Collie Caper Test
My picture appeared in People Magazine in the April, 1994 issue. Granted, I was not on the cover as that was occupied by Kurt Cobain. Admittedly, the article was not about me, either. It was Saturday morning and I was doing errands when I received an urgent call to rush to the assistance dog facility where I worked. There was a photo shoot in progress and they needed a trainer to demonstrate what tasks the dogs were taught. The pictures were to accompany the People article. So I chose a capable golden retriever named Kraus, who showed off a number of his skills. The magazine chose a picture of him turning a light switch on with his nose. The picture was small, about a sixth of a page. But we were immortalized, forever, kind of. What the hey! Our picture was in People Magazine! The article actually featured Jon Provost of Lassie fame. One of my memories after all these years was how personable Jon was.
Some-when in the mid 2010’s the fun and games class dubbed the Collie Caper was developed. Owners and their dogs join Scottie Yard to match wits with the Beagle brigands. Basic nose work and agility are introduced as teams seek clues and attempt to level up from Cadet to Constable and possibly Inspector, as they complete the second level. Crimes to be solved include the theft of the last Puppy Breath Very Pale Ale, the robbery of The B of E (Bank of England) and the theft of Her Majesty's crown. Scottie Yard’s forensic equipment is purchased at the dollar store. A collie, loosely reminiscent of Lassie, makes an appearance.
As a kid I looked forward to each episode of Lassie. While doing research for the Collie Caper, I enjoyed watching a number of the old tv episodes. They are fun, very good natured and still relevant. At present, classes have been put on hold. The following is the written exam for the Collie Caper. See if you have what it takes to pass the written portion of the challenging Scottie Yard training. And I hope to see you in class in the not too distant future!
In addition to basic needs such as food,water and shelter, Canine Cadets also require Training, Exercise, Socialization, Grooming and Handling, Good Nutrition, Vet Care, Management and Leadership.
To be a successful Cadet, mark which of the following apply:
___ Training
___ A PHD (Philosopher of Doggerel) from MIT (Mutts Institute of Training).
___ Management
___ Socialization
___ Exercise
___ A fashionably color coordinated leash and harness.
Cadet training should consist of a minimum of 15 minutes per day. Several short, one minute, sessions can be useful as part of or in addition to the 15 minutes. This is especially helpful for problem areas such as lunging through doors or leaping out of cars without permission. A Cadet should be on call 24/7 for quick check ins, sits, name recognition, etc.
Mark which of the following statements is true:
___ My Cadet learns best by listening to audio books and watching DVDs.
___ My Cadet hones his/her skills with practice.
While training should be a fun activity, very few Cadets are seen rising before dawn to be let outside to practice heeling patterns, puppy push ups and other basic obedience without their human. An occasional border collie may be observed predawn, rushing through weave poles, hurling through tunnels and leaping on and off the pause table, without trainer. Learning should be rewarding for the trainee and the trainer.
Mark the following as true or false:
__ A Cadet should enjoy learning
___ I will set the alarm to get in an early practice tomorrow.
Every dog has its favorite motivators. These can include food, praise, petting, a smile, games like tug, touch or retrieving, toys. Real life rewards (all after sitting or waiting for permission) such sniffing, walks, car rides, interactions with people or dogs.
Name your Cadet’s three favorite treats, toys or games and activities:
Treats: 1)____________________
2)____________________
3)____________________
Toys/Games 1)____________________
2)____________________
3)____________________
Activities: 1)____________________
2)____________________
3)____________________
Exercise is a most important component of a successful Cadet’s daily routine. It is too often said that “a tired dog is a good dog.” But it is true. Exercise can take many forms- walking, jogging, running free (if safe), play with other dogs, recalls, hide and seek, retrieving, swimming, dog sports such as agility, etc. Combining a number of different exercise routines with a variety of favorite motivators will provide needed mental stimulation to keep a Cadet sharp.
