HULA DOGS: TRAINING SCHOOL

Molly's Training Diary

by Heather Spragg

WEEK ONE

My name is Heather and I have been given Molly to train.

Molly is a little terrier that likes to be busy. Sitting in a kennel all day isn't really her thing. So as soon as she is out, she is looking to find something exciting, so her mind is everywhere except with her handler.

I was firstly given the task of trying to change this behaviour by our instructor. I started by taking her into Hula Site Caravan with some toys, to try and get her to play. But despite every effort on my part, she was not interested, what was out of the window was much more interesting. I then tried treats, she had a little, but outside the window was much more interesting. I soon realised, I was getting no where. So, I thought, lets go outside and try and get her attention. At first, she just wanted to be in her own world, doing her thing, so I walked her down to the exercise runs. I then used the clicker and treats and it worked, I found she really loved SCHMACKO'S. But she still was a bit distracted.

I thought she needs a distraction and excitement, and the excitement needs to be with me. So, I started to run up and down with her on the lead and talking to her in a high excited way, which she loved and kept her attention entirely on me, looking at me as we ran. Now I had her attention, I used the clicker and treat.

I ran, stopped, clicked immediately and gave her the treat. She soon got the hang of this, and soon was running, stopping, sitting on hearing the click for the treat. I then thought I would try this with other treats, like cheese and fresh meat, but she didn't want to know and would not touch it.

I went to Hula the following day and did about 5 to 10 minutes training with Molly, in the run doing the same thing and it worked very well. I stopped before she became bored with it and her mind wandered. Her attention was on me all the way back to the kennel.

Please note that Molly's thing to get her attention is SCHMACKO'S. So this hopefully will enable me to reinforce her attention onto the clicker, then start to slow down and do other exercises as given by our instructor.

WEEK TWO

Well, here we are already at week two of Molly’s training. Because she is such a bright little dog, she seemed to remember all she learnt in the first week.

I began by taking her for a relaxing run in the exercise area and a walk. But after quick run round off lead, she came back to me and sat for a treat, which she received after a click. She then went off again, I called her name and she repeated the behaviour. She seems to enjoy the training and was keen to get started. Mind you, there were no distractions around at the time, except for another large dog two runs down, which she ignored.

I then took her for a walk and we assembled with the others to begin lesson two. Molly sat while Angela, our instructor began to tell us what she wanted us to do. But then, Molly spotted Sam, the Yorkshire terrier! That was it, her mind was on him and she let him know it, by barking loudly. So, I had to walk her away for time out and offer a treat to get her mind back on me once she stopped barking and looking at him.

It worked, but started again as soon as we returned for a little while, then she settled again, until we did the walking to heel passed another dog exercise, which happened to be Sam, she just wanted to get to him!!

So Angela introduced her to the water bottle, with a quick squirt to get her attention. This stopped her, but she was not bothered by it, it was more, ‘huh what was that!’ Angela then got me to walk backwards with Molly in front of me. I had to hold a treat, use the clicker three times then give her the treat, to get her focused on me. It worked and she was soon walking to heel quite well.

The other task we were given was to try and get them to sit and stay. I gave Molly the commands: SIT, STAY. I moved one large step to the left with her on the lead, then called her to me, ‘MOLLY, COME ’. She got the hang of this after a short while, moved across in front of me and sat at my other side. This was rewarded immediately with a click and treat.

We were then told to practice going through gates and doorways. I have to get her to WAIT, I go through the door, then using the command ‘MOLLY COME’, she can go through.

All of the above, I put into practice on the Sunday and she was excellent at remembering it all and I did not need to use the water bottle once. I practiced going through doors at Hula Reception, the Toilet and the Gate to the Exercise Runs, (coming out is better). After the initial excitement, she again got used to the commands and sat eagerly at the end for her Click and Treat.

The main thing she needs is consistency and practice, so if other walkers could please do the following:

MOLLY SIT, STAY. You take one step away to the left ( on lead), then say MOLLY COME, SIT. (The other side of you). Use the treat to encourage her round and click before she gets it.

Any doorways you go through, make her wait’ MOLLY WAIT’, you step through then say ‘MOLLY COME’.

Give a treat after the click if she does it. If not, try starting again until she does. She will then learn to be a follower instead of wanting to lead.

Finally, lots of fuss and praise when she does well.

WEEK THREE

Molly found this weeks training very enjoyable, as it was the first time we had left the HULA Site and gone to Brown’s Wood Training Centre for our lesson.

The first test was to get her into my car and her travelling crate. But as usual, this was no problem to Molly. I lifted her up gently and put her in the crate and she sat down straight away, ears pricked, ready for the off. She really loved the car journey, was well behaved, sitting still, but looking out of the window and at me, as if to say, “Where are we off then?” like a happy child on a days outing.

Once we arrived, she waited patiently while I opened the crate, put her lead on and I lifted her out. All in a very well behaved manner. She is definitely used to cars and likes them very much.

She loved the new training ground, lots of new sights and smells, but again she was good and sat patiently while we were given training instructions.

Her first task was to go through an agility tunnel, no problem, did it straight away. We then had to do going through a gate practice. No problem, she sat, waited, went through, then sat and waited for her reward. She is an extremely clever dog and very willing to learn.

Angela then asked us to go into a separate waiting area with Sam the Yorkshire terrier, while another dog, did his off lead exercise.

Being near Sam was a problem for Molly when we first started the training, but this time she sat and stood quite nearby Sam, but didn’t bark or stare at him. She seems to be fine on lead with little dogs once she knows them. I then did a little heel work with her while we waited for our turn in the main training area.

When it was our turn, Angela called us in to test Molly near small dogs she did not know. This is the area where she needs much more practice, but she was still well behaved towards whoever was handling her and showed no aggression towards them what so ever.

She would be an ideal dog for a working terrier home as she has very strong terrier instincts, but is excellent with people.