07/08/2024
💯 true for any scent work sport!
"Because they can't kill the rat" is something I hear almost weekly as far as rat sports go, once the team has spent some time moving up in levels, *if* they don't have enough thoughtful training. I absolutely agree it's very rarely the reason for lack of enthusiasm!
Food for thought on a summer Monday. This is my Glimmer, photo taken yesterday. She was at the bottom of my yard. And she is currently in that same spot today. She was in that spot Friday. And Saturday. For hours. She will break from her spot, but she goes back. Why? What is she doing? What's down there?
A mole. That's what's down there. If you notice, there's a mish-mash of other gating and fencing as well as the chain link fence, because she and Vila have dug up that entire line after moles, deep enough that Stevie, the Min Pin, just walks under the fence and goes awol.
How many times have you heard people say in Barn Hunt, "well, he liked it until he figured out he couldn't kill the rat, then it was boring and he quit." or "the rat didn't run, so he turned off."
Think about what is able to keep a dog like Glimmer glued to that fence for hours in anticipation of maybe, maybe getting a reward that could be days or weeks away if it happens at all.
It's hunt drive. Dogs are willing to wait, to use patience and guile, to work prey that they never see in some cases, prey that's holed up. Hunt drive.
There are many reasons why dogs stop indicating rats in Barn Hunt. "Because they can't kill the rat" is not one of those reasons. Most of it has to do with mixed signals from the owner. Common mistakes are:
— Owner does not believe the dog when they find a rat. "Where? Where? Are you sure? Is that a rat for sure?" Dog gives up.
— Owner does not adequately praise on EACH rat. This is especially apparent once the dog gets to Senior. The moment the rat is found the owner snatches it away and barks at the dog FIND ANOTHER. Dog didn't get any reinforcement for finding the one he found! Any Judge will tell you that so often in Senior, no rat is praised except the last one, and even then, the handler is often celebrating without praising the dog.
— Owner is not watching dog or dog's signals, and calls the dog off a rat to do the tunnel, often becoming impatient if the dog doesn't come immediately.
So as much as we hate to admit it, the dog turning off is pretty much us, not them.
One bit of training advice, take it as you will. I am going to call my rats pretty fast. I don't dither and hesitate. It's a rat or it's not. If it's not, I use my opportunity to show my dog the rat and praise for that find to help my dog understand the difference. I always want my dog leaving the ring happy, even if they didn't Q. They don't know anything about Qing. They are learning every time they enter the ring, and if my time in that ring ended up being a lesson in discrimination between litter and rat, that's fine, we'll be better set for success next time.
Do you live with a bored, highly active, or simply fired up dog that can never seem to truly relax? We can help!
