AG140: Building and Maintaining A Start Line

Strong start

If your dog’s start line performance started out strong and then fell apart, how did that happen? If you have a dog that has not competed and you want to train a brilliant start line, how can you make sure that the behavior doesn’t fall apart?

Reinforcing behavior

Behaviors increase and become stronger when they are reinforced. Reinforcement happens when the dog accesses something they love (example, food or toys). This can also happen by when the dog performas a behavior that has been highly reinforced. When your dog accesses an obstacle that has been highly reinforced, after performing a behavior, the first behavior is reinforced by the execute of that obstacle. So, you can essentially reinforce a start line with a cue to perform another obstacle.

The reverse also comes into play. You can build in a history of unwanted behaviors when you repeatedly continue on or cue obstacles after your dog displays undesirable start line behaviors. If you ignore that unwanted behavior, it will become stronger in that environment. That’s why so many dogs have different performances at the trials. The environment becomes a strong cue for a different performance. There is also an emotional component in play, too. If there is stress or confusion, skills will disappear. It’s a complicated behavior chain that must be unraveled for individual dog and handler teams.

Because it can be tricky to reward your dog’s start line performance in a trial, it’s important you work hard at exposing your dog’s trained routine to many situations, environments, and distractions. In an environment that has lots of distractions (trials), your dog’s performance will get tested. If the training has also been tested and the handling and the release cue is clear to the dog, then those new situations shouldn't be an issue and can be easier to reinforce.

For the love of agility

Most dogs that do agility LOVE it. Training the obstacles and sequences with positive reinforcement, creates a strong desire to interact with them. “Going” becomes a highly valued reward for the dog. If you do not train or handle the release properly with clear criteria and cues, then your dog can get confused and those solid start line stays will start to deteriorate - maybe without you even recognizing the first signs. Your dog's behavior might start to change in classes or trials when you feel rushed, you disconnect from your dog (thinking about the sequence ahead or talk to your instructor), or you are unaware of signals or patterns that unintentionally become a release cue.  Also, there can be some issues caused by stress or frustration which creates a negative conditioned emotional response in your dog at the start line. And when that happens, you no longer have a dog that can think clearly. Anything can happen!!

What causes behavior to deteriorate?

Here are some examples of handler behavior that can cause a good start line behavior to deteriorate:

1. Attempt to control the dog’s behavior
   • Backing up or facing the dog while leading out
   • Repeating the stay cue while leading out
   • Physically placing the dog into position (i.e. pushing the rear down, etc)
   • Overly demanding/punitive stay cue tone
2. Being disconnected or distracted
3. Using unpredictable patterns or unintentionally pairing the verbal release cue with motion
4. Showing disappointment and/or negative emotions

Conclusion

Your dog learns the start line routine pattern that you create - intentionally or unintentionally. This pattern starts from the time you walk into the ring until your dog leaves the start line. As each of these behaviors progress, each of them is rewarded by continuing to the next behavior. It ends up being a very strong behavior chain that builds and gains momentum. If there are any unwanted behaviors along the way, those behaviors are also built into the routine. 

Unfortunately, most of these patterns usually go unnoticed until the dog is displaying lots of unwanted behaviors, including leaving the start line before the handler's intended release cue is given. To solve these issues, you have to break things down and rebuild a different set of behaviors with clear cues.