Let's just skip right over January. Happy new year?
Ring Confidence Posts
I have a Ring Confidence training group on Facebook! This last month, I posted was a bit busy but still a few good posts!
1. Work on focus through cookie toss patterns! Teaching the dog to expect running back to you fast for another treat! This makes it easy to diminish sniffing between reps and makes it easier for us to be clear on when we are still "working" and when we are cuing the dog to take a break. Click here to join the group and read!
2. Transitions are going from spot A to stop B, wherher that is going to the startline in agility and rally, or between exercises in obedience. I tran them a lot! And in this post I emphasize that the focus needs to be on how we are actually moving with the dogs. Adding in tricks or happy games are built on top of that movement foundation. Too often I see people trying hard to train there transitions, but it they think they need to do hand touch after hand touch. And that usually has a nagging feeling in the ring, or like it's just asking for more "work." Click to join and read!
Heeling Blog
Did you miss my blog post on heeling? Some notes on what my priorities are in my heelwork and how I balance all the things! Heeling can be fun!
January Training Videos
Apparently this past month I dug more into my drafts! We trained. But sickness and being stuck inside training apparently didn't leave me motivated to film.
But here are 8 videos from the daily uploads of training this past month. Just click on the picture to be taken to youtube. (And if you prefer the unedited versions, head to facebook or instagram!) I hope these videos give you some helpful tips to try or inspire you to train something new!
Does your dog get stuck sniffing? A pattern game that I love teaches the dog how to handle a cookie toss and then run back to the handler for another treat. This pattern of run out, come back is fast and doesn't leave time for the dog to even think about sniffing! Toss all the cookies!
This video was stuck in my drafts from summer when I was working on some control around the reward ata distance! Ginny does so much work on this, not as much the border collie! My only goal in this session was to work on him turning away from the reward before being sent to it.
Freya Kitty is working on a drop on recall! I started with a foot target because I just couldn't get a "down in motion" without the extra help. Not my preferred way to start a dog, but it is a promlem solving technique I use!
Working on utliity skills? Gloves and go outs can often be confused for each other with dogs ending up in the glove corner on a send away or looking to retrieve on the go out. I teach different mark signals to help with that. Ginny is starting this discrimination with the gloves out when I am cuing her to to the go out!
Another video from my drafts working on end of run routines with Loot. Leave the reward, then give the cue and go back to it! With Loot I have a different cue for when he is on leash and is expected to walk without yanking my arm off vs when he can run to his reward off leash and grab it himself! The arousal levels with each cue are a bit different and this makes it easier for him to be polite.
Heeling is fun!! A classic choose to heel game done at a brisk pace can help teach your dogs to power out quickly to catch you! I also work on verbally encouraging them when they aren't quite there and then silence when they catch up. The start of silence leading to the rewards!
You can see Grace isn't a naturally energetic girl but puts out a lot of work in this game!
And more fronts with Loot. With the chaos of indoor training. While he is used to focusing with the insanaity around him, what I am SO proud of here is how he tried hard to do his front. He doesn't fully trust the kids when they are this close to him and usually will angle out when they are in his bubble!
I needed to put this song to Freya's Heeling!
Current February Classes
Class starts today, Feb 1st! Working spots are sold out, but it's not too late to join at bronze and get all the lectures!
It's for novice obedience, but really it's appliacable to all levels of students from newbies to rally and utility competitors! Heeling, fronts, and judge pressure never get old.
Heeling, fronts, exams, stays, and a bit of trial prep skills thrown in too!
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Does obedience feel scary?! I feel you! There are so many little pieces.
But I love showing people how much fun it can be! It can be energetic, joyful, and bouncy :)
This class looks at unsticking your heeling, teaching fronts that actually hold up without a platform, and breaking down exams so both our anxious dogs and our over greeters learn it's not about petting!
Oh and a bit of trial prep too so you can actually be prepared for your shows!
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Follow me on the social media platform of your choice to try and catch all my daily training videos. I hope they inspire you to try something fun with your dog! And join my free facebook group on building ring confidence for dog sports!