Mark the following as true or false:
___ Exercise and mental stimulation are good for a Cadet.
___ I am so very tired of hearing “a tired dog is a good dog.”
List below your Cadet’s main sources of exercise:
____________________ ____________________
For a Cadet to really know a cue/command. he/she must be able to flawlessly execute the behavior in many environments. Cadets should attain a relaxed, been there, done that attitude. It may take a number of visits to a distracting environment for a dog to calmly acclimate. You should be able to begin training with at least at a slightly higher level of competence and confidence each time you return to a location. Scottie Yard recommends proper behavior in twenty locations for a Cadet to have mastered emotions and self control (well done, Grasshopper!). This may seem like overkill but the best Cadets are over-trained for their duties- if a twenty minute down stay is required, the Cadet is trained to do twenty five minutes.
Answer the following as true or false:
___ Scottie Yard recommends exemplary behavior in twenty locations.
___ A Cadet must master emotions and work well in twenty locations.
Extra credit- name the tv program referenced by “Grasshopper.”
___________________________
Management consists of setting up situations and environments to prevent problems. If someone arrives at the house of a Cadet, have her/him on leash before opening the door. A fence, a small room, crates, baby gates, ex pens and tie downs are illustrations of additional management tools. A Gentle Leader is an example of doggie gear that helps rectify situations. Management can also include increasing distance from distractions, supervising and even eschewing interactions. If you cannot be there to supervise or in between training sessions, put the pup somewhere safe. Prevention is the key to avoiding and then solving problems.
Mark the following as true or false:
___ A Cadet is not upper management or CEO (Canine Executive Officer) of his household.
__ Cadets can be trusted to always make the correct choice when alone.
___ An accessory, such as a Gentle Leader can be an effective management tool.
___ Preventing problems will help a Cadet succeed.
List three management techniques my Cadet uses:
_________________ _________________ _________________
Optimum nutrition is a very important facet of a successful Cadet’s lifestyle. The Dog Feeder’s Dilemma is bona fide. Real food is recommended. Imagine if you had to eat the same kibble each and every day. Begging is a training issue. At the very least, a Cadet’s human should become an avid label reader. Ingredients are listed by weight. Make sure a specific meat is the first (at least) ingredient. Watch for leftovers from the food industry, such as brewer’s rice, and beet pulp. Your Cadet deserves better. Animal digest, meat meal, powdered cellulose, corn, wheat and soy are usually not ingredients found in a homemade recipe. A Cadet’s owner can surely do better.The main ingredients and cost of four foods are listed below. The first three are “adult maintenance” and the fourth a “light” diet brand.
Food #1). Turkey, chicken, chicken meal, barley, brown rice, potatoes, natural flavors,
chicken fat, herring, apples, carrots, cottage cheese, sunflower oil, alfalfa
sprouts, egg, garlic and direct-fed microbials. Price (at that time)- $1.33 per lb.
Food #2). Ground whole corn, meat meal/meat and bone meal, wheat mill run, wheat flour, natural
flavor, salt, potassium chloride, caramel color, yellow #6, blue #2. Price (at that time)
$ .70 a lb.
Food #3). Corn, soybean meal, beef and bone meal, ground wheat flour, animal fat preserved with
BHA, corn syrup, wheat middlings, water, animal digest ,propylene glycol, salt, yellow #5,
yellow6, red 40, BHA. Price (at that time) $1.24 per pound.
Food # 4). Ground whole grain corn, soybean mill run, chicken by-product meal, powdered
cellulose, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, chicken liver flavor, soybean oil. Price (at that
time $1.12 per pound.
Mark the following as true or false:
___ Food #1- Looks pretty decent. Made from real food. My Cadet might enjoy this.
___ Food #2- Price low. Digestibility low. I will need to scoop a lot more of it twice.
___ Food #3- My Cadet would consider this inedible. Probably loaded with gmo’s.
___ Food #4- I could shed a pound or two, too. If it’s good enough for my Cadet...
A most important relationship to develop is one with your veterinarian. An excellent reference is the book Speaking For Spot by Dr Nancy Kay. This can be found in the library.
