Instructor: Shade Whitesel
Course Details
This course covers all aspects of IPO style heeling.
In order to get full points for heeling in IPO, the dog must exhibit power, drive, speed, correct position, and focus. In addition, the dog is expected to be a fully engaged and willing partner, and this quality is also being judged. Shade can help you get this highly desirable picture in your dog!
To master this combination of power and drive with extreme precision, Shade will hold you to strict criteria for position and speed, while encouraging the use of prey drive reinforcers such as balls and tug. Knowing when to raise criteria (and by how much), where to reward, and how to maintain high quality work is critical to success in this program. Shade can help you develop these skills.
This course will explore all of the turns (right, left, and both about turns), changes of pace, duration, halts, finishes, and adding other cues. Shade will also consider some common heeling problems and the important factors to consider when you are in the maintenance portion of training.
Dogs participating in the Gold spots in this course are expected to have a developed ball or tug game, or good food drive. In addition, the handler needs to have taken the 2 Drives and Control Courses at any level (or receive instructor approval). Finishes and foundation heel skills are taught in the Drives classes and we can't do advanced heeling without foundation!
This course is also appropriate for handlers who wish to develop their higher drive AKC competition dogs, but keep in mind that this course assumes a dog with a pronounced drive structure.