newadventuresinheeling

[newadventuresinheeling]

Sun Mar 13 2022

Today has taken a different turn that I originally expected. We had a gloppy mess snow/sleet storm that flash froze the driveway yesterday as I was returning from Aedan’s class yesterday – I left before Finch’s class since the weather was rapidly getting hazardous. I have applied rocksalt to the driveway and am awaiting the possibility of being able to scrape dog the driveway, however in anticipation of everything being delayed due to ice, I cancelled tonight’s rental.

I did pick up a few hundred pounds of raw dog food since today was the delivery day, and this is sitting in the Xterra at the bottom of the driveway. Hopefully I will be able to get it up the driveway and put away before it starts to melt.

Anyway, while that is happening I am reviewing a few things in my heeling training courses and watching an Andrea Harrison seminar.

Dream

Think

Believe

Plan

Do

Review

Are some of the core tenants that I am reminded of. Will the steps I take today lead me to the things I am working for tomorrow? Yes, I believe they are.

I am also reminded that heeling is made up of chains far more intricate and smaller than I was initially taught back in the 80s. I was surprised last week that a training partner had never considered having someone open/close a door while her dog was doing Go Outs or articles. I consider this an integral part of training my dogs and have a wealth of gratitude for all of my current and former mentors/instructors for teaching me these parts of preparing my dogs for the rings. I look forward to having the things I am currently exploring and learning (rewiring my mindset if you will) becoming just as ingrained.

Tools

Experiment

Fail

Learn

Repeat

Interestingly, the feedback for this past week’s online Engagement class was basically ‘Needs more work’ LOL. Kind of made me happy I am not submitting videos but I do wish more detailed feedback was available for me to review … hopefully tomorrow although free time might be an issue.

One set of my in person classes may be shifting away from Saturdays for a month or so, I should know more in a week or 2. Weekday evenings or possibly Sunday evenings, I do hope it will be during the workweek rather than on Sundays, since I have planned rentals most Sundays.

[newadventuresinheeling]

The start of my new adventure

There are several friends and fellow obedience enthusiasts that I see whose teamwork leaves me almost breathless in admiration. The teamwork, silent communication and absolute joy they display in the ring inspires me to ‘be more like them’.

I love my dogs and long ago decided force based training was not for me, and have been expanding my training tool-set. But still, some teams truly show a level of skill and just beauty that I continue to search for ways to improve.

Several of my dogs have taken me to higher levels of understanding and levels of expertise, but still I have so much to learn.

One person whose teamwork with her dogs I greatly admire, Lara, posted about an online course by Alex Robinson. The class was in a silent audit mode since the course had run to completion, but I gladly signed up and my eyes are opening to how these teams build and train. But still, there are gaps in how the coursework is moving and my particular learning style -- I like to see the beginning, the ending and the connecting pieces since that is how I work professionally and a computer software system developer and designer.

I have truly learned so much already, I am really just starting his approach but wanted more information.  I noticed Alex mentioned his mentor Kamal Fernandez. I googled for Kamal Fernandez’s  online course area and signed up for 2 sets of classes (Foundations and Heelwork); I do believe this will start putting the pieces together for me. The theory of his methods and steps are explained in a really detailed way I can readily understand and kind of visualize as a combination of Flowcharting & Decision trees, a roadmap if you will. Between Alex and Kamal, the approach truly appeals to me.

How to fit those pieces together and just as important, when to fit everything together. I think Wren will do well -- Brady, Aedan and Finch will surely benefit but they are so far along in their training it will not have as much of an impact.

I am excited!! Kamal explains things very well and Alex adds on with his expertise on how & why dogs from strong working lines may not do best with pure shaping but may benefit from being shown. Between the 2 courses, and of course FDSA, I think the approach will do me and all my dogs well.

I will of course continue with my FDSA courses as well as my in person classes, but I truly feel the addition of these 2 resources will really help me evolve my training and help not only my current dogs, but all future dogs as well.