Within this series of articles I have been covering the beginning
work relative to raising a competitive working dog. The goal of our foundation
work is to raise a dog that is strong and confident, active in his drives
and highly motivated.
The blind search is an obedience exercise in the protection phase worth ten points. Searching two blinds in SchH1, four blinds in SchH2 and six blinds in SchH3. The dog running very fast in a diagonal pattern down the field correctly executes the blind search. Ideally the dog should go around each blind tightly, should move clearly and smoothly across to each blind and do so in front of the handler as they move down the field.
There are about as many ways to teach the blinds as to train a dog in general. In addition to initially teaching the blind search, there is also the need to improve or correct the way a dog currently searches the blinds. The most common problems people have is the dog running the blinds too wide, not searching in the correct pattern, and a lack of speed and drive in the blind search. Training the blind search correctly will prevent most of these problems. Likewise most of these problems can be fixed.
Teaching the blinds can start at any time. Although many people teach it with a helper, it has been my experience that success is better achieved when first taught through using the toy. This way the fundamentals of the blind search can be taught when the dog is more open to instruction. Once the helper is in the picture the drive state increases substantially and it becomes much more difficult for the dog to concentrate. If the dog already has knowledge of the exercise it is then easier for them to respond with the correct behavior even in a high state of drive. And thus less compulsion is required, the basics of a tight search centered on the handler have already been instilled and progress is made quickly, cleanly and with drive resulting in a full point exercise.
So we will start teaching the blinds with a toy which can be done when the dog is quite young. One can also start at the point that I introduce the helper in this article. If picking it up at that point the dog must have a solid recall, understand the concept of "no" and is sleeve safe and clear headed in protection work.
Teaching the Blinds
Start with one blind, the dog on a fursaver, and a tug toy. Place the dog on a sit at the left corner of the blind, the handler walks on the same path as the dog will go to the other corner of the blind. With dog and handler at opposite corners but in view of each other, the handler gives the search command, either voran or revier, and immediately follows the search command with the hier command. As the dog comes the handler backs up and rewards the dog immediately with a grip on the tug toy.
The handler should also raise their right arm in conjunction with the search command. As the handler backs up with the dog in motion around the blind, the handler should head back in line with the blind's angles. If from the beginning we set a pattern of running tight around the blind, this behavior will continue throughout the dog's career. In addition by incorporating the directional arm raise and the hier command we set a correct pattern of behavior for the handler.
Release the dog from the toy and do it exactly the same again. For a few times it may be difficult for the dog to maintain the sit until sent by the handler. This is perfectly okay. Simply say "no" lightly, place the dog back where he was and try to proceed on handler command again. The directional arm raise, the search command followed by the recall command are the reasons the dog comes around the blind. The dog most certainly does not know the search command. But he will learn it in association with the other behaviors and this is dog training.
After three times with the handler and dog in view of each other, place the dog in the same position on the blind corner and move the handler back a few paces. Repeat from these positions three times correctly. Then leaving the dog still at the blind corner, move the handler back another few paces just behind the blind. It is important for the handler to still leave the dog on the sit and walk the path that the dog will go. Do not leave the dog and then go behind the blind. Why is unknown, but the dog always follows the path of the handler at this stage of teaching. If the dog fails to go around the blind and instead cuts behind, tell him "no" lightly, place him back where he was, and try again. If the dog makes this mistake three times in a row, back up a step.
Once the dog correctly comes around the blind when the handler is behind him, maintain the position that the handler is and begin moving the dog back. Continue in this manner until dog and handler are next to each other. Once you can send the dog from heel position around the blind, you no longer need to leave the dog on a sit and walk around the blind to the handler position. If at anytime in this progression the dog makes a mistake three times in a row, back up a step. And do not rush the progression. Some dogs will move quickly through these steps and some dogs will have a difficult time with one step or another. Why doesn't matter, it just works that way.
At this point the dog and handler move progressively farther from the blind. The handler always uses their right arm as direction in conjunction with the search command. The handler always calls the dog hier before the dog gets past the right side of the blind. And the dog always is rewarded with his toy. No front positions, just straight to the toy.
Once the handler can send the dog from almost midfield to the blind, bring a second blind into the training. Start with the blinds fairly close together and then progressively move them farther apart. At first reward after each blind, but quickly you should be able to send the dog on to the second blind then back around to you for the reward. One can run all six blinds on a toy reward. In the next issue we will bring the helper into the picture and discuss fixing common blind search problems.
