# Proofing/distractions



## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

After reading a few threads here lately about distractions and corrections etc i wanted to know what other people do for proofing OB aspects(routines) of there training.So what sort of distractions are people using and does any one have any really testing enviroments for dogs to perform these tasks in to aid in the proofing of exercises.


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

brad robert said:


> After reading a few threads here lately about distractions and corrections etc i wanted to know what other people do for proofing OB aspects(routines) of there training.So what sort of distractions are people using and does any one have any really testing enviroments for dogs to perform these tasks in to aid in the proofing of exercises.



I determine what the dog is for, IE a pet dog, or a competition dog. I try and expose them to twice as much as they'll see if I can.

IE PSA requires a dog to heel with a decoy sitting in the chair, over toys, balls, any common items can be laid on the field. Once heeling is good, decoy in chair is good, we do heeling around a standing decoy, then a moving decoy, then an aggressive decoy. This is just one distraction, but I try and do them all this way, and get the dog to the point that anything new is generalized. Take this to a bunch of new areas, dog is on his way to being proofed.


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## Jim Nash (Mar 30, 2006)

I took my dogs everywhere . One thing I liked to do was practice OB around soccer fields , baseball fields and tennis courts while people are playing a game or better yet practicing .


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks far the ideas so far guys.

Dave i know what your getting to by having twice as much stimulas as what you would go up against in competition but there is never as many dogs or people together around here as there is at competitions and that makes it hard for me to replicate.

And Jim i like to do this too its a real challenge for me and the dog. 

Another thing i have heard of people doing is having a cat in a crate and doing OB around it that would be really hard for a dog who hates cats and probably going to lead to quite a few corrections whats peoples thoughts on this


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

brad robert said:


> Thanks far the ideas so far guys.
> 
> Dave i know what your getting to by having twice as much stimulas as what you would go up against in competition but there is never as many dogs or people together around here as there is at competitions and that makes it hard for me to replicate.
> 
> ...



Start with no stimulus. Get great OB. Move one stimulus in at a time. Start a long distance away, heeling. Move closer, away, reward. closer reward, away. Just get closer and closer until you can walk past it. get creative if you can't get crowds together. Running diesel. Loud music. Leaf blower running, etc.. throw everything you can at the dog. IF you are doing a lot of correction, you are going too fast. 

I started working my dog around a seated decoy today, for probably the third or fourth time and he has never shown an issue with it until today. He was horrible. I corrected more than I felt I should have to. I got a good behavior, put him away, no bitework. Brought him back out. Easier, reward, easier, reward, until I got more difficult than I tried in the first place. In his defense and mine, there was a bitch in heat, and I think that was where the difficulty came from, but I wish I could have gotten video to show the progress. Over the last couple weeks we have been hitting it hard, and he is doing well. Gunfire, noise, distraction, etc.. He is looking good with a fast learning curve. Today was different, looked like crap, I noticed, changed my plan midstrean, got a good behavior, put away and tried again later
.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Anything that pops into my head.
I've worked my dogs in OB while the grandkids kicked soccer on the lawn around me. That's pure hell for one of my dogs. One of his fav toys is a deflated (by him) soccer ball.


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## Lou Castle (Apr 4, 2006)

zzz



brad robert said:


> Another thing i have heard of people doing is having a cat in a crate and doing OB around it that would be really hard for a dog who hates cats and probably going to lead to quite a few corrections whats peoples thoughts on this


If cats are a problem for you then I'd suggest doing my  CRITTERING PROTOCOL . Corrections can increase the dog's aggression towards the cat or make him fear them. Neither is good.


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Sorry lou but my dog has no issues with cats it was something i had seen posted else where and was just after challenging situations to put a dog in to aid proofing


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Dave Colborn said:


> Start with no stimulus. Get great OB. Move one stimulus in at a time. Start a long distance away, heeling. Move closer, away, reward. closer reward, away. Just get closer and closer until you can walk past it. get creative if you can't get crowds together. Running diesel. Loud music. Leaf blower running, etc.. throw everything you can at the dog. IF you are doing a lot of correction, you are going too fast.


