Last updated Feb 16, 2003

Your dog in class - managing the demo dog and teaching by example.

As a Ruffian attending class as a student or as an instructor or assistant using your own dog as a demo, whether in public or at class, you have a big responsibility to set a good example for the people who see you with your own dog.

From the moment you get out of your car and approach the Ruff House, what your dog is doing while you fumble the key in the lock, every interaction you have with your dog, the tone of voice you use, the way your dog responds to your commands and your relationship with your dog sets an example to your students.

You are an example of responsible dog ownership to our students, neighbors and people walking down the street and a working example of how we'd like to see our students handle the approach to the Ruff House! Keep your dog on leash, and off the neighbor's lawns. Insist that your dog use the provided potty area and not the rose bushes by the front gate. USE the techniques we are teaching them so they can see it in practical use.

Another example we want to impart to our students is how to be your dog's advocate. For your dog's safety and to avoid negative situations with your student's dogs, it is important to know where and what your dog is doing at all times. Your attentiveness to your dog is an example to your students. Using your dog for a carefully planned and executed "social moment" for dogs who need that experience can be a constructive training tool, but allowing your dog to conduct his own social excursions without your careful direction is dangerous.

Keep your dog close and under voice/leash control at all times. Many of the dogs in class are there because they have issues. It may not be safe for your dog to run willy-nilly up to another dog, no matter how friendly YOUR dog is. Young impulsive dogs can be driven to total distractability by an instructor's dog coming too close. The student may be really irritated if they JUST got their dog's attention and he finally settled and now it's partying with the instructor's dog! We should be making them aware of the need to be proactive and not set their dogs up to fail - we must follow our own advice.

Demo dog training. Of course, as an instructor or assistant there are huge blocks of time when your eyes and attention are not on your dog, but on the class at hand. For this reason it's important to have a stationing place for your dog while you teach, and train him so well that he will stay there quietly until you call him for his next demo and return to his station willingly when sent. You will need to proof this so well that your dog will stay on his station no matter what the distraction. As an instructor/assistant you will be praising other dogs, giving commands, maybe squeaking toys and acting in an animated fashion. The dogs in class may be acting up, there could be outbursts. Your dog needs to TRUST and respect you as a leader to handle the situation and not feel the need to leave or become involved.

Your dog must also have an impeccable leave-it, never counter surf, mug children or practice any of the inappropriate behaviors our students expect US to be able to help them teach their dogs to do!

Demo dog management. When you don't have your eyes on your dog, make it impossible for "bad things" to happen. Crate your dog away from traffic paths, alert your assistant to position themselves accordingly, or put a portable ring gate as a block to keep those "oh let's go say hi to Basil" people from letting their dogs get too close. Yes, I'd LOVE for Basil to welcome them all onto his bed and lick the noses of every dog who approaches. But I know it's an unrealistic and unfair expectation. It's my job as his advocate to not put him in a situation where he needs to correct rude dogs who accost him in his personal space - I've made the rule he is not allowed to leave, so his only choice is to tell them to go away. If Basil turns lip, it's MY fault for not splitting up, redirecting and being his advocate when he needs me.

Safety recommendation: do not approach and try to assist another dog and handler with your own dog in tow. ALWAYS send your dog to his stationing place before assisting a student. You can't give the student AND your dog your undivided attention at the same time, not to mention that your dog's presence will be an added distraction.

I encourage anyone who wants to work on getting experience with their demo dog, to attend various classes on their non-teaching nights to practice, in order to further broaden your dog's experience and perhaps get some tips from various instructors on how they manage their demo dogs. In order to give your dog the training it will need for this job, you will find it necessary to train separately from your teaching assignments. During those moments when you are doing your job, your dog may be learning stuff you didn't intend to have him learn and of course, most importantly, our students are priority one!