Operant Conditioning for Training Dog

While I was in Florida I had an opportunity to watch a K9 demonstration where I was amazed at how much focus and, yes, control, this trainer had with his dog.

I had an opportunity to talk with the trainer (his dog was a rescue dog) about training styles (when these dogs are working, it is really the ultimate game for them, they are not mean animals). He told me two things: 1) the more he learns, the more he realizes how much he doesn't know and 2) he wished he had learned long ago about Operant Conditioning and dog training.

Here's a great starting place if you want to learn more about this type of training/behavior modification: http://shibashake.com/dog/operant-conditioning-and-dog-training.

Thank You to Wasatch Agility

The UDSAA trials at the Wasatch Agility Yard in Draper were a success!  A few of our dogs gained some much needed experience; a few of our dogs even earned qualifying runs (great job Bailey and Lee)!  Most of all, we learned a lot and had a great time.  Wasatch Agility was very kind to us and donated a tire jump and a dog walk to Zoomdog! Thank you and see you next time!

This post was contributed by Maria :-)

Amazing!

Those Border Collies :-)

Five Basic Motivators

According to Mike Stewart "In order to train any dog, you’ve got to know what your dog is willing to work for. Every dog is a bit different, even within breeds, so finding your dog’s favorite things is up to you. In this clip, Mike explains five basics that should be combined in different proportions depending on what you want in your finished dog. If you pay attention, you’ll also hear Mike mention something called a primary motivator or reinforcer. Here’s a quick primer on the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers."

Read the rest of his information here: http://outsidek9.com/tag/primary-reinforcers/

Clicker Training Terms

Want to impress your friends with some new vocabulary? Try some of these:

http://www.clickertraining.com/glossary

How Should People Behave Around an Assistance Dog?

I am constantly asked this question, so I thought I would share some information from the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) site with some tips to follow when meeting or approaching a working assistance dog and his / her partner:

• Do not touch the dog without first asking permission! This is a distraction for the dog and may prevent it from tending to it's human partner. Be sensitive to the fact that the dog is working and may be in the middle of a command from it's human partner. Most dogs must be given a "release" before they are allowed to interact with someone.
• Never feed the dog. Food is the ULTIMATE distraction to a working dog and can jeopardize the working assistance dog team.
• Speak to the person, not the dog. Most handlers love to talk about their dogs, but make sure they have time to talk with you.
• DO NOT whistle or make sounds to the dog as this, also, may provide a dangerous distraction.
• Never make assumptions about the individuals intelligence, feelings, or capabilities. Offers to help are appreciated, but ask first. Usually, the human/dog team can get the task done by themselves.
• Don't be afraid of the dog. These dogs have been professionally trained and have excellent manners. Always approach an assistance dog calmly and speak to their handler before touching or addressing the dog.

Educate your children about working dogs as well. Children love to come up and love a dog, but when they are working, this provides a distraction for a working dog.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

We all had some pretty tired pups after all the events at the animal fair. I hope that everyone had a good time and learned something new. Remember, we are always up for ideas for things to work on and workshops you may have interest in. We are very willing to work with team on anything specific to their needs. Thanks to all for participating!

This blog  post was contributed by Maria.

Big Thank You

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the vendors and participants for the first annual Animal Fair and PoochPalooza last Saturday at the Cache County Fairgrounds.

Vendors included:

• Cache Humane Society
• Zoomdog Ability and Sports Club
• Petsmart
• BATC Vet Tech Assistant Program
• Scentsy
• Paparrazi Jewlery
• Bridgerland Literacy
• Solavei Cell Phones
• Montour Designs
• Shelf Reliance
• Cache Valley Pet Hotel
• Pride dog Food
• Cafe Ibis
• Happy at Home Pet Care
• Utah Search dogs
• Norma Jeans BBQ
• Adele Purses
• Adina's Fresh Fruit Smoothies

The two day even brought a lot of fun activities to the Valley and we cannot wait until next year.

Schedule for Friday and Saturday Events at Animal Fair/PoochPalooza

Come and Test Your Skills

Come and test your skills in the PoochPalooza mini trial at the Animal Fair

The First Annual Animal Fair/PoochPalooza will be going on this Friday and Saturday (September 7 and 8) at the Cache County Fairgrounds, with mini trials on Saturday morning. There will be a beginner and intermediate course and the $15 fee ($10 for Zoomdog club members) includes two (2) runs. If you are new to the sport and just training, you may run your dog with a toy for no score. Spots are still available if you would like to run (email training@zoomdogagility.org). After the trial there will be a Gamblers Workshop. Come and learn how to gamble with your pup! We are also looking for dogs that can run the course in an exhibition demo run through during this event (Friday and Saturday). Come and have some good clean agility fun with us! Email Maria, or click on the link above, to sign up or get additional information.

Gamblers Course for Saturday September 8 Workshop

Alternate e-mail: maria.hansen@zoomdogagility.org

Blog post graciously prepared by Maria.

Animal Fair/PoochPalooza

Don't forget this Friday and Saturday is out first annual teaming with the Cache Humane Society for the Animal Fair and PoochPalooza.

Event starts at 11 a.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday. There will be an opportunity to practice with your dogs on Friday and then run some mini trials Saturday morning.

Lots of fun, food, games, and of course, our best friends.

See you there!