Expert-Led Training: Proven Methods, Real Transformations

Want a strong, motivated retrieve of the dumbell and a good foundation for utility exercises? Join me as I teach you how to create a firm hold, the end skill in the complex retrieve chain. Our basic goal is a dog who thinks that holding skill is the best part of the whole thing, and hurries to get there when we ask for a retrieve. Importantly, we'll also be covering how to create a dog that starts the action and demands the opportunity to hold the dumbell, a crucial part of achieving total "buy in" from your learner dog. Teaching a hold is hard and sometimes we as handlers need that information from our dogs.

Engagement is the most challenging skill to achieve in dog training. It’s also easily the most important. An engaged dog is actively involved in the learning process and pushing you for more. When a dog is offering engagement, the environment fades away and all their focus is on you. No more begging or bribing our dogs for attention. Establishing a strong foundation for engagement sets you up for future success both when training and trialing. In this class we will cover acclimation, how to teach your dog to offer engagement, what to do when we lose engagement, and how to best utilize our reinforcers. We will look at how to maintain engagement when the dog is in front of us, next to us and away from us.

Rally-FrEe is a unique sport developed in 2012 that blends the structure of Rally with the creativity of Musical Freestyle. Originally designed to improve accuracy and precision in freestyle routines, it has since grown into a standalone sport enjoyed by dog sport enthusiasts around the world. Competitors can participate in both live and video events. To learn more, visit www.rallyfree.com.