Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - FE125: Adolescent Sport Dogs

Course Details

This class is for dogs who have a career ahead of them! It's a class in advanced foundation concepts for performance teams. Content is directed to dogs who are at least 10 months old and less than 2 years old.

We will concentrate on building teamwork, skills, and mental strength together. If you know your dog's future sport then you will be encouraged to incorporate your tools of the trade into the class. You do not need to specialize in any particular sport, but you are welcome to do so.

It is assumed that your dog is already clicker savvy and has been taught some basic manners and skills with a clicker. You should come into this class with a dog who enjoys working for rewards and enjoys working with you.

Every dog sport requires physical skills and mental skills. This class will address both aspects of the performance game. We will learn to raise and lower the arousal state on cue. We will use props to help
with positions and behaviors and impulse control as we build skills and teamwork. I am flexible with the use of props and we will have an array: Magic Mat, Crate Games, Target Sticks, Sit Targets, Zen Bowl,
Cookie Jars, Puppy Puzzles, Snuffle Mats, and lots of other props and games will all be useful. So you will finish the class with a wide exposure to tools which will benefit you long term.

This class will also teach your dog to multi-task. We will be teaching skills and games which help your dog combine his best body work with his best thinking. He needs to learn, and then take what he knows and put it into action in increasingly challenging environments.

The physical skills of our dog sports are built from foundation movements and behaviors which will be a common start point for all of us. And the mental games we play will build the ability to think and focus amid cheerful chaos.

We will work on the handler as well! Teamwork is a very important component of this class. Our motto is “Teamwork = TLC. Trust, Leadership, Confidence.”

The sport dog handler needs to be an effective captain of the team. We will look at the art and science of motivation. You are the navigator, the inspiring leader who moves effectively, gives timely cues and sets
correct lines. We will learn to be these inspiring leaders who cue well and use position and motion effectively. We will discuss the best cues and expectations for your team based on your sport and your handling requirements.

And, like it or not, you may need to learn to multi-task as well! Many handlers insist that their dogs not lose focus when a distraction appears, yet they automatically disconnect themselves from their working dogs all too easily. We have all been guilty of that! In this class we will also look at our own behaviors as handlers who are developing our sport dogs to their full potential. “Training” and “Focus” will each be a highly respected two-way street! So get ready, because I have some fun games which are challenging for dogs and handlers alike! We'll keep each other learning, discussing, laughing, and playing. We'll make our sport dogs eager, happy, confident and smart!

I hope you can come and play!

Syllabus

ADOLESCENT SPORT DOGS, FE125, by Julie Daniels

COURSE SYLLABUS

Forum Discussions will include some sharing of personal handler progress in use of actions, timing, cues, and reinforcement delivery to enhance the relationship with our dogs as we go through the exercises.

Week 1

Reinforcement Hierarchy

Classical Conditioning - Name Game Indoors and Outdoors

Sniffing On Cue – What Is That?

Magic Mat – Winning at “Stay” with Variable Interval Reinforcement

Patience – Last Dog Wins at Treats in Turn

When to GO - Cookie Bowl Games

Standing Cues

Week 2

Intro to Verbal Discrimination Concepts – Catch It, Get It, Find It

Using Catch It to Teach the Concept of Wait

Magic Mat – High to Low Arousal

How to Be More Interesting than Dirt

Impulse Control – Last Dog Wins at Going Out the Door

Sit/Stand Targets – Reinforcement Zones

Chair Cues

Week 3

Verbal Concept - Get It Games for Active Toys and Food

Ladder Work and Tiddly Winks – Coordination at a Trot

Nose Targeting – Pick-Ups, Sticks and Discs

Magic Mat – Low to High Arousal

Reinforcement Zones in Motion

Impulse Control – Flirt Pole Games

Kneeling Cues

Week 4

Verbal Concept - Get It Games for Passive Toys and Food

Cone Games for Turns and Sends

Sit Targets – Front and Heel Positions

Impulse Control – Cures for Bolting

Magic Mat – Low to High to Low Arousal

Sitting Cues

Week 5

Verbal Concept – Cueing Mixed Reward Deliveries

Advanced Musical Toys – Combining Work with Play

Magic Mat – Wait vs Stay

Separation Games – I'll Be Right Back

Using Cookie Jars and Remote Reinforcement

Reclining Cues

Week 6

Verbal Concept – Cueing Reward Deliveries While Performing

Game On/Game Off – Cueing Arousal States with Mat, Food, Toys, Touch, and Play

Clean Cueing with Cookie Jars and Remote Reinforcement in Play

Resting Together Amid Chaos

Choosing Each Other – Find Your Person

Prone and Supine Cues

Prerequisites and Equipment

It is assumed that your dog is already clicker savvy and has been taught some basic manners and skills with a clicker. You should come into this class with a dog who enjoys working for rewards and enjoys working with you.

We will use props to help with positions and behaviors and impulse control as we build skills and teamwork. I am flexible with the use of props and we will have an array: Magic Mat, Crate Games, Target Sticks, Sit Targets, Zen Bowl, Cookie Jars, Puppy Puzzles, Snuffle Mats, and lots of other props and
games will all be useful. You will finish the class with a wide exposure to tools which will benefit you long term.

Testimonials

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

This was a really super class! Of course, I love your feedback to everyone, but I really love your open dialogue about concepts that challenge and improve our training. I think those are lasting takeaways from this class. There were a wide variety of teams in the class and each team improved. I also loved the games. Buckle and I surely benefited from the 6 weeks of your tutelage. Many thanks!

This class was invaluable in managing my own expectations of adolescent dogs. Julie is brilliant and an extremely effective communicator.

Thanks for a great class Julie - I've enjoyed it immensely and it has been a great follow-on from Baby Genius which I took at Bronze level. Can't wait for my pup later this year so I can start putting it all into practice. How lucky that people all around the world have access to Fenzi Academy's great trainers and classes - there's nothing like it in South Australia where I live so I'm so pleased I can do the online courses.

This course is full of great ideas for exercises to teach young dogs. Helping handlers to build co-operation and establish good foundations for their young dogs.

Several times as I was reading Julie's feedback to a students questions I wanted to stand up and cheer! The response from Julie was so thoughtful and supportive. Julie is a wonder.

Thank you for a fun, informative class with great CONCEPTS!