by Kay Green

Tally-Ho: January/February 1984

In Part I of this series, I discussed such topics as: dog and self observation, knowing what is right for you and your dog, being open-minded, developing a sense of timing, and arranging to have someone else observe you and your dog work to help find those small problems. In this issue I will cover the importance of footwork, and how the down-stay can be used in problem-solving. In Part III of Problem-Solving Techniques, I will continue with how to get the most out of fun matches, and an in-depth discussion (with pictures) of the different kinds of training equipment and how to use it.

Footwork

Knowing the right footwork to use when working and exhibiting your dog in obedience is critical. This is especially true for the short-legged dogs who view feet swinging around so close to their faces as threatening. I have seen it make all the difference in the world in runoffs for class placements and high in trial. When you combine proper timing, coordination, consistency and footwork then you have come a long way in the training and preparation of yourself for exhibiting your dog. Even if you do not have a top competition prospect, the more you work on yourself and develop consistency the better your scores will be. I feel good when I have given my all to a particular dog and then have him realize his full potential in the ring, even if that potential does not mean that he will win or place in his class. Many dogs who find their way to obedience classes are those with problems that their owners feel desperate enough about to spend the money and time to try to solve. Often (as it was in my case), somewhere along the way they begin to enjoy training their dog and decide that perhaps they, too, could earn a title. Remember, the people in the ring holding the green qualifying ribbons are just as much winners as the ones also holding the placement ribbons. I still feet pride and a deep sense of satisfaction from training and exhibiting the difficult breeds and problem dogs, because I find that they keep me on my toes and that I learn more from these kinds of dogs than from the ones that take less effort to train and win with. I'm not saying that I don't like to win, because I do and have done my share of it.

Whether a dog heels smoothly and correctly can depend upon the dog's perception of his handler's footwork. Usually, the top exhibitors in any area are the ones who have worked on and refined this part of training. It isn't enough merely to train your dog in obedience; you also need to work on yourself. After all, you and your dog are a team and each of you contributes to the overall performance in the ring. The best and smoothest dog-handler teams are usually the ones who have experimented with different kinds of footwork until they have found the best patterns for themselves. After discovering the best way to present their dog, most of these exhibitors then spend hours working on and perfecting their own timing, coordination, consistency and footwork.

Some dogs are so sensitive to their handler's footwork that special modifications are needed in order to achieve the maximum results. However, the majority of basset hounds and other short-legged dogs that I have worked with and trained seem to respond well to the footwork that I will present in this section.

With all footwork it is important to remember that when the judge calls for a right turn, left turn, about turn, fast, slow, or halt, you may take a step or two in order to be on the right foot for your response. It does not mean that you may take four or five steps before you respond, nor does it mean that you have to respond so quickly that you cannot do it smoothly. For example, when given the fast or slow command you can take a couple of steps to glide into and out of that part of heeling. When given a halt command, take the extra step needed so that you stop on the same foot each and every time.

The right turns, left turns and about turns that I will illustrate here have worked well for me. However, you may need to experiment with variations before you find just the right pattern that suits both you and your dog. My suggestions for specific footwork are described below. If these instructions sound confusing when you read them, have someone else read them aloud while you go through the various steps. It worked for Arthur Murray!

When doing the right turn, cross your right foot with your left foot, thus making a "T, " then move your right foot one half step into the right turn and then continue with your normal walking pace. See pictures for an illustration.

When executing the left turn, cross your left foot with your right foot to make a "T" and then take a half step with your left foot in the left turn direction and then continue on with normal heeling. See pictures for an illustration.

Some people like to pivot on their planted left foot and swing their right leg around to the left. However, this usually works better for the longer-legged dogs. For severe bumping problems, many people like to swing their right foot around and bump the dog on the shoulder with the inside of their foot. Another method that I like to use is to hold a piece of food in my left hand at my side, so that my dog is watching the food and is staying in the correct heel position. I have found that if the dog is paying attention to you on this exercise and watching you, and if the timing of your footwork is correct, you usually don't need to bump him out of the way.

