Basic Control Exercises

It is essential that a dog have some basic obedience training before venturing into tracking. A tracking dog must be under control at all times. Successful training for tracking can only be achieved if con­trol and acceptance of training have been established through teach­ing basic exercises. Since it would constitute a digression from the main purpose of this book, not all of the exercises normally included in basic obedience training are included here. The following is an outline of the exercises recommended as essential to basic control, and a logical method of teaching them.

In obedience training you have three tools with which to work­verbal communication, physical control and body motion. Proper use of these tools will determine much of the success of your training program.

The collar must never be pulled tight and the lead must never be held taut. Both must be slack to assure that good, clear-cut cor­rections may be made when necessary. The lead should never be used to drag the dog or to hold him in restraint.

It will facilitate early training if you use both signal and com­mand in teaching a new exercise. Consistent use of a signal with each command will tend to hold the dog's attention and will lend emphasis to the verbal command. It will be shown that signals frequently are part of body motion to show the dog what you expect of him in response to a new command. If commands and signals are used together consistently, the transition from use of both to use of one or the other should present no problem once the dog is thoroughly trained.

Never wait for the dog to obey a command. Never coax him with ineffective repetitions of a command. When you do not get a prompt response to a command, repeat the command once in a reprimanding tone of voice and accompany it with a sharp collar correction, followed immediately by praise. A dog must learn not only the exercises, he must also learn that you expect immediate obedience to every command. This is the only way to establish con­trol. If you wait for the dog, you allow him to control the situation which defeats the whole purpose of training.

Proper emphasis on the command is very important to the success of teaching a new exercise. For this reason, use of the dog's name is not recommended for inexperienced handlers who usually use a dog's name incorrectly, placing more emphasis on the name than on the command. They either use the name after the command or say the name more loudly than the command. In either case, the greater emphasis is placed on the name. Corrrectly used, the dog's name alerts his attention just before a command is given. Incorrectly used, it distracts him from attention to the command. Since you want all vocal emphasis on the command when teach­ing a new exercise, it is better not to use the dog's name at all than to use it incorrectly. Once the dog knows the exercise, his name may be used to get his attention just before giving the command.

First, the dog must be taught to heel. This essentially means position to him, whether or not the handler is in motion. When you walk, your dog walks at heel on -your left side. When you stop, your dog sits at heel. In teaching a dog to heel, body motion is an important tool. If you consistently move the same way, start­ing and stopping on the same foot, the dog will soon learn to recog­nize these body motions as signals to which he will respond automatically.

To teach the command to "heel", start with the dog sitting at your left side, the lead held slack in your right hand. The left hand should be free to grasp the lead for quick corrections and for giving praise. The correct amount of slack in the lead may be determined by swinging the right arm straight out to your side. The lead should become taut when your arm is raised to about a 45° angle from your body.

Give the command to "heel", swing your left arm forward as a signal and step out on your left foot. If the dog does not respond, grasp the lead with the left hand close to the collar, repeat the command once, simultaneously giving a sharp jerk on the lead as you step forward again. Remove your left hand from the lead as soon as the dog is in motion and give him a rewarding pat and a few words of praise or encouragement. If the dog forges ahead, give a sharp corrective jerk on the lead and a reprimanding "heel" command, then praise him to tell him he is right. In jerking the lead, it is important that the left arm swing from the shoulder, not the elbow, so the motion of the left arm and hand becomes a signal and shows the dog where he should be. With repetition of this routine, the dog will learn to respond to a single verbal command to "heel", as well as to hand signals.

When you come to a halt, you want the dog to sit automatically and instantly at heel. Before stopping, take up the slack in the lead, moving your right hand close to the collar. This will give you better control as you come to a quick halt. Check the dog's forward motion with an upward tug on the lead and press his hindquarters down with your left hand, at the same time giving the command to "sit". In pressing the dog's hindquarters down, use your thumb and fore­finger rather than the flat of your hand. A quick, sharp squeeze above the hips will cause the dog to yield with less resistance than he might exert under pressure of the flat of your hand. All actions and commands should be executed smoothly and quickly so that the dog does not become confused or feel that he is engaged in a struggle. As soon as the dog sits, all hand and collar pressure must be promptly released and the dog praised. This exercise should be repeated in its entirety until it is virtually impossible to touch the dog's hindquarters before he sits. If you are consistent in teach­ing this exercise, the dog will shortly drop to an automatic sit, with no verbal or physical guidance, as soon as your left foot comes to rest when you halt.

