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RA500: Foundation Skills for Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle

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RA500: Foundation Skills for Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle

Course Details

Rally-FrEe is a unique sport with the structure of a Rally course and the creativity of Musical Freestyle. To learn more about Rally-FrEe, please visit www.rallyfree.com

Each sport has its own set of foundation skills that allow the dog and handler to move more quickly and confidently through the training process of more complex skills.  For both Rally-FrEe and Freestyle, training transitions that include returning to a position are paramount to the team’s success. Transitions allow the dog and handler team to change position and/or direction without changing the dog’s flow of momentum. We’ll focus on creating confidence and precision in foundation freestyle behaviors as well as creating clear and consistent criteria, often through the use of environmental management or structured shaping.

Another important aspect of both Rally-FrEe and Musical Freestyle is placing behaviors on verbal cues and eliminating the need for hand cues. How you train a behavior as well as the process you use to add the cue can slow or speed the process.  We’ll go step by step through the process of putting value and meaning into your verbal cues, preventing both dog and handler from becoming dependent on hand cues.

The primary focus will be on specific foundation skills like circling from left and right, about U transitions, spin to position, pass thrus, paw lifts, and building variations, transitions and main moves from these skills.

This course is great for anyone wanting to venture into the sports of Freestyle or Rally-FrEe but also for instructors considering adding Rally-FrEe or Freestyle to their class curriculum. 

 

Teaching Approach

Each week will have multiple lectures. Most will be released on the first day of the new week.  However some may be released a little later in the week to allow for a progression of skills. Lectures include written and video descriptions of each exercise in a step-by-step approach. Lectures and exercises start at a foundation level and take you through the process to use the skills in a variety of ways.  Supplemental lectures may be provided depending on need.

Homework and troubleshooting are listed in a separate lecture for easy access. 

Video demonstrations of the exercises include the instructor's personal training sessions as well as actual students working the exercises. There are a variety of breeds and sizes represented in the demo vids. Demonstration video length varies between 1-2 minutes.  Many of the demo videos are captioned.

Each team works at their own pace and at a level where their dog is showing understanding and confidence for the exercises for that week.  Each week contains several exercises depending on dog and handler skill level and need. 

Students will be provided with both general and specific written feedback, often including timestamps for clarity.  Students will be able to show their work for any previous weeks as well as the current week’s exercises for continued feedback.

There are alot of skills and material in this course.  While some students will complete all course material, there is no expectation that all skills/behaviors will be completed within the 6 week course. However the detail of the lectures and exercise videos will allow students continue the process and complete the skills on their timeline through their library.

Most all exercises, especially the base foundation skill, can be completed in a small space. 

 The equipment list is very specific to the class exercises so you will want to be sure to have them ahead of time to get the most benefit from the class.

This class will have a Teacher's Assistant (TA) available in the Facebook study group to help the bronze and silver students! Directions for joining will be in the classroom after you register.

Julie FlaneryInstructor: Julie Flanery

 Julie Flanery (she/her), CPDT-KA has been working professionally with dogs and their handlers since 1993. She focuses on the needs of the dog and helping people form a strong relationship, through clear communication, and positive reinforcement. She has placed Obedience...(Click here for full bio and to view Julie's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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This is a general syllabus and may be added to or re-arranged. 

Welcome to RA500

Getting Started and About Equipment 

Wk 1 Lecture and Exercises: Circling the Handler from Left and Right 

Wk 1 Lecture and Exercises: Placing Shaped Behaviors on Cue, Including Circles 

Wk 1 supplemental Skill Exercise: Teaching Stand 

Wk 1 Lecture Only: Transitions and Positions: What are they and why do we need them? 

Wk 2 Skill Exercises; Circles, Removing the gates 

Wk 2 Lecture and Exercises: Left, Right and About U Turns 

Wk 2 Lecture and Exercises: Using a Target stick: How and Why? 

Wk 3 Lecture and Exercises: Training Spin to Position 

Wk 3 Exercise: Adding the Verbal Cue to the Spin & Removing the Target Stick 

Wk 3 "Into..." Position signs and Introduction of Platforms and gates for Positions 

Wk 4 Lecture and Exercises: Using the Spin as a Transition 

Wk 4: Lecture and Exercises: Training "Thru to Position" 

Wk 5: Lecture and Exercises Left and Right Turn Thru Trx and Figure 8 Thru 

Wk 5: Lecture and Exercises Thru Variations and Weight Shifts 

Wk 5: Extra Credit: Thru Variations 

Wk 6 Lecture and Exercises: Teaching the Bow 

Wk 6 Lecture and Exercises: Paw Lifts 

Wk 6 Lecture: Free Choice Signs

Prerequisites & Supplies

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Prerequisites:

Students should be familiar with the use of markers, either a clicker or verbal marker and should understand the process of “shaping” or marking and rewarding small increments of behavior toward building the end result.

