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If you participate in a canine sport, you and your dog work together as a team. You have been propelled through many long practice days by the idea that “practice makes perfect.”
That idea is not wholly true. First, the original phrase is actually “practice makes mastery,” far more accurate and less daunting but—I admit—lacking alliterative appeal. The distinction between mastery and perfection is important, especially for those who see improvement as a lifelong process and the goal of perfection as a deterrence to trying.
Second, the phrase has a cautionary twin: “practice makes permanent.” The takeaway is implicit; practice can make perfect, but only if you know the right things to practice (the right stuff). And the right stuff is exactly what you will get at ClickerExpo 2017 in Billund, Denmark.
Let me suggest three courses for you and your dog. I chose these three because their insights, programs, and practices apply to dog/handler teams no matter your sport of choice: agility, obedience, rally, freestyle, and more. And these courses are all brand-new for ClickerExpo 2017!
The Fab Five: Concepts that Will Make Your Training Rock!
Can you see the skill similarities between heel-work and weave-pole exercises? Not obvious is it? Most of us have trouble seeing the essential threads—skills and practices—that are not only common across sports, but essential to get right. Enter Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh. They will focus your time and energy on five concepts that form the nucleus of a training program for almost any form of canine competition. Join in. It will be fab!
Competition Obedience: Winning is FUNdamental
Are you in it to win it or to have fun? Why not both? In fact, the way Catja Pederson teaches, the only way to win is to build fun into the training program for you and your dog. Obedience is often a big part of many competition programs. It tends to be the boring part, as many of the other exercises feel more fun and exciting. But, imagine if you could make competing in obedience as much fun as everything else? You can! Using all of your clicker training tools, both you and your dog will come to love obedience—and look like a perfect match in the ring. Nothing beats the feeling of working obedience with a dog that really shows his happiness! Join Catja in this Session, because winning is just FUNdamental.
Taking Platform Training to New Heights
Michele Pouliot pioneered and expanded the use of platforms in competition training. Platforms are powerful training aids that increase the effectiveness of your team training time. Michele would know; she has been the top-rated freestyler in the US multiple times. In fact, she has scored perfect 10s from judges multiple times. This new course for trainers with advanced skills includes both training demonstrations and direct work with dog/handler teams. Take your training to new heights!
Make every practice really count. Join us this fall at ClickerExpo 2017 in Billund, Denmark.
