News June 2009

We have been busy lining up an exciting Autumn schedule. Some great new workshops and guest speakers.

Our training field is in full use enjoying these light evenings. Agility is field based on Wednesday evenings, and alternate Sunday mornings is Helen’s gundog group.

The Quinks are now rising 6 months just on the brink of puberty, so challenging times are ahead. Enjoying party time at 5 months:

Joyce & Midge, Terry & Zoe (Chalky), My Time, Linda & Jazz, Caroline & Titian (Redtop)

more puppy pics

Clicker Trainers Courses

We have reformatted these courses allowing you to focus on the skills you choose. We have two introduction days to get you started and then you can attend any one of the four Clicker Skills workshops on: Reinforcement, Target training, Micro shaping or On Cue. You can choose the ones you enjoy or choose the ones you know you need to improve on, and come as many times as you like. There will always be people with different skills on each workshop, you work at your pace and the pace that suits your dog.

Taking the CAP Certificate will be at your own time on one of the Assessment days. The Clicker Trainer’s week will cover all four of these workshops, and the Clicker Skills weekend give you as taste for each of them.

Next Multi Sports Day: Sep 13

Wag More Clicker Challenge

At the end of the year we will organise a fantastic Clicker Challenge. Nov 29th - Open to all Wag More trainers. You come along to be challenged to train your dog is a mix of crazy demonstrations of your skills.  We shall also hold a “The Dog’s Got Talent” competition. Get the date in your diary as this is not to be missed.

Kay

Autumn Diary

New Workshops:

Learning About Border Collies Oct 25

with Kay Laurence

Many sports enthusiasts are choosing the multi-talented collie, or sheepdog, to partner them in a variety of activities. From Agility to Freestyle, from Obedience to Tracking, the collies will do their best to enjoy and fully participate in the training and competition.

We employ their inherited talents; such as supreme concentration, athleticism, mental and physical stamina and enthusiasm to learn and tailor these skills to our sport's requirements. In the same package other talents can interfere with the very skills we are trying to develop, such as over arousal, response to uncontrolled activity, using prey behaviours.

This workshop focusses on teaching you about the "whole package" and learning to use ALL their talents to create a balanced partner. A critical part of developing a healthy collie is to teach relaxation and find the "off" switch.

Micro shaping workshop Sep 5

with Kay Laurence

We are currently running the virtual class in Micro Shaping with multi species trainers pushing the boundaries of our understanding. We are constructing an entry for the Wikipedia - at last putting Micro Shaping onto the map of clicker training. This has inspired me to run a day workshop focussing on all day shaping ... joy!

Micro shaping is the highly developed shaping that allows for precise and accurate communication that results in precise and accurate behaviours. The dog’s reinforcement rate is of first importance, where the criteria are set at the minimum needed to ensure 95-100 success. We aim for a repetition of 20-30 successful behaviour in 60 seconds. This builds super confident and highly skilled learners.

This workshop explores how to develop your skills and still keep your learner motivated through success and clear understanding. It opens the way to shape complex actions without frustration.

Catherine O’Driscoll

Holistic Canine Healthcare: 19 Sep

A one-day workshop that provides all the information on creating and maintaining good health in your dogs.

Energy Healing Workshop: 20 Sep

Helping yourself and your human and animal loved-ones to resolve physical and emotional issues. A one-day workshop that teaches the Emotional Freedom Technique healing system.

Each workshop: £55 or £100 if booking both days. more details & booking

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Developing Youngsters for Sport:

weekend 18/19 Jul, Oct 31 & Nov1

All our dogs are pets first and sports dog second. But there is a different program to develop a youngster that you want to share your hobbies with. Advancements in training have produced dogs with multi-careers in freestyle, HTM, obedience, agility etc, but all need the foundation skills of focus, connection & reliability. There needs to be a plan of exercises to strengthen performance behaviours and skills. Trainers need to understand a range of reinforcement tools and patterns; build mental and physical stamina, and prepare the dog for competition.

Play Workshops:

9 Aug, 3 Oct

“Play together learn together.” Dogs are extremely good “players”, people need to learn how to become play mates. All games needs rules to save one or the other player from injury, over arousal, and games need imagination, need to be motivating for both players and incorporate a balance of success and challenge. Learn games with sausages, games with toys, tugs, footie, fetch and whippits. Learn to use play as an effective reinforcer.

