This class will cover how Amanda teaches the foundations for her directional commands; Out, Here, Go, Switch, and Tight.
Amanda teaches all of her directionals "on the ground" before applying them to equipment. This class will focus on the flatwork for these directionals. Amanda uses cones and barrels as part of her flatwork to teach a strong directional foundation.
Over the course of the class Amanda will show how she teaches her directionals starting with cone work and then progressing to using jumps or hoops (or a combination of both) Amanda teaches all of her directionals based with body language cues so students will also learn footwork skills and drills as well as different crosses and how to perform them with the directionals.
This class will also cover the Base Crosses that Amanda uses with her handling system. We will be covering Rear Crosses, Front Crosses, Blind Crosses, Post Turns and Counter Rotations.
Amanda will focus a lot of this class on proper timing of body language cues for directionals, proper footwork, and creating efficient turns and lines.
Registration
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Available as a prerequisite purchase for the October 2017 session.
Syllabus
Week 1
Teaching Out
-Fancy Footwork!
-Post Turns
Week 2
Teaching Here
-Upper body cues
- Blind Crosses
Week 3
Teaching Go
- Hold the cue!
-Whats the reward?
Week 4
Teaching Switch
-Use those hips!
-Rear Crosses
Week 5
Teaching Tight
- Smooth lines!
-Front Crosses
-Counter Rotations
Week 6
Skills and Drills - Putting it all together!
How to blend your directional cues
Prerequisites & Supplies
Space: 20x20 (please email me if you have a question about smaller spaces, most exercises can be modified)
2-3 Cones (Road Cones or something similar)
3-4 Jumps or hoops
Tunnel (Optional, exercises without a tunnel will be shown also)
Sample Lecture
In this lecture, we are going to start using the cone with some other obstacles. In the lesson video I am using a "U" shaped tunnel, but you can use two jumps, two hoops, a jump and a hoop, etc etc. It can be any combination of equipment you may have.
I use the cones as a “marker” to help teach the dogs which obstacle I want. Because I have done all of my foundation work with the cones, my dogs understand the “here” means to comes in towards me and “Out” means to move away from me. So when I place the cones in-between my obstacle discrimination they have a “marker” to help them with which obstacle to take.
The diagram below shows the cones in-between a contact/tunnel discrimination, but you can use any combination of obstacles. The goal here is to strengthen out Out and Here work with different equipment.
The video below shows me working Ally on some discrimination skills. I start with working just a “U” shaped tunnel and then I progress to using a hoop and a tunnel.
When I am starting a young dog with discrimination/Out & Here work I tend to pad my deck. What I mean by this is, if I am going to start with working an Out, then I will place them over to the side of the cones closer to the Out. And same if I was working a Here. Then I will gradually start moving them more to the center of the cones, so they are really having to choose with the Out and the Here.
The diagram below shows starting my dog closer to Out and then gradually moving to center.
For your homework, I would like everyone to show me videos working on both your Out and your Here. You can use any combination of obstacles for your discrimination/Out & Here work.
Testimonials
A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...
Anyone looking for a place to begin their distance training, this is the place to go. Not only does it help you begin but gives you enough tools to do great things if you practice practice practice. The best tool you have after taking this class is your video camera.
Thank you for an interesting and exciting introduction to directionals! I know that the course will be put to great use and hope to be able to do more in the future.
This class was lots of fun and I really enjoyed it and my dog(s) made great progress. We would really enjoy a "Next Steps" in distance handling class!
Amanda made the instructions very clear and watching the gold level teams and the feedback was also very helpful.
Thank you Amanda for making me feel as though I can do this better. Each little improvement I make helps my dogs become more confident partners.
