by Kay Green

Tally-Ho: July/August 1984

This article concludes a mini-series on Problem-Solving Techniques, In Parts I, II, IIl, and IV of this series the following subjects were covered: dog and self-observation, knowing what is right for you and your dog, being open-minded, developing a sense of timing, arranging to have someone else observe you and your dog work to help solve problems, the importance of footwork, the down-stay, getting the most out of fun matches, and a detailed discussion of the different kinds of training equipment. In this article I will complete this series with a few examples of different problems that have been solved using many of these techniques. Understanding how these principles can be tied together can make their incorporation into your own training program easier to comprehend.

Problem-Solving Examples

The first example that comes to my mind of the use of some of the problem-solving techniques discussed in this miniseries involves my current Utility basset, Boogie. Boogie is a very soft and extremely sensitive dog who does not handle any kind of collar correction or collar stimulation at all well. The very best correction (if correction is needed at all) for this particular dog is a calm and matter-of-fact voice correction of "No, Boogie." Anything stronger than that and Boogie drops his head and tail and does a truly outstanding and heartrending performance of "Death of a Salesman."

Boogie learned most of the Utility exercises rather quickly, but he was having a hard time understanding the jumping portion of the directed jumping exercise. (For those of you who are not familiar with the directed jumping utility exercise, refer to the American Kennel Club's pamphlet on obedience regulations.) He learned the go out (or send away) part of this exercise very quickly, and only had a little difficulty learning the turn and sit. Boogie's biggest problem was that he just couldn't understand that in order to do the exercise correctly, he must jump in the direction I indicated. Boogie knew that he was supposed to jump, but he thought that the right jump to take was the one that he looked at right after I gave him a jump command. He just couldn't seem to connect that the arm that I extended was related to the direction that he was, supposed to take. As long as I was standing right in front of (or at least very close to) the jump, then he understood. It was when I was standing in the middle between the jumps that he became confused.

I taught Boogie the directed jumping by using the conventional training method of having him sit right in front of the jump, with one on the opposite side facing him, when giving the command and signal. Slowly, over the months, I started moving him and myself closer to the center, between both jumps. It became obvious to me after quite a while that Boogie simply wasn't learning this exercise. However, since I didn't have an alternative training method that I thought he could tolerate, and since he wasn't having a confidence or attitude problem, I decided to continue using this technique while I tried to figure out what to do next.

I had many knowledgeable people observe Boogie and me work to see if this confusion had anything to do with my timing or the way I was giving my commands and signals. I tried changing my signals and slowing them down to see if that might be the answer. It wasn't. Several people suggested that I go out and jerk him over the correct jump each time he made a mistake. One person even recommended that I tie a long-line (thin nylon cord about 20 to 30 feet long) to Boogie's collar and have someone hold the other end on the opposite side of the jump. Then, when I would give Boogie the signal, that individual was to jerk him toward the right jump. It seemed like the only answer anyone had to Boogie's problem was to correct him physically.

I thought about all the suggestions that I had received, but because I know this dog intimately, I knew that correction or stimulation would not make sense for Boogie, especially since Boogie was not being defiant, but merely confused. I decided that Boogie's real problem had to do with the training method that I was using to teach him the directed jumping. He simply could not learn by that conventional method. I finally sat down and thought about how this particular dog learns and realized that the exercises that he learned the quickest and enjoyed the most were the ones where he was prevented from making mistakes.

The scent discrimination exercise in Utility is one example of teaching an exercise by mistake-avoidance, instead of correction or stimulation. In the learning phase of this exercise, all of the articles are tied down to a piece of peg board, or rubber mat, and only the one with the handler's scent on it is left loose. The dog can only pick up and return the correct article and cannot therefore make a mistake.

With this insight, I decided to apply the same learning principles of mistake-avoidance to the directed jumping. I accomplished this by putting a barrier in front of the wrong jump. I used a different barrier for each training session so that Boogie would not become used to seeing any particular one. The barriers I used were chairs, a bed sheet (draped over the jump standards), and a baby gate.

