads. We see it often in flyball if the dogs don't dry their pads before racing (if they've come out of the pool or it's raining outside). Wet pads tear easy.One solution is to dry the feet with a towel and spray on a product such as Pad Tough, or some other brand of pad protector. Over the years I've used Pad Tough for any dogs that are prone to blistering and tearing their pads. I find it to be a great product. Some dogs pads are more prone to tearing/blistering than others, and once torn or blistered, the dogs pads are more prone to tearing and blistering in the future. If you have a dog who suffers from blistered or torn pads, take note of what activities cause the problem & take steps to prevent it from happening again. Protect your dogs feet BEFORE hiking them, playing flyball with them, or playing disc with them. Be pro-active about the dogs safety. And NEVER hike them anyway just because YOU want to hike with them. In my opinion, hiking a dog on an unsafe surface when you KNOW that they will shred their feet and suffer, constitutes cruelty to animals!!! It’s also advisable to try not to run your dogs on damp/wet grass, although this can be difficult at times. What happens if you are at a trial and it rains?? Wet grass is slippery and there is the risk of the dog slipping and blowing a cruciate ligament, which is a lot more serious than blown pads. I had a friend whose Rottie blew a cruciate on an agility course on early morning dewy wet grass. It can happen. For the most part, I try to avoid playing disc on damp grass, but when it can’t be avoided, I try to keep the moves smaller and avoid setting the dog up for any quick, sharp turns that might result in a fall. I also treat their feet with Pad Tough to protect their pads from blistering, and Show Foot to help reduce slipping.
Boots are another way of protecting your dogs feet. Look for a pair that fits well and make sure that the dogs feet don’t slip or slide around inside the boot. Then train the dog to wear/accept the booties. You can also wrap the dogs feet like a boot with something like Vet Wrap. Although this is not as hard wearing as a boot, it does provide some temporary protection. Be careful when using a product such as Vet Wrap, that you do not wrap the dogs feet too tightly. These bandage products are elastic and if stretched to tightly, they will cut off the circulation to the dogs feet.
The snow is still falling and the cold weather prevails, but …… the days are getting longer and summer is just around the corner. And a brand new season of disc doggin’ fun awaits. It won’t be long now before the snow & ice melt and we can get outdoors and throw discs for our dogs. In the meantime, basic obedience, muscal freestyle, and trick training skills can be taught indoors, and will improve &/or add to your disc dogs repertoire. So come on out of hibernation and start gearing up for summer!
On a personal note I am happy to announce that I was nominated for, and subsequently voted in as, one of the country reps for Canada, on the USDDN Steering Committee.
And finally, just a reminder to those who have not yet renewed their club memberships > in order to be eligible for yearly club awards, your membership must be in good standing and at least 6mths current. So renew now to ensure your eligibility for year end club awards.
Happy Disc’n
Jackie
Attention Writers!
New York Times best-selling authors Dr. Marty Becker (of "Good MorningAmerica") and Gina Spadafori are working on a new book series for thepublisher of the "Chicken Soup" books. Looking for writers (you don'thave to be a professional, or even published before) withinspirational stories on dogs, cats and horses. Also looking for greatphotographs. Payment for all published submissions. Deadline forsubmissions is March 15, with the books coming out in the fall.Here's where to go for information on how to get stories and picturesin the books: http://theultimatepetlover.com/
Help! My Dog Won’t Bring Back The Disc!
The problem with dogs is that they learn patterns very quickly and the problem with that is that once they form a habit it is very difficult and sometimes almost impossible to change. Often we inadvertently teach our dogs the wrong things through repetition of the “help” that we give them, such as running out to pick up a dropped disc. The more often a dog rehearses a certain behaviour the more ingrained that behaviour becomes and the more likely it is to become a habit. Can you change that habit with work? Yes, but all habits that are modified are subject to spontaneous recovery, which means that the old habit is not gone, it's just lying dormant and will re-surface from time to time unless you really stay on top of maintaining the new behaviour that has replaced it. What this means is that, the more often you have to run out to pick up the disc, and then carry it back to the throw point together, the more likely the dog is learning that, this is the game you want him to play. You could be inadvertently teaching him the very thing you don't want him to do.As dog trainers (whether professional or not) we all accidentally teach our dogs the wrong things from time to time. And usually when we are "in the moment", we don't realize it. If only I had a nickle for everytime my dogs have learned something that I haven't intended to teach them!!For the dog that drops the disc in mid-field, or even just a few feet out from you, you could try ending the game if the dog drops the disc, or stops to chew on it, but ..... if that is all that you do, then all he is likely to learn from this, is that dropping the disc or stopping to chew, ends the game. He is not learning what you would like him to do instead of dropping or stopping to chew. So be sure to teach him (using short distances that prohibit him from having time to drop or chew) to pick up the disc from the rim, and praise the heck out of him for doing it right > make him feel like he is the most special dog on the planet! Teach him to pick up the disc and give it to you. Up close and personal > no throwing. Just pick it up and deliver it. When the dog can perform this basic task, then start to toss the disc short distances for him to retrieve.
