Course Details
If you go to a agility trial, one of the first things you’ll notice is each human-dog team is unique! Each person is different and each dog is different. And you might also notice that over time, your “agility picture” can shift: you or your dog may change. Maybe you get injured, or your dog gains confidence and starts running faster, and just like that the dynamic of your team has shifted.
At times agility training can seem laser focused on “the” way to do things. There is talk of the “best” reward, the “best” way to train something, and the “best” way to handle a sequence. But we aren’t all the same and there are people and dogs that don’t match up with the current idea of “best.” If you are one of those teams, you might be left feeling like you are failing. I’m here to tell you that you are not failing! You just haven’t found your best way forward YET!
If many of the “best” things are working for you and your dog right now, that’s wonderful! I am going to challenge you to consider how tweaking your training beyond the “best” can bring out even more from you and your team.
During this session we are going to talk about nuance in training and investigate the concept that there are many different ways to tackle every aspect of agility. There is no one “right” way, instead there is a unique combination that is right for your team. There can be many reasons at both ends of the leash why something may not be working “perfectly” for your team:
It needs to make sense to you as a handler - it needs to be something you are physically and mentally able to do?
It also needs to make sense to your dog - how does your dog learn and takes in information?
Considering all of these things can help you to determine the best path forward for your team. Some of the areas we will explore in this session include: different types and strategies for rewards; different ways to train skills; and different ways to handle sequences. Let’s open the door to new and different possibilities.
About the Instructor:
Laurie (she/her) started her adventures in dog sports 25 years ago with her black lab mix, Fletcher. Since then she’s never looked back, competing in agility, obedience, rally, dock diving, and shed antler hunting, and training in tracking, kick sledding, bike joring, tricks and nose work. Laurie has achieved many titles and been on the podium multiple times in both Canada and the US with her dogs, and has been teaching agility for more than ten years.
Laurie became a certified instructor under the OneMind Dogs system in 2017 but works with students in whichever handling and training system they’re using. She believes that no matter what task her and her students’ dogs tackle, the foundation of a great working relationship comes through clarity, consistency and connection.
Laurie has worked with breeds ranging from Chihuahuas and Laphunds to Irish Setters; from dogs who need motivation and confidence, to dogs who are so aroused they can’t think, and every dog in between. She believes in a relationship-based approach to dog training and supporting her students in developing an optimal mental state at both ends of the leash to achieve success on course.
Laurie lives in the Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada with her husband Dallas, Border Collie Tweak, Black Lab Buck, and the coolest kitten at school, Nacho Cat.