Course Details
Dock Diving, Retriever Hunt Tests, Disc, Shed Antler, Obedience- there are so many sports where retrieving is involved. Whether the retrieve for a particular sport is required to be formal or is less structured, it presents an added challenge when all or part of the game is intrinsically valuable to the dog. For example, a lot of dogs find a retrieve highly reinforcing- or at least the chasing and toy-grabbing parts of the retrieve! They may find the simple presence of a toy very exciting! And some sports include additional elements that have that intrinsic value- like swimming!
So can we help our dogs handle their instincts to chase, grab, or swim, in the context of the sports we want to teach them? Can we teach our dogs to value all parts of the game, not just the parts that they naturally favor? Can we play the games our dogs are hard-wired to enjoy while keeping their brains turned on rather than blowing up with over-arousal? Can this be done in a way that is fun for the dog AND handler?
Indeed we can, and the answer is through play-based patterns!
Play-based patterns allow us to teach rules and structure within the games our dogs are already in love with, in a way that grows the game, rather than interrupting it. In this presentation, you’ll learn how adding variations of play patterns can help your dog anticipate behaviors that are helpful to your sport, grow their understanding of the best way to keep the game flowing, and do it all by increasing the fun factor for both of you!
About the Instructor:
Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is a certified training partner for the Karen Pryor Academy, a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer, and a Licenced Family Dog Mediator in the Working division. She is also holds judging qualifications in a variety of sports. Erin breeds Labrador Retrievers with a performance focus under the Eromit kennel name and spends most of her waking hours doing dog things of some sort or another.
Erin’s journey in dog sports began as a junior handler, first in obedience and then more seriously when her family took up dog sled racing. She spent ten years as a competitive sprint racer specializing in 4 and 6 dog classes with both Labrador Retriever and Alaskan Husky sled dogs. During her university years, where she studied Biology and Animal Science, Erin fostered a variety of breeds and mixes through her local shelter- also working as an adoption counsellor and animal care attendant for 6 years. It was around that time that a friend introduced her to the sport of agility and that brought about a whole new training passion!
Just like her Labs, Erin enjoys all the sports and the variety (and challenges) that cross-training brings. She trains with a 'fun-first' philosophy for both human and canine students. In competition, Erin and her dogs have earned multiple national and regional championships, high in trial and perfect scores across various sports, and set records in dog sledding and dock diving. However, Erin is most proud of the joyous attitude her dogs are known for in the competition ring, and her ability to balance competition aspirations with her ultimate goal of creating a fulfilling life for her dogs.
Erin shares her home with her equally dog-loving husband Tim, a dozen or so wild and wonderful labradors, and Leroy the beagle. Their family also includes 2 cats, some pet pigeons, and a flock of adorable clicker-trained sheep.
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