Have big obedience dreams, or want to dip your toe in and give obedience a try? This class will give you an excellent set of foundation skills for AKC, CKC, FCI obedience, or freestyle and it will help you prepare to earn your TEAM 1 title!
Start a new dog on the right foot or discover missing pieces in your training. This class is specifically designed to cover all the exercises in TEAM Level 1 and give you a tiny start for TEAM 2. The TEAM program lays out the building blocks for developing very solid behaviours that the dog can perform in a variety of unique presentations and all of the obedience venues!
The 10 skill areas assessed in TEAM include: Engagement and Focus, Recalls, Fronts, Distance work, Targeting, Jumping, Scent Work, and Impulse Control, Rear End Awareness aka Pivots and Stays.
Each individual exercise is broken down for you in manageable steps. Introducing all the core areas from the start makes sure that obedience remains fun for both the dog and the handler!
This is an introductory course and makes no assumptions about your dog's prior knowledge.
Teaching Approach
Lectures are released at the start of each week, with the majority of lectures released within the first 4 weeks. The lectures are broken down by each skill; highlighting multiple parts. Each lecture has an objective of the exercise and applications, followed by written instructions and video examples for each step. The videos are generally 1 to 2 minutes long and show actual training sessions. No voiceover is used during the video. However, occasional subtitles are in the video. Homework summaries are at the end of each lecture.
Heather Lawson (she/her) is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Skills Assessed (CPDT-KSA) and also a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), a CGN evaluator and a free-style judge. She has been training dogs and their humans for more that 20 years after deciding that...(Click here for full bio and to view Heather's upcoming courses)
There is a wide, wide range of skills required in TEAM 1 as such students should not expect to cover everything in one go. The format will, where ever possible, follow the order of exercises as you would find them in the TEAM Test. Gold students - you have the option to work on whichever skill(s) you wish from the current or previous posted weeks, Please do not ask or post on lectures/exercises that have not yet been released. The syllabus listed below may be adjusted prior to the start of class.
SKILLS:
1: Engagement 'n Play, Pivots, Fly Around 2: Position changes (close up 'n far away) 3: Front, Jump, Back-up 4: Vertical target, Stays 5: Auto leave it, Scent articles 6: Troubleshooting before testing
PRE-REQUISITES: No experience is necessary to start. This is a foundation-level class and, therefore, an introduction to the steps for each skill/exercise required in Team 1 Levels and virtual video title submissions.
Any equipment you will need will depend on which skill/exercise you wish to tackle, the level you and your dog are currently working and what you wish to focus on. If you are seeking to work in a specific obedience genre you may want to consider integrating the same equipment you will eventually be using to trial.
Below is a short list of equipment you'll need. A more detailed equipment list will be available in the course material but this list should help to get you started in your collection prior to beginning class:
Clicker (if you use one)
Target (vertical touch target & foot target)
Cone or Jump stanchion (vertical object go around)
Platform (rectangular approx. 4" high, slightly wider than the dog & long enough for dog to comfortably stand and/or down on)
Pivot or Perch Pot (i.e. large bowls, phone book (taped))
Scent Articles - any type (obedience articles, canning rings, metal tins, or any other type of small container and odour if you use it.
Jump (preferably adjustable, can be any type of jump as long as it meets criteria of height & width of TEAM)
Mirror is handy to check your positioning (long one - if you have one available for viewing human/dog position)
Exercise: On cue, dog goes out and away from handler and circles the obstacle and returns to the handler. This exercise is not only the beginning stages of teaching your dog it's OK to work away from you, its also a great, fun way to relieve training pressures and insert some energy or fun games into your training session. We usually work so hard on keeping our dogs focused on, and connected with us, that for some dogs being sent "away" can be quite daunting. If you have already played with some target training either close up or distance the fly should be a fairly easy transition for your dog.
So what does this Fly actually do for you?
1) In traditional obedience, it can be applicable to the Go-out send for the Directed Jumping or the Directed Retrieve (3 gloves). Within the more advanced levels of TEAM, for instance, Level 5, you can substitute 3 cones or poles to act as a replacement for the 3 gloves while you work through the direction & energy of the send away. When you have achieved the desired direction and energy, adding the gloves as part of the retrieve portion becomes a fairly easy introduction.
