The Glue
Heelwork is the glue that holds all the rest of the obedience together. We spend a LONG time perfecting Heelwork, making sure that it is appropriately proofed and tested.
Ivar in the video is a little over fifteen months now and things are really starting to click together now which is so great to see!
The key to this is to remain consistent over the long haul. If we flit between different systems and methods things will never align well.
Remain loyal to the process.
Intensity
Clarity
Completeness
#BLCK
Sometimes our mistakes can outline great things, and sometimes they outline issues.
Drogo pushed the box out the way here on entry, and it showed that despite this mistake he still understands the correct position to guard the decoy.
Allowing mistakes in training opens up doors. We don’t need to search for perfection, only progress.
Talos Ivar
15 Months
Step by step we are building!!
Holly and Freya getting the work on them jumps!
Looking super clean here, definitely on the improve now!
When teaching any behaviour, consistency is no doubt the key factor. If you’re insanely talented but don’t do the work, you’ll get nowhere. If you’re not talented but work hard you will progress.
BLCK is about the journey, not the destination.
Love the journey and the end takes care of itself!
Yin and Yang
It’s super important in the BLCK programme that dogs aren’t just protection dogs, but also normal members of society.
On switch and off switch.
Both are as important as one another.
Control From Clarity
Control begins in clarity of understanding. Once the dog is clear on its route to access the reward, the process becomes much more straight forward.
In place of fighting with a dog’s desire we can use them to nurture the behaviours we are looking for.
Work with them
Not against them
Foundations First
Going backwards in training is almost never a bad thing. In fact noticing when regression is the catapult to move forwards can massively speed up a process.
Sometimes forward progression is the answer, and sometimes backwards progression is the answer.
Know when to pick which is the art. If you pick forward progression and the foundations aren't solidified well enough the behaviour collapses.
When we build, foundations must not be made of sand.
Step by Step
Each day another brick put in the wall. It’s paramount that foundations are built and solid first.
Without proper foundations the wall of behaviour will inevitably fall down.
Foundations must be built solid, concrete, stone, not sand. With sand you find temporary progress and long term headaches.
Step by step we continue.
Stronger together
BLCK
Callie!
Introduction to bitework for Callie at club the other day!
It’s important that we open a dog up not only for the best pace for the dog, but also the handler.
If a dog speeds on and a handler needs more time it can be really difficult so in training it’s key to observe dog and handler and establish what pace the work should be set.
One without the other makes no sense.
Jake and Ember getting the work in!
Love how this girl is turning out! She’s becoming a lot of fun and we’re all having a blast on her journey!
Exciting things loading!
It is paramount for a dog to be able to relax against the draw of a competing motivator.
Here we are not telling Eden he must engage, but that he may engage and by doing so will find better answers that appease his desires.
It’s been a slow slow journey, but gently the boxes are ticked.
