FE335 Spaces In Between

This is a class about preparing our dogs for the competition or seminar environment. Over and over I see dogs that are unprepared or rehearsing behavior we don't want at seminars, classes and trials. Over time this leads to more stress from both handler and dog and I want to help out with that!

Course Details

I developed this class because I want to teach handlers how to ask these questions of their dogs in every environment they expect to train and trial in:

Can you collect reinforcement?
Can you hear your reinforcement cues?
Can you hear your behavior cues?
Do you feel safe?
Can you control your excitement?
Can you switch reinforcement?
And what does the dog saying "no" to any of those questions look like?
Can you chill for a minute while I talk to the instructor, ring steward, trial secretary, go to the restroom, walk my other dogs, etc...?

It also doubles as a class on how to achieve calmness and confidence in certain life skills that I think are vital for creating great traveling companions, ones you can take anywhere. Quiet calm crating, loose leash walking and protocols to “hear” what your companion dog is telling you about the environment are all good things. When we have those things in every area, training the competition behaviors comes easily!

For dogs that have anxiety around crating, Sarah Stremming's Happy crating is a great resource!

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - LS135: Crate Training Dogs: Happy Crating for Life

Teaching Approach

This class consists of lectures released once a day or every other day. Each concept is presented in steps/recipes and you work on one piece of it during the week. For instance, we may cover loose leash walking, down stay, and crating all in week 3, but we'll cover one part of that in each subject. Lectures themselves consist of bullet points, with written explanations of each step, along with short videos showing each step. Most lectures are meant to go in order of each other, for instance, it's hard to skip the first 2 weeks of class and come in on the 3rd week without the foundations of the first 2 weeks. However, I will always work at a student's pace and encourage that!

This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the Bronze and Silver students! Directions for joining will be in the classroom after you register.

Prerequisites & Supplies

No special supplies needed!

crate for crating

leash

lots of yummy treats

mat or something that is like a mat

car to travel to different places: different environments of different distraction level

Sample Lecture

1st step of Loose Leash Walking!

Collar Grabs-dog shoves

Steps:

Collar grabs
Lateral movements
Move into pressure
Increase distance
Add a verbal cue

Collar grabs

We need to make sure the dog LIKES collar grabs!

Use the highest reinforcement available (food, tugging, or opportunity to chase)

Make sure you have a clear marker cue signifying the reinforcement and clear mechanics (verbal proceeds the delivery of the reinforcement.)

Start right next to the dog, reinforcement in the right hand, and extend your left hand to grab the collar. Grab collar, pause, verbal cue, reinforce dog

Here is Bayles showing this:

After 5 repetitions of that, put reinforcement behind your back or in your pocket and repeat the steps, making sure your mechanics are clean.

Our target behavior to move to the next step is a dog that gives “I like this!” behavior when you grab the collar. Make sure you can describe to yourself what that looks like so when you see it, you recognize it.

Lateral movements:

This is not absolutely necessary but a good skill for the dog to have, since sometimes we’ll be expecting him to move laterally into your hand when cued. Most dogs have no idea how to move their bodies sideways. If your dog knows a lateral movement, it’s a good idea to practice some laterals (cued or offered) before practicing this next step. It might make it easier for the dog to understand!

I prefer to do this from the front….

Move into pressure:

Go back to step 1, a couple collar grabs, and then place your hand an inch from the dog’s collar. Look for any lateral movement from the dog towards your hand, and instantly cue your verbal marker when you feel the neck fur or the collar in your hand.

Here is Bayles first session learning this:

&feature=youtu.be

Repeat, gradually extending your hand’s distance away from the dog’s neck.

Increase distance

Throw a reset treat to get the dog some distance away. You can either extend your hand as the dog comes towards you or leave your hand extended so that the dog is not attracted to the motion of the hand and has to make the choice. Most dogs will at some point offer a nose touch, so keep to the criteria of neck touches.

Extend distance and arousal by either throwing the reset treat farther, or sending the dog around a pole.

Here is Ones showing his enthusiastic neck shove:

Instructors

Shade Whitesel

Shade Whitesel (she/her) has been training and competing in dog sports since she was a kid. Always interested in how dogs learn, she has successfully competed in IPO/schutzhund, AKC obedience and French Ring. Her retired dog, Reiki vom Aegis, IPO 3, FH 1, French Ring 1, CDX, was 5th at the...

Registration

Choose the plan that fits your goals and start learning at your own pace.

Gold