Dogs should have an understanding of markers and have the ability to focus on the handler during an exercise, and be able to maintain a standing, stationary position in left and right heel for a few seconds.

Equipment:

Students will learn the value and use of a target stick. Target sticks should be 12-18 inches long and have a distinct “target” at one end.  If you don’t have a target stick, a household item may be used, such as a long wooden spoon or you can make one from a wooden or acrylic dowel and a foam practice golf ball (found at most sporting goods stores). Target sticks can also be purchased online.

We will be using “training gates” to create clear criteria and eliminate the need for hand cues.  These can be made from wire cube organizer panels (sold online or in-store), secured in lengths of 10 with zip-ties.  Often you can find the wire panels used at thrift stores.  The best price I have found is at K-mart online, free ship to store or home, linked above. One box of 6 cubes will net you two lengths of 10 panels.  This is enough to cover the exercises in the foundation course as well as most of the other courses I teach. Below is a photo of one length as it's being put together and another photo of the gates in use. 

That gates can also be purchased pre-made at www.rallyfree.com/products 

For very large dogs or dogs that tend to not respect barriers, 18" or 24" ex-pens may be used.

If you have a toy breed, and the training gates are over your dog’s head, I have used the 8-9 inch hamster/guinea pig fencing, brand name: Critter Trail Playpen, which you can get at many pet supply stores or online. 

   

Sample Lecture

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Circling the handler is a foundation skill and a primary transition behavior.  The circle behavior is also foundation in creating interesting variation behaviors for either Freestyle or Rally-FrEe.  By building strength in the foundation, your variations will be easier and faster to train and you’ll have greater reliability and response from your dog.

The circle behavior should be taught in both directions from both the left and right side.  In Rally-FrEe, the foundation circle behaviors are signs #15 and #16. 

circle signs

 

Note that the signs look very similar.  The position the dog is in at the start tells you the direction they will travel. If the dog is in left heel he will travel clockwise. If he is in right heel he will travle counter-clockwise.  You will never be "tricked" on a Rally-FrEe course. Your dogs position on approach to the sign indicates the direction of travel for the circle.

 

Below is a clip of what the foundation skill looks like when properly executed.

 

 

Some of you are probably saying “but my dog already knows that behavior.”  Before skipping steps, ask yourself a few questions and ask about both the clockwise circle from your left side and the counter-clockwise circle from your right side:

 

1)  Does my dog always start and end in a precise position?

2)  Is it as fast as I would like?  

3)  Is it as tight as I would like?

4)  Is my dog as responsive as I would like?

5)  Does my dog show confidence and fluency?

6)  Does my dog respond to a verbal cue without the aid of a hand signal? 

 

Why Use a Prop to Train Circles

By using the training gates to train the circle behavior, you now have an easy context without hand cues to train other behaviors (such as circling a cane or other prop) faster and with a greater degree of understanding in the dog.

Exercise:  Set up your training gates in a single, round circle, or pen.  Make sure the circle is wide enough for you in the middle (think of yourself as the hole in the donut) and your dog to move comfortably around you in a circle but not so wide that your dog can turn around. For most dogs a single gate will suffice, but for some large or giant breeds you may need to use two lengths of gates to create the appropriate size pen. 

If your dog seems worried about the gates, walk him around the outside, as close as he seems comfortable, treating every couple of steps until you see him relax. 

Some like to use a mirror in front of them to be able to see the dog even when he is moving behind you so if this is helpful to you set that up too.  Mirrors are also a great aid in helping the handler maintain a straight posture, with hips and shoulders forward.  In training many of these behaviors, but especially the circle behavior, you may have the tendency to want to “help” your dog through twisting or other body english.  Work hard to avoid this as it will only hinder the dog’s ability to find value in your verbal cues.

With your dog on your left or right side (you’ll be training both, so choose which side you want to start with) walk into the round pen.  Be ready to click.  As soon as you move into the pen, your dog is likely to move forward.  That is your first click and treat (hereafter C/T).  Place your reward about 2 inches in front of the dog.  Don’t withhold it, but place it so your dog needs to take a small step or stretch of the neck to get it.  This will help reinforce forward movement.  While the dog is eating his first treat, you can close the pen.  

Here is a clip of Sharon and Finn. This is their first lesson in the gates for circles. Notice the smallest movement forward earns c/t.  At the time Sharon used alot of luring in her training so you will see how difficult it is for her to keep her shoulders and head straight and not twist in an effort to prompt Finn.

