Some Heel Upgrades w/ Zae

Lately I have been working on some ‘heel upgrades’ with Zae.  Doing so by playing around with little things seeing what we can do and what works best for us.  The ultimate goal in mind is always to clean up and make his heel even sharper.  I also decided to start to actually train a fun go to heel position.. still in very beginning stages but I am pleased so far.  Also, very happy with how sharp Zae’s turns are getting as I was looking to get cleaner, crisper 90° turns with him.

This little trick is a behavior I never ever actually trained with Zae.  I asked him to do it one day and from there we just started doing it. 🙂  He was just able to quickly figure it out because of all the foundation skills we train. I am intending to use this behavior to further clean up his heel. In the end, I want those sharp turns with a dog who stays nice and parallel to me.  I am also hoping it will help him pay more attention to details like my legs instead of just staring up at me with his goofy face and not paying true attention 😋  The beauty is in the details – training dogs is so fun !


I am currently accepting more online students !   This includes one-on-one personal classrooms with custom learning modules and feedback.  Let me know what you want to learn or improve and let’s get to work. 🙂

A Startline Sermon

This started as an Instagram post but I decided to dive a bit deeper into it because I think it is important to touch on as it something that can often be witnessed at agility trials.

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If you are not confident in your dog how can the dog be confident in you?  Dogs pick up on energy and can also smell stress via hormones.  With this, some handlers very clearly send nervous cues as they hesitantly leave the dog at the first jump.  Walking backwards a few steps with tense a “wait, wait, wait” is not an ideal performance and will set both you and the dog up for failure.  Ideally, a handler should mindfully set their dog up at the start, aware of the line they are going to be giving him as they release him.  If you are not confident in your dogs startline that is a problem that needs to addressed as it will affect the dog across the board during your runs.  Immediately, as the dog breaks and you have not set up a clean or even the right line to start the course.  This is inefficient and a lot of time can be lost by these messy and frantic lines on course and might even result in a disqualification before you even get going.  Ultimately, a messy start usually does not mean a connected or smooth run.  Rather than cascading into the same nervous routine at the startline each run- which over time is TEACHING the dog that this is the routine that we follow- stop setting the dog up for failure.  Dogs are always learning!  A problem like this will not automatically get better, especially if this is the routine and behavior you have unintentionally trained into the dog his whole career.

In turn, by training both a startline routine and solid foundation skills, like impulse control, and by actively practicing and rewarding these skills (across the board and not just in agility!) you will have a confident dog at the startline who knows exactly what is expected of him:  a solid and reliable startline with an attuned dog who is ready to go when you say the word.  The importance of a solid startline is significant.  Not having to worry about your dog breaking or getting to where you need to be to start creates a more clear mind for you too.  This allows you to be more confident during your run and as mentioned earlier, dogs can sense this and will be more confident in you too.  Being able to leave your dog, verify the dogs line from starting position and calmly release and getting going to the next spot can make a world a difference during your runs.  On course, having these skills will directly transfer to having a solid and reliable table performance too.  Worrying about your dog staying on the table mid run is no fun and having the opportunity to get ahead and set a nice line for the dog also has its advantages.

Laying down the necessary foundation skills needed for a solid stay and impulse control in and out of the ring is the core step to then training and practicing a startline routine.  A solid stay at the start does not mean drilling the dog at the startline or trying to perfect his stay (especially when he is failing !!) as he is behaving in the a way he always has but to take a step back to practice and proof the skill itself.  It is possible the dog simply does not understand what is expected of him.  If the dog is having issues specifically in a certain environment or arousal level then work to recreate the stressors of the environment in order to proof the behavior.  Train and reward a strong stay throughout the dogs life and day.  Building drive into the stay itself is a powerful tool in drive and motivation too.

Connor Mckeever, a certified mondioring decoy, agrees on the importance of skills like this in his own branch of the dog world and says that “having a great working relationship starts outside of the field for sure.  If my dog and I are having problems outside of our routine I promise it will show in the work.”  Having these skills in place is important even beyond agility or being out on the field with your dog with whichever sport you may do.  Especially important when it comes to your dogs safety if you dog cannot control himself or respect barriers and bolts any time his impulses find it rewarding.

I recommend handlers needing help or who want to improve these skills take my Skill & Relationship Building online course with quick, fun exercises to work with feedback.  Or, I also offer Personalized Coaching/Modules I am more than happy to set something up specifically for your dog and your goals. 🙂


Side note: There is a time and a place for everything.  Running starts are good too!  What this post is specifically about is handlers who let their dog control the situation at the startline.  Having clear cut skills and setting the dog and yourself for success is a win in itself! 🙂

KC International Agility Festival 2017

Thanks much to Ifan Griffiths for the fantastic photos from KC Fest._MG_1804-2_MG_1814-2_MG_1838-2_MG_1840-2_MG_1865 copy

5 MINUTE TRAINING SESSION W/ ZAE: Working & Strengthening Foundation Skills

 

This is a 5 minute raw video with brief comments about the training.  This training session was 5 minutes total–including playing and rewarding dog.  The session wasn’t necessarily planned; I just wanted to share a raw recording of what an average training session with my dogs looks like.  Short and productive.  Zae practiced different foundation skills and through rewarding skills were reinforced and strengthened.  Throughout the session Zae practiced a variety of skills and stayed engaged.  By practicing and enforcing these skills as a the bulk of my training the skills in turn stay strong.  For example, things like the teeter or wraps that I like to almost constantly reward–especially in sequence when they are really beautiful/what I am looking for.  A motto of mine is reward what you want to see more of.  Jackpot it when it’s especially perfect and amazing !! 🙂

All the skills in this video, and the strong working relationship I have with Zae comes through my every day training and quick practice of skills like this.  The basis of most of these every day exercises I do with my dog is available in my Skills and Relationship Building online course.