Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - OB660: Precise Positions: Building Confidence and Control

Course Details

This class is a follow-up to Devil in the Details (you might call it Devil in the Details, part DEUX!).

In this class, we will take the precise movements we built in the previous class, and using the tools (platforms, targeting, etc) from that class, put the behaviors on cue, fade the props, add distance, and build confidence and enthusiasm into the performance.

After applying the principles and exercises in this class, your dog will be prepared to change positions (sit/down/stand) on a verbal and/or hand signal at full competition distance (25-50 ft). These skills are applicable for both the Utility signals exercise and the Open command discrimination exercise. (It won't hurt your drop on recall or directed jumping sit, either!)

Instructor: Hannah Branigan

Hannah Branigan (she/her) has been training dogs and teaching people for more than 10 years. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP). Hannah is the owner of Wonderpups, LLC, and teaches workshops...(Click here for full bio and to view Hannah's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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Tentative syllabus! Subject to change based on the needs of the teams enrolled and instructor's judgment.

Week 1:

Introduction
Which behavior, which cue, which exercise?
Training with clean loops
Sit-to-down and Down-to-sit
Logistics of getting offered behavior in a clean loop

Week 2:

Fading props, platforms, and targets
Generalization

Week 3:

Stimulus Control concepts
Red light/Green light - Adding a cue and training for stimulus control without frustration
Handling errors

Week 4:

Discrimination between cues (or signals)
Reinforcement games - Preparing for variable reinforcement

Week 5:

Adding distractions
1. Environmental
2. Human

Week 6:

Adding distance
1. Are we ready?
2. Systematic increments

Prerequisites & Supplies

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All silver and gold participants must have taken Devil in the Details and completed those exercises prior to this class.

Bronze participants have no prerequisites but should know that the exercises in this class build directly off the Devil in the Details class exercises, so prior knowledge is assumed.

Skill Building 1 and 2 are highly recommended, but not required.

Equipment:

All targets and platforms used in Devil in the Details will be used in this class as well.

Sample Lecture

1.3 TRAINING WITH CLEAN LOOPS

Training with “clean loops” is the secret to efficient training, consistent behaviors, and confident dogs. It’s the key to quick cue acquisition and painless, frustration-free stimulus control. In this class, we are going to focus a lot of our effort into building clean loops for the behaviors that we are interested in, because it’s going to make getting those behaviors on cue SO EASY it will feel like cheating.

You’ve probably already seen good trainers training with clean loops, and you probably have even experienced it yourself in some of your most productive training sessions. The principle is nothing particularly new or ground-breaking, it’s really more about how we think about training and the choices that we make to set up our training sessions. Loopy training gives us a framework to see more easily what makes good training good and help us diagnose when problems occur. Thinking about the training process this way allows us to be systematic and deliberate as we add new elements (like cues or distance) to our behaviors, which, in turn, will help prevent us from digging holes (or least from digging them too deep) that erode our dogs’ confidence.

The term, “loopy training”, comes from Alex Kurland and Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, who described the process of designing a training session so that it flows smoothly from behavior to reinforcement and back again. The important part is to recognize that training is a cycle, not a moment in time. In fact, the technical term for this is “behavior cycle”, but loopy training is more fun to say.

What is a clean loop?

A clean loop is defined by the following features:

Dog performs all elements smoothly
Human performs all elements smoothly
All behaviors are performed without hesitation
No unwanted behaviors in the loop

It’s important to note that we are accounting for the entire loop here, the whole behavior cycle, which includes both sides of the click - the behavior and the reinforcement delivery. Both sides of the loop need to be clean.

Starting position and ending position

So let’s translate this in terms of our project behaviors (our “agenda behaviors”, if you will) for this class.

We tend to think of the process of the animal moving from the starting position (like a stand) to the ending position (like a sit) as a straight line.

But it’s not actually, because the loop/cycle is not complete until the dog is back in the starting position again.

So for all of our behaviors, the cycle begins and ends in the starting position, passing through the agenda behavior on the way. We must think about both what action we want the dog to take as he moves from the starting position to the ending position, and also how we want him to move from the ending position to the starting position to be ready for the next loop.

