Course Details
Humans love to talk! We talk a lot when we train. Even when we think we are quiet, we aren’t! We are so used to communicating with words that we are not aware of how much we are talking to our dogs. Then we go in the ring. Silence. Now what? The dogs are confused!! To them, the absence of information means something is wrong. They get nervous and stressed. There is a huge difference between training and trialing. Dogs are primarily visual processers. When we add to much verbal information, they have a hard time concentrating. Many dogs perceive verbal cues as pressure. Our tone can also play a role. We often get pitchy…there is pressure in our voice because we are trying to help our dogs. But we inadvertently create the opposite. Training in silence is hard! But it can be done. And I promise, your dog will thank you. Your dog will be more relaxed, clear-headed and learn more quickly. Silence will be normal for them. It will mean they are correct and that carries into the ring. Because we are so comfortable with verbal cues, we tend to be sloppy with physical cues. Silence will teach YOU to have more body awareness and to focus on consistently giving clear cues. You will learn to praise without words. I’ve been using this not just with my own dogs, but with a variety of students’ dogs. And the change is dramatic. That’s why I’m excited to work on this concept with you! Training “in silence” (only giving necessary cues and marking) reduces pressure, speeds learning, creates clear communication and seamlessly transitions to the ring. Join me and give it a try! This workshop is appropriate for all levels of training and all sports.
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Lecture Publish Date: Sunday Oct 29th
Video Submissions Due Date: Sunday Nov 5th @ 12pm noon PT
Feedback & Questions Video Publish Date: Wednesday Nov 8th
Instructor: Petra FordPetra (she/her) graduated from Rutgers School of Health Related Professions 17 years ago with a degree in physical therapy and has experience working with an extremely varied caseload including pediatric through geriatric clients with a vast range of diagnoses. Her areas of expertise included in-patient rehabilitation, orthopedics and neurology. (Click here for full bio and to view Petra's upcoming courses)
