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PLAY AND MOTIVATION
FOR DOG SPORTS AND TRAINING
Why do we play with our dogs? There are many answers to this question – but which do you think is the most important? Take a look at the following list and decide what your priorities might be:
Is it to enhance your relationship with your dog?
Because you enjoy it?
Because the dog enjoys it?
It makes training fun?
To get focus and attention?
To provide an outlet for natural drives or boost confidence?
If any, or, all of these reasons to play, apply to you – you are on the right track!
Play is an amazing relationship builder; it can bring your partnership to a whole new level. It’s fun for both dog and handler, and gives the dog an outlet for his energy and his natural drives. It brings focus and, if done well, it’s a great confidence builder.
However, the main reason why I play with my dogs is to create a high value motivator which will allow me reinforce the behaviours that I want to encourage both, on dog sport field and in every day life scenarios.
With this in mind, I have created a play formula which gives me the means to use play as a high value reinforcer in training. It is effective because it meets all the essential criteria:
It’s interactive
It's fun
It builds motivation
It develops engagement
It sharpens focus
It boosts confidence
It enhances relationships
... but most important of all, it can be used in TRAINING as a high value REWARD.
To achieve this goal, we must ensure that two vital ingredients are in place:
The dog has to value interactive play.
The play must have a structure, and involve some rules, without compromising its value!
And this is a place where we have to become GOOD playing partners to our dogs.
What you will learn:
Why the play event needs structure?
Can we just play?
Key components of play event (Desire, Retrieve, Release) and why those are essential for success.
Strategies for developing each component.
Creating activity in your dog towards the passive toy/handler- key factor of creating focus and engagement on training field.
Confidence building techniques.
How to apply play in you training effectively.
Impulse control strategies aka how to harness a drive and arusal.
Troubleshooting.
Workshop also involves strategies on building work ethic in our dogs as well as building motivation for other types of reinforcement eg. Food and social rewards and combining it in Reward Event.
There is whole day and half day option of this workshop.
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