Fronts and finishes are found in every level of obedience and rally, and the points really start adding up!
This class is intended for both students teaching fronts and finishes from scratch, and also those looking to fine tune their performance. We will look at what skills are important for perfect fronts and finishes, and break down how to teach them. We will explore the use of multiple different tools and methods to teach these skills and discuss the pros and cons of each. We will also look at different options for reinforcement for the most effective and efficient training results. We will also cover diagnosing problems and identifying solutions.
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)
For answers to commonly asked questions see our FAQ page.
There are no prerequisites for this course. However, foundation level skills such as pivoting, platforms, targeting, zen bowl, fly/wrap, and basic focus/impulse control will be helpful.
So while we are building the mechanical skills the dog needs to be precise in finding fronts and finishes, we don’t want to neglect the classical conditioning aspects. We want to develop a dog that DRIVES into front and finishes with joy and enthusiasm.
Fronts are particularly prone to stress because of the spacial pressure, and because collecting and stopping are the least fun parts of otherwise fun behaviors like jumping and retrieving. So we have to go out of our way to make fronts awesome. So we are going to start with them.
To keep the dog in the correct position, without him having to think *too* much about precision, I like to make use of our chute tool. You can play this game with a platform, but I find the platforms are more prone to flipping up and startling the dog, and I don’t want the dog to worry or be careful. I want him blasting into position with joy. In this game, I will ignore minor errors of enthusiasm.
Start by shaping or luring the dog into the chute. I prefer shaping, but either can work fine. Just make sure the dog is offering to go in the chute without prompting before moving on. Ideally, he’s just as magnetized to the chute as he is to his platform.
Start with food, loading the front position with the chute. Do a few reps of tossing the treat out, and reinforcing the dog for returning to the position, just as we did with the platform.
Then, when he is happy going into the chute, we’re going to up our game. We are going to pair being in front with your highest value, highest energy game. This is where using our jumping up or through games are useful. This is also a great place to bring in a toy. We are going to use a very high ratio of fun to work. So no duration required in the position, and instantly EXPLODE into exciting reward games. Make the game last several seconds before going to the next rep. That could be throwing a ball a couple times, playing some chase me games, cookie tosses, or tugging. Whatever is your dog’s favorite. You can even use a combination of those. Experiment!
We can also use a little light restraint if practical, and your dog understands restraint as a drive building game. I often hold my dog back, just out of position, and then release him to snap back in place, and then I EXPLODE with the reward. If you have a buddy, you can also have your buddy hold your dog as in a restrained recall, except there is very little distance and the end behavior is a front.
A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...
Hannah's concepts and foundations are applicable to every dog regardless of where they are in their training. This makes progress a guaranteed success !!! Ana C.
I was so excited to see a class focused on an area that is so important but can get lost in everything else that gets taught in obedience classes. Fronts have been an issue for us from the very beginning and progress was slow going for a long time. This class has given us so many more tools to get us on the right track and I finally am feeling like there are straight fronts in our future. My only wish is that this class was not ending! We could easily use another 6 weeks of Hannah's fantastic feedback! -Vicki B.
My dog's front position has always been crooked, out of position, etc. After this class, they are much improved. And most importantly, I know how to keep working on them to improve them!
Hannah has a special way to build behaviors. I look at fronts and finishes in a whole new way and she gave us ways to pull parts out of the chain to strengthen them and clean them up.
Registration
This is a self-study class. The lectures will appear directly in your library, under the "Self Study classes" heading. Self Study classes do not have class homework forums. You will not have any access to the course instructor for questions or feedback. Please note there are no refunds on self-study classes so review all the information provided carefully before purchasing.
You will have access to these materials in your library for one year from the date of enrollment. You can keep your library pass current by enrolling in at least one course or workshop a year. Alternatively, you can purchase a library pass for $25 per year for as long as you wish to have access to prior class materials.
Instructor: Hannah Branigan