If you focus on the delivery of the disc, and make a big fuss of the dog for this simple task, the problem of dropping the disc mid-field, or stopping to chew the disc, should resolve.
Quotable Quotes
"Relationships are difficult, time-consuming, baffling, and sometimesheartbreaking. They're also what make life worth living."--Martha Beck
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby series was inspired by the Quadruped and has been developed with the help of experienced disc competitors (both Canadian and U.S. players). Thank you to all who helped me develop the Canadian Disc Dog Derby. The success of the Derby is dependent upon YOU ... the players.
Host a Derby/Compete in a Derby
The more competitors > the bigger the prize!
Southern Ontario Disc Houndz will commit to hosting one of the Southern Ontario region Derby's > date/location TBA
The Canadian Disc Dog Derby Series is a furthest catch stakes competition. Each player pays an entry fee and the winner receives 50% of the pot at the conclusion of the series.
The Derby season starts with the first Derby offered in any given year, and ends in October of that year. All sanctioned Derby’s must be held between January and October of any given year and all Derby records/fees must be received by the Derby Director before October 31st of the current Derby year, in order to qualify for inclusion in the Derby Results.
In this first year of the Canadian Disc Dog Derby, two Derby’s may be held in each designated region. These regions have been designated based on canine disc activity in those regions:
1. Eastern Ontario (Ottawa area)
2. Quebec
3. Southern Ontario
4. Alberta
*If you know of another region in which the sport of canine disc is competitive please let us know so that we can include that region in the Derby.
Anyone can host a competition in any area > the Derby series is not exclusive to any club or organization, and no memberships are required. Anyone can compete in the Derby. Players may compete with as many dogs as they like. If you would like to host a Derby either as a stand alone event OR in conjunction with a disc event you are already hosting, please contact rowdydiscdog@yahoo.com for information. Once your Derby is booked it will be posted on the Southern Ontario Disc Houndz website and also on the Canadian Disc Dog Derby site so that other potential hosts & competitors will know when/where the Derby’s are being held.
For full Derby information and rules go to http://canadiandiscdogderby.blogspot.com/
Rewards & Reinforcements > Does Click Always = Treat?
This is a BIG question in clicker training, and it also represents a problem with how clicker training has come to be perceived.Click = Treat
And to most people Treat = Food
Clicker training is not about "food treats" > it's about using a marker to identify correct responses and bridge the gap in time between when the dog hears the click and a "reinforcement/reward" can be delivered. That reinforcement/reward does not have to be a food treat all the time, although food treats are a very good way to quickly reinforce behaviour in the learning stages.Rewards/reinforcements can be considered to be ANYTHING the dog will work to achieve. Food, toys, verbal praise, social contact, or the opportunity to engage in a favourite activity are all examples that come to mind. Once your dog knows the meaning of the clicker (you have done the right thing and a reward is forthcoming), start to mix up your reinforcements > sometimes give a treat, sometimes verbal praise, sometimes petting, and sometimes offer a disc or other favourite toy. It also helps to vary between using the clicker as your marker and using a verbal cue such as, Yes!, as your marker. Two reasons ...... (1) you don't want the dog to build a dependency on the clicker (there are some dogs out there who will not perform unless they SEE the clicker!!); and (2) you’re not always going to have a clicker handy, therefore you need a verbal cue that holds the same meaning. For example, when playing disc with your dog, you won’t likely have a free hand for a clicker. Yes!, if it holds the same meaning as the clicker, can be effectively used instead.So mix things up and don't get hung up on the "treats" when you are clicker training. Use all the tools in your training tool box > varied rewards and treats, your clicker, toys, and your voice.
