Course Details
Hesitation is the classic symptom of lacking confidence. Your dog moves slowly, is unsure about their response, or becomes reluctant to explore or engage.
What if we could turn that hesitation into hustle? Build true effort, eagerness and enthusiasm, and the belief that whatever game you are playing together, they can totally ace it?
Confidence is worthy of being its own goal for the quality it brings to a dog's life- above and beyond whatever game you are playing or skill you are teaching. But it doesn't just develop by accident; it's engineered through a thoughtful, creative approach to teaching in layers and gradually expanding a dog's comfort zone.
This presentation covers three strategies that are useful throughout skill-building to help prioritize confidence for any training goal.
1. Rewarding Effort - Give your dog the confidence to make those early, initial attempts at something new. As long as your dog is willing to keep trying, anything is possible, and that willingness is something we can actively foster and shape with reinforcement.
2. Super-Splitting - When building new skills, super-splitting ensures that we're always building on layers of success. It's a commitment to clear understanding at every level along the way! Learn how to manage each change in difficulty or variable thoughtfully to build super fine, seamless layers in your teaching.
3. The Challenge Sandwich- When advancing known skills and pushing boundaries, learn how to structure challenges to protect your dog from the risk of confidence fatigue when working at or near their limits.
Throughout the presentation, you'll learn which strategy is best for a given situation, how to create training plans that prioritize confidence and see demonstrations of each of these strategies in a variety of contexts from early puppy training to more advanced sports skills.
About the Instructor:
Erin (she/her) is a KPA-CTP, CPCFT, Licensed Family Dog Mediator, and a breeder of performance-line Labrador Retrievers. With expertise in a variety of sports ranging from sled dog racing to agility, dock diving, obedience, and scent-based sports, Erin views dog sports not as an end goal, but as one part of a greater strategy that prioritizes lifelong confidence, health, and relationship with her dogs.