The first time Boogie ran to the wrong jump, after I started using the barrier, he suddenly stopped and stood there looking at it. I stood where I was, still holding my hand out toward the correct jump, and let him think about what had just happened. I then slowly walked over to him (with my hand still held out toward the correct jump) and verbally encouraged him to jump the right one. The next time I gave Boogie the direction to jump, he looked at both jumps (saw the barrier) and then took the correct jump. Boogie never again ran to the jump with the barrier in front of it.

The barrier was moved each time after Boogie jumped (behind his back) by a helper so that he never took the same jump twice in a row. I also decided to drop the verbal command and only use the hand signal. I really wanted to emphasize to Boogie that my hand and arm were what he was to focus on and not my voice.

Since dogs learn by repetition, I wanted Boogie to have several weeks to practice the directed jumping with the barrier in place before starting to wean him away from it. After a while, I saw that he was starting to look at my hand signal first before he looked at the jumps. I knew he was finally ready to start the weaning process.

At the training sessions that I had decided in advance would be the start of the weaning process, I jumped him once with the barrier in place. I then had my helper remove it (behind Boogie's back) and stand to one side of the wrong jump with the barrier held behind her back. I decided to use a bed sheet from here on out because it was easier for my helper to handle. When I gave Boogie the hand signal to jump he looked at the correct jump and then jumped it. However, the next time that I gave Boogie the direction to jump, he looked at the correct jump, and then checked out the wrong one and saw that the barrier was gone. He ran toward the wrong jump, but before he could get there my helper had replaced the barrier and he was unable to jump. Boogie stopped and stood there looking at the barrier and then looked at me and saw me still standing there with my hand held out toward the correct jump. It took him only a moment before he ran (at top speed) and jumped the correct jump. I was extremely pleased with his behavior, because I saw him actually start to think and work out the problem for himself.

I remember the day when it all finally came together for Boogie and he really understood the directed jumping. He was so excited about his revelation that he kept running over to the jumps trying to tell me that he wanted to do that exercise next. When we were finally ready to work on that exercise, Boogie ran at top speed on the go out, turned and immediately sat, and when I gave him the direction to jump, he confidently took the correct jump without once looking to see if the barrier was on the wrong jump. Boogie was so proud of himself and was having so much fun that I knew that I had made the right decision to use mistake-avoidance instead of correction or stimulation to train him.

This example of problem-solving illustrates how combining several techniques can help you when the dog develops a learning problem. The techniques used in this case were knowing the dog, making sure of your timing, having others observe you and the dog work, being open-minded, and designing your own training method for the dog when nothing else seems appropriate.

Another example of the problem-solving techniques that I have described can be seen in one of any husband's tracking dogs, Bounder. Between us, Craig and I have jointly trained nine tracking dogs to their titles (all but one were bassets) with one earning a TDX. Over the years we have created our own basic training program that seems to work well for us and our hounds. However, each one of the dogs that we trained was trained differently within that basic framework. As with people, dogs are individuals with different training needs, different time tables, and different talents. When we first started teaching Bounder to track, it became apparent right from the beginning that he needed to be trained five days a week. Many dogs, especially hounds, can only tolerate being worked a few times a week, because they will become bored if worked more often. Bounder needed the frequent repetition in the early learning stages of tracking in order to build a strong, sound basic knowledge of how to problem-solve for himself during tracking. We like to get the dogs through the early learning phases of tracking quickly because it is so repetitive and boring for them as well as for us. As soon as the dog is doing aged, full-length tracks with multiple turns, we then limit ourselves to working only once or twice a week. Depending upon the talent of the dog that we are training, the average length of this intensive learning phase is about four weeks. Bounder needed the extra days each week to build a good strong background in the basics. He was learning how to learn! Since he has achieved that level of expertise he has been able to handle just about anything that we throw him and earned his TD in October, 1983. In fact, Bounder is currently in TDX training and is handling the increased difficulty quite well.

