Polished Performance Series – Part 2

Class Description

4 Week Course

Getting your dog into the ring and getting that performance that looks just like your training is every trainers goal.  This class is a continuation of the Part 1.  We continue to look at the skill sets and build for each team a performance they can be proud of!

Week 1: Gotta Keep Heeling!

Let’s look at the figure 8 this week, well, that and the rest of the heeling!!  We cover heeling and how foot work makes a huge difference in how a team moves together.

Week 2: Fronts and Finishes

If you want to look like a pro, these are part of your training on a regular basis.  Let’s get nice ones, and then let’s keep them.  Getting the behavior and keeping criteria are key this week.

Week 3: Stands/Stays/Exams

It’s a big exercise in a small simple package.  There is a lot that can wrong here, and if you have a fearful or over excited dog, it can be a challenge to train them to stand still.  We cover the skills sets needed for this exercise, breaking it down for the dog, and then address any issues that the teams may have, including fear, over friendliness and stay issues.

Week 4: Recalls/Starting the DOR

I start these at the same time.  Once you train this way, you will never go back to the old ways of only training the drop after you have finished Novice.  It is actually harder on the dog if the handler has a lot of reinforcement history on the recall to introduce the drop.  So, let’s start breaking the recall and DOR down for the handler and for the dog.  It’s a fun week, keep your running shoes handy!!