ADVANCED CLASS ASSIGNMENT

WEEK 1 Feb. 2, 2009

Heeling: 10-15 minutes a day. Always start with your left foot when heeling, it will cue your dog and help him to not get left behind. Remember its “George, heel”, and then you move. Work on a loose leash! The only way your dog will ever heel off leash if you don’t keep a tight leash on them. They must learn where their proper position is. Encourage them with treats or toys if they fall behind, give a quick jerk back if they forge ahead, always follow with praise. If you have not been working your dog, it is ok to go back to the beginning and tell him to sit once and enforce it. Don’t tell them more than once, they may be a little rusty, but believe me they remember everything. The best working dogs will keep their head slightly tipped toward you while heeling. Practice lots of about-turns, U-turns, lefts, and rights. Start in Fast pace mode, end in slow pace, etc. Vary the routine, and keep them guessing. It’s fine to stop, release and play a bit. This should be fun for your dog. Don’t forget your OK whenever the exercise is over, with lots of praise, treats, throw a ball or even play tug a war, whatever your dogs likes the best.

Sits and downs: Do two 2-3 minute sits, and 2-3 minute downs. The command is ‘George, Stay” in a forceful voice. Voice tones are important; remember a happy, let’s go voice when heeling. If you want your dog to stay you should sound firm, like you really mean it! They get one and only one command, If your dog gets up, yell NO, and quickly put them back in place. You may say sit and stay one more time if you think they are spacing out on you. Most of our dogs should not need an extra command at all; they know what they are supposed to be doing! Remember they faster you correct, the better they will be about staying, so keep that look of “don’t you even think about moving” on them, and be ready to correct. Make sure you go back, circle around them and leave again sometimes. When you do release them with an OK, give a lot of praise.

The Here command: Please work on this 10 times a day. Can be at any time, does not have to be during your training time. Keep some treats handy, say here, and call your dog. Keep calling “George here” until he comes to your outstretched hand to get the treat or toy. Remember small amounts of food; we don’t want to get all our puppy’s to fat to jump! The object is they will come running toward you, this is not a Come, they should not sit in front, it just means come to my hand. Please don’t let anyone tell your dog “come” unless they have the dog officially sit in front. It is a hard habit to break, Come here kind of run together is ok, Pronounce more comere! But if you can, call your dog in from outside with the here command, or just plain get in here! The main purpose of the here command is for control in agility, but it comes in very handy if your dog is chasing a cat or rabbit and about to be hit by a car! Once everyone has this down we will learn Go, Left, and Right directions.

Remember get out of the backyard when practicing, at least work in the front yard where you have some distractions! If you live close to another member try to get together to practice. I don’t want you to work on come or anything else this week, we need improvement on our heeling before moving on!