I'm really delighted with everyone's progress and can see you have all been working hard between classes. It's now time to develop what you have been teaching your dogs over the past few weeks by removing the food and rewarding at the end of each exercise instead of at every stage. If you have been practising enough and your hand signals and commands are consistant and understood, this should be easy. So sit, wait and you walk away, then recall your dog should be fluent and understood clearly by your dog at this stage. If any part of the exercise is proving difficult then this part should be practised seperately as individual learning for the dog and when this part is proven to be understood then practise the whole exercise as completion again and so on.

Your dogs should be doing sit, down and stand with no reward. This would given at the end of the exercise and also short lengths of heelwork, the same as above. In the next few weeks I will be assessing your progress individually and will expect all three exercises to be completed in sequence, in any order. So make sure you are prepared by doing your training regularly everyday, having a goal, plan and stategy to succeed. There will be a prize for most improved dog and most improved handler. Keep up the good work and see you all next week.

Most things in life we have to make a plan for, such as going on holiday, starting a new job or teaching our dog what we expect from them. The goal when it comes to our dog, I think is to have a well behaved and sociable canine companion, who we can have fun with and be proud of. Having a plan is important if you want to stay on track and not only teach your dog what you want but to also develop your skills as a dog trainer to enable you to reach your ultimate goal together. To help you I have made a plan for you, incorporating some of what we have covered in class so far;

• Structured Recall X 4 (Sit reward, Wait reward, Come reward)

• Change of Position X 4 (Sit reward, Down reward, Stand reward)

• Heel Position X 4(Using a treat keep your dogs head by your side and make a small circle anti clockwise and then clockwise, rewarding after each rotation)

The above Plan of 12 exercises should be repeated a minimum of three times a day in various locations to build your dog’s tolerance to distraction and ended with a game or a huge fuss for a job well done. Remember that hand signals and body posture are important to your dog when training so please be consistent and fluid, matching your dogs energy levels.

When training and/or exercising a canine partner we have to match their energy levels and personality. For example if you have a young dog who is outgoing, a low level energy will not keep this dog focused on you or the job in hand. The dog's mind will wander searching for something or someone else that more fullfils its needs. If, when you take your dog out, they find other dogs more interesting than you, then it is likely you are not satisfying their energy level by using reward and play with the right intensity. Also a lack of correct socialising, showing your dog what is required when other dogs are within focus or social space can also contribute to this. If your dog is loosing focus at times come up with more interesting things to do to gain their focus back, such as varying the treats, using a squeaky toy, varying your voice volume, making faster movements and raising your energy levels. Class your dog's energy levels LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH and match this with an activity, exercise or regime which best suits its individual needs. One which develops or improves responses to you.This is a subject which is quite complex and takes a greater understanding of the dog you live with and we will cover this subject in more depth in the forthcoming classes.

Discipline, yours and the dogs is important to the success of any given exercise or activity. When I talk to you about this subject, it can take on two meanings, one which is change of behaviour by way of inflicting correction and the other is by ritual, to maintain the same outcome of an exercise by repitition and reward. For instance when an athlete trains for competion they have a routine which they follow to promote strength and success in their chosen sport. This is a belief which I think is equally important when owning and training a dog, helpful to you and them. So have a plan, makes goals and develop your skills on a daily basis. Making time for training in between classes on regular short sessions, that last five or ten minutes. Even if you think you have mastered the exercise, practice daily and enjoy the relationship you build with your canine companion by using the right energy level, keeping focus and using discipline.

A really enjoyable evening at DDS. Beginning with the structure of a recall and how to gain and keep focus from your dog. I like to think of the toy or treat, whichever you use to maintain focus, as having an invisible piece of string attached to your dog's nose. So where ever your hand containing the reward goes the nose will follow, if you try to think of it like this  you will begin to rely less on your lead to control your dog's position, which is one of my main goals for you as competant handlers of controlled and happy dogs. Eventually, we no longer use the food or need the lead because your dog is being conditioned to follow your hand signals until the exercise is finished. Learning to expect reward at the end instead of all the way through the exercise.

SIT reward

WAIT reward

BUILD SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE DOG

NAME and "COME" reward

DISTANCE LENGTHEN

NAME and "COME" reward

SIT reward

FINISH reward

EXERCISE OVER. reward

So for the next week please work at teaching your dog the structured recall. Working each step indivually until it is proven acurate. Teaching your dog to follow the reward into position, whatever that position may be. Reward frequently to start with so you don't loose the focus throughout any exercise. 

As a seperate exercise teach your dog to follow your hand in a circle or a figure eight while you maintain a static position.

Last night was our third session in as many weeks. A real special well-done to everyone who has attended all three sessions. The effort you have put in personally is there to see and witness. The nerves are gone now and the dogs are really focussed on their pack leader. Karen initially worked on short re-call and the dogs responded really well. It takes time and patience and we were rewarded with some success all round. On to the agility and I was surprised at the confidence ...shown by handlers, never mind the dogs. Literally every dog did the ramp and all did the jumps and tunnel. Truly remarkable in such a short time. Trigger words are causing a bit of confusion because of all the different apparatus, but that will come with time and your own efforts after school. Body posture, hand signals and verbal commands so much more confident, awesome work there but still room for improvement. Please give yourselves all the credit you certainly deserve. It is such a pleasure to see. The pictures speak volumes for the work you have obviously all been doing at home, after and during DogMa's lessons. Well done to everyone. See you all next week. Can't wait!! Chris Nutt Photgrapher.