 

 

Here is Phee learning circles - note how when I walk her in I am leading her in the direction I want her to travel. That action, moving along the gates is the first click.  Note how I place the food forward of her just a little to help encourage and reinforce continued forward movement. 

 

 

Below is Alyssa and Jetta. Note again how Alyssa moves Jetta in heel along the gates and clicks as she turns to face forward. 

 

 

 

Stand straight, with your hips and shoulders squared and always facing the same direction.  Again, avoid turning your body, or trying to lure with your hands, arms or shoulders.  Look where you want the dog to go, rather than at your dog. Giving your dog a release cue is often enough to get them moving. Keep your criteria low at first, i.e. any single step or small movement forward earns a C/T. 

As the dog begins to show understanding that a step forward earns the C/T, raise your criteria to 2 steps forward before the C/T.  Continue to gradually raise your criteria (your dog will often make these shifts himself) until the dog does a full revolution around you and returns to the position he started, either right or left heel position.  Give several treats in a row here with lots of verbal praise to add value to getting back into this position. 

In most cases, if your dog understands the C/T relationship, it will take only a couple of sessions for the dog to start to show confidence in moving in a complete circle around the handler.  This of course, depends on your dog’s experience with shaping, the value of your reward and the comfort level of your dog in the gates, as well as the usual - timing of your marker and clean handler mechanics. 

Be sure to read through the "Trouble Shooting for Circle Behaviors" Lecture.  This will help you solve some issues you may run into during the process.

Transferring the Skill: This process applies to not only circling the handler but circling a cane, or other props that can also be used in a freestyle routine.  In the below video you'll see how a dog with understanding of circling the handler in the gates can learn quickly how to circle a cane without the use of hand signals, which means we don't have to take the time to elimnate them, we just add the verbal cue once we can predict the behavior.  More on verbal cues  next week  Feel free to try the below skill as well, but start with circling the handler in the gates for context.

 

 

 

Below is a fun clip that shows the entire process of training the foundation circle behavior.  We'll start working on eliminating the gates next week after placing the behavior on cue.

 

 

There are several other circle signs that add handler movement to allow the dog and handler team to change direction.  Here is a link to all of the Rally-FrEe signs and their descriptions. Many of the signs are linked to vid clips of the behaviors.

 

http://www.rallyfree.com/rally-free-signs-2016/

 

Gold Level students, when submitting your videos please be sure to show the whole dog and handler in your videos so that I can view not only the dog, but the handler as well.  Okay!  let's go train! Remember to look to your dog to drive the process and most important have fun with this!

 

Course Testimonials

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

I have to say - and wish I could make this 48pt size - of all the courses I've taken with FDSA, Julie Flanery has been the BEST INSTRUCTOR. I watch the student videos and list every area I see needing change. Julie hits all of them, and when she doesn't, I am sure she is just picking what needs the most focus to keep from overwhelming the student. Her feedback to the students is extremely good and well-stated and she is sensitive and kind. The lecture materials are complete and easily understood. I wish I had more thumbs to give her an adequate ThumbsUP....                        


Julie is simply wonderful! She was so clear and precise and I feel my training skills have improved greatly! I can't wait for her next class...            


It was wonderful to have the person who developed this sport be the instructor. It is obvious from her approach and feedback that she is a teacher, not only someone who is active in the sport.                              


I enjoyed this class a lot and so did Heidi. The training gates that Julie uses to teach behaviors with precision are very helpful. Heidi comes running when the gates go up and doesn’t want to leave them. She loves the circles. Julie is always supportive with excellent comments and tips. The demonstration videos with her adorable and enthusiastic dog, Kashi, are inspiring! In this class there was a lot of communication among students. Forum discussions were lively and interesting. I am looking forward to taking more of Julie’s classes               


Julie is a terrific trainer. She understands the principles of operant conditioning and applies them consistently in her training. She is a joy to watch! Pamela L.                 


Julie Flanery is an outstanding training instructor who teaches Rally FrEe in very organized, detailed lectures with clear and concise videos and gives encouraging and precise feedback to the participants. Can't wait to take her next class. I'm moving up to Gold! Ellen S.    


Julie is an excellent instructor. Very detail oriented, and very good at picking up what students should improve.           


Julie was really, really wonderful. Many of the students struggled (Freestyle is HARD) and she very patiently suggested improvements and cheered when things improved. She is a really fabulous instructor and a wonderful addition to FDSA.            

Registration

Next session starts: April 1, 2023
Registration starts: March 22, 2023
Registration ends: April 15, 2023

Registration opens at  11:30am Pacific Time.

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Tuition $ 260.00 $ 130.00 $ 65.00
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