Medical Conditions

Training Your Performance Dog

Agility, Obedience, Tracking

by Carolyn Fuhrer

Tracking – Building Confidence and Desire

Successful tracking comes from the dogs wanting to follow the scent you have indicated to them. In this case, the scent of the “start article.”

You must motivate dogs to lock on to this scent because this scent “pays” – and ignore all the other wonderful scents they may come across along the way.

You must motivate them to persevere even when the path is hard, and it is easier to go another way. You must motivate them to keep working even when they are tired and would like to stop.

So how do you communicate this to your dog?

Some dogs find sniffing very rewarding; however, this does not mean your dog will necessarily want to follow the scent of what you have directed him to follow. In order to create desire to follow the scent you have indicated (the start article), you must in training make the job of following the start article scent very rewarding. This is why using multiple articles on training tracks and rewarding for finding and indicating each article will teach the dog to stay on the scent you started with. I try to communicate to my dog that each article he finds is very important and will “pay” very well. I vary the value of my rewards so the dog will always keep working to find the article that will pay with high value treats. I am enthusiastic about what he finds. Just paying at articles and going on is not always enough for some dogs. Some dogs need excited input; others need sincere appreciation from the handler. This is where relationship comes in.

What does your dog need? This could change as the track progresses. This is where tracking really shows off the relationship with your dog. You must train this way with your dog, so you can encourage him through the difficult parts of the track and get him to search for that elusive scent one more time.

Even though at a test you cannot reward your dog with food at the article, the relationship you develop through training each time your dog finds an article will carry over into test day, and you will be able to help your dog focus and go back to tracking. Spending time at the article is a good mental break for both dog and handler. It gives the handler a chance to assess what has been going on and where they are on the track, and it enables the handler through his relationship with the dog to encourage and motivate the dog to go on, or it enables the handler to calm and focus the dog on the next section of track.

What your dog needs at any particular time will depend on your dog’s personality and the difficulty of the track. When your dog finds multiple articles along the way during training, his confidence builds because he is successful and is praised for his effort. This interaction enhances the dog’s relationship with you and will build confidence and desire. Long, arduous, unrewarding tracks will not build the desire you need for a successful tracking dog. If you are struggling with focus or desire, try to put some motivation back into your tracks.

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 130 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 4 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She is also an AKC Tracking Judge. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 30 years. You can contact her with questions, suggestions, and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

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Carolyn Fuhrer Somerville, Maine 207-691-2332. 207-691-2332

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Struggling? Let us help you achieve your goals. You will be amazed Struggling? Let us help you achieve your goals. You will be amazed at how the right instruction makes all the difference in your success! at how the right instruction makes all the difference in your success! Each dog/handler team is unique. We have the knowledge, experience Each dog/handler team is unique. We have the knowledge, experience and outstanding teaching ability to help you succeed. and outstanding teaching ability to help you succeed. Call us and let’s get started! Call us and let’s get started! Watch for 2020 Tracking workshops with Carolyn Fuhrer, Now scheduling AKC Tracking Judge Small custom training groups and workshops. Call for more information!

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By Christine D. Calder, DVM, DACVB Calder Veterinary Behavior Services, www.caldervbs.com

When diagnosing behavior problems in pets, it is important to first look for an underlying medical condition that may be causing the behavior. Many behavior problems such as aggression, resource guarding, house-soiling, and compulsive behaviors are the result of a primary medical disease rather than a behavioral one.

Common Medical Conditions that Result in Behavior Changes

• Seizures • Osteoarthritis • Back and neck pain • Allergies (skin, food, environmental) • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Cushing’s Disease • Addison’s Disease • Medications (prednisone,

Apoquel) • Anal gland disease • Parasites (external and internal) • Certain Cancer

Dogs of any age can develop behavior changes secondary to pain or other diseases although older dogs are more commonly affected. When an underlying medical condition results in a behavior change, that change may come on suddenly or a stable behavior worsens. Warning signs for aggression may also disappear.

With any change in behavior, a physical exam by your veterinarian should be priority number one. Often bloodwork and other diagnostics, such as radiographs, are needed to find the cause. A complete neurological and orthopedic exam will give more information about the overall health of your dog, but many dogs hide pain. Videos of your dog doing normal things throughout the day such as lying down, walking, or rising from a resting position can supply more insight in to how your dog feels on a “day to day” basis.

Treatment will vary based on the cause for the behavior; however, once the medical condition is treated, behaviors often get better or resolve completely.

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