Course Details
3 WEEK CLASS - It's Social Approach time again! This time we tackle impulsivity. We think it's time for a fresh perspective on a stand-by of dog training and behavior!
What is an impulse, really, and why do we think we don't want them? Well, reasonably, when dogs do things like jump or chase, it seems like they just succumb to an impulse or like they're acting without thinking! It can be very frustrating and make the dog difficult to live with.
But what if we told you that when it looks like the dog isn't thinking, they're actually just thinking really quickly? The way we see it, the dog is just making a quick decision and enacting their choice with confidence and enthusiasm! Indeed, an impulsive dog is showing both motivation and agency - all the good stuff we want more of, right? So, let's treat their quick reactions as the superpower that it is and teach them how to use it for good!
In this class we'll first teach your dog to be impulsive (gasp!), which will provide them fulfillment and enjoyment at being a dog and hone their skill of fast-twitch reactions. Then we'll add a filter, so that your dog knows when and where to apply this skill. Finally, we'll put it all together so your dog can use their quick thinking in alignment with your goals — fulfilling their needs and streamlining your training. You'll have a dog who makes good decisions quickly and confidently... impulsively!
Teaching Approach:
This class has two instructors and you will get the benefit of our combined expertise throughout the class. We (Amy and Josefin) have developed this system together, and are collaborating in teaching it to you throughout the term. We may vary who types the answer to you, but you can rest assured that the answers you get are from the both of us, discussed ahead of time. You may ask us specific questions about technique and timing, but we do hope you'll want to engage with the underlying concepts as well and will welcome discussion around the foundation of this approach.
We will release lectures throughout the week, and there will be assignments with video support for you to follow. Some of those videos may have a voiceover, but they will also have captions. The videos get you started, and we fine tune in the gold threads. Each week will also have lectures without assignments, for us to expand on certain concepts we want to highlight.
Our feedback to the golds will be detailed and supportive, and broad enough for others to learn from, thus we highly encourage that to get the best from the class that you make time to read at least the feedback on all the gold threads. We have both indoor and outdoor exercises, some leash walking and long line walkng if possible. There will be food used mainly, though toys are welcome and can be included in most instances. Some of the exercises are done on the floor or bed, but for most you will be standing and moving and going on walks.
This class does not have a TA as this is new material and it lives in Amy and Josefin!
