Course Details
Create a dog who chooses to stay connected.
Connection isn't something some dogs are born with and others aren't. It's a skill that can be built.
Many dogs happily work for treats, but staying connected between repetitions is a completely different challenge. They take the cookie and immediately look away. They disconnect to sniff the ground, scan the environment, or wait for you to ask for the next behavior. When distractions increase, that lack of connection becomes even more obvious, making training feel frustrating and inconsistent.
In this seven-day workshop, you'll learn simple games that teach your dog that staying engaged with you is always part of the game. Rather than constantly asking for attention, you'll begin creating a dog who naturally chooses to reconnect, stay present, and look to you for information, even when exciting things are happening around them.
These skills aren't just valuable for dog sports. They make everyday training easier, improve communication, and create a dog who genuinely enjoys working with you wherever you go.
During this workshop you'll learn how to:
- Use "Where's Your Brain?" to determine whether your dog is truly ready to learn.
- Build engagement before asking for work.
- Teach your dog to reorient to you after reinforcement instead of disconnecting.
- Create clean training loops that make learning faster and easier for both you and your dog.
- Break distractions into manageable pieces while building reliable focus.
- Keep your dog happily occupied when you need them to disengage from training.
- Teach "Ready!" as a cue that predicts sustained engagement and attention.
This workshop is a great fit if:
- Your dog seems more interested in the environment than working with you.
- Your dog takes reinforcement and immediately disconnects.
- You constantly find yourself reminding your dog to pay attention.
- Your dog struggles to stay engaged once distractions appear.
- You want a dog who chooses to work with you instead of simply responding to cues.
- You compete in dog sports and want stronger engagement between exercises.
- You simply want a stronger relationship and better communication with your dog.
By the end of the week, you'll have a collection of practical games you can use almost anywhere to build engagement, strengthen your communication, and create a dog who actively chooses to stay connected with you. Whether your goal is everyday life, dog sports, or simply enjoying training together a little more, these skills become the foundation for everything else you teach.
This workshop previously ran under a different course number. Please check your Class and Workshop Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
Watch the Trailer:
Lecture Publish Date: Sunday August 9th
Video Submissions Due Date: Sunday August 16th @ 12pm noon PT
Feedback & Questions Video Publish Date: Wednesday August 19th
Instructor: Nicole Wiebusch Nicole Wiebusch CPDT-KA (she/her) has been active in dog sports for over 25 years. What began with 4-H quickly grew into a lifelong passion for dog sports. (Click here for full bio and to view Nicole's upcoming courses)