This. Also, if you are looking for crowds for obedience, try your local obedience club. I am currently taking one of my dogs through an 8 week course, mainly for the distractions/proofing. She already knows 99% of the behaviors they are teaching in the class, but this club runs 3-5 classes at once at the facility, which are all held on a large field (we do Schutzhund at the same facility). So in our class we have 10-15 dogs and handlers, maybe even more, plus people sitting around watching waiting for their class, on the other side of the field in one corner is a puppy class going on, down in another location a CGC class, another corner of the field has a competition ring set up and people are in there practicing retrieves and send outs, people are rewarding dogs with toys, etc etc. It's different that decoy or livestock distractions, but if she can give me focused correct obedience in this atmosphere, I don't anticipate having any issues with people or dogs around in any type of trial. And I think it's costing around 10.00 a session, I'll happily pay that for the level of distraction I'm getting.


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> This. Also, if you are looking for crowds for obedience, try your local obedience club. I am currently taking one of my dogs through an 8 week course, mainly for the distractions/proofing. She already knows 99% of the behaviors they are teaching in the class, but this club runs 3-5 classes at once at the facility, which are all held on a large field (we do Schutzhund at the same facility). So in our class we have 10-15 dogs and handlers, maybe even more, plus people sitting around watching waiting for their class, on the other side of the field in one corner is a puppy class going on, down in another location a CGC class, another corner of the field has a competition ring set up and people are in there practicing retrieves and send outs, people are rewarding dogs with toys, etc etc. It's different that decoy or livestock distractions, but if she can give me focused correct obedience in this atmosphere, I don't anticipate having any issues with people or dogs around in any type of trial. And I think it's costing around 10.00 a session, I'll happily pay that for the level of distraction I'm getting.


Another great idea thanks.I do hate those clubs but can see its well worth it.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> This. Also, if you are looking for crowds for obedience, try your local obedience club. I am currently taking one of my dogs through an 8 week course, mainly for the distractions/proofing. She already knows 99% of the behaviors they are teaching in the class, but this club runs 3-5 classes at once at the facility, which are all held on a large field (we do Schutzhund at the same facility). So in our class we have 10-15 dogs and handlers, maybe even more, plus people sitting around watching waiting for their class, on the other side of the field in one corner is a puppy class going on, down in another location a CGC class, another corner of the field has a competition ring set up and people are in there practicing retrieves and send outs, people are rewarding dogs with toys, etc etc. It's different that decoy or livestock distractions, but if she can give me focused correct obedience in this atmosphere, I don't anticipate having any issues with people or dogs around in any type of trial. And I think it's costing around 10.00 a session, I'll happily pay that for the level of distraction I'm getting.


Good point Kadi!
The level of distraction at the average fun match/show and go or even the average AKC OB trial is way beyond what you'll see on any given day. 
Indoors at one of these events adds another tenfold of distraction.
I wouldn't take a dog with dog aggression problems to one of these events until it had plenty of work before hand. To many clueless folks trying to squeeze by you with their dogs.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I like going to the dog park that's about 2 minutes from my house where every dog under the sun has peed and do obedience there when there's no one around. I've also gone to do down stays right outside as other dogs were playing disc (my dog goes nuts for a disc). So dog parks do have a use... ;-)


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## Dave Colborn (Mar 25, 2009)

Kadi Thingvall said:


> This. Also, if you are looking for crowds for obedience, try your local obedience club. I am currently taking one of my dogs through an 8 week course, mainly for the distractions/proofing. She already knows 99% of the behaviors they are teaching in the class, but this club runs 3-5 classes at once at the facility, which are all held on a large field (we do Schutzhund at the same facility). So in our class we have 10-15 dogs and handlers, maybe even more, plus people sitting around watching waiting for their class, on the other side of the field in one corner is a puppy class going on, down in another location a CGC class, another corner of the field has a competition ring set up and people are in there practicing retrieves and send outs, people are rewarding dogs with toys, etc etc. It's different that decoy or livestock distractions, but if she can give me focused correct obedience in this atmosphere, I don't anticipate having any issues with people or dogs around in any type of trial. And I think it's costing around 10.00 a session, I'll happily pay that for the level of distraction I'm getting.



Great idea!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Like the others have said, any location where there is excitement and noise. Just stay out of the road!!!


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Like the others have said, any location where there is excitement and noise. Just stay out of the road!!!


Part of my detector test is playing ball, along side a very busy road. Of course the dogs are on leash. I want them to hear the rush of traffic, feel the breeze, hear the sound of brakes etc. 

