# Glove Exercise - Breaking it Down



## gabbys mom (Apr 23, 2008)

we spent a ton of time working attention in the pivot too- you blow the pivot, you blow the exercise


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I was just going to make the same basic reply.
The glove exercise in itself seems to be one of the easier utility exercises....as long as you get the pivot right!
Some people pivot to their left for glove #3 (giving the dog a get back command) while others pivot the full circle. Depends on what works for you. IF your dog does the left pivot well, I think that one works better because they know whenever they turn that way, they're getting the #3 glove. (Tito doesn't do that very well, so we pivot the whole way for #3). 
I'd probably spend 90% of the time just working on pivots in place, without sending him for anything. The retrieve part of it is very simple once they're reliable on the dumbell, or just plain like to retrieve.
I question the use of a reward for the pre-mark position. This tells him to look back at you after making his mark. Once he marks, he shouldn't take his eyes off the mark or turn his head back to you for anything. What one of our trainers does is puts the dog with his back to the ring gates, about maybe 10 feet away. Put the dog on a stay, and then put a piece of food somewhere near the ring gate.
Pivot and give him a mark. Point to the food with your mark signal. Use white cheese if it's a dark floor, for example. As soon as he see the food, tell him GOOD MARK and let him go get it. Keep doing that with the food on the floor in different places, but keep the pivot as part of it. Pivot, Mark, get the food. That way he learns to keep his eyes on the prize!
When you start doing it with the glove, I'd keep him facing it at first, as you have been. But it will be easy enough to add the pivot because he's used to the pivot, mark, get it already with a piece of food on the floor. 
For proofing, try putting 3 of his favorite toys out where the gloves would be. Mark and send to one of them. When he comes back with it, it's party time! 
Another little thing my trainer showed me with the gloves (this depends on your dog but helps Tito) is to get them wet, scrunch them into a ball, rubberband them so they stay in a ball, and let them dry that way. Then when you lay them out, they aren't flat on the floor and it's much easier for the dogs to pick them up. Obviously you can't do this for a show, but it's nice in training.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

*I question the use of a reward for the pre-mark position. This tells him to look back at you after making his mark.*

I think you misunderstood what I wrote... I probably wasn't clear. I'm rewarding the "watch" (attention to me) behavior, not the mark. In this exercise, he hasn't been asked to mark yet. It seems in gloves, a lot of dogs will go straight to the mark and you lose the attention before hand. I want solid attention on my pivot and while he's waiting to be told to mark. I'm reinforcing that in its own exercise.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

> put a piece of food somewhere near the ring gate.
> Pivot and give him a mark. Point to the food with your mark signal. Use white cheese if it's a dark floor, for example. As soon as he see the food, tell him GOOD MARK and let him go get it. Keep doing that with the food on the floor in different places, but keep the pivot as part of it. Pivot, Mark, get the food. That way he learns to keep his eyes on the prize!


I guess I just like to break things down a bit further. I'm doing both those things, but as separate exercises right now. For me, teaching the mark is separate from teaching the pivot. Until we're both solid on those behaviors alone (I'm also working just pivot footwork as an exercise for me - keeping it consistent, not leaning into my dog's space, etc.) I don't want to put them together.

Always fun learning how other people do things!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

My glove exercise is broken down 

a) The pivot with attention
b) After halting, maintaining attention until my left hand moves
c) Once the left hand comes to the side of the dogs face he can break attention and I essentially want him to 'lock onto' the glove; he is not sent until I see the lock
d) The actual glove retrieve which is initially trained as a game so the dog loves his glove
e) Returning back to me with the glove - and only one glove LOL
f) Releasing the glove
g) F&F

so I teach these items completely seperately for quite a while

1) Retrieving the glove - no mouthing, fumbling etc
2) The pivot with complete attention
3) The mark and staying while the hand comes down since they know what's next 

To help make the glove(s) visible, I use a paper towel wadded into the hand portion while initially teaching.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Nice explanation of your breakdown, Sunshine. Thanks!



> e) Returning back to me with the glove - and only one glove LOL


Haha.... yeah. I suspect Quiz will want to be an over-achiever and get all three when we first get to that part!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

yes, that assumes that he can already do a pivot. 
Do you stand on a pizza cardboard to practice your pivot? That's what they have up do in training!




FlyingQuizini said:


> I guess I just like to break things down a bit further. I'm doing both those things, but as separate exercises right now. For me, teaching the mark is separate from teaching the pivot. Until we're both solid on those behaviors alone (I'm also working just pivot footwork as an exercise for me - keeping it consistent, not leaning into my dog's space, etc.) I don't want to put them together.
> 
> Always fun learning how other people do things!


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