Here is a video of one of Brooke's training sessions where we worked on some important and some less important skills! Do we make mistakes? Of course! Do we have things to work on? Absolutely. But did we have fun? Undoubtedly. And in my book, thats the most important thing.
In less than 15 mintues we worked on recall, impulse control, heel walking, retrieves, tricks, on your mat, wait, sit, down, stand, play, cuddles, consent behaviours and problem prevention. Training sessions don't have to be long, boring, planned or perfect to be worthwhile.
Hopefully this video might give you some ideas for your own training sessions or reassures you that training doesn't have to look perfect to be worthwhile. If you'd like to work on something similar with your dog or need some more exercises and games to revive your training, you can book a one to one online at ardogs.co.uk.
Brooke taking her IMDT Grade 1 test! Grades can also be passed by demonstrating each skill individual in our IMDT Partnership Grades Class, running on Thursday evenings in May and June.
If a class environment doesn't suit you or your dog, grades can be worked on and completed in a one to one or online. Get in touch to discuss these options!
Grade 2 demonstration coming soon...
Check the Body Language!
Welfare should be a priority in dog training. It's easy to ignore and easy to forget. Back in October I took Brooke out training and filmed a short video. Her 'obedience' is great: she walks well, backs up and tucks in. But her body language is full of stress signals - this is an unhappy dog. Just because a dog can do something and *looks* willing to do something, doesn't mean they should do it or that we should ask them to.
We took a few months off from this type of training and worked on a few things to help. Last week I took her out training again. As before, her 'obedience' was perfect; automatic check ins, loose lead walking, no sniffing the shelves in a more challenging environment with a lower level of reinforcement. The most important thing though is that she was content. Although she may not look as 'enthusiastic' she is comfortable and relaxed in her environment - the priority.
As with every dog I work with, I will continue to monitor her body language and stress levels going forward. Just because she was content that day, doesn't guarantee she will be going forward.
If you're concerned about your dogs welfare and stress levels, whether that be when training, at home or another situation, please get in touch. As you can see, things can and do get better!
A little look at the Walking Class on Tuesday... We practised walking past other dogs whilst remianing focused, with the added difficulty of a sit! All these dogs would love to play with each other and have struggled to walk past other dogs on lead so this a huge achievement and testament to their owners hard work and dedication.
If your dog struggles to focus around other dogs, please do get in touch!
The Birthday Crew in action...
The difference that choice makes in training
In today's class we looked at choice and consent when handling our dogs. We worked on stop/start behaviours, responding to our dogs body language and desensitising to routine handling such as drying and brushing. Choice makes a huge difference to our dogs in how they feel and respond to us. By allowing them the freedom of choice we can quickly change how they feel about more invasive aspects of their care. Here is a video of Brooke demonstrating the power of choice.
*Note that Brooke has skin issues which has caused a negative association to the harness.
If you're not doing whistle training with your puppy's lunch then what are you doing?! Here's a sped up clip of our recall training.
You need 7,000 successful recalls to get a super strong reliable recall. Doing 20 reps a day will get you solid recall in less than a year! Using meal times as a reminder means you won't forget and most dogs get very excited for their food. Pairing this excitement with recall will also help to create a speedy recall.
Imagine if your dog ran to your recall cue like they do to their food bowl!
A few clips from one of our classes last week. Practicing off lead heel work around other dogs. If your dog struggles walking past other dogs be sure to get in touch!
Brooke had her first visit to a shop today! All the new sights, sounds and textures at B&Q were great for positive exposure during her socialisation window. We also practiced loose lead walking, automatic check-ins and prompted disengagement from people and children. As you can see from the video she was a superstar and took it all in her stride!
If you have a puppy make sure to give them positive experiences with as many different stimuli as possible during their socialisation window (6-16 weeks). Note the high rate of high value reinforcement and Brooke's relaxed or intrigued body language.
(Apologies for the shoddy camera work - I was concentrating on Brooke!)
Eddie, Mylo and Pepper were having the best time yesterday...
