Category: Advanced Stuff ¤
  Author: Lana Mitchell ¤
   Title: Keep Going Signal ¤

The Keep Going signal is a very useful tool that few trainers understand. The 
majority of new clicker trainers (those I have spoken with) believe it is a 
tool to be used at distance only, but anyone who has said, "Good dog" while 
heeling has used a Keep Going signal. Useful as a signal to the dog to 
continue his behavior, it is actively used in water rescue, herding, hunting, 
tracking, and all other training areas that require "distance" communication 
with the dog. I use it in most areas of formal obedience training.

Attendees at the competition seminar last weekend enjoyed the power it gave 
them in attaining both speed and direction, so I'm posting this shortened 
version of how and why to use a Keep Going signal.

The Keep Going (KG) signal is always a word or sound that is otherwise not 
used in either training or speaking to your dog. I use the words, "That's it." 
Each time you use your KG, your dog will go farther, faster, or give you 
otherwise accelerated behavior. It should be a sound that can be heard over 
splashing waves, baaing sheep, or echoes. The purpose behind using the KG is 
so that you are able R+ your dog without having him abort the behavior. 

To introduce the KG, start your dog performing a known behavior such as 
heeling. Give your KG, allow the dog to take one more *correct* step of the 
heel (the known behavior), click, feed. As your dog becomes accustomed to this 
new signal, he will give you better performance in anticipation of the R+.

For distance work such as go-bys or go-outs in herding or utility, the 
clicker-trained dog will start to abort the behavior at the sound of the KG 
much like they will (should) if they hear the click. For this reason, be ready 
to repeat your command for that behavior. The go-out, for instance, would 
require a second command, one that is given for the dog who accepts the KG as 
a click and begins to abort. 

Introducing the KG into a distance behavior. I chose the go-out, as it is a 
widely used behavior for many reasons (retrieving, herding, and all other "go" 
commands). My go-out would look like this...go-out command is given, dog 
leaves and looks excellent, moving straight at a canter which is what I want 
him to do all the way to the target zone. I KG the canter by say, "That's it," 
and the dog turns its head slightly. If I do nothing at this point, the dog 
will turn and come back, not understanding that term, but hoping it is some 
sort of new click. I quickly repeat the go-out command, before the dog can do 
more than acknowledge that he heard it, allow the dog to take one more canter 
step then R+. The dog aborts (as he should) and returns for the cookie.

As this introduction to the KG proceeds, I will R+ later, after two then three 
more canter steps, building his understanding of the KG. When the dog can get 
all the way to the target zone before getting the R+, I begin delaying the KG. 
Now I have a dog waiting for a KG or R+ and I can interchange them, using the 
KG when I *really* like what I'm seeing, and R+ when the dog really *gives* me 
what I like.

Once the KG is understood, my go-out looks like this...go-out command is 
given, dog leaves and looks excellent, moving straight at a canter which is 
what I want him to do all the way to the target zone. He continues to move at 
this speed, waiting for the KG or the R+. I may choose to R+ him or KG him 
anywhere along the way, encouraging (KG) and reinforcing (R+) and aborting 
(R+) along the way, as this is what solidifies all chains and all behaviors. 

With these two very powerful tools which can be used throughout the training 
of most behaviors regardless of how advanced the dog is, you are enabled to go 
beyond just performing and enter into the area of total understanding which is 
the beginning of excellence.

Lana Mitchell
CLICK! for Success