Dog Obedience Training Lecture Notes

Key Concepts

• Obedience exercises should not be categorized by novice, open, and utility.
• Consider obedience as five core subjects, similar to school subjects.

Five Core Subjects of Dog Obedience

1. Stationary Skills
2. Recall Skills
3. Healing Skills
4. Jumping Skills
5. Retrieving Skills

Teaching Strategy

• Always work on exercises in each of the five core subjects.
• Use a structured chart to guide the order of teaching exercises.

Jumping Skills

• First Exercise: Directed Jumping
  • Objective: Make the dog comfortable and enjoy jumping.

Retrieving Skills

• First Exercise: Retrieve on the Flat
  • Objective: Develop a reliable retriever.
• Advanced Exercise: Retrieve over the High Jump
  • Easier if the dog is experienced in both directed jumping and retrieving on the flat.
  • Challenges for dogs with limited jumping experience or retrieving commitment.
  • Importance of distinguishing between jumping discomfort and retrieving misunderstanding.

Concurrent Training

• Draw vertical lines through the exercise chart to determine skills that can be trained simultaneously.
  • Example: While working on recall, also train directed jumping and retrieve on the flat.

Skill Mastery and Time Commitment

• Healing:
  • Ongoing training throughout the dog's career.
• Moving Stand:
  • Taught later, requires prerequisite skills, takes less time.

Action Points

• Assess the dog's current knowledge in each skill set.
• Plan the training path based on both dog's current skills and the structured chart guidance.