2) Great way to introduce jump stanchions
3) Option for encouraging straight jump & distance on the broad jump
4) Send a fly to relieve pressure or inject energy in an exercise (i.e. heeling, fly, re-connect heeling)
5) Re-setting your dog for another attempt at an exercise
6) Allows you to work on components of an exercise without worrying about other criteria of that exercise.
My own preference for equipment in this exercise is a large traffic cone, mainly because they are heavier & taller so less likely to be knocked over by my dog's body or feet, but any upright object will work. You can use a jump stanchion, a garbage can, post in the ground, stool or one of those mesh collapsible laundry buckets or leaf collection buckets. Heck, you could even use a tree or telephone pole but the problem is moving it to a new location.
I like to teach the dogs to go both directions - variety/versatility is fun after all and is a big help if you're thinking about agility or other sports that require multi-directional sends. This also keeps the dog flexible and balanced. All dogs have a dominant directional preference that they find easier to complete. Teaching them to go both ways helps to keep them balanced. I will also typically use both arms to indicate direction. The cue you use is your choice - I have opted for a verbal FLY with using an extended arm on the side I'd like the dog to approach the obstacle from. For instance, left arm sends the dog (as they're facing the cone) to the right (clockwise) around the cone and my right arm would send the dog to their left (counter clockwise) around the cone. If I want to get really fancy, I can also the add direction my torso/arm are pointing i.e. dog on my right, right arm and torso point in the direction for the dog to go clockwise around. Starting your FLY: Your options, of course, are to shape, which can be fun, lure or bits of both shaping and luring. Luring requires that you initially keep your hand lower (where your dog naturally placed their head just standing) as you take the dog around the cone. Holding your hand higher means there's less connection to the obstacle and you may find the dog tripping over the cone more than going around it because they're totally focused on just the hand/reward and where it's going. If I'm luring the dog who is on my left side already, I'll use my right hand to nose lure them around clockwise and vice versa going counter clockwise. Remember you'll want an obstacle that you can reach around easily as you move the dog with the lure. Once they've got the idea you can switch it up to other types of obstacles.
Here I'm doing just doing some armchair training with Piper, clicking for any interaction with the Cone in any manner. This helps to create value in the cone. Notice how I can create direction by where I throw or give the treat. I can get variety in approach for later on. Even in this video, she is developing a directional approach preference.
In this video, I played armchair training again to create value for the cone.
This video shows the first session of Piper learning to leave me to go around the cone. Her shaping prepped her for going around. At one point you'll see me not Click because I was wanting an additional step rather than constantly clicking at the same point. This caused a bit of confusion for Piper.
Here I begin adding the verbal cue & hand signal but Piper was distracted & sirens happened. But you can see how I turned her before sending and also waited for her to look at me before sending her.
An option to create even more value for the cone while also creating variety is to train multiple circles around the cone. This can be achieved either by shaping (changing where you mark/reward) as well as taking advantage of your reward placement; both to encourage an additional circle or set-up to perform the next send around. For multiple circles: if your dog is going clockwise as he starts to wrap the cone mark and then use the lure in your left hand and draw the dog around and to the 9 o'clock position before you reward. This puts your dog in the position to continue the next wrap where you can mark at the 3 o'clock position and then place the lure with your left hand to draw the dog again to the 9 o'clock position.
Get ready for next send around: as the dog goes around cone mark and as he returns to you, draw the dog past you and turn them so they are again facing the cone and release the reward. This can be done if you're sending either clockwise or counterclockwise. It's an easy way to achieve set-ups for alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise one after the other.
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Adding distance and Return energy So far we've been working fairly close to the cone but eventually, we want to create a nice distance send as well as a quick return to the handler. Return to the handler is good to start from the beginning because there can be instances when working the fly, that your dog will get stuck on staying by the obstacle when you mark waiting for the reward to come to them. Only when your dog has grasped the idea that his job is to go out and around the cone will we add greater distance or introduce handler movement to create energy. If we introduce handler movement too soon, such as a chase game, we run the risk of the dog backing out of the send around the cone to chase you instead.
