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Preparation For Obedience Tests

If instruction in all of the previous lessons has been carefully followed, the dog should be thoroughly trained in obedience and, if desired, can now be prepared for participation in obedience test competition. In order to do so, however, the exercises must be practised often, each time eliminating the repetition of commands and conspicuous signs. Repeated commands and too showy signs are considered by judges of too great assistance to the dog.

The well trained dog, in obedience test competitions, should work snappily with commands and signs not too apparent to the onlookers. True, this approaches mechanical routine, nevertheless it is the rule governing contests of the sort, hence has to be considered. Judges have quite some liberty, and opinions are by no means uniform.

Right at this point, before calling attention to the fact that in organized obedience test competition a choice must be made regarding one's method of directing the dog, let me explain more fully the reasons why, throughout all training, the dog needs the assistance of both signs and signals:

In the first place, he must be capable of serving both normal and handicapped persons. For example, the dog destined for the deaf mute will be expected to work by means of signs, while the dog destined for the sightless must be directed by command or the spoken word.

In the second place, in the more serious phases of trailing, as in tracking lost persons, malefactors and such, the dog must be schooled to recognize every type of encouragement and direction which might enable him to find his man! Where trailing in real life may mean, as it has so often meant in the past, the apprehension of criminals, even life or death to the quarry at the end of the road, the dog must be speeded to his mark by means of all possible aid that can be given him. His quality of receptiveness to his guide's direction must be developed. It can be developed in one way only: by providing the "raw" dog, from the very beginning, with every knownkind of assistance in order to make him understand exactly what is required of him,. Insofar as we can, we must make learning easy, not hard. We must help, not hinder, the dog for there may be much at stake when he is called upon to put his training to practical use in the service of mankind.

In obedience test procedure of the present day, which of course is more stereotyped than real-life training performance, the guide is permitted only one type of direction. He may employ signs or he may employ commands, but not both in the one exercise, else he will be penalized by the judge. This is why I have suggested in foregoing paragraphs the gradual elimination of repetitious commands and of too flamboyant signs. More, I would suggest, as preparation for obedience test competition the practise of each exercise, once it has been firmly inculcated in the dog's mind, with signs alone, or with commands alone, whichever appears advisable under existing circumstances

To prove it perfectly possible to have a satisfactory working dog that responds to few, almost invisible signs, let me mention that the performance of dogs belonging to a deaf mute pupil in one of my classes has attracted much comment in the newspapers. Serious concentration and regular practise can accomplish a great deal for every guide, especially those not handicapped as are the deaf and the sightless.

CHILDREN IN TRAINING CLASSES

Many requests for organizing and directing training classes for children have come to me from clubs since 1928, when I exhibited for the Shepherd Dog Club of New England the first children's class with trained Shepherd dogs in this country. The dogs, most of which were imported from Europe and possessed the true Shepherd dog character which is not desired over here, behaved very well, and no trouble occurred despite the fact that the children ranged in age from two to ten years. The dogs and their youthful guides went through their paces with not the slightest difficulty. All of the dogs of course had been trained by their adult owners, and under the supervision of the owners the children had practised under my direction for the exhibition.

Childrcn   in   dog   training   classes.

The above mentioned requests I refused because I believe that, though in many ways a recreation, dog training is work for adults. Children love play, not work! For this reason I append the following suggestions regarding exhibitions at shows or other public entertainments: Have the dogs trained by adults inasmuch as very few children understand the difference between work and play with a dog.

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