Kitchen Training: Close Fronts

A perfect front is close, straight, fast and consistently correct. The dog has full understanding of his job. He knows how to be straight because he understands what his focal point is and how to line himself up with it. He understands how close is close. He sits quickly and gives intense, focused eye contact.

But how do you get there?

Fronts are my nemesis. My own dogs have learned that front is a two-step process:

• come in quickly and sit;
• then, following my cue of putting my hands together and taking a slight step back, they get up, reposition themselves more closely and more straight, and sit again.

This is not the picture I want. First rule: you get what you reward. If you settle for “good enough”, then that’s what you get. But how to initially establish that perfect front? And how to reward a good front in a way that reinforces the correct position?

I usually reward with a toy by throwing it when I release the dog. I used to throw the toy behind the dog, because that happened to be the direction I was facing. That caused the dog to sit further and further back, in anticipation of the reward. He wanted to be ready, giving himself enough room to turn and get the toy.

So I started throwing the toy behind me. This wasn’t much better. Although I thought I was rewarding for a close position and eye contact, they all seemed to sit too far back. Since you get what you reward, I was obviously getting a behaviour that included sitting far enough back to give themselves room to get around me and get the toy.

I’ve tried throwing the ball between my legs — bad idea for a short person with a tall dog! I’ve tried holding a tennis ball under my chin and letting it roll out for the dog to catch. Another bad idea! Extremely toy-driven dogs have no hesitation about jumping up and grabbing something in motion and whatever comes along with it. Ouch!

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought, and have finally come up with a plan. I’ll share it here and let you know how it develops. I’m working four very different dogs, so the method should get some real testing.

Since it’s winter and cold and miserable both outside and in the training barn, it’s a perfect time for kitchen training. This is a great opportunity to work on specific behaviours and do lots and lots of repetitions. Food lends itself well to drilling. Work two or three times a day for only a few minutes at a time.

This game is based on the premise that dogs are efficient: over time, they will automatically move closer to the place where they consistently receive their reward.

Step 1: Show where the reward will appear.

• Hold your hands together at the point on your belly where the dog’s nose would be if he were in perfect front position, looking up at you. The food is held in both hands, with both hands together, thumbs and forefingers touching. First we’re creating a focal point for the dog to orient towards. By keeping your hands firmly placed on your belly and not reaching forward to give the dog the treat, you are helping reinforce tuck sits as well.
  

  The reward point.

• This will always be your reward point for fronts. Even years from now, when your dog nails a front, you’ll bring your hands quickly together to this point to reward. The reward for speed should be a release into a toy; the reward for a perfect front should be food at the reward point. If the reward consistently comes in the very same place, the dog has no reason to be too far away.
  

  Your reward point varies depending on the dog's height

• Call the dog and show the reward point. When the dog comes and sits, even too far back, mark YES & reward by opening one hand but keeping it planted at the reward point. Let the dog come forward to get the treat.
• Even if the dog sits too far away, mark YES and keep your reward hand exactly in the same place and make the dog come to get the treat. Don’t reach out!
• Release OKAY and throw food behind you with the opposite hand. Throwing the food is only a means to get the dog away from you so you can turn around and call to front again.
• As the dog goes to look for the food, walk forward across the kitchen, turn around at the other end and call to front. You’ll be moving back and forth across the length of your kitchen or training area. Call the dog to one end; throw the food behind while you move to the other end and call the dog.
• Switch reward hands back and forth:  if you reward with the right hand, release and throw food behind with the left; then reward with the left hand, release and throw food behind with the right. Dogs pick up on patterns very quickly. If he learns that you always reward with a certain hand, he’ll begin to sit closer to that hand.

Step 2:  Eye contact and reward.

Step 3:  Move your hands apart.

• You will want to do this fairly quickly, as we don’t want the focus point your hands form to become the cue for a good front. The recall command should be the cue, and your hands are just there to help if necessary.
• Form a triangle with thumb and forefingers, but still reward with hands together in the centre. Show the triangle, mark YES, and move your hands together to provide the reward. Only move your hands together after you say YES.
• Make the dog come to the reward point, don’t reach out to give the reward.

Focal point

Move hands further apart...

... until they're by your hips. But the reward point is always the same, in the centre of your body.

• Continue to  mark and reward a sit-in-front even if the dog is too far away. Because dogs are efficient and the reward always comes in the same place, the dog will start to move closer on his own. Don’t ask for the dog to adjust to a better front before marking: that just sets you up to establishing a two-step front. (Come-sit-come closer-sit.).

Step 4: Hands at sides, showing the final recall picture.

• Think about what forms a visual cue for a perfect front. Your shoulders should be square, head up but looking at your dog, hips square under your shoulders and feet slightly apart under your hips. Your hands should be hanging naturally at your sides.
• This is a rigid and unnatural stance to the dog: you look like an unmoving barrier, certainly not inviting for the dog, and especially a sensitive dog, to come in close. It will take quite a bit of repetition for the dog to feel comfortable and confident.
• Call the dog with your hands down at your sides. Move your hands to help show the focal point as the dog comes in. Put your hands back down. Make eye contact and mark YES, then move your hands to the reward point. Do NOT take a step back to help the dog come in straight. The dog needs to figure out how to collect and tuck into a close sit as he comes in; if you help by stepping backwards, you make his landing point inconsistent, and you take away his responsibility.

Nice and close...

You might need to practice these steps without the dog:

• Hands down, call.
• Hands up, help.
• Hands down.
• YES
• hands up.