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Swim to Me
Transition The May issue of Everything Golden contained the article by Frank Plewa called “The Swim to Me Drill”. Originally, I had planned to run his “Advanced Swim to Me Drill” for June, but in corresponding with Frank, it seemed to me (and to Frank) that more should be written about the transition period needed before advancing. I feel that Frank has a lot to contribute both to those of you who do not wish to use a collar on your dog as well as to those of you who at sometime may wish to collar condition your dog (under guidance) and use a collar as a training tool. An e-collar should never be used to teach a dog and should only be used once the dog understands why it is being used. To quote Frank, “I concentrate on the beginner STM Drill to get the angled return so I can start on the angle entries. Keep in mind several other things are taking place during this process, either alone or concurrently----depends on the dog and the size of the brain involved. I don’t rush anything but do try to see where and how fast we go without doing any damage (creating bad habits). We have or are still learning/reinforcing the basic commands all along such as sit, come, heel, etc. We are learning fetch and hold commands – my non-force hold games or drills. We are starting basic drills like baseball, wagon wheel, pile work, etc. I am also doing my advanced obedience training, especially so I have the ability for solid recalls which is a must for starting angles and doing advanced STM. The above is not in any rigid order. As I have said, I do it by ‘feel’ based upon pups performance and behavior. If he is feeling pressure and showing it, we step back and work up again from a task already mastered. That is how we treat everything; build on success or the positive. I am not sure I fully understand the need for dogs to deal with pressure as the RTF (Retriever Trainers Forum) disciples preach, but I am sure they know what they are doing. And that is okay, I have my way and they have theirs. When I think of myself as a trainer, I think I have a drive to succeed and that is what I want in my dogs. Do they sometimes feel pressure? Of course they do. Hopefully at this point, I recognize it and back off and teach again falling back on a job well done in an earlier lesson. This is a game and none of the participants need to feel pressure, just a need to do your best for yourself and your dogs. I then start to teach the angled entries. If I have done my job and brought pup along at a pace he can deal with, he will master angles quicker than other dogs. Sounds self-serving but you have to be as confident as you want your dog to be. The angled entries (marks and sighted blinds) take weeks to do in most dogs. I make absolutely sure they have it before I even think about moving up.” The following is how Frank works on the basic commands. These need to be solid before working on the Swim to Me Drill.
THE BASIC COMMANDS “So what are the basic commands? These are commands that all dogs should know and perform with perfection at all times. They are collectively the commands that lay the foundation for everything that you teach your dogs throughout their lives. Without them, the road ahead will be very rocky. From my perspective, there are three basic commands: sit, come and no. Some may argue that other commands such as heel, stay, down or others should be included in this group. However, I believe that we build on all things from these three commands. The only thing you may teach pup prior to these commands will be his name. NO This command is pretty self-explanatory. It is what it is and must be immediately obeyed. As with other commands, overuse can lead to canine deafness especially directed at the handler that cannot control their mouth! Throughout pup’s life it will be used to stop undesirable behavior whether it is chewing the leg of the coffee table or breaking for a mark. The handler should instill in the dog that this command means stop what you are doing immediately. It should not be followed with negative reinforcement unless the behavior or the act continues. The command should be given in a firm tone, be properly timed and consistently reinforced if warranted. I also would stress the point that the opposite command “good” should be taught at the same time to allow pup to learn the difference between desirable and undesirable behavior or a job well done. That is, there must be positive reinforcement also.
THE SIT COMMAND The sit command can be taught just after or even during the period where pup is learning their name. I like to start teaching sit to my puppies as soon as they are comfortable with their new surroundings. You must remember that removing a pup from his mother and littermates can be a very traumatic experience and his new surroundings can be very scary at first. His comfort zone will be eliminated and it is up to you to create a new one before trying to teach him too much. This is also a very important time for you to bond with pup and emerge as the new alpha in his life. While pups are all different, this period is usually only a couple of days. Young pups usually have traits or habits that are very easy to take advantage of in teaching various commands. Most young pups will automatically sit to look up at you especially if you are holding something they desire or are curious about. Use this to your advantage in starting to teach the sit command. During the initial bonding and orientation period for pups, they will often cling to us. This factor can often work to teach the sit command.