When doing an about turn, cross your right foot with your left one to make a "T" just like the first part of the right turn. However, this time you will turn your right foot 180 degrees so that the heel of your right foot is now making the "T" intead of your right toes. Then take a half step with your left foot so that the arch of your left foot is right at the ball of your right foot and then continue with your normal heeling pace. See pictures for an illustration.

When teaching the halt, experiment with stopping first on your left foot and then on your right foot to see if it makes a difference to your dog. Usually, if you stop on your right foot while bringing your left foot up, the dog will respond better than the other way around. However, no matter which foot you stop on, it usually helps if you make your last step a bit slower than normal, This gives the dog a subtle clue that you are preparing to stop, This is not considered cheating, just good handling. The American Kennel Club does not stipulate in its rules that you must do military heeling, and in fact a lack of natural smoothness is supposed to be penalized. If you want to see just how your dog perceives your footwork, then have someone be the handler and you be the dog by taking their arm. I think you will see how difficult it is for the dog to work smoothly with abrupt footwork. I usually do this demonstration in beginners' obedience class where an individual is having difficulty understanding how his footwork is affecting his dog's performance. I start out heeling with these individuals just the way they heel with their dog--with no warning of changes of pace or direction. Then I heel them using my own footwork and timing so that they can see how much easier and smoother it is to walk and do turns and halts with the proper footwork. For those of you who are not completely satisfied with your own footwork, try this little exercise so you can see the areas in which you can improve.

As I mentioned in an earlier section of this article, it is important to most dogs that their handlers walk in a straight line. If you are at an inside show with mats, simply pick a line on the mat, or if two mats are used side-by-side, try walking down the center where both mats meet. Do remember to allow plenty of room on the mat for your dog; after all he isn't wearing tennis shoes. Having something to focus on will help you to keep from weaving and bumping into your dog. If you are at an outside show or a show where there are no mats, then pick up something on the wall or ring railing to aim at and do not take your eyes off that target. I also do this for the recall exercise so that when I get across the ring and turn to face my dog I'm not at an angle to him (thus making it harder for him to find the front position).

Another small detail that could make a big difference to your short-legged dog in training and exhibiting is the kind of clothes and shoes you wear. Hiking boots, wooden clogs, and high heels are not only dangerous to your dog (if you accidentally step on him), but they are also too clumsy for smooth heeling. Many trainers wear tennis shoes in which to train and exhibit, However, since I like to dress up when exhibiting my dogs, I wear a leather shoe with rubber wedge soles. I have an old pair I train in and a good pair I save just to exhibit in. I find that the wedge sole heels make it easier for me to walk flat-footed, thus avoiding accidentally kicking my dog in the face.

For women, I also do not recommend wearing a skirt while training or exhibiting your basset hound. The hem usually hits the dog right at eye level, and the flapping of your skirt in his face usually causes the dog to swing wide and lag. Large bell-bottom pants have a tendency to flap in the dog's face, causing the same kind of heeling problem. A dress also makes it harder for a dog to find the front position on the recall exercise, and may cause him to sit out of reach to avoid being hit in the face by the hem.

One last point on footwork to remember while working with the shortlegged dogs is that they were not built to spring suddenly from the sit-at-heel position into heeling if their handier is taking a "Gulliver" size step. Any time you go from a halt to heeling take a half step to start with and then go into your normal heeling pace. When you start heeling and when you come out of the turns, the half step just may save you several point deductions.

Down-stay

The down-stay exercise is probably one of the most useful and versatile obedience exercises that you can teach your dog. When taught and used properly, you can use it to control and calm a hyper dog, as well as to expose a low-energy dog to the distractions at dog shows. This approach allows him to rest before he is exhibited in either the obedience or the conformation ring. Pet owners can use it to control a hyper dog in the house so that the family can enjoy his company without his uncontrollable behavior. There seems to be a vicious circle that follows the hyper dog in a family setting. The dog can't come in the house because he is so wild that he knocks down furniture and small children. So, the dog is left outside and isolated from the family, until occasionally he is allowed in to see if he has magically learned to be a "good dog." Because he is so excited at finally being able to come in the house and be with the family, he literally bounces off the walls, furniture, people, and toddlers. Because of this obnoxious behavior, he is then usually dragged unceremoniously outside again. I don't understand how it can be much fun to own a pet who can never come in the house and be part of the family. I often wonder why people buy and keep a dog as a pet only to have him live out his life isolated in the back yard.

