Canine Search Specialist Training

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Canine Search Specialist Training
Unit 7 Agility
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Unit Objective

• Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to
  explain the principles and demonstrate the
  methods of canine agility training

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Enabling Objectives

• Explain the rationale supporting canine agility
  training
• Discuss the importance of incremental training
  steps
• Describe reinforcement training and reward based
  training
• Describe visual and verbal cues

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Enabling Objectives (continued)

• Explain the importance of safety
• Describe the importance of training the canine in
  a flexible training field
• Explain the importance of building and
  maintaining confidence

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Canine Agility Training
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Rationale

• Search canine must
• Work in an alien environment
• Not be concerned with footing while working
• Work calmly and confidently
• Be taught to expect the unexpected

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Basic Training Needs
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Basic Training Needs

• Reward system
• Helper
• Communication (handler/helper/dog)
• Flexible agility
• The handler must have method of control

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Leash Control
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Reward System

• Important to be firmly in place
• Need the paycheck
• Agility can be mentally stressful
• Use toy for reward-based motivation
• Break up training with frequent play sessions

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Basic Training

• Start low to ground, may need leash
• Position dog squarely in front of obstacle to
  start
• Have helper in front of dog to give food
• Nexthelper is at the end of obstacle

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Whats wrong here?
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Basic Training (continued)

• Use breadcrumbs in beginning (hot dogs, cheese
  spread) for positive reinforcement and/or toy for
  reward-based motivation
• Handler should always be behind dog
• Light on obedience at first to foster
  independence
• Always give command for off

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Reward-based motivation
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Handler behind dog
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Incremental Training

• Small steps, then chain together
• Make sure dog succeeds at each step
• Start low to ground and gradually add height and
  instability

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An example of incremental training
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Build confidenceEnsure success
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Visual and Verbal Cues

• Decide upon signals and commands ahead of time
• Be consistent
• No ambiguity
• Dogs are body language animals and will learn
  visual cues faster

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Visual Cues

• Must be clear
• Necessary in noisy disaster environments

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Visual Cue
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Verbal Cues

• Voice commands must be concise
• Necessary in places where dog can not see handler
• A must when you do not want the dog to turn
  around

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Voice Command
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Safety
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Safety

• The handler is ultimately responsible for the
  safety of the canine

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Safety (continued)

• All obstacles must be checked for stability and
  safety concerns
• Strip canine of vest and collar
• Use spotters

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Safety Check
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Spotters
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If an accident occurs

• Praise and toss reward to dog
• Assess
• Back on the horse (or to the vet)
• Dog should bounce back quickly
• May need to back-up a step to restore confidence

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Equipment
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Equipment

• Must be flexible and allow for increasing
  increments of difficulty
• Each component has its own rationale
• Train each behavior so that it can be generalized
  (name the behavior, not the obstacle)

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Flexibility
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A rationale for each obstacle
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Beyond Basic Agility
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Beyond Basic Agility

• Be creative

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Beyond Basic Agility (continued)

• Train wherever possible
• Add noise, food, and animal distractions

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Practice indoor agility
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Train at night
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Transition to Rubble

• Set up agility equipment to lead into rubble for
  a quick find

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The bouncing bark will not work on rubble!
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Transitional steps for bark on rubble

• Have your canine bark while on unstable equipment

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Before the rubble search

• Identify and correct agility issues
• Return to basics, if needed

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Deployment
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The real world
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Collapse in Miami
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Hurricane Katrina
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The Pentagon
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Troubleshooting
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Troubleshooting

• Too fastuse the breadcrumb method
• Too slowuse toy reward on obstacle
• Lack of Controlreward obedience
• Handler dependentreward independent behaviors
• Stressedshort sessions, big play

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• Always begin with enthusiasm

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Always end with success
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Time for a video!

• Agility

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Agility Demonstration
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Unit Summary and Evaluation
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Unit Summary

• Explain the rationale supporting canine agility
  training
• Discuss the importance of incremental training
  steps
• Describe reinforcement training and reward based
  training
• Describe visual and verbal cues

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Unit Summary (continued)

• Explain the importance of safety
• Describe the importance of training the canine in
  a flexible training field
• Explain the importance of building and
  maintaining confidence

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Unit Evaluation

• Please fill out the evaluation on this unit