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Bounce builds on the exercises learnt in Recall and introduces the dog to jumping 8 inch/20cm high flyball jumps while doing a restrained recall. Handlers and trainers often notice a sharp increase in the dog's enthusiasm for these Games when it realises that it can jump as well as run back to its handler - and still be instantly rewarded with its favourite motivator. It is strongly recommended that Recall Aims and Recall Starters should be read and reread as the dog progresses through the Games to keep these fundamental lessons fresh in your memory. |
In addition to what the dog has already learnt in Recall, it also learns -
- Through trail and error (as before) that if the dog runs round a jump it will not be rewarded. It will NOT be punished - it will just not be given its motivator and the handler will not show any positive emotion to the dog. However, if the dog does jump the jumps it soon learns that it will always be rewarded with its motivator and will be praised with real positive emotions from its handler. It then chooses to run and jump as it has learnt by consistent training that it is the most rewarding action to do. Remember that the timing of the reward and doing the training in very small manageable steps helps the dog to understand what is expected of it.
The handler learns -
- Never to walk past a jump. If a dog sees their handler
walk around a jump it is quite justified in thinking it is also
allowed to - after all it is the quickest and easiest option!
The dog will also come to this conclusion if the handler (or box loader) has the dog on a
lead and walks it past a jump whilst returning to one end of the
lane or the other. Remember - always take the dog in a deep
wide curve so that the dog never finds itself walking near or past
a jump. If curving is not an option due to lack of space -
walk over the jumps with your dog.
- The importance of standing in the correct position so that the
dog's "sight line" to its handler is over the jumps. If a
handler stands to one side of the lane or the other, the dog is
then tempted to run past the jumps, as the jumps are no longer
between the dog and the handler.
- To carefully control their body movements (ie their hands,
arms, shoulders, torso, head, legs, feet, and the dog's motivator)
as they call their dog; wait for it to return; and as it nears
them, turn and run away (but not too soon). These unconscious
movements can be misinterpreted by the dog and cause it to swerve
past the jumps in its eagerness to get the motivator.
- That dogs are sensible animals and try to conserve the amount
of energy they need to use in order to get a reward. It is
far quicker and easier for a dog to run past a jump than to use
extra energy and jump over it. Therefore, the training and
reward have to be of high enough quality so that the dog is willing
to make that extra effort for the motivator.
- Most dogs enjoy the act of jumping so much that it becomes a
motivator and reward in itself. However, this excitement can
lead to higher levels of stress, so the
dog needs to learn to cope with this added excitement.
- As always, to finish each short training session (a maximum of 5 runs at a time) on a positive note - if the dog is unable to understand what you are trying to teach it, ask it to do something it is confident of doing instead (such as a sit, down etc). Then go away and think of how you can train the dog taking smaller steps in the training programme so that it can succeed in the next session.
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