The next step in training is teaching the dog to “stay”. This exercise offers an excellent illustration of proper use of body motion in training, as well as the importance of consistency. Just as you conditioned the dog to move forward when you lead off with your left foot in heeling, it now is important that you m~ke a pomt of NOT stepping away with your left foot when leavmg the dog on a stay. Remember that the dog understands signals and body motion. If you now give him an unfamiliar command to "stay", and step forward on your left foot (your body motion is a signal to "heel") you will be contradicting yourself and confusing your dog.

With the dog sitting at heel, switch the lead to the left hand, place the open palm of your right hand in front of his face and give the command to "stay". Step forward on your right foot and pivot to a position facing the dog. The lead is switched from the right to the left hand because you want the dog conditioned to the use of the right hand for all signals except heeling. In early stages of teaching the dog to stay, stand immediately in front of and facing him so as to be close enough to make a correction when necessary. As he begins to understand what is required of him, gradually increase the distance between you and the dog until he will stay in position at the full length of the lead. Each time you work on this, the dog must remain sitting until you return to the heel position by walking around him counterclockwise and coming to a halt by his right side.

If the dog starts to get up or lie down, check him immediately with a sharp NO. Simultaneously, with a collar correction, position him on the original spot facing the same direction and repeat the command to "stay". Since you want the correction to apply only to the dog's failure to stay, do not repeat the command to "sit" unless he has moved from the original spot.

When the dog will stay for several minutes at the full length of the lead, he should be tested by applying a gentle, steady pulling on the lead. A dog who is reliable on stays will physically resist considerable pulling on the lead. When testing the dog this way, take care not to jerk the lead so that he does not feel he is being corrected. This is more than a simple test-it is part of the training. The need for correction when the dog is six feet away sannot be dealt with as quickly as it should be. Pulling on the lead not only test the dog’s realibility on stays, it is also creates an opportunity for correction at the most effective moment if he does yield to the pulling. Before the dog actually gets up, you will feel a slight slackening in the lead as he prepares to “break”. The instant you feel that slackening, check the dog’s intention with a sharp NO, followed by a repeat of the command to “stay”.

It is advisable to practice stays in the presence of distractions such as crowds of moving people, other animals or anything else which might cause the dog to break a stay. This will provide addi­tional opportunities for corrections and praise which are so vital in training.

When the dog will stay in the sit position, it is time to teach him to "down". Put the dog on a sit-stay and stand close in front of him, holding the lead in your left hand. As you give the command to "down", raise your right arm and bring it down in a straight sweeping motion as a corresponding signal. Bring your fingertips down firmly on the withers (between the shoulder blades) at the end of the armswing and press the dog down. A slight down­ward pull with the left hand on the lead, close to the collar, will assist in this. The dog must always go down when your fingertips press on his withers so that he thoroughly understands the meaning of this particular physical contact.

This frequently is a difficult exercise to teach since it is not un­common to encounter resistance on the part of the dog. Wrestling with him must be avoided since this will only increase his resistance and teach him nothing. The problem of resistance may be overcome in the following manner. As the dog resists the pressure of your right hand on his withers, drop the lead and reach behind his right foreleg with your left hand. Grasp his left foreleg and scoop both legs out from under him, guiding him down with continuing pressure of your right hand on his withers. When scooping the dog's legs out from under him, raise them slightly and bring them forward so that the dog goes down in a comfortable, stretched out position. This must be done quickly and smoothly, with only a single repeat of the, command, followed immediately by release and praise. Do not hold the dog down. If he gets up right away, go through the entire procedure until the dog understands that he' is to stay in that position until you release him. Take care not to use roughness in teaching this exercise. If the dog is knocked down or thrown off balance it will only increase his resistance and teach him nothing. more than wrestling will.

In order to facilitate teaching the down, you may train the dog to come up to a sit from the down position. Standing directly in front of the dog, put him down by command and signal, then give him the command to "sit". Simultaneously swing your right arm upward as a signal, tapping him smartly under the chin with your fingertips to emphasize the command signal.. You may assist the dog into a sit position with an upward jerk on the lead with your left hand.