Please fill in the blanks below:
_______________ For _______________ by Dr Nancy ____________
One cannot escape the strident sermons of dog trainers without hearing about pack behavior, leadership and the like. There will definitely be something of a hierarchy as dogs respond differently to different family members (i.e. young children vs adults) or as they vie for resources such as attention, food, space, etc., with other dogs. We had a Lab who would not allow a Golden to partake of her food bowl. He allowed her to help herself to his bowl at will. The golden could easily take a ball from the Lab and she would not contest it. Our terrier cross would lay behind an empty bowl and “grrr” at any dog or cat that entered her perimeter. “Leadership” can be obtained by controlling resources. This entails such activities as having a Cadet Sit or Wait (Cadet’s choice of Sit/Down/Stand with loose leash) before eating, being petted, tugging, jumping on the couch, going through doors and gates, retrieving, playing with other dogs, jumping in and especially out of cars. In addition, hand feeding meals is a great way to get attention with many repetitions. This will establish a Cadet’s owner as the Great Dispenser Of All Things Good- or Alpha, Big Boss Man, Big Boss Gal or other desired title.
Mark the following as true or false:
___ My Cadet knows that she/he is not the boss of me.
___ I will experiment by putting the food bowl away for two weeks & see what happens.
___ My Cadet Sits/Waits in at least three of the above situations.
Factoring the Three D’s: Duration, Distance and Distraction into one’s training helps build a solid foundation. It is important to not go too far, too fast. Go at a rate the Cadet remains successful. Break down your Cadet’s training into manageable chunks. Duration is simply the time a Cadet is in a position such as Sit, Down or Stand. Distance, in one respect, is how close you are to your dog. Start close and add more when successful. Distraction is just that. Work with low distraction and build in more with success. Adding more Distance from a Distraction will result in lowering the Distraction level. Lower expectations in new environments, at first.
Name the Three D’s:
__________________ 2) __________________ 3) _________________
Jean Donaldson, a goddess in the dog trainers’ pantheon, came up with the Push, Stick, Drop method for dog training. Repetitions are performed in sets of five. She states that if you attempt a behavior five times and are successful four or five of the attempts, Push for more. This means add a bit more of one of the three D’s- Duration, Distance and Distraction. If you are successful in only two or three of five attempts, Stick at that point until you get four or five successes before adding another challenge. If you get one or two successes in five attempts, Drop your criteria and expectations- make it easier- less Duration, less Distance or less Distraction. If you are a trainer of this instructor’s vintage, it helps to count out five treats to hold in hand or on a nearby perch to remember how many repetitions have been attempted.
Please complete the following statements:
Add more Duration if your Cadet makes ___ or ___ successful attempts out of five.
Jean Donaldson devised the ________, ________ or ________ method for training.
Make your expectations easier if your Cadet succeeds at ___ or ___ attempts.
Cadets communicate through body language and vocalizing. Certain postures will show if a dog is feeling confident, nervous, relaxed or has mixed emotion (approaches cautiously forward but back legs back, ready to skedaddle). There are a number of behaviors, such as looking away, licking lips, yawning, raising a paw, that reveal what a dog is thinking and feeling. (Look for context- is the paw raised because the dog is insecure, is he offering a Shake, does he have a thorn in his paw, is he a Pointer? Unlike humans, Cadets have no hidden agendas. What you see is straightforward. Cadets are not born speaking English. Unfortunately for canines, humans are even less fluent speaking “dog.” While walking your Cadet, watch him as well as the approaching dog . What do you see?
Mark the following as true or False:
___ My Cadet communicates via the inter tube.
___ I can tell what my Cadet is thinking by observing his body language.
To earn extra Credit (coins) and huzzahs from the Drill Instructor:
Name three dog books or dog related programs viewed:
1) ____________________ 2) ____________________ 3) ____________________