Like many people who teach their dog the down-stay, I used to use it only at shows. I will admit that on occasion I did find that it came in handy when I was watching TV in bed, and my dog Brandy decided to stand up right in front of me during an exciting part of a show. I would either tell him "DOWN!" or give him a Utility hand drop signal, thus avoiding movement of my lazy bones out of the prone position. It was Sally Terroux who taught me how valuable a problem-solving tool the down-stay can really be, and the best way to use it. In this section I will give examples of its many uses and then go into detail on the type of correction to reinforce it.

Sally uses the down-stay exercise at shows to control and calm her flat-coated retriever special before he goes into the group ring. She puts him on a down-stay at least 30 to 60 minutes before she takes him into the ring. If she were to take him out of his crate and then directly into the ring, she would have a very excited and out-of-control dog on the end of the lead. That type of behavior does not impress judges in the group ring! Sally, or one of the people who works for her, sits with him at ringside so that he is exposed to all the excitement and stimulus and can become desensitized. Because the dog is not bouncing around and straining at his lead for that long period of time, but actually resting quietly, he is fresh and rested when it is time for him to be shown.

When I was having trouble with Brandy in Utility at shows, Sally taught me how valuable the down-stay can be for the low-energy dogs as well. I had experimented using several different pre-exhibiting approaches so that Brandy would be "up" when it was his turn to go into the ring. One approach I tried was to crate him until just before we went into the ring. That approach only made him mad at being left by himself and so therefore he was more than slightly annoyed with me when we entered the ring. Brandy was always a very creative dog who was quite fond of finding new ways to get even with me. His favorite place to do that was in the ring!

I also tried having him with me while I sat at ring side waiting for our turn. This approach didn't work very well either, because he was so comfortable that he resented being disturbed. After all, he was able to be close to me without having to do anything in return for my companionship. When I got up to get us ready to go into the ring, he was mad at me for disturbing him.

Sally recommended that I have my husband Craig sit with Brandy on a down-stay at ring side at least 30 minutes before we were to exhibit. Craig had instructions that neither he nor anyone else was allowed to pet Brandy or pay any attention to him at all. I was to be somewhere out of sight of him until just before it was our turn in the ring. Then, I would suddenly appear from out of nowhere and rescue Brandy from boredom, As I made my way quickly to the ring, I would tell him to "Heel" and then give him a piece of liver. We would then arrive at ringside rested, refreshed, bored, and ready to do something. This was the only pre-exhibiting approach that I found that Brandy responded to in a positive manner. If it were not for this technique, I don't think he ever would have earned his U.D. title.

My friend Barbara spent many frustrating years training and showing her Beligian tervuren Josh. Barbara had her work cut out for her, as Josh was spooky and particularly afraid of men. Being in a building in close quarters with all those people (many of them men) was just too much for this dog to handle. Barbara also experimented with many pre-exhibiting approaches and found that Josh was calmer and more under control when he had spent several hours in a building before he was shown. Barbara usually put him on a down-stay, but would pet him and allow others to pet him as well. She would frequently leave him in that position while I or another friend watched him as she either got her arm band, refreshments, or socialized. After learning from Sally about how down-stays work, I recommended to Barbara that she follow the same approach, but without leaving Josh. Leaving him caused him to become more insecure and anxious, which was counterproductive. After Barbara altered her pre-exhibiting approach, Josh appeared more confident when he was working, even occasionally under men judges. I'm not saying that Josh was never spooky again, just that he was better able to handle the stress of fear. His confidence was bolstered and he felt more secure when Barbara was holding his lead, sitting approximately four feet away from him, and never out of his sight. Josh was rested and had several hours to become accustomed to the show site as well as the assurance that his owner was there and would protect him. As you can see from the examples of Brandy and Josh, these two dogs required slightly different techniques.

