RA510: Skills for Intermediate and Advanced Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle

Prerequisites:

It is recommended that you have taken the “Foundation Skills for Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle” course, RA500, though not a requirement if you have novice Rally-FrEe behaviors on verbal cue. The Foundation course RA500 lecture, videos, and exercises material is available for purchase if you were unable to take the course. Forums are not included in the purchase of materials. You can purchase the lecture-only option of the prerequisite class from our Prerequisites Purchase Page.

Students should be familiar with the use of markers, either a clicker or verbal marker, and should understand the process of “shaping,” or marking and rewarding small increments of behavior toward building the end result.

Dogs should have an understanding of markers, have the ability to focus on the handler during an exercise, and be able to maintain a standing, stationary position on the left and right sides of the handler for a few seconds.

Gold level students will need the ability to video their training sessions and upload their video to YouTube or other sharing site and post for instructor review.

Equipment:

We'll be using "standing platforms" for position training based on Michele Pouliot's protocol.  Platforms may be purchased online through Platforms Plus, or you may make your own custom platforms. For some dogs, the step aerobics platforms that you can often find at thrift stores work well.  You may want to modify them by adding a rubberized surface to prevent slipping.

I make my platforms from foam board insulation found at home improvement stores, yoga mats and duct tape. The platforms should be 3-4 inches high and the width and length of your dogs "standing footprint," or the space the dog takes with all four paws while standing.  There are several YouTube videos that show how to  standing platforms.  Please contact me if you have questions regarding standing platforms.

We'll also be using "pivot platforms." These are platforms just large enough for the dog's front feet.  Pet feeding bowls of a size appropriate for your dogs front feet, turned upside down work well.  Many have a rubber bottom that keep the dog from slipping.

For some exercises students will need to understand the proper use of a target stick (previously covered in the "Foundation Skills for Rally-FrEe and Freestyle" course, RA500).  Target sticks should be 12-18 inches long and have a distinct “target” at the end.  If you don’t have a target stick, a household item may be used, such as a long wooden spoon, or you can make one from a wooden or acrylic dowel and a foam practice golf ball. Target sticks can also be purchased online:  http://store.clickertraining.com/target-sticks.html

For at least one exercise, you will be using an ex-pen, just high enough that your dog will not consider jumping out of it.

We will be using “training gates” to create clear criteria and eliminate the need for hand cues.  These can be made from wire cube organizer panels (sold online or in-store), secured in lengths of 10 with zip-ties.  Often you can find the wire panels used at thrift stores.  The best price I’ve found is at K-mart online, free ship to store or home, linked above. One box of 6 cubes will net you two lengths of 10 panels.  This is enough to cover the exercises in the foundation course and the intermediate and advanced courses.

Very large dogs or dogs that do not respect barriers may use 18”-24" ex-pens.  If you have a toy breed, and the training gates are over your dog’s head, I have used the 8-9 inch hamster/guinea pig fencing, brand name Critter Trail Playpen, which you can get at many pet supply stores or online.