We know that the day would come when he would let us know that he was ready for a less rigorous regime. Many people miss the first small signs that their tracking dog needs a change in the normal routine. It is extremely critical that a tracking trainer know his dog, and learn to read his every mannerism early enough to head off a severe problem. As every tracking trainer knows, the biggest problem that a tracking dog can have is lack of motivation. Usually, a dog will give small subtle signs that something is wrong long before he decides that the sport is no longer fun and stops tracking. However, many trainers (especially those new to the sport) miss these signs and only realize that there is a problem when the dog refuses to track altogether.

In other areas of dog training and exhibiting such as conformation and obedience, a dog can be made to perform. Motivation is important, but not critical. However, a dog cannot be physically forced to track if he does not want to. When a dog develops a negative attitude toward tracking, it takes far more work, time, ingenuity, and energy to build the motivation in the dog again than it would have to alter the training program when the first signs appeared. So using problem-solving techniques in tracking can really be a critical part of a successful tracking team.

Bounder had been on his five-day-a-week program for about a month. Each time that we took him out to track we both watched his every move. We noted if he got a good strong start, the way he held his head and tail, whether he galloped or walked his track, and his basic attitude. Generally, Bounder tracked very well, ignoring distractions such as horses, people, and fresh animal spoor. We were waiting for him to tell us that he was ready to reduce the number of times he tracked each week. Because Craig and I practice intense dog and self-observation during tracking, we were ready for Bounder's sign. It came one day when he was about thirty yards from the end of his track. He suddenly stopped tracking and stuck his nose down a critter hole. Craig told him to "get busy and track on," which he did. However, we both knew that he had very clearly told us it was time to back off. We gave Bounder more than a week off and then took him out again. We made his track more difficult than usual by throwing in obstacles, hills, extra turns and more age. Bounder needed his time off, but he was glad to get back to tracking again and enjoyed the new challenges. Craig and I knew that if Bounder had continued at the same training intensity (after his first sign) within a very short time his diminishing motivation would have been more obvious until finally he would have lost interest altogether and stopped tracking.

Another example that comes to my mind involves a basset named Molly. Molly was given to my friend Jane after she (Molly) was spayed by her breeder because of pyometra during pregnancy. Jane was given Molly with the understanding that she was to put a Companion Dog (C.D.) title on her. As it turned out, however, Jane decided that she really did not enjoy obedience training and asked me if I knew someone who would be willing to train Molly to her title. As it happens, I have a very good friend (Dottie) who, being new to the sport of obedience, was interested in furthering her knowledge by working with a difficult-to-train dog. Dottie agreed to train and exhibit Molly as long as I would be there to give moral support and ideas. Bassets are not easy to train, and Molly is no exception. In fact, she is low-energy and passive-resistant. Molly has a truly lovely, outgoing basset temperament and is extremely intelligent, but she is certainly not the most willing hound that I have ever encountered.

Molly was initially trained on the dead ring of the nylon choke collar using food training. Because Molly is not the most willing of subjects to begin with, it was important to have a good, happy foundation in beginning obedience so that she had fun and enjoyed herself. Also, Dottie took Molly and her own dog to classes together. Molly learned that she had to wait her turn to work and that obedience was a very special time when she got Dottie's complete attention. Molly could work well when she felt like it. The only problem was that she didn't always feel like working, especially if the temperature was over thirty degrees. Molly was always happy and always had a gay tail, but her accuracy really left a lot to be desired.

After about a year of training, when we were sure that Molly really understood all the Novice exercises, it was time to impress upon her that she needed to clean up her act a bit. Molly will never be a competition dog because of her basic nature, but she certainly is capable working better than she was. Dottie's goal with Molly is to be successful with her. Successful does not mean High-in-Trial or even class placements, but it does mean that Molly should work to her full capability with a happy attitude (including a gay tail).

