Welcome to Day 3 of the FAD Mini-Workshop!

On Day 3, we take a look at the distractions our dogs get most amped up about and how we can set up training sessions in the environments where are dogs can be most successful then slowly building up to more distracting environments.

U-Turns

U-turns are important no just to teach proper heeling/loose leash walking and to avoid unwanted things, dogs, cats, strangers, or even shopping carts in stores. The basic idea is to turn quickly with your dog, in either direction.A to B/ U-Turns Games

• The game is simple, with the lead in both hands, slide the hand closest to the dog down the leash, close to the dog.

• As you turn, call your dog toward you.

• This should be done in both directions and on both sides of the dog.

Again, start in. Low distraction environment and gradually add distractions.

Enjoy this quick video of U-Turns

Pace Games - Quick, Quick, Stop!

When your dog is slightly distracted by something in the environment, changing your pace can be an awesome way to get them re-focus on you.

• Since most dogs like to move faster then we do, I tend to make the first pace change a bit more rapid then our typical walking pace.  I use the double cue, Quick, Quick, to build some excitement and encourage Azul to change pace to keep up with me.  This cue also works well if we need to cross a road or move more quickly to avoid an obstacle or distraction.

• The second pace change I add in is a rapid Stop!  I like this one because if my dog is not focused, they get gentle encouragement to help them be successful.  I will place my hand gently on Azul's back a second before I cue the Stop, then if he doesn't stop he can feel the hand drag slowly down his back. Then after a bit a practice they learn to focus more intently during the Quick pace knowing that I could quickly Stop at any moment.

• Once your dog has those 2 pace changes down, you can get creative with other changes.  Some of my favorites are Slow Mo mode, left/right turns, a brief wait at an intersection or when something is crossing our path then right back into the previous pace, and so forth.

An Example of Quick Quick Stop

Wrap Up of Day 3

We hope you enjoyed the games and information presented today! It's important to remember that while we can not control all the distractions in our environment, we can control the environments we put our dogs in. Start small with less distracting environments and slowly build up to more distracting environments after you've had a chance to build up a history of playing the games in this workshop.