paws chicago magazine 2013 summer

Agility training is a stimulating form
of exercise that challenges dogs to
achieve a specific task.
MOVE!
Tips to Stimulate
Your Active,
Energetic Dog
By Joan Harris
CLICKER TRAINING
All dogs should start with a basic training or manners class.
Clicker training is a method based on behavioral psychology
that relies on marking desirable behavior with a “click” and then
rewarding it. The “click” tells the dog exactly when he is doing
the right thing, so it can speed up communication. This method
allows the dog to become an active part of the training program
making it more fun and exciting.
At PAWS Chicago, clicker training may have already been
started for you. Clicker training is taught to our Level 2 and 3
volunteers and monthly workshops are conducted to track the
progress. Participating volunteers are assigned a dog to train with
the goals of increasing the dog’s adoptability by teaching good
manners and providing mental stimulation.
Behaviors are taught by capturing (marking behaviors that
the dog does naturally), targeting (teaching the dog to touch a
target with his nose or paw, then moving the target to create the
desired behavior), or shaping (marking increments of the final
behaviors and gradually raising the criteria to reach the end goal).
Once the dog can consistently offer the desired behavior, it is “put
on cue” or given a name. The clicker can then be phased out and
the behavior can be variably reinforced.
Clicker training is a fun and exciting way to teach dogs more
complicated tasks and tricks. So with a little bit of patience, your
dog could learn to “take a bow,” “high five,” “roll over” or “sit
pretty.” With some more work (and a motivated dog), you could
teach your dog to put away his toys, close doors or even get your
beer from the refrigerator!
continued on page 28
CLICK
CLICK
GOOD DOG
Clicker training is a method based
on behavioral psychology that relies on
marking desirable behavior with
a “click” and then rewarding it.
26
“
Now, there
are many dog
sport classes
and training
activities,
conveniently
available
throughout
Chicago.
“
In the shelter world, there exist certain dogs
who are considered “harder to adopt.” These
are not the calm, quiet dogs that greet you
politely. They are also not the special needs
dogs or those who may be missing an eye or
a leg. They are the dogs with an over-abundance
of energy who jump up and down in their suites.
A greeting from them may be an enthusiastic, full
out body slam. They drag their handlers down the
hallways excited to get outside, or anywhere for that
matter. They are waiting (sometimes for a long time)
for the right adopter who can match their need for
training, exercise and stimulation. Usually, they are
the descendants of dogs bred to have a specific job or
purpose, commonly referred to as “working dogs.”
In the early days of man and dog, dog selection
was centered on helpful behaviors such as barking at
unfamiliar creatures and people, guarding or herding
livestock, hunting or retrieving game, pulling sleds
and carts, or killing pesky vermin such as rats and
mice. Our protection dogs required the strength and
intelligence to apprehend the “bad guy.” Our hunting
and herding dogs needed the energy to run all day
in the fields. Our Terrier breeds were selectively
bred for an extreme “prey drive.” Predominant
in Chicago is the Pit Bull Terrier type dog, who
descended from dogs bred for working strength
and athleticism.
It is easy to understand how these dogs came
about but the dilemma is, how do we keep them
happy? How do we set them up for success in their
new homes? We know that exercise and mental
stimulation is vital for any dog’s physical and
mental wellness, but these dogs clearly need more.
They need brain-stimulating or task-oriented
activities and without them, they are likely to
develop behavior problems. These problems include
destructive behavior, inappropriate mouthing and
general frustration. They tend to create their own
“jobs” by barking out the windows or chasing
small animals.
Generally, dogs of this nature do best with an
active adopter who loves to get out and walk or
run. But now there are many dog sport classes and
training activities, conveniently available throughout
Chicago, that can provide even more. After some
basic obedience training, dog sports can become a
fun hobby and satisfy an energetic dog’s need for a
mind-stimulating job by channeling all that energy
into a specific task. They are available year-round,
even during the extreme winter weather. There is
nothing more fun and rewarding than witnessing
what these amazing dogs are capable of doing! The
following classes are great for active dogs and easy
to find in the city.