# What would you do?



## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Potential training scenario. Two handlers with their respective (not green) dogs, doing their own thing. How would you correct/stop your dog from getting distracted by the other dog, or the other ball, or the other handler?


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

First off, where is your TD? He should be in control of who's on the field. We only allow more then one team at a time if all are in agreement. That usually means expierienced dogs only.
The issue of control is a training issue. I wouldn't train with that much distraction unless my dog was ready for it.


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## Leo Hinojosa (Sep 4, 2007)

In a situation like that, I would go into straight obedience. 
I may use a reward like a tug or whatever to get the dog to refocus on me, but ideally I would use that situation to work on control.

I have worked a non green dog in obedience while another dog is on the training field working on bite work. The 2nd dog is on leash, and the decoy, other handler and I are working together. I may do obedience for bites and if the dog performs well, the decoy (based upon an agreed signal ) comes in for a bite. The other handler removes his dog from the action and works on control.

This type of work must be communicated among the handlers and the decoy long before any dog is on the training field to avoid any mishaps.

I would not lay a track and have bite work going on, with this particular dog but I would do obedience while bite work was occuring.

Leo Hinojosa


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## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> First off, where is your TD? He should be in control of who's on the field. We only allow more then one team at a time if all are in agreement.


It's just a hypothetical scenario, Bob. I'm wondering what methods can be used in such a situation.


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## Tim Martens (Mar 27, 2006)

i would think a simple re-direct method would work. like leo said, obedience works well. if the dog looks over to the distraction, a low level stim on the e-collar into some focused heeling along with a tug/ball for performing the desired task. if something like this doesn't work, i wouldn't even bother. i'd take my dog off the field and wait until i could be alone. i tried to fight the dog distraction thing for a long time mostly with fruitless results. if it were a sport dog, i wouldn't have even bothered. as it was, in a PSD environment with distractions abound, it was a battle i had to fight. constantly. after that dog i vowed to never fight that fight again and dog aggression/distraction is something i simply would never put up with in a dog again...


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## Lyn Chen (Jun 19, 2006)

Yeah, this really isn't something you'd have to deal with in a typical sport scenario. My dog isn't distracted by other dogs but I can easily see him going after someone else's ball, and so on.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

The simple answer is that however you reward (or correct) your dog, it has to have more value/consequence then anyone/anything else on the field. If not, the other distractions will never be over come.


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

Bob Scott said:


> The simple answer is that however you reward (or correct) your dog, it has to have more value/consequence then anyone/anything else on the field. If not, the other distractions will never be over come.


Good answer Bob. We always train with at least 1 sometimes up to 3 other teams on the field. We start when the pups are young with just playing while the big dogs are training. They stay focused, as they age we may have to add in correction followed by reward etc.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

This is a training scenario we use all the time.

Basically start off with a lot of space inbetween the dogs and work on attention-getting exercsies. Gradually decrease the space inbetween the dogs - raising the level of distraction.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Anne Vaini said:


> This is a training scenario we use all the time.
> 
> Basically start off with a lot of space inbetween the dogs and work on attention-getting exercsies. Gradually decrease the space inbetween the dogs - raising the level of distraction.


As Anne says, this is a situation that can be proofed against, and, in fact, is often specifically chosen for distraction-proofing.


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

Lyn Chen said:


> Potential training scenario. Two handlers with their respective (not green) dogs, doing their own thing. How would you correct/stop your dog from getting distracted by the other dog, or the other ball, or the other handler?


I would leave the field if my dog is not ready for the distractions. If you have not done any foundation work with distractions then do not subject your dog to an exercise where the picture is not clear. If this is your time on the field and they are not suppose to be there then I would say something or tell the TD. In order for your dog to deal with these distractions they must have been trained properly. It would be unfair to expect a young dog to deal with this situation. I do use a lot of pressure in my training after the dog has learned the exercise through motivation. For example, in heeling I expect the dog to focus on me. Once the dog has a clear understanding of this then I expect this when I say heel. If they do not watch me then I give a correction with the prong. I play no games about focusing on me. 

I start distraction training by having a friend stand close. I tell my dog heel and expect them to watch me, I do not move when I say heel. heel means watch me. My friend will make movement, noise, talk, or anything to provide a distraction. If my dog looks away then pop with the prong. I always start with a small level of distraction and continue to make it greater. I always make the picture clear to the dog what I want. I also reward with a ball or food. I do not just use compulsion. I continue to praise the dog for proper behavior. With distractions the dog learns quickly that he must do what I say. It takes a touch to do it properly.


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## Helan Peters (Oct 9, 2007)

We start playing tug when they are pups with others on the field, and progress from there,


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Uhhhhhhhhhh, you don't. If it is that big of a problem, you are not ready to be out there yet.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

SO THERE ! ! ! ! !


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