Course Details
Does your dog struggle with position changes? He or she is not alone! Position changes are challenging because the dog is expected to promptly respond to each cue without moving forward toward you. Add in the silent hand signal exercises and the difficulty level increases significantly. This workshop will show you the steps to train position changes at a distance. We’ll start with the dog nice and close for success but will quickly add distance. The use of props will be encouraged to maintain the distance, but steps for fading the props will be covered. Finally, we’ll talk about the challenges of the signal exercises seen in obedience and rally and you’ll learn how to get confident position changes with signals.
This workshop will start with the beginning stages of teaching, so it’s perfect for young dogs or dogs that don’t know positions yet. However, if your dog already knows the concept but struggles with distance or signals, you’ll get plenty of helpful hints to progress you to the next steps! Equipment recommended for this workshop includes various props, including full body platforms, large PVC boxes, gates, and small barriers like a jump bar or laying a leash on the ground. All of this equipment is optional.
Once you have worked through the steps outlined in this workshop, your dog will be able to tackle the position exercises in obedience, rally, and TEAM, including command discriminations and signals.
Working students will be able to spend the week training then post a 90 second video for review. Personalized feedback will be provided that will help progress the dog to the next steps. Working dogs of all levels will benefit from this workshop.
Trailer:
Lecture Publish Date: Sunday April 10th
Video Submissions Due Date: Sunday April 17th @ 12pm noon PT
Feedback & Questions Video Publish Date: Wednesday April 20th
Instructor: Nicole Wiebusch Nicole Wiebusch CPDT-KA (she/her) has been competing in dog sports for over 25 years. Starting in 4-H, Nicole quickly became addicted to the sport of obedience and has been showing in obedience, rally, and agility ever since. (Click here for full bio and to view Nicole's upcoming courses)
