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"Forward March. Hup 2,3,4. Hup 2,3,4. To the Rear March."
Does your training session feel like a military Drill? If it does, why not add a little play that utilizes obedience training. This will rejuvenate bored trainers and encourage their dogs to do the exercises with more willingness and enjoyment. Remember, AKC feels judges should be looking at the dog's attitude. Since Schipperkes are known to bore easily doing new or unexpected maneuvers can keep them interested. Games are more for attitude improvement than for proofing, but dogs that can do exercises with variations often are more steady on the formal ones. You can practice these games in a group or class situation, or adapt them to individual use.

In the novice class the only exercise that is an 'upper' for the dog is the recall. The heeling is very controlled and the stand, sit, and down stay are boringly static. But the recall, that's a different story! Try some RECALL RACES in class. Divide the dogs into two groups, trying to be fair mixing up the big dogs and little dogs as well as the fast and slow ones. Close races are more exciting than one sided ones and handlers tend to get into the spirit better when either team could win. Though Schips are usually in the little dog category, they are often the fastest dogs on recalls. As this is a game, the only 'musts' should be that the dog stay until called, and then go to the handler. Fronts or finishes are not necessary and besides they are "downers" for the dogs. When teams are competing, handlers must go back if their dog gets up prematurely. Dogs that do not stay well may be held until by the next person in line to prevent stay breaks. The next dog can be left as soon as the preceding dog is touched by its owner. The first team to finish without cheating wins. Time permitting, the race winner can be decided by two out of three heats. Rules can be modified to fit the training level of the dogs and handlers

Another variety of recall racing is to do ultra LONG RECALL RACES with one dog and handler against another. The looser is eliminated and the winners keep going against each other until only one is remaining. Other variations can be added such as recalls over a low jump, recalls with the handler sitting, out of sight, or running away from the dog. Recalls can also be done between two lines of dogs and handlers or through randomly positioned dogs and handlers. Some of these variations can also be added when training alone to spice up the recall. Yes, playing recall games excessively without training or doing the formal exercise in between can cause stay, front, or finish problems. Handlers need to recognize difficulties as they arise and correct them before they get out of hand.

A heeling game that can be played with a class is ELIMINATION. All participants heel in a square around the instructor who calls commands. Commands may include forward, fast, slow, normal, circle left or right (figure 8 sized circles turning towards the center of the ring), left or right turn (which ever is towards the center, handlers make a second left or right turn when they reach the opposite side of the ring to continue in the original direction), zig zag and halt. Dog and handler teams are eliminated when an uncorrected mistake is made. Dogs that make an error are only eliminated if the handler fails to recognize and fix the error. For example, if a dog lags and is corrected by the handler, it is not eliminated. If the handler is caught letting the dog lag and doing nothing about it, the team is eliminated. Having spotters in the ring to help the instructor is usually necessary. As this is training, talking, encouraging, and correcting are all appropriate. If there is enough space in the training area, group or mass heeling can be done. (Whoops, that's back to military style working.) Handlers start in a parade type formation and follow commands. Since not all handlers respond at the same time or heel at the same speed, the "military" formation quickly changes and the person calling commands has to be careful not to run anyone into anything. This offers more diversity and is more challenging than always working in a square.

Figure eights can be livened up by doing the SNAKE. Handlers with their dogs on a sit stay at heel, are positioned in a large circle with at least three feet between handlers. The working team snakes its way around the circle alternately going inside a "post", then outside the next one. After one team passes several "posts" another can start. As each team finishes the circle it takes the place vacated by one that is working. For variety in smaller classes handlers can do circles or snake around 3 posts in a triangle. Next time © more advanced games. If you have training games you and your dog enjoy, send them to me for future articles.