Relaxation and Focus-work
group class
For dogs 4+ months
Does your dog struggle to focus on you around distractions? Are they more excited about everything in the world except you? This affordable reward-based clicker training class is designed to enhance and elevate your relationship with your dog so that focusing on you around distractions is easy. Learn the skills that will help you and your dog each thrive in your lives together.
6 weeks for $255
LOCATION: NOBLE WOOF CANINE EDUCATION CENTER
8502 SE STARK ST, PORTLAND, 97216
Elevated Canine Companionship
Why this class is important:
Dogs are not made for modern urban life. Many of their “features” are not appreciated anymore, and are not functional in our homes, neighborhoods, and public spaces.
Herding, hunting, foraging, guarding, retrieving, and protecting behaviors are still useful to some modern guardians, but there are few opportunities for dogs to learn how and when to do these jobs the way they traditionally learned: there are no older more experienced working dogs in the household for most puppies to watch and follow and few dogs have regular access to environments like the farms and fields where dogs traditionally worked.
What results is a dog that is inspired by their urban environment to engage in barking, chasing, nipping, lunging, guarding, digging, chewing, foraging and other “nuisance” behaviors in an uncontrolled way. Because dogs were made to do these jobs with and for their guardians, when we get frustrated with our dogs for acting this way we put our dogs in an impossible situation: they keep trying to win us over, and they just don’t know how.
Learn how to safely and joyfully let your dog be a dog.
Together you can learn how to have a conversation that works for both dog and human about what’s going on in the world around you - and how to navigate it.
This class can provide support for dogs that:
always want more
have a hard time settling around distractions
are more excited about everything in the world except you
are worried about people, dogs, or other things in the environment
are new to the home or need to build a trusting relationship with you
are working on stationing (knowing how to stay on a platform or mat)
are working on reliability of skills around distractions
UPCOMING SERIES
Spring
Thursdays at 6:00pm
May 9th - June 13th
Saturdays at 12:00pm
May 11th - June 29th
(No class May 25th or June 22nd)
How we achieve Elevated Canine Companionship:
Clear Communication
Lots of Repetition
Easy Patterns
Short Sessions
Diversifying Applications
We also use food, toys, movement, and play!
This way we make it fun, easy, and even a habit to connect with us and stay calm.
Learning goals for this class:
Learn how to understand the difference between relaxed/work-mode and relaxed/checked-out mode, and how to build both in your dog.
Learn how to understand and think about reinforcement delivery and human body language so we are supporting our training goals efficiently.
Learn how to watch, interpret, and respond to individual dogs' body language in real time during training.
Learn how to know when/how to increase or decrease the difficulty of the training challenge as well as when/how to provide breaks to build excellent skills efficiently.
Learn how to set our dogs up to experience and successfully respond to environmental changes in ways that are healthier for them and for the people around them.
Learn how to understand and support our individual dogs' learning style.
Learn how to build relationship teamwork between dog and guardian.
Skills we’ll work on:
Food delivery patterns (eg: Excavator, Nice, Pez Dispenser, Get it, Magnet)
Calm toy play
Magic mat and All Done (Get It)
Up-down (stationary)
Lured u-turn (using magnet)
Introduce choices (snuffle mat or toy or training/sniffing station)
Shaping behaviors
Practicing skills with increasing Distractions, Duration, and Distance
TAB/massage
Zig-zag sniffing
Open bar/closed bar
Really Real Relaxation Protocol
Whisper name response
Creating an environmentally cued connection or behavior
Cued relaxation
Preparation for this class:
Dogs must have their basic needs met to get the most out of this training. You do not have to have everything figured out to take this class - just use this list to consider what you can expect from your dog for now.
All dogs need quality sleep. A lot of it. If your dog is not getting enough sleep, they will not respond well to training, and will not be able to self-calm easily. Memory, focus, healing, arousal are all influenced by sleep. Below are some things that can interfere:
Allergies
Sound sensitivity
Changes in routine such as visitors or travel (even if fun)
Veterinary visits
Confinement or Separation discomfort
All dogs need mental entertainment every day. How much depends on the dog. Below are some ideas:
Sniffy walks in natural areas
Nosework games
Practicing fun training tricks
Learning new skills
Food puzzles
Toy dissection/shredding
An adult dog probably needs at least two 20 minute bouts of cardiovascular exercise daily.
Below are some ideas on how you can get your dog exercise (cardio) outside of walks:
Fetch in the backyard
Fetch up and down stairs inside
Using a flirt pole
Tug of war
Backyard/Indoor Agility
Rent a Sniffspot
Go on remote hikes
IMPORTANT POLICIES
For dogs 4+ months and older
PLEASE READ
DIARRHEA OR VOMITING: Your dpg will be asked to leave class immediately if they have diarrhea or vomiting in class. A negative fecal test result from the vet will be required to return to class.
UP TO DATE VACCINES REQUIRED.
PROTECTED FROM DISEASE: Must be on a regular vaccination schedule during class.
MONTHLY PREVENTATIVES: Must be on regular monthly flea, tick, and heart worm prevention.
ILLNESS: Do not bring your dog to class if they are vomiting or have diarrhea.