TEACHING SIT Pups that hang close to our feet instinctively look up to see us, see what we have or see what we are doing. In doing so, they often sit without prompting to physically enable themselves to do so. If you use proper timing and are consistent, you can quickly teach the sit command when given along with a hand cue (open hand). Several repetitions several times a day will generally have pup sitting on command in no time. You can also add a soft whistle toot to this process. While this is a very easy way of initially teaching sit, jumping up on you or at you can be a by-product if proper timing is not taken. Be careful not to extend the time you have pup focusing upward or he will get impatient and jump up to get a look. Have the pup focusing upward just long enough to get pup to sit and quickly bring hands down to him to pet and lightly restrain him in the sit position while commanding “good sit” with some light petting. Don’t make the situation too exciting or you will have him bouncing around. If you are doing this from your knees, keep pup at bay from getting up on you by keeping hands in front to intercept his lunges and jumps. Gently push him back and say “off” at the same time. At this time, the only reinforcement that will be used to keep pup off will be to push him back. Later, negative reinforcement may be used to make it clear to pup that this is an undesirable act. For older pups or dogs that have developed a jumping up problem, I will use a light to moderate slap on the nose and a simultaneous command “off” to prevent jumping. A knee to the chest may also be employed. The knee to the chest is used as a blocking mechanism and is not intended to cause pain. Both are intended to be unpleasant responses to the dog to stop an undesirable habit. Both should be started gently and increased in severity if the behavior continues. The best medicine here is to start to familiarize pup with the word early and slowly teach him what is expected with the light tap. Now, to reinforce the sit command for a slow or non-response sit, insert a finger under the pup’s collar (I usually use a small collar on my pups making control easier) and gently push down on his rear. For larger pups, squeezing on the waist area with the thumb and index finger can be used. The amount of pressure is determined by the period of non-response. In all cases, a one word “sit” command is given at the appropriate time. As with all other commands, use single words and not sentences. It is also important to remember that we are asking for compliance and assisting with the response with gentle reinforcement. Later, as the pup develops we will demand immediate and quick compliance. Once the pup develops beyond this early learning stage, we will try to sharpen the response with leash work. When we are sure pup knows the command, we will start the leash work process. I have purposely not assigned any age or time frames to these processes as each pup and the learning curves are varied.
THE
COME COMMAND This is also one of the most important commands you will teach your dog as it may save his life. If your dog will not come to you, serious problems lie ahead in the field and at home. This is one of the easiest commands to teach your dog but unfortunately, I see it as one of the most neglected commands, especially with the novice trainer. In most cases, the dog will come but only under their terms because the trainer has not consistently reinforced adherence to the command. Failure to comply immediately will open up all types of opportunities for pup to develop a host of other bad habits. Many of the delivery problems we see are due to the lack of the handler having the dog come on command. Most of the time, this is due to lack of focus on the part of the handler by not paying attention to the dog and therefore, improper or lack of reinforcement. Once you have successfully introduced the pup to his new home and begun the bonding process, the come command can be taught. Once again, we are not looking for perfection with the young pup, but merely trying to begin pup associating the work and proper response. We should get pup to respond every time but we will help him focus and not demand it as yet. If pup wants to be with you, he will make teaching the come command easy. Puppies are very simple animals that want above all, food, fun, and love. Since you provide all three, this should be simple! I prefer not to use food as encouragement to perform but many folks like this method. I like my pups to think the world revolves around me and that I am the source of all fun.
TEACHING THE COME COMMAND This command starts out very simply. Because puppies generally respond to human excitement, we use this to get the desired response. In an excited but not alarming tone, we get pup’s attention and use a visual cue to get them to come. The best visual cue is to drop down to their level clapping hands, patting a thigh, or making that annoying kissing sound that we all make. For whatever reason, it usually is a puppy magnet. This is done at very short distances at first and a large helping of love is provided once pup arrives.
