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Growing Up FDSA - Free Ebook

Course Details

Precision and joy can—and should—go hand in hand. In this class, you’ll learn how to build accuracy, reliability, and focus without tension or stress. Whether your goal is obedience, rally, or another precision-based sport, we’ll explore how to create beautiful performances while maintaining your dog’s confidence, attitude, and love for the work.

Through clear structure and step-by-step progressions, you’ll discover how to introduce challenges thoughtfully, build understanding without conflict, and use reinforcement strategically to keep enthusiasm high. You’ll learn to balance technical excellence with emotional fluency—so your dog can stay engaged, confident, and joyful, even under pressure.

If you’ve ever tightened your criteria only to see your dog’s sparkle fade, or noticed that precision work seems to chip away at enthusiasm, this class will help you keep both accuracy and attitude strong. You’ll finish with a stronger partnership, a dog who loves to work, and skills that hold up beautifully in training and in the ring.

In this class, you’ll learn how to:
• Recognize and manage pressure in your training sessions
• Build precision through clarity and thoughtful reinforcement placement
• Create fluency and focus without frustration
• Help your dog handle increasing challenges with confidence
• Maintain joy and engagement while polishing performance
• Transition from training to ring-ready reliability

This class is for you if you want a dog who performs accurately while staying happy, confident, and fully engaged. It’s perfect for obedience, rally, or sport dog teams ready to refine behaviors, strengthen attitude, and deepen connection—all while keeping that joyful spark alive.

Syllabus

View Full Syllabus

Week 1: Building Clarity and Predictability
Lecture 1.1 – Precision and Joy: Setting the Stage
Lecture 1.2 – Designing Training Sessions Your Dog Can Win
Lecture 1.3 – Clean Training: Markers, Timing, and Reinforcement Clarity
Lecture 1.4 – Handling Mistakes Without Adding Pressure

Week 2: Raising Criteria Without Raising Tension
Lecture 2.1 – What Is Fluency, Really?
Lecture 2.2 – The 3 D’s: Controlling Difficulty Intentionally
Lecture 2.3 – Increase Criteria = Decrease Difficulty
Lecture 2.4 – Watching for Subtle Enthusiasm Drops

Week 3: Teaching Cues to Stand Alone
Lecture 3.1 – Generalization: Why It Falls Apart Outside Your House
Lecture 3.2 – Breaking Context and Treat Dependence
Lecture 3.3 – Introducing Distractions Thoughtfully
Lecture 3.4 – Splitting vs. Strengthening: Diagnosing Breakdowns

Week 4: Understanding and Reducing Pressure
Lecture 4.1 – What Pressure Looks Like in Performance Dogs
Lecture 4.2 – Spatial Pressure: Walls, Gates, and Corners
Lecture 4.3 – Handler Body Awareness and Accidental Pressure
Lecture 4.4 – Rebuilding Confidence with Smart Setups and Targets

Week 5: Reinforcement That Builds Independence
Lecture 5.1 – Reducing Reinforcement Without Losing Sparkle
Lecture 5.2 – Separating the Behavior from the Food
Lecture 5.3 – Delayed and Remote Reinforcement for Ring Readiness
Lecture 5.4 – Chaining Fluent Behaviors Without Creating Pressure

Week 6: Ring Integration and Performance Confidence
Lecture 6.1 – Preparing Your Dog Before You Ask for Precision
Lecture 6.2 – Ring Simulation and Ring-Specific Pressure Points
Lecture 6.3 – Using Fun Runs as Training Opportunities
Lecture 6.4 – Mental Prep, Video Analysis, and Filling in the Holes

Prerequisites and Equipment

Sample Lecture

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Testimonials & Reviews

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New class.

Registration

Next session starts: April 1, 2026
Registration starts: March 22, 2026
Registration ends: April 15, 2026

Registration opens at 11:30am Pacific Time.

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