As soon as my dog(s) know the meaning of both the click and the Yes!, I mix it up, even within the same training session. Sometimes I'll use only the click or only the Yes!, but most of the time I mix it up. Part of the reason for mixing it up is so that the dog doesn't develop superstitious behaviour such as, trick A only earns reinforcement IF there is a clicker being used. You don’t want to create a situation where the clicker becomes a visual cue to let the dog know that reinforcements/rewards are available. I also don't usually have my food treats where my dogs can see them (and I never wear a treat pouch) because I don't want their performance to be dependent on knowing/seeing that the food is in play. I can’t tell you the number of people I know who have had a hard time weaning their dogs OFF the presence/sight of the clicker &/or OFF the sight of the bait pouch. In these cases the clicker and the bait pouches have become crutches in much the same way as leashes, halti’s, and even corrections can become crutches, without which the dog cannot reliably perform. All that being said, as all of us with multiple dogs have learned, every dog is different and while the basic premise of the training applies to all, we have to tweek and modify things to suit each individual dog. I find that dogs are wonderful teachers if we allow them to be.
How Do You Teach That?
The Human Hoop
The Human Hoop is a cool trick in which the handler holds their arms like a hoop and the dog jumps through.
· Start by teaching your dog to jump through a hula hoop & getting it on a verbal cue
· Once the dog knows how to jump through the hula hoop without any kind of luring, change the presentation of the hoop
· Hold the hoop in both hands like a steering wheel and tip it into a vertical position in front of your body & cue the dog to jump through the hoop
· When the dog is comfortable executing this jump, slide your arms farther around the hoop so that now you are hugging it up against your torso
· Once your dog knows how to jump through the hoop with you holding it this way, you will make the jump through area smaller
· Cut your hoop in ½ and now just use it to extend the hoop that your arms make
· As the dog gains proficiency, cut your hoop extension smaller and smaller until your arms alone form the hoop and the dog is jumping through your arms
· For bigger dogs that will not fit through the space your arms make, you can hold a disc or even 2 discs (one in each hand) to extend the hoop that your arms make
Now what to do with this trick? You could toss a disc and then when the dog is on the way back, you form a hoop with your arms (use one or two discs to enlarge the jump through space if needed) > the dog can either carry the disc on the jump through or he can drop it for the jump through > and then you use one of the discs in your hands to toss out another throw. For example, if you are right handed and the dog is coming back at you from the left side, make your hoop with your right arm on the top side, and holding a disc. Then as the dog is landing from the jump through (or has cleared your arm hoop), you use your right arm to throw a disc straight ahead of the dog so that he jumps through and keeps going in a straight line for a tossed disc.
Health & Safety > Protecting Your Dogs Feet
Now that spring is around the corner and the snow & ice are starting to melt, we are met with the challenges of keeping our dogs safe while out practicing on wet or damp surfaces. Running on damp or wet grass can result in sore, red, &/or blistered pads. And coming inside to train and running on an indoor surface with wet pads is a common cause of blisters and torn pads. We see it often in flyball if the dogs don't dry their pads before racing (if they've come out of the pool or it's raining outside). Wet pads tear easy.One solution is to dry the feet with a towel and spray on a product such as Pad Tough, or some other brand of pad protector. Over the years I've used Pad Tough for any dogs that are prone to blistering and tearing their pads. I find it to be a great product. Some dogs pads are more prone to tearing/blistering than others, and once torn or blistered, the dogs pads are more prone to tearing and blistering in the future. If you have a dog who suffers from blistered or torn pads, take note of what activities cause the problem & take steps to prevent it from happening again. Protect your dogs feet BEFORE hiking them, playing flyball with them, or playing disc with them. Be pro-active about the dogs safety. And NEVER hike them anyway just because YOU want to hike with them. In my opinion, hiking a dog on an unsafe surface when you KNOW that they will shred their feet and suffer, constitutes cruelty to animals!!! It’s also advisable to try not to run your dogs on damp/wet grass, although this can be difficult at times. What happens if you are at a trial and it rains?? Wet grass is slippery and there is the risk of the dog slipping and blowing a cruciate ligament, which is a lot more serious than blown pads. I had a friend whose Rottie blew a cruciate on an agility course on early morning dewy wet grass. It can happen. For the most part, I try to avoid playing disc on damp grass, but when it can’t be avoided, I try to keep the moves smaller and avoid setting the dog up for any quick, sharp turns that might result in a fall. I also treat their feet with Pad Tough to protect their pads from blistering, and Show Foot to help reduce slipping.
Boots are another way of protecting your dogs feet. Look for a pair that fits well and make sure that the dogs feet don’t slip or slide around inside the boot. Then train the dog to wear/accept the booties. You can also wrap the dogs feet like a boot with something like Vet Wrap. Although this is not as hard wearing as a boot, it does provide some temporary protection. Be careful when using a product such as Vet Wrap, that you do not wrap the dogs feet too tightly. These bandage products are elastic and if stretched to tightly, they will cut off the circulation to the dogs feet.