WORKING ON LEAD Slip leads versus a leash. The latter is generally a snap to be connected to a flat collar and used for leisurely walks, not for working situations. This is ideal for the young pup that has yet to learn control or the dog that has had at least some advanced obedience work. The leash is generally 4-6 feet in length and allows for more freedom than the slip lead or at least the type I am recommending. For working situations, use a short slip lead for maximum control of pup’s movement. I like the lead to be only slightly longer than it needs to be from my hand to pup in a standing position so this will vary with the age and size of the dog. Leads that are longer give the dog the ability to get momentum and leverage on you. This can create a tug of war situation that is generally an unpleasant experience and will detract from the task at hand. A short lead is preferable because it provides more control as it will restrict the dog’s momentum. By restricting the dog’s movement, you gain focus, which is very important in teaching various commands and positioning, as we will see. Think of it this way, if you need your dog to be on lead, such as in situations that are unsafe, you want them close to your side so you are in complete control. Our goal here should be to train the dog to remain at our side on command while off lead. This will be a new experience for pup and he may react negatively to having his movement controlled at first. So be gentle and try to calm him with some love (petting and verbal encouragement) to reassure him that he will be fine. We want pup to look forward to walks on the lead and be excited to see you with it so make is a pleasurable experience. Walk him around in familiar surroundings until he is comfortable and do not impose too much control at first. Gentle jerks on the lead when he pulls will be enough to rein him in at first. Even let him drag the leash around in safe surroundings just to get used to it. My training methods are really done by “feel” and I do not have any real cookbook approach, as I believe that all dogs are different with their own little behaviors and little buttons to push. Knowing what buttons to push and when is the trick. I like to think that I am good at reading dogs and figuring out what makes them tick. I prefer to start with puppies as they usually have few if any learned bad habits yet. I believe this method (Amish—non-collar) works best with the very young dog and a handler who is dedicated to do what it takes to get the job done. It really does not take the shoe leather as much as the collar folks would lead you to believe, especially when you have done a few and have a system or approach to diagnose how pup thinks. I strongly believe that dogs are among the most habitual creatures on the planet and understanding how they think about things is paramount. I have a very strong biological background and maybe that is what helps me through all of this. Dogs develop strong habits (good or bad) and are very comfortable in that world. Change something and they can react with a negative behavior. They like to get up at the same time, eat at the same time, eat the same thing, exercise, play, etc. They also do not like the furniture moved either! Their habits are their comfort zone and if humans would take advantage of this, they would find dogs easy to train! The dog at my feet under the computer now does not like my feet to be in his way so he can lay under me! He is very annoyed if he cannot lie at my feet in exactly the same place every time. If I have an approach, it is the following in a nutshell: I strive to develop a strong obedience foundation and I address problems only as they occur. I do not anticipate or plan for them as a lot tend to do. Strong obedience foundations teach pups to focus. These learned behaviors allow pup to learn quickly and they quickly discover that everyone involved is happy when performed correctly. This is one of the main reasons my dogs do not need to be forced. Through the above, they learn to form good habits and they are comfortable and very willing because of it. I watch so many persons allow pups to do whatever they want for the first six months or so because they are going to be forced once they have their teeth. To me, hearing “I am just letting them be a puppy” is the lamest excuse for not taking the time to develop them and instill good habits at an early age. They miss a lot of the bonding process because of this as well as the development of leadership. As you know, dogs are pack animals that are not comfortable unless they know their place in the pack.” I want to thank Frank for all of the above, and I hope to
continue to pick his brain if he is willing.
I think much of what he thinks and does are excellent suggestions for
those of you with Golden Retrievers who do not wish to force fetch your dog or
to use an electrical collar. For those of you that do, I think the foundation he
lays will improve your success in transitioning to the use of an electric collar
under trained supervision. |
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