Let's Get Started

So by now hopefully you had a chance to look around the academy modules and get a sense of the layout. The modules are designed so you can work your way through on your own pace. You can work them one at a time or all at once, all the different course support each other. I will be with these posts be giving you the blend of exercises of how I would work through the program with a dog.

Engagement & Play comes first!

Exercise 1 from Get Engaged:

We want to build a very strong relationship with our reinforcements , we want to bring emotion and connection into every reinforcement we give our dogs so we can strengthen our connection and bond with our dog.

Play is the secret language of dogs and the best way to unlock all the ways you can use them to overcome distractions and channel prey drive and put it to work for you instead of against you.

Exercise 1 from Foundations:

We want our play to be cooperative and about use connecting using a toy, not about us competing for possession of the same toy.

Clicker Training

While it’s not required that you use clickers to train your dog for this class I want you to know how to use this valuable tool if you want to learn how. Clicker training can be a super valuable tool to help us isolate exact behaviors we want to reinforce. Clicker training can be a wonderful way to help boost a dog’s confidence which can help a lot for working on reactivity and anxiety issues.

Check out the Foundations Module 1 for videos and instructions on introducing your dog to a clicker and let’s start with the Box Game. If you have already gotten your dog used to a clicker and have already played the box game pick another trick from the Clicker Training Module for us to work on.

HOMEWORK FOR WEEK 1

1) Show me your dog’s sit & down rewarding each one with engaged food rewards.

2) Let me see you playing (or attempting to play) with your dog, use two of the same toys if you are new to playing together.

3) Let’s see you working on the box game or a trick with your pup.

For uploading video homework to FB tips:

Upload a short video of each exercise instead of one long one, short videos are faster to upload and easier for me to watch and comment. No videos over 5 minutes!

Using a Youtube unlisted playlist is a nice way to keep your videos all in one place for your own progress, then you can put the link for the video in the comments on the FB group. Don’t post videos to the main feed as it will quickly get buried and I might not see it. Post comments under the exercises found in “units”.

Don’t worry if these exercises seem very basic. We are setting a baseline and looking at our foundations.

Returning members, I would love to see your pups new starting point as well!