of the Dog - Association of Pet Dog Trainers

Crate Games for Self Control and Motivation
by Susan Garrett
Say Yes Dog Training, Inc., www.clickerdogs.com,
DVD, Running Time: 85 minutes, $29.95
Acclaimed
A
Canadian dog trainer and accomplished
agility competitor Susan Garrett has given us the
best thing since the creation of crates and Kongs.
Crate Games proves that crates need not be limited to their
historical roles in housetraining and management. Rather,
crates can fulfill their real potential as opportunities for
reinforcement. Very affordably priced, this 85-minute DVD
should be a stocking stuffer for every new puppy owner.
The “self control and motivation” part of the DVD’s
title captures the essence of Garrett’s message. By shaping
a dog’s desire to go into the crate and not come out until
verbally released, owners hone their training skills in
applying clear criterion to a training exercise while the
dog practices self control. Practiced according to the rules
of Crate Games, owners produce a dog who is also quite
motivated to get back into the crate.
From an agility trainer’s perspective it is the combination
of self control and motivation that makes this DVD a
winner. Garrett believes that a team’s ability to master
the various elements outlined in Crate Games is a strong
predictor of that team’s ability to adhere to criterion for
two-on-two-off contact obstacle performance. If that’s not
motivation enough for an agility trainer, I don’t know what
is!
Garrett starts by listing 20 benefits to training Crate
Games. About half apply to pet owners and the other half
focus on performance dogs. The DVD is broken into four
main stages of training:
Stage 1, I Love My Crate: Covers the basics of reinforcing
the dog for being in the crate
Stage 2, Are You a Gambler?: Presents the dog with
choices in order to reinforce correct choices and give
feedback about incorrect ones.
Stage 3, Yer Out – Yer In: Tests the dog’s love of the crate
by releasing him from the crate and waiting to see if he
will go back in.
Stage 4, Scholarly Elements: Covers adding a cue, adding
distance, how to use the crate to do motivational recalls,
adding distractions, and how to apply the lessons learned
to other situations (e.g., agility start lines).
My only criticism with Crate Games was that the only
footage dedicated to shaping a dog to go into the crate
initially was buried way back in the Troubleshooting
section under the chapter about overcoming fear. The only
reference to it didn’t come until the very end of the DVD.
Demonstrating the shaping process in an earlier section
would avoid people pushing and prodding their dogs, and
would help them learn about the art of shaping, the core
training technique used in the DVD.
The theme of Crate Games is training should create
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“value” for what you are teaching and good training
provides the dog choices. The tone is upbeat throughout
and it’s clear from the great variety and number of dogs
used to demonstrate the concepts that the dogs are having
a great time. Whether someone is an agility trainer looking
for fun ways to create self control as well as build drive
(yes, it can be done!) or a pet owner looking to train a dog
to willingly go into their crate at bedtime, Crate Games
delivers.
Terry Long, CPDT, is a writer, dog trainer, and behavior counselor
in Long Beach, CA. In addition to teaching clients how to prevent
or modify problem behaviors, she teaches seven agility classes
a week and writes Dog World’s “About Agility” column. Crate
Games is part of the core curriculum in her Foundation Skills
for the Performance Team class.
Visiting the Dog Park
by Cheryl S. Smith
Dogwise Publishing, 128 pages, 2007, $11.95
Many
M
of the mistakes and mishaps that occur at the
dog park are firmly rooted in a lack of knowledge
and preparation. Many dog owners tend to rely
on the “expertise” of other owners at the park, and may
even fall into the trap of peer pressure when they don’t
have enough knowledge to know what is appropriate for
off-leash play.
Thanks to Cheryl S. Smith’s book, Visiting the Dog Park,
dog owners can now enter the dog park, or choose not to,
with confidence. This easy to read, easy to understand
handbook answers all of the questions that dog owners
have, while also pointing out issues that many might not
have considered.
In the first chapter, Cheryl gets right to one of the most
important question about which dogs are right for the dog
park environment and which dogs might not be suitable.
With so many people thinking that all dogs should be able
to play off-leash with other dogs, and an equal number
who assume that all dogs will enjoy this, it’s appropriate
to have this issue addressed immediately.
Once owners have assessed their dog’s suitability for
dog park play, they learn how to choose the right dog park
for them and their dog. Cheryl discusses the pros and cons
of various dog park designs, layouts and rules in order to
help dog owners make informed decisions about where
their dogs will play.
My favorite part of the book, of course, is the training
chapter. Surprisingly, many dog owners don’t understand
the importance of training when it comes to off-leash
play. But Cheryl explains exactly what a dog should know
before they are put in such a stimulating environment. If
every dog park attendee read only this section of the book,
I believe we would have much safer, more enjoyable dog
parks across the country!
In addition to all of this, dog owners are given
information on canine observational [continued on next page]
November/December 2008 w The APDT Chronicle of the Dog w 49
Reviewers’ Corner