Once the dog will drop automatically into the down position on command and signal, give the command and signal to stay as in the sit-stay exercise. Circle around the dog to the heel position before releasing him. The dog should not sit up as you come to the heel position until you give him the command to do so. Vary the length of time you stand at heel in practicing this exercise so the dog understands that he must wait for your command to sit. You may also test the dog for reliability on the down-stay by pulling on the lead in the same manner you tested him on the sit-stay.

When the dog will stay reliably in both sit and down positions, he is ready for the "recall". With the dog on a sit-stay, stand at the end of the lead, give the command "come", and with your right arm make a full-sweeping, beckoning motion. Simultaneously give a sharp jerk on the lead to start the dog in motion toward you. As soon as the dog starts toward you he must be liberally praised and encouraged to keep coming. If he seems unsure or reluctant, give another corrective jerk on the lead, repeat the com­mand and take a few steps backward. Encourage him. Keep his attention on you. Let him know that it pleases you to have him come to you. As he moves forward, encourage him to a position in front of you and tell him to sit. The dog may and should be corrected for not coming, but the instant he starts in your direction, he is doing what you want, and praise at this point is essential.

The lead must only be used for correction. It must not be used to pull or guide the dog in any way. If the dog starts moving off to the side or becomes interested in something other than coming to you, a sharp jerk on the lead will bring his attention and direction back to you more effectively than if you drag him in.

The recall is the most important of all control exercises. It is the basis of all off-lead control, in everyday life as well as in various types of obedience training. Correction and praise are of primary importance in teaching the recall since the dog must be absolutely dependable in his response to the command to "come". No correc­tions should be made for anything other than failure to come. For instance, if the dog is corrected for failure to sit straight during early stages of teaching the recall, he is liable to think he is being corrected for coming. He must be firmly corrected for every sign of inattention to the command, and he must be assured of the re­ward of honest praise for his direct and instant response to the command.

People often are misled into believing that they have successfully trained their dogs to do the recall with little or no trouble because their dogs have responded eagerly from the start. These same dogs, however, will often prove to be undependable under practical, everyday conditions. Their eager response in training and under controlled conditions may have left little opportunity for correction. They cannot actually be said to have been trained to do the recall. They do it because they like to, but are just as liable not to do it when they don't want to. To eliminate this eventuality you must create situations in training which will cause the dog to make errors, giving you the opportunity for firm correction. You will need to work with a longer lead to give you more working room. A piece of clothesline or nylon cord, 15-20 ft. long will do. Have someone else stand nearby, put the dog on a sit-stay, go to the end of the line and face him. Just after you give the command to "come" and the dog has started toward you, have the other person call the dog. As Soon as his attention is drawn to the other person, give him a very sharp correction with the lead and a harsh single repeat of the command, followed by praise and encouragement as he recovers and comes toward you.

You might also practice in areas where there are other animals or children at play. Use any device you can to make the dog make a mistake in practicing the recall, giving you frequent reason to correct him. The more conscientiously you pursue this approach to teaching the recall, the more dependable your dog will be. Your reward will be well worth the effort when you know that you have a dog who will come instantly, under any circumstances, when he is called.

Before seeking or creating opportunities for correction, be certain the dog understands what his response to the command should be. Be especially attentive to the importance of giving praise proportionate to each correction.

Once the dog responds dependably to the "come" command he may be trained to sit correctly in front of you. The return-to-heel or finish of the recall exercise is taught separately, and only after the dog knows the recall itself. The dog may return to heel in either of two ways. He may swing around to the left into the heel position or pass to your right and circle behind you to the heel position on the left.

To teach the former, hold the lead in your left hand,· close to the collar. Give the command to "heel" and a jerk on the lead as you take one step backward. As the dog starts to pass on your left, move forward one step, repeating the command to "heel" and the collar correction. This will bring the dog around to the heel position. Then give the command to sit. To teach the alternate method, hold the shortened lead in your right hand. Give the heel command as you step back and, with a jerk on the lead, bring the dog around your right side. Exchange the lead from the right to the left hand behind your back. Step forward and, with another jerk on the lead, bring the dog around to the heel position where you will have him sit. The body motions of stepping backward and forward are only to facilitate the training and should be elimi­nated as soon as the dog understands what is expected of him. Because of the relative complexity of teaching this exercise, it is necessary to use three commands as well as extra body motion­"heel" -step back, "heel" -step forward, "sit". When the dog un­derstands what is required of him, eliminate all body motion. Re­turn to use of a slack lead so that the collar corrections may be made if the dog does not respond to a single command to "heel".

