MOTIVATOR

Which comes first - enthusiasm or control?
For those of you who have watched the thrilling spectacle of Agility (where dogs negotiate a course of up to 20 obstacles such as jumps, tunnels, ramps and planks, tyres and weave poles in the fastest time) or Flyball (where a dog jumps four low jumps, triggers a flyball box to catch a tennis ball, and returns back over the jumps to its handler) many of you may have wondered how the dogs were trained to run so fast and so accurately.  How were the dogs taught so that they showed such enthusiasm and eagerness to do the exercises?  How did the handler control the dog yet allow it to run with such speed and grace?  The answers to these questions can also be used in other dog sports and disciplines where enthusiasm and control are required, such as Dog-Games.  Let us explore them in some detail.