Both sides of the loop are important. Both affect the dog’s emotional state and how he feels about the training, the behavior, and the cues involved.

But here is a cool thing…

Because half of our position changes are just opposite movements of each other, we can actually use the same loops to train both behaviors. We get two cues for the price of one!

Even more importantly, starting with a clean loop means we are reducing (or even eliminating) the risk of a poisoned cue now and in the future. When we have a clean loop, the dog is happy and confident AND performing the correct behavior. So any cues we associate with the behavior will be free of associated frustration or worry (common causes of poisoned cues). This results in an overall stronger, faster, sharper behavior.

So what does a clean loop look like for our purposes?

A clean loop means that the dog is either doing the behavior or collecting the reinforcement, and he’s doing both the way you plan. AND he’s doing both with the accompanying emotional behaviors you want associated with this behavior.

While we are working with the behavior as an “offered behavior” (meaning no formal cue from the handler), the effective cue to begin the next loop will be the swallowing of the treat. So for the loop to be clean, the dog will already be back in the starting position when he swallows the treat, and as soon as the treat is down the hatch, he’s moving right back into the agenda behavior.

The click cues the initiation of the reinforcement. So as soon as the dog hears the click, he should start moving into the reinforcement collection position (or following your treat hand into that position).

There should be no gaps or leaking of other behaviors into either side of the loop. If other things happen, either between swallowing the treat and repeating the behavior or between the click and the starting position, then the loop is not, by definition, clean.

Be especially on the lookout for behaviors we usually categorize as emotional. Things like whining, barking, sniffing, or anything else that is relevant for your dog. Also, watch for delays or hesitation. For our purposes, except those exercises where we are specifically shaping a pause or wait for the cue element, the dog should pretty much always be in motion.

Once we have a clean, rhythmic loop set up, adding a cue becomes as simple as inserting it as soon as the treat is swallowed. (Don't worry, we'll dig more into this later.)

But before we can even talk about cues, we need to make sure we have those clean loops set up with just the offered behavior.

So for your first homework assignment, show me a clip of your best clean loops with *offered behaviors* (no cues), using any props that help your dog be successful, for each position change.

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course...

This class is outstanding and I expect it will be one that will sell out fast in the future. The lectures are a perfect mix of written and video with exercises split down to ensure both handler and dog will have success so you won't dig yourself into any big holes, or conversely it will show you how to dig yourself out of the holes you've already dug. The attention to detail in these lectures will satisfy the biggest dog nerd and leave no unanswered questions. Hannah's teaching style is brilliant, her critiques are specific and kind without being overwhelming (which shows terrific restraint) and they don't even feel like critiques, any frustration she has doesn't show at all and it feels like she really cares about her students and their success. Thanks Hannah! - Nicole

I loved this class! Its very hard to slow down and perfect the position changes before moving on to anything else - distance, chains, rally, etc. Hannah broke it down into pieces and he watchful eye helped us iron out issues before moving on. Highly recommend this class IF you are into really focusing on positions up close and personal.

Awesome class! Awesome instructor!

This class was quintessential Hannah! I loved it and all my Hannah geek friends at Gold loved it too:) I am still going through the lectures in detail because they are a treasure trove of information. Post-class I've started to incorporate this work regularly in our training sessions. Early in the session, I did feel overwhelmed because Buckle had an emotional moment that we had to work through. Thanks Hannah! Super excited about where this information will take us in our training.

Another absolutely brilliantly geeked out Hannah class! This class was perfect. Loved everything about it. Hope there will be a part three :)

Registration

There are no scheduled sessions for this class at this time. We update our schedule frequently, so please subscribe to our mailing list for notifications.

Registration opens at 11:00am Pacific Time

OB660 Subscriptions

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 130.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	12	25	Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials	✔	✔	✔
Access to discussion and homework forums	✔	✔	✔
Read all posted questions and answers	✔	✔	✔
Watch all posted videos	✔	✔	✔
Post general questions to Discussion forum	✔	✔	✖
Submit written assignments	✔	✖	✖
Post dog specific questions	✔	With video only	✖
Post videos	✔	Up to 2	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	Questions All videos	✖

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OB660: Precise Positions: Building Confidence and Control

Course Details

Gold

Silver

Bronze