These are the basic control exercises which constitute the mini­mum training any dog should have before starting on tracking.

Retrieving is not a necessary prerequisite for teaching practical tracking. It is, however, very useful in training for an A.K.C. track­ing test where a relatively small article must be designated by the dog to complete the test successfully. A dog trai~ed to retrieve may en joy the advantage of additional incentive in tracking once he learns that he will retrieve an article at the end of every track. Retrieving is a relatively simple exercise when taught properly.

The mistake most commonly made in teaching the retrieve is forcing the dog to take or pick up a specific article such as a dumbbell. Although the dog eventually will be required to pick up specific articles, this should not be introduced until after he is proficient at retrieving random articles. Force retrieving should not be neces­sary for an average, sound dog. It is a training method apart which should not be .attempted except under direction of an experienced instructor.

Play retrieving is very effective as long as it remains a game in which the dog is encouraged to go after a tossed object. Retriev­ing is natural to a sound, stable dog. Any healthy puppy will chase a moving object. When he knows he will be praised and the object will be thrown for him to chase again when he returns it to his handler, he will do so for pure love of the game. This has been proven in the Army Bio-Sensor Research program where many pllp­pies of various breeds retrieve at the age of seven weeks. Once the retrieving game is well established, the formalities of obedience commands may be worked in gradually and specific articles intro­duced as objects of the chase. Play retrieving may be introduced any time before or during other training, but the formalities of doing it as an exercise must not be introduced until after the dog has been trained to do the recall.

There are certain aspects of this approach to training which are of sufficient importance that they must be re-emphasized.

Look for and welcome situations requiring corrections in training and practice. Take full advantage of them to reinforce your train­ing. For example, if your dog is heeling wide, exaggerate his error by stepping away from him rather than closer to him, thereby creat­ing the opportunity for a more effective correction. If the dog is crowding you, walk into him rather than away from him. If he is lagging, speed up rather than slow down. If he is forging, slow down rather than speed up. Never adapt yourself to the dog in order to compensate for a mistake on his part. The dog must make mistakes and be corrected for them in order to learn. Bear in mind the importance of praise immediately following every correction. A balanced pattern of meaningful correction followed by rewarding praise strengthens the dog's understanding of what is required of him.

By our intellectual standards, the dog has a relatively simple mind and learns through a process of doing exercises over and over again. Repetition must be wisely handled in training. In repeating commands and signals, care must be taken that the be single repetitions accompanied by single corrections, as needed, m the course of prac­ticing an entire exercise. Constant repetition of commands which amount to nagging, or signals which amount to nothing more than random arm-wavings, soon lose all effectiveness and meaning to the dog. Practice of any exercise should consist of a regularly fol­lowed series of single commands, signals and body motions, with corrections when necessary. This, of course, applies to practice of formal exercises and is by no means meant to contradict the in­formal approach to practical training and communication recom­mended earlier. Practice sessions should last no more than 15 to 20 minutes and should include a variety of exercises. These sessions should be conducted in good humor and cut short if you feel you are losing patience.

Consistency is of vital importance in training. If you teach an exercise one way today and another way" tomorrow, or neglect to use the same command and signal for any single act you are teach­ing, the dog will become confused. Overcoming such confusion will take much longer than if you are absolutely consistent right from the beginning.

It will be noted that no recommendation is made for the use of mechanical devices in any aspect of training. To train the average dog it is not necessary to use anything other than the collar and lead, your voice, hands and body motion. Mechanical devices or other "gimmicks" may be useful in handling certain problem dogs, but they confuse the real purpose of training a sound, stable dog. Part of the reason for training is the establishment of communica­tion with the dog as a means of control. Since you must eventually rely solely upon verbal commands and signals, it is logical to start that way and rely upon them during all training. The use of un­necessary mechanical devices often tends to create other training problems as the dog must eventually learn to work without them.

Any basic training program must be logically planned and fol­lowed. Each exercise must have as its foundation what has been taught previously. Each exercise must lead directly into what is to be taught next. This approach produces a smooth progression of training which is less confusing to the dog and enhances his willingness to learn.

In a tracking dog you want a companion who accepts control as a natural way of life, a dog who has a well-developed will to please, to learn and to work. These are qualities which may only be developed through patient and intelligent basic training.

The dog sitting correctly

The dog sitting correctly

The dog sitting correctly

The dog sitting correctly

The dog sitting correctly