Category: Advanced Stuff, Performance Events ¤
  Author: Shirley Chong ¤
   Title: Use of a Keep Going Signal ¤

   Victoria Hynes asks about the "keep going" signal. I'm nowhere 
NEAR Karen's level of experience/expertise, so I really hope others 
(maybe Karen?) will chime in here.
   Here's my take on it: Start by picking out a unique sound. In this 
particular case, you really want a sound if possible, because in 
telling the dog "Keep Going" you don't necessarily want them to look 
away from what they are doing. This sound should be unique, it should 
stand out from the background noise, all that good stuff.
   Start teaching it by using an exercise that the dog thoroughly 
knows. If the dog knows the dog walk, for instance, that would be a 
great place to start, since the task is so clear. Have the dog walk 
spread out so that contact points aren't going to be an issue. Give 
the dog the cue to do the dog walk and when the dog is about 3/4's of 
the way through, give the Keep Going signal. When the dog finishes 
the task, click and treat. Simple!
   Practice the Keep Going signal in as many settings as you can. If 
your dog truly understands the retrieve, use it with the retrieve--
toss the dumbell (or whatever), send the dog, and when they are about 
halfway back to you WITH the dumbell, give the Keep Going signal.
   If the dog is doing trial level heeling (maintaining heel position 
without eye contact or verbal encouragement from the handler for 1-2 
minutes at a time), do some simple heeling and give the dog the Keep 
Going signal.
   Go over in your mind everything the dog really understands to do 
and figure out where you can incorporate the Keep Going signal. 
Initially, you want to time it in such a way that there is 
practically no way the dog can break off the exercise to come ask you 
"Huh?" Watch the dog's body language carefully--common reactions in 
dogs that understand the Keep Going signal is a quick acknowledgement-
wag ("I heard you!"), a stronger commitment to finishing the task, 
etc.
   When you think the dog is understanding the signal when timed such 
that there's almost no chance the dog can fail, then start moving the 
timing of the signal around a bit. If the dog misunderstands, give 
the dog the equivalent of "Ooops" or "Wrong," a little time out, and 
then try again. On the next try move the Keep Going signal back to 
where the dog is almost guaranteed to succeed. With training, making 
teeny weeny steps is the fastest way to get somewhere.
   When you can use the Keep Going signal at any point during the 
exercise and the dog succeeds, you've got it firmly established and 
defined. It's important, in my VERY limited experience, to teach this 
signal in as many different exercises as you can devise. Dogs tend to 
be very specific in their thinking and this needs to be as 
generalized a concept as possible.
   I haven't done much with this (when do I ever train???) but it's a 
fascinating thing to play with. And I think it could be extremely 
valuable, especially in teaching tasks that are long chains of the 
same thing (like tracking, go outs, stays, etc).

M. Shirley Chong
The Well Mannered Dog
Grinnell IA