Brilliant Heeling Bootcamp

Class Description

4 Week Course

So you have heeling, but not the heeling you want, right?  Or maybe you have some really good parts, like turns, but how to get rid of that forge?  You say your dog is lagging on the fast?  Well, here is the class for you!  We cover the most common problems and their fixes as well as the little nitty gritty parts that make for a beautiful heeling performance.

Week 1: Just the Facts Please.
No stories, no excuses, no whining.  This week we look at where heel actually is, not what you wish it was.  How to get that heel position on consistent bases.  How do you know when to ask for more and when to ask less?  Reading your dog’s behavior for signs of stress and low reinforcement rate.

Week 2:  Dancing in a Boot Camp.
Yep, it’s a dance, but you’re the leader and you better know your stuff. This is the week we break down the turns, changes of pace and halts.  What are the most common problems?  What are the remedies?  What happens if you have been rewarding a lag for a year and want to change it?  How do you add the new turns/pace changes into your heeling?

Week 3:  Duration Frustration.
Across the board this is the biggest frustration for most trainers.  How to get more, how to keep what you have and what to do when you asked for too much and now you don’t even have what you had yesterday!  We will talk about the lure and disaster of pattern training and also how to add duration in a way that builds mass to your heeling rather than constantly stressing it.

Week 4: Bomb Proof It.
Learn how to heel your dog through the minefield of distractions at a show.  Do you need to plan for the distractions at a show?  How does generalization work?  What happens if it “all falls apart”?  How much failure is too much and how much success should I have before asking for more?  What if old problems arise unexpectedly?  This is the week we take our heeling to a new level.