This is what it looks like to train a drop on recall.
Yes, she is a baby unicorn.
The drop on recall requires the dog to sit in heel position, wait while the handler walks to the other side of the ring, come promptly when called, drop into a down position on a single cue (while in motion) — and hold that position until called again. The dog completes the exercise by sitting squarely in front of the handler, and then — on cue — returns to heel position.
WHEW.
That is a lot, and especially when you add all the finer points — for example, wanting a fast recall and a quick drop and perfect fronts and finishes.
I train in small pieces that I call Least Trainable Units — that basically means Baby Steps.
In the photo above, Claire was playing fetch with that stuffed moose and I randomly gave the signal to drop when she was racing back to me.
Claire dropped quickly. I praised while she waited and — after snapping the photo — walked over to her, took the moose, handed over a cookie and threw the moose again — much to her great delight.
What would I do if Claire did not drop?
This is important.
I would have taken the moose with a happy “thank you” (my cue for the release) and had Claire do something she knows well — a finish or a sit — and I would have rewarded that by throwing the moose.
AND I would have said to myself, “Self — you need to do something different to better support her understanding.”
Something different could be adding both a signal and a verbal, stepping forward as I cue her, only asking for the down when she was stationary or moving more slowly, or, or, or — so many possibilities.
Dog training is a creative endeavor — or should be.
Not on my menu of possibilities is any kind of consequence or verbal error message because seriously, the dog is racing back to me holding a moose — what part of all that would she understand as the error?
How does it help anything to tell a dog who doesn’t fully understand and is doing at least three things at once that she is wrong?! Training should not be a guessing game for the dog with seemingly random error messages tossed in — that is just mean (and unproductive).
If Claire had not dropped as requested, the issue is not the dog — it is that I did not prepare her well enough to meet the expectation. The one who needs to correct is the human. Luckily, I can do that.
And that is why Claire has a lovely and fast drop on recall, with lots of attitude and no stress or worry. Because I assume good intentions of my dog, and know any corrections belong on me.
While not the most flattering look at her face because she was turning, I love this photo because you can see how Claire, at almost three, is filling out and growing up.
Claire: “You threw the ball through the fence AGAIN.”
I hope you have a Happy Sunday, one in which people assume your own good intentions!
P.S. The Monday Round-up will be a good one.