We put a large metal choke collar (with a leather lead attached to the live ring) and a thin metal choke collar (with another leather lead attached to the live ring) on Molly. While Dottie was heeling Molly, she used the lead attached to the large metal choke collar to stimulate her to heel better, and to do more accurate about-turns. The thin metal choke collar (with the other lead attached to it) was used to clean up Molly's sits--which were slow and sloppy. Molly's eyes widened under this new method, but she did not drop her head or tail. She had had a year of obedience with lots of guidance, praise and food (which she would kill for) and genuinely enjoyed obedience--her way. While Molly learned to like obedience, she definitely did not like being corrected or stimulated, but accepted it. This very low-energy, resistant basset would never have tolerated this approach during the learning phase of obedience training and would probably have found a way to get even with Dottie. However, by giving her the opportunity to learn the Novice exercises thoroughly before she was stimulated and corrected, she accepted them goodnaturedly. It was also interesting to note that before Dottie started correcting for slow sits, Molly usually went down at least once during the sit stay exercise. Since her sits at heel have improved, so has her sit stay.

Another area in which Molly was resisting was the stand for examination. She didn't mind being examined, but thought standing longer than a moment was asking too much. Molly would only stand for a short time before she would look Dottie right in the eye and sit down. We solved that little problem by using two two-inch-wide masking tape rolls (still in their wrappers). Dottie placed each of Molly's rear feet in a tape roll and told her to stay. The first time Molly decided it was time to sit and moved her feet out of the tape rolls, I was there right behind her to put them right back. I gave each foot a good shake and told her "NO!" We only worked on this for about ten minutes, but that was all that was needed. Now, Molly no longer has a stand for examination problem and will remain standing until Dottie releases her.

Knowing the right equipment to use in training and the proper timing to use with it was extremely helpful in training Molly. Also, since this particular dog cannot tolerate even mild heat, she will be shown in the late fall and early winter shows when it is cold enough for her to be comfortable. Dottie has adapted and fitted a training program that is just right for Molly so that she can get this particular dog trained as well as allowing them both to enjoy the sport.

This last example illustrates how knowing your dog and having a good sense of timing can help you achieve your goal. Several years ago I trained and exhibited a wirehaired dachshund named Angus. Angus was a fun dog to train because he had lots of energy, was intelligent, very willing, and exuded confidence. He learned obedience quickly and truly loved the time we spent together in training. In fact, when I was getting everything ready to go to training class he would throw himself in front of the door so that I couldn't leave without taking him with me. When he was ready for Novice I entered him in several shows and was confident that we would both do well. However, one thing that I hadn't counted on was that he would get his feelings hurt when I acquired another dog. A few weeks before his first show I got another dog. Immediately, Angus became depressed and resentful and developed a poor attitude in training. Angus was capable of high-190s work, but the way he was acting I wasn't even sure that he would qualify. I was tempted to show him anyway and hoped that he would work up to his potential in the ring. I thought about it though, and decided to pull his entries and wait to show him until he decided to forgive me. It took that little stinker a year to forgive me and work for me again. As it turned out, it was the right decision for us both because he had one problem after another during that year. However, when I did show him his scores were almost always in the high 190s with all class placements. Angus was in many runoffs and rarely lost one, even beating a top-working golden (both their scores were 197). Angus worked so well that he placed second in the Delaney system breed competition for that year. I know if I had gone ahead and shown him while he was so upset with me that he would not have worked as well as he eventually did. A good sense of timing and really knowing and reading your dog can make a big difference in solving many problems.

I hope these few examples of problem-solving will give those of you who are interested in incorporating them into your own training program a clearer idea of their real value. I feel that not only is problem-solving a very effective way to train a dog in any sport, but these techniques can allow you to use your own creativity. Please don't think that I look forward to finding problems to solve, because I don't. It would be nice, just once, to completely train a dog to the titles of Champion, Utility Dog, and Tracking Dog Excellent without encountering one problem. However, since dogs (as well as their trainers) are not infallible, there are always going to be problems of one kind or another. You no longer need to be overwhelmed when a problem arises. In fact, you can learn to be extremely sensitive to any small sign that something is not quite right, and be prepared with your problem-solving tools. This sport can be a truly creative experience for those of you who invest the time and energy to make it that way.

Happy training to you!