Course Details
Disengagement is what happens when a dog starts out checked in and then… Disengages! A dog who appeared properly acclimated, opted into work, and then…poof! Changed their mind! Found something better to do! Got worried about the dog around the corner!
So…what do you do when your engaged dog hears a sound and stops working to stare at it? What do you do when your engaged dog spies a cookie on the table and decides to head in that direction instead of focusing on you and the work at hand?
As with so much of dog training, it depends. It depends on the dog you are training and the circumstances that led to the disconnect. But what you do not do is Nothing. Because if you do nothing you are incorporating disengagement into the behavior chain of work, and you really don’t want to do that. Kind of…never. Remember, remaining engaged is a habit and the goal should be to stop disengagement while strengthening the habit of engagement.
This workshop is all about disengagement. We will start with the assumption of a properly acclimated dog that has fully opted into work (Engagement training) and then consider in depth what to do if the dog then disengages. This workshop will focus on rally, freestyle, and obedience in particular, and therefore the working spots should be taken by people in those sports. Individuals from other sports will benefit, but will have to take greater responsibility for creating their training path, and will be better suited to auditing spots.
If your dog has issues with disengagement after engagement, either frequently or only on occasion, take this workshop and learn about the pros and cons of different approaches, so that you can create a plan of action.
Note: This workshop assumes knowledge of basic engagement training. If you do not have this information, please consider purchasing:
- Denise’s Engagement 2.0 webinar as a prerequisite (click here to purchase)
- Denise's self-study engagement class (click here to purchase)
Working spots should be familiar with formal engagement training, have a dog that opts in willingly to the point of starting work, and be involved in an obedience focused sport like obedience, rally, or freestyle. While Denise will happily discuss the ramifications of handling disengagement for other sports, she lacks enough familiarity with those sports to provide concrete steps for moving forward without risking others critical elements of training. As a result, auditing spots will be more appropriate for non-obedience focused sports.
Watch the trailer:
Lecture Publish Date: Sunday February 2
Video Submissions Due Date: Sunday February 9 @ 12pm noon PT
Feedback & Questions Video Publish Date: Wednesday February 12
Instructor: Denise FenziDenise Fenzi (she/her) has competed in a wide range of dog sports – titling dogs in obedience (AKC and UKC), tracking (AKC and schutzhund), schutzhund (USA), mondioring (MRSA), herding (AKC), conformation (AKC), and agility (AKC). She is best known for her flashy and precise ... (Click here for full bio and to view Denise's upcoming courses)