DFrost


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## vicki dickey (Jul 5, 2011)

I took Zak everywhere from parks, shopping centers, had him in an obedience class , worked him with my pet rabbit running around and my cats rubbing all over him on a sit or down stay, but nothing could compare to an AKC trial. Expect the unexpected. During one down stay someone dropped a metal crate that echoed through the building-the dog next to Zak immediately sat up. Or during a long sit in the ring directly behind Zak a dog was called for a recall and its name was Zak (maybe next time I will pick a weird name). Dogs barking, puppies whining, people talking/laughing everywhere and kids running. On the subject of kids-my husband and I do not have kids so Zak did not grow up around any. I was standing waiting to go into my class when I heard "Could I pet your dog? When I looked down to answer a little boy was looking up at me while his sister had a bear hug around Zak's neck. Thank God Zak has a golden temperment. Where are the parents? I am not sure there is anywhere that could imitate a dog show except another dog show.


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## Natasha Keating (Apr 8, 2010)

AKC trial can also have people eating their food right next to the ring, usually kids..


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

David Frost said:


> Part of my detector test is playing ball, along side a very busy road. Of course the dogs are on leash. I want them to hear the rush of traffic, feel the breeze, hear the sound of brakes etc.
> 
> DFrost


 No ball playing but standing on the side of the road is a part of most(all?) BH tests.


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## Tracy Davis-Sullivan (May 10, 2010)

Home Depot for the youngster. You can borrow props for going around or jumping on, have them climb on stuff, forklifts, dumb people, smells, odd floorings.

We always were nice and friendly with the staff and they were great back to us. and that meant that they didn't mind when we did down/stays on a pallet of bags of gardening soil.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

It depends on the Home Depot. When my dog was a pup, I brought him in Home Depot, but they told me I had to leave when I was done with my shopping because of change in corporate policy. Of course, that memo didn't reach the cash register gals who had a big tub of that cheese popcorn dog treat stuff. Lowe's does still allow dogs, at least in our town, but not all do. Farm and home supply stores like Tractor Supply Co, Orschelns, Rural King, and feed stores usually do, especially if they sell pet supplies and you say something like "oh, can I bring him in to size him for a collar?"


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## Jim Delbridge (Jan 27, 2010)

ONe of my favorite obedience proofing activities is to find out when the pet food chain is having a clicker class then I work my dog off-lead just outside their enclosure.
When I was helping to train obedience trial dogs, I would ride a bike with a horn while carrying a hot dog in the other hand and ride the bike around the dog in down- and sit-days.
For cats, rather than traumatize a cat in a foreign environment, I have a toy that looks like a raccoon's tail on a fishing line. I place it before the dog comes in and then slowly reel the tail past the dog while it's working.
For competition, basically imagine your worst distraction nightmare and it will happen when you are testing.

Jim Delbridge


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## Lou Castle (Apr 4, 2006)

For anyone who is using (or considering) my crittering protocol, the cats are so "traumatized" that without a "cat wrangler" they fall sleep. Some dogs respond to the kind of lures that you mention, but some do not.


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## Mario Fernandez (Jun 21, 2008)

One of the ultimate distractions and proofing test is to work a dog (especially a male) around females in heat.

I see people freak out at trials/events all the time.


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## Jim Delbridge (Jan 27, 2010)

Lou Castle said:


> For anyone who is using (or considering) my crittering protocol, the cats are so "traumatized" that without a "cat wrangler" they fall sleep. Some dogs respond to the kind of lures that you mention, but some do not.


 I wasn't attempting to disuade anyone from your training philosophy, Lou. I didn't know you were a cat expert as well as canine. Most cats do not travel well and placing one out in a crate in a training arena for canine obedience training would not suit many.
The fur people could always loan out a racoon. That should prove to be quite the distraction. Do it with a male racoon in spring rut. Just don't tell the cat wrangler and get ready for a u-tube moment.

Jim


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## Lou Castle (Apr 4, 2006)

Jim Delbridge said:


> I wasn't attempting to disuade anyone from your training philosophy, Lou. I didn't know you were a cat expert as well as canine. Most cats do not travel well and placing one out in a crate in a training arena for canine obedience training would not suit many.


I didn't think you were Jim. I was just reassuring people. The ride in the car to and from the training area is more traumatic to the cat than the training. 



> The fur people could always loan out a racoon. That should prove to be quite the distraction. Do it with a male racoon in spring rut. Just don't tell the cat wrangler and get ready for a u-tube moment.


I use my daughter as the wrangler, I'd never be able to go home again. lol


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