Course Details
My picture of a perfect retrieve starts with a dog that is alert, engaged and ready to take off. The dog is looking at me until I drop my hand and then they mark the Dumbbell. They have good impulse control while waiting for my cue. But as soon as I release them, they take off with laser focus, and grab the dumbbell while already turning. As they are turning, the dog looks for their focal point and races back. Shortly before they get to the handler, they start collecting so they can hit front. With the high jump we add a clean jump out and back, even when the dumbbell is thrown off center. The dogs can do this with distractions and judge pressure. Whether you are in the process of teaching a retrieve, or you want to improve your dog’s retrieve, this class is for you!! We will break the exercises down into pieces and teach each piece as a fun trick. We will use lots of games and motivation to keep the exercises fresh and fun. As a prerequisite for gold working spots, your dog must have a solid, fully-trained dumbbell “hold”.
Teaching Approach
This class will have written and spoken video lectures each week. There will be video examples demonstrating all exercises. Because everyone has their own learning style, I encourage students to move at their own pace. For the first few weeks, students can work in a smaller space. Later in the class, students will need access to a space large enough where they can perform a full obedience exercise. Students will need to leave their dogs repeatedly in a number of training sessions. I will work with you to modify the exercises to your abilities. A few of the games will require quick physical movement from the trainer for short periods and distances.
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)