The last example of the down-stay exercise involves a rescue Basset-Pit Bull mix named W.C. W.C. came into Basset Rescue at six weeks of age along with four of his litter mates. We were able to find good homes for most of the puppies and they appeared to have made a good adjustment--except for W.C. He was the largest, most dominant, insensitive, and active of the litter and I was not surprised when I got a call from his owners many months later, saying that they were having trouble controlling him, I of course recommended obedience training, and in particular the class that I worked in. Rick faithfully brought W.C. to class each week and worked hard at home on the new material. We could see progress over the weeks in W.C.'s behavior in class. However, Rick and his wife Petra were still having problems with him at home. He ran around the house at full speed and knocked over anything and everything that was in his way. He also had the annoying habit of jumping up on the kitchen table and counters and eating anything that didn't try to eat him first. Over the months, W.C. was relegated to the backyard and basement more and more. His owners loved him, but they were getting tired of having their house and life disrupted each time W.C. came into the family living area.

The older W. C. got, the bigger he got and the worse his behavior was until finally Rick and Petra came to the decision that if they couldn't learn to control him they would give him up. At this time I taught Rick and Petra how to use the down-stay in their everyday life. For example, on Sunday mornings the family liked to sit in the living room for a couple of hours and read the paper. They would put W.C. on a down-stay (on lead) about four feet away from either one. As they read the paper they could see him out of the corner of their eyes and could correct him if he got up. This had two benefits: first, the family got to enjoy their Sunday morning routine while still having their family pet with them. Second, after two hours on the down-stay, W.C. was desensitized to being in the house and when released, he was calmer. If at any time he became rowdy, he was put on the down-stay again.

Another time the down-stay came in handy was at 3:00 p.m. when the kids got out of school. W.C. used to turn into a wild maniac and bark and run wildly around the house or backyard. Petra got into the habit of putting W.C. on a down-stay a few minutes before 3:00 p.m. and correcting him if he barked or got up. Rick and Petra are now in control of their dog and can enjoy their family pet. Eventually, as W.C. matures, his behavior will become more acceptable with the need for fewer and fewer down-stays. However, they have this tool available any time W.C. starts to get out of control again.

Teaching the down-stay can be accomplished by any number of methods. Whether you use food or force to teach it, there will come a time after the dog has learned what stay means that he will break it and need to be corrected. After the dog knows the down stay, the most effective way to correct for a broken stay is to have the dog on lead on the live ring. Slowly walk over to the do , pick up the lead and hold the dog with his front feet off the ground while telling him "NO" six times in a very calm, bored and low energy voice. Do NOT run at the dog or grab at his collar or lead, because this will more than likely cause him to get up and run away, thus promoting insecurity and excitement instead of a calm and relaxed attitude. By slowly walking over to the dog, he has a chance to think about what he has done and to know that he is going to be corrected. No big deal; after all, you are not acting like an ax murderer. You are just bored that you have to spend the energy to correct him. Your attitude is very important, because the whole purpose of this exercise is to calm the dog down, and you can't do that if your adrenalin is pumping. The dog will respond in kind to whatever attitude and energy level you have at the time.

After you have corrected the dog, slowly lower him to the ground and tell him, "Down" and "Stay" and then slowly walk away. Do not praise him at this time. After the dog has been down for a few minutes then slowly walk back to him and tell him, "Good," and slowly and gently pet him in a rather complacent manner. Then return to where you were. If he breaks the down-stay again, repeat the process, except tell the dog "NO" twelve times instead of six, Increase the number of times you tell him "NO" by increments of six each and every time he breaks the down-stay during a training or problem-solving session. This correction method works so well that most people who have stay problems with their dogs will begin to see an increase in reliability for this exercise after only a few sessions.