Creating Distance: You will gradually take small half steps back from where you send the dog to the cone. I stress small half type steps, not giant steps backwards.
1) Set the dog up facing the cone and send.
2) As the dog commits to circle the cone, mark and step back one step, as the dog is coming towards you for the reward.
3) Repeat 2-3 times at this distance, then move again, gradually increasing the distance away from the cone. For TEAM Level 1 that distance is minimum of 5 ft. I like to always opt for a bit more than I really need as you'll eventually require more than the 5ft distance for other competition or team exercises.
*** In the video above, I discretely add distance by taking a step backwards either as Tag's back is facing me or as I throw the treat past myself.
Injecting return energy: Here we're going to use handler movement to create energy on the return after circle to handler. Initially it is best to stand still as you send your dog. The reason - we don't want the dog to cue off of and be reliant on motion from you. So don't look like you're sending and then about to race off.
1) Send the dog to circle the cone
2) Wait until the dog is committed to circling the cone, mark it
3) Take off running away from your dog by either: - turning and running straight away from the cone - turning to left or right (depending on direction of send) and run away
NOTE: if you're sending the dog to go clockwise from the left, you would take off running after they have committed to the left, this encourages a tight wrap Here I'm adding a bit of movement to encourage faster return from Piper
Using the cone to encourage the dog to stride out after a jump & at the same time encourage a tight return.
Here I use the cone for a bar jump send; stride out and tight return.
Motion added by the handler injects fun and capitalizes on the chase instinct our dogs have. The direction you run can sharpen your turns, keeping them tight to the cone, which helps keep the dog from going wide as they make any type of turn. So change up which direction you get your dog to chase you - variety keeps them focused.
Keep in mind that many of the regular obedience exercises which incorporate a send, require you to be still on the send. So if you've added a forward step motion to your send, you will eventually want to also teach the dog to be sent away WITHOUT your forward movement. Using the chase after send helps in this area. Again change it up - keep the dog guessing as to what you're going to do next.
Keep building the distance you are able to send your dog, either with handler motion as you send (think heeling then fly then back to heeling or jump then back to the handler) or handler being stationary as you send.
OTHER SPORTS NOTES: If you're competing in other dogs sports that require directional cues keep in mind the exercises that may be similar in nature. You'll find it advantageous to keep your hand cues consistent between sports not only for precision but because it can be less frustrating for your dog. Agility is one sport that comes to mind that has a tonne of directional cues that rely on both body turns & directional arms. Considering this from the start helps you clean up your cues for both sports.
A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...
Oh, too much fun! This was my first Gold and you totally nailed it for me. I felt a little bad that I wasn't as detailed as some folks when I posted videos. Since I'm not a "competition person"--sometimes I felt like I didn't even know enough to know what I should be asking about, so I just sorta hurled video at you and said "Huh? What now?" But I loved the feedback I got--always plenty to work on, but not so much that it freaked me out or I got overwhelmed. That's a lot of behaviors to cover, and I thought you broke it down beautifully. Thank you for making my first Gold a success!
Thank you for your attention to detail in presenting the course materials as well as individual feedback, and the enthusiasm you have for student progress.
Loved her clear, relatively concise lectures (and short videos) that explained exercises from the ground up (like what is Marking, and why do we teach it, what are its applications?), and at the end Heather provided a section on the Final Picture. Super helpful to include this basic information so the student understands why she's doing a particular step, where it's leading, and the final goal. Heather is an excellent teacher.
I enjoyed the class and particularly liked the very detailed feedback I got from you. You came up with a lot of little tweaks to my training technique, which I could definitely use.
I love Heather's teaching style. I learned a lot. thanks Heather!
Team is such a fantastic program! Thanks FDSA for providing such great instructors to help work through the starting levels. There is soooo much to learn and this class really helps.
I like the online idea as I can go over it several times. The course was very useful and covered the topic really well. Good product. Jess L
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Instructor: Heather Lawson
