OB415: Utility Foundation Fun!

Attitude is Everything!!  

YOUR attitude will effect your dog’s performance.  If you deep down you don’t like utility, find it frustrating, feel pressure for the exercises to be a certain way, think that the exercises are hard for your dog etc… it’s  going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  You also need a lot of patience.  WHEN I show my dog in utility is based on when they are ready.  Whenever that is.  If I try to push it towards a certain timeframe, I will get frustrated and inadvertently put pressure on my dog.  So learn to love utility.  Learn to love the journey.  Accept that yes, it’s challenging.  And yes, it can take a long time for the dog to learn it.  But when it all comes together, it’s totally worth it!!!   I still remember buying my very first set of articles and how excited I was!!  I remember my first utility dog and my first UD title.  That’s something I tap into.  I don’t want to lose that perspective.  How cool is it that my dogs can learn to do something so complex!!  I want MY dogs to love it as much as I do.  That goal, that vision, drives my training. 

Know Where You Are Going 

You must have a crystal-clear end picture, otherwise you don’t know where you are headed.  As a result, your criteria will be grey.  From the minute you set your dog up, until the judge says “exercise finished”.   You shouldn’t have to think about it.  If you do, then you are not clear.  Pick a performance from someone you like.  Or someone you train with.  You can talk to your instructor.  You should be able to visualize all of it.   Years ago, I wrote it all down.  That really helped me a lot.   Whatever method you use, make sure this is in place BEFORE you start or continue training your dog. 

Communication System 

Utility exercises are complex.  It’s critical that our communication is super clean.  If not, the dog will get confused.  Consistent markers!!  Define each marker you use.  What EXACTLY does it mean.  Always use it the same way.  Otherwise, you are breaking the contract and confusing the dog.  Marking the EXACT second the behavior happens is super important.  Often people are in a rush to get the food in the dog’s mouth.  That’s not as important.  Marking is important.  After that you have time to get the reward to the dog.   

Engagement, engagement, engagement!! 

ALWAYS make sure your dog is fully engaged.  If your dog isn’t focused, they will have trouble learning.  It’s more likely they will make mistakes.  To many mistakes and your dog will be frustrated and lose motivation.  When you watch me work my dogs you will ALWAYS!!!! see that I spend time making sure my dog is “dialed in” before I do anything.  Laterally, every single time I set the dog up I make sure we are on the same page.  If the dog isn’t, then I resolve that FIRST.  I will never move on if my dog isn’t focused.  I also make sure my dog is in an optimal drive state.  If my dog is too aroused, they won’t be able to focus.  You will see me work on this A LOT with Zesty.  He is innately super aroused.  He LOVES to work.  And that’s great.  But if he is too aroused and I continue on, he will make a mistake.  And he doesn’t like making mistakes.  So if I continue on when he is too high, and he makes a mistake then it’s really my fault.  Think about yourself.  If you are super excited about something, that’s not a great time for you to learn something new.  If you are completely distracted when I’m teaching you something, you will have a hard time processing and retaining the information.  Our dogs are exactly the same way.  They are not machines.  They are living, breathing, thinking beings.