How to Jackpot your Dog
A good way to strengthen a fast stopping contact is to sometimes give your dog a super reward, a jackpot.
Ideally click when the dog hits the contact and then with the dog still on the contact, praise and give multiple treats, one-by-one!.
Praise the dog and offer a treat.
Praise again and offer another treat.""
Be sincere in your praise. Don't fake it. Dogs can tell.
Quiz
Don't just dump a bunch of treats but hand the treats to the dog ____ by ____.
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More Speed in Dog Agility with Jackpotting. To learn a good jackpotting method, see the tips and videos on this page.
See also Dog-Agility-Drive-and-Speed-Running-Fast
Also, if you would like to see a free instructional dog agility video on Stress Management click here and be sure to use the password Magic Momo.
JackPotting.Take ___ seconds when jackpotting and give the treats to the your dog ONE by ONE. . Remember to first click and then verbally praise your dog as you give the first treat. Check out the video to find the answer.
Why click?
Because a click is consistent, clear and a dog can be easily trained to respond to click. Some of the best dog agility trainers use a clicker rather than just verbal praise only. Examples include Siliva Trkman, Susan Garrett, and Esteban FernandezLopez. If a clicker is not handy you can use a conditioned distinctive reward marker -- one you use ONLY for that purpose. Even a click of your tongue will work.
For clicker training exposed, you may want to see this lesson. which teaches you best practices in using a clicker and reveals how and when clicker training was invented.
Get Your Dog Aroused
You can build speed by getting your dog aroused just before you lead your dog to an agility jump or other obstacle. A good way to do that is to play a game of tug or "Chase the Squirrel."
NOTE: if your dog does not like tugging, your dog can learn (and should learn) to love it. The chase the squirrel game is a good way to start. See the video here titled "Teach Your Dog To LOVE Playing With Toys And How To Tug."
Part 1. Have a friend restrain your dog as you drag a tug toy (on a long lead) slowly as you creep away. Then when you give the release cue run away dragging the toy on the turf or ground as your friend releases your dog. Let your dog catch the toy; then have a play tugging fest.
Contact Training for Speed
Part 2. Start the same as Part 1, but as you approach a contact obstacle, pull the toy up and away and send your dog to the contact obstacle. Sometimes drag the toy down to the contact zone. When your dog hits the contact, you can say the release word and resume the tugging session.
If your dog jumps off too soon and doesn't hit the contact. Do not reward, but back up and do more basic contact training, perhaps with more Jackpotting. On walks look for stairs and lead your dog to run down the stairs, making sure your dog stops at the bottom of the stairs