Wow, this dog training thing is really requiring me to use my brain. My kingdom for a puppy class to teach. Let me mould them from the beginning instead of trying to fix the problem dogs. Alas, that doesn't seem to be my calling.
My current role is teaching what is titled "Distraction Class". In reality it is more of a reactive dog class. Thankfully there are only two dogs in the class. One on one the dogs are lovely. Both easy to work with and both wanting to learn. But putting them in the same hall together changes things completely.
So I am rereading Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt. I am looking for exercises I can use to allow these two dogs to remain calm and work together in the class. Some mat work and some "Look at that" to start with.
This is the second week I have been teaching this class and the second week it has been indoors. During the summer it was held outside in a big field which allowed for lots of distance between the dogs.
Week 1 I brought a few obstacles into the building and had the dogs navigate these in hopes that the effort of concentrating on the obstacles would distract them from each other. And it seems to have been successful. They were both able to work obstacles on their own side of the room simultaneously.
Week 2 I decided to try a different approach. No obstacles, nothing for the dogs to focus on but each other. That wasn't really my intent, but that is what happened. The class didn't go as well as I hoped and here I am trying to figure out the best next step for these dogs. We did end the class on a good note and I hope to start it next week the same way.
Wow, is this ever a huge learning curve. But I have no doubt it is helping me to be a better trainer.
On the plus side, I have been practicing with my own dogs and concentrating on more obedience with them in the last few weeks and I can see it positively affecting both my young dogs.
Happy training everyone.
My current role is teaching what is titled "Distraction Class". In reality it is more of a reactive dog class. Thankfully there are only two dogs in the class. One on one the dogs are lovely. Both easy to work with and both wanting to learn. But putting them in the same hall together changes things completely.
So I am rereading Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt. I am looking for exercises I can use to allow these two dogs to remain calm and work together in the class. Some mat work and some "Look at that" to start with.
This is the second week I have been teaching this class and the second week it has been indoors. During the summer it was held outside in a big field which allowed for lots of distance between the dogs.
Week 1 I brought a few obstacles into the building and had the dogs navigate these in hopes that the effort of concentrating on the obstacles would distract them from each other. And it seems to have been successful. They were both able to work obstacles on their own side of the room simultaneously.
Week 2 I decided to try a different approach. No obstacles, nothing for the dogs to focus on but each other. That wasn't really my intent, but that is what happened. The class didn't go as well as I hoped and here I am trying to figure out the best next step for these dogs. We did end the class on a good note and I hope to start it next week the same way.
Wow, is this ever a huge learning curve. But I have no doubt it is helping me to be a better trainer.
On the plus side, I have been practicing with my own dogs and concentrating on more obedience with them in the last few weeks and I can see it positively affecting both my young dogs.
Happy training everyone.
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