Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - OB465: Shaping a Flashy and Confident Heel

Course Details

This class is the 3rd in a series of 3. We've taught the foundations, both moving and stationary, and now is the time to put them all together to create the full picture! We'll be teaching turns, figure 8s, halts with many more skills. In order to be a gold student in this class, you must have the "picture" of moving heeling that you are satisfied with, or instructor approval.

The first 2 heeling classes are available for purchase as pre reqs for bronze students!

Check out the syllabus for the actual skills and the pre req section for skills and classes you and your dog should have coming into class.

Here is my girl Bayles showing her first sits while halting!

Teaching Approach

This is a skills class. Written lectures are released one at a time, 3-5 times a week. They consist of written instruction, steps to teach the skill, and video examples of each skill. Videos are short and contain no voice over instruction. This class relies heavily on skills taught in the prior two classes, those relevant classes/lectures will be referenced if needed. Since this is the 3rd in a series, many of the gold students are on their own track, and at different levels, though most will be following the syllabus. Heeling requires motion and some speed on the handler's part, though adjustments can always be made to fit the individual team.

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 that Facebook group will be in the classroom after you register.

Instructor: Shade Whitesel

Shade Whitesel (she/her) has been training and competing in dog sports since she was a kid. Always interested in how dogs learn, she has successfully competed in IPO/schutzhund, AKC obedience and French Ring. Her retired dog, Reiki vom Aegis, IPO 3, FH 1, French Ring 1, CDX, was 5th at the...(Click here for full bio and to view Shade's upcoming courses)

Prerequisites & Supplies

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Prerequisite for gold level and working silver students:

OB 462: Shaping a Flashy and Confident Heel-Moving Foundations

Strongly recommended:

FE155: Crucial Concepts of Competition
OB460: Shaping a Flashy and Confident Heel-Foundations
FE130 Toys: Developing Cooperation and Play

If you have not taken those strongly recommended courses, working spot handlers are expected to have all the skills in the OB460 class syllabus on verbal cue, and off a food lure or physical prompt. Offered straight forward heeling by the dog is also a must.

If you want to use toys for reinforcement (highly recommended!), then you are expected to have an offered "out" (drop at feet or deliver to hand) from your dog, with no prompting or conflict, and a knowledge of how to listen to your dog's opinion about the training session's rate of reinforcement.

Dogs are expected to have high motivation for treats and/or toys and a working knowledge of how to push their handlers for "work".

Sample Lecture

Week 1.2 Left turns

Basics needed:

10 steps moving forward in heel position
Right rear movement
Backing
Consistent body language by the handler, whether that is footwork, head turning, etc…
Reward sequence

Steps:

Figure out what body language you are using to “predict” your left turn. For me, this is a braking foot, and head turn to the left. I don’t consciously train the head turn, I just know that I do it. Review the lecture on footwork, pre cues if you haven’t already. Put the body language before the actual left turn, slow it all down, and verbally cue the dog to back and pivot to the right. So for my dogs, that would look like this:

5 steps forward
Brake on right foot (coming down on it harder than normal for teaching)
Cue starboard (right pivot)
Step/turn with left foot and turn body
Cue Back
Mark and reward when dog finds heel

If your dog/handler team have a strong offered heel and a strong shaping background, you can often skip the verbal cuing. It is often helpful if you review pivoting to the left for the dog before starting with the left turn itself. Here is one of Baylie’s first sessions:

Mark as you move forward once the dog has found the new heel position and reward in a way that strengthens this back and right movement. I normally use a marker word that means to the dog flip to your left and get the thrown treat or toy. I teach this in stationary position first, and then to moving. (separate lecture)

Here is One’s first session on left turns. Notice how I reward:

Once the dog is figuring it out, speed up to normal speed

Drop the verbal cues

Start reinforcing closer to heel position and stop rewarding to the back and right. Here is Bayles showing her finished left turns. She’s a little hoppy but I’m not too concerned, that normally evens out once you stop blitzing the turns:

Once the dog knows the moves, look at what your sport requires. If doing IPO, snappy and abrupt is best. If doing AKC or CKC, smooth your steps out, round the corner and make sure your steps are on the same tempo.

Here is Ones showing both types. Ignore the old dog (Changer!)barking his frustration out the window:

Testimonials & Reviews

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

I really enjoyed all these classes - the detail and break down of each part. My Newfie has become much more focused and offers heel when we are just out having a run in the paddocks. He flips into a nice straight heel position most of the time and does a pretty neat side pass. Thank you Shade.

Since I've been taking courses with FDSA I've met some of the hardest working women I've ever met in my life. Shade's work ethic along with her knowledge and ability to keep track of what's what is absolutely inspiring. She is clear and precise. World class!

Thanks for three great heeling classes, Shade. I’m really happy with Grit’s heeling, and I loved how your skills classes apply the concepts you teach in the toys class. I’ve started looking at my dogs from an angle of “adding work to play” rather than the other way round, and I love the things I’ve learned about all of them since consciously shifting my focus. It has taken my ability to keep training as well as play a two-way communication to another level. We had two-way communication before, but learning to see the first little “tells” in deteriorating toy skills and responding to them has expanded the vocabulary of the training and relationship language I share with my dogs - even the ones who weren’t part of your classes. Thank you! Chrissi & Grit

Thank you Shade for showing the basics of a shaped heel. It is brilliant! In the past I have lured a dog and or binded him next to my side so he could not be out of position, but I have never truly shaped....these past 6 weeks have been a blast for me and my 15 month BC pup. Than throw in your Toy play and we are over the top with excitement, not frenzied, just thoughtful ...how cool is that!

I have taken several online seminars on heeling and this was the best yet. I am competing in utility and my dog's heeling and my footwork have improved tremendously. Thank you!!

Shade's insightful and specific feedback help to get us going in the right direction. In this class more than in some of her beginner classes she really pushes us to examine our own work and helps us become problem solvers for ourselves. It's always a positive experience working with Shade. Thank you. Molly B

Registration

Next session starts: August 1, 2022
Registration starts: July 22, 2022
Registration ends: August 15, 2022

Registration opens at 11:30am Pacific Time.

OB465 Subscriptions

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 130.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	10	25	Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials	✔	✔	✔
Access to discussion and homework forums	✔	✔	✔
Read all posted questions and answers	✔	✔	✔
Watch all posted videos	✔	✔	✔
Post general questions to Discussion forum	✔	✔	✖
Submit written assignments	✔	✖	✖
Post dog specific questions	✔	With video only	✖
Post videos	✔	Up to 2	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	Questions All videos	✖

Find more details, refund policies and answers to common questions in the Help center.

OB465: Shaping a Flashy and Confident Heel - Putting the Skills Together