Introducing Clicker Gundog

11 Jul

We have a very satisfying and increasing demand for gundog training with clicker strategies. Helen has added this workshop to introduce folk interested in training their gundogs for led activities and gundog folk wanting to learn why clicker training is so effective in this area.

Being Reinforcement effective:

25 Jul

Inspired by my new book and your feedback, this workshop will look at how you use your reinforcers. There are many techniques to make a thumbnail of chicken SO reinforcing that you’ll never see chicken in the same light again. Equally if your dog spends 12 hours a night dreaming of chicken, we can reduce the arousing anticipation so that you can effect some cognitive exercise.

Your reinforcer is your most effective distraction. It has so many legs and so many uses, we just new to see “with new eyes”.

Clicker Skills Weekends:

15/16 Aug, 10/11 Oct

I know how much your love your Wagmore Weekends. The Clicker Skills weekend will look at the bits your really enjoy and guarantee some very happy dogs by Sunday evening. We stretch their brains, mostly mash yours into a pulp, but inspire and motivate your enthusiasm back into shape. But isn’t that what learning is about?

 more details

Wag more Save More

Next time you are at the Barn collect your reward card and after coming to 10 workshops or training days, you get one free! Please remember to collect your card and get it stamped regularly.

Shopping Pleasures

I’ve managed to whip the online shopping cart into order and we can now accept deposit payments for the Courses and Holidays. A little ease on the purse and a good feeling to look forward to your favourite dog activities next year. These are non-refundable deposits with the outstanding amount payable 30 days before the start, but we will send you a reminder.

Successful Virtual Courses:

We have already completed three very successful virtual classes, with regular attendees enjoying their remote learning. There is some extremely high quality participation and training happening in the current Micro shaping course, and I think there is a danger of this learning format becoming highly addictive.

I am planning the Winter schedule of courses and will include some 1 day seminars. I appreciate that some poor folk don’t get to train much over the Winter months. I may venture to the freezing Barn when desperate but I don’t have to tolerate some of the extremes I know many of you suffer. So reserve a bit of house space for this Winter and boost your training with the V-Classes. Ideas welcome, but left to my own devices I guarantee you won’t have a quiet season.

Creating the Dream 1
Starting Jun 26th 2009

for Freestyle, Heelwork to Music and Dressage

Developing young dogs for careers in competition or performance. Suitable for new handlers or young dogs (from 16 weeks) with experienced handlers. Clicker training experience needed.

You can begin with your new dog, refresh you older dog, or simply re-examine how you have taught the behaviours. I demand an open mind, and will fill you with enthusiasm to develop your skills, creativity, understanding. This unit lays down the foundations for precisely, and accurately performed routines, with reliability and confidence in the future.

Teaching Modifier Cues
Starting July 3rd 2009

Modifier cues are the “adverbs” we use to describe more specific functions of the behaviour. Instead of “paw”, a modifier of “left” would indicate more information. “Left” can then be used to modify a variety of other activities - fetch the “left” toy, turn to your “left” etc. We can modify higher or lower, faster or slower.

4 book a place

Reviews of Virtual Classes

Our first course, Targets has now finished, but I suspect the participants will still be learning together at Christmas 2009! The reviews are really inspiring, where the learning is top quality in the reflection department and LOTS of change in behaviour - just what learning should be. If you like to read more ....

4 more details on Virtual Classes

Evening Classes

These are in full swing. I’m afraid all that ice and freezing nights has not improved the driveway, but plans for a Spring revamp are promised.

Classes are now moving outdoors, with the lovely lighter evenings. All the agility equipment has found its way to the field

Evening Classes:

Monday:
7 - 9pm. K9 Multi Sports* with Helen Phillips

Tuesday:
6.30 - 7.30pm Puppies* with Sarah Harrison
7.30 - 8.30pm Junior*

Wednesday:
6.30-7.30 Introducing Wag Agility* with Kay Laurence
7.30-9pm Wag-Agility Class*

Thursday:
7pm - 9pm Click n Wag* with Kay Laurence

* drop in class, pay per evening.

We are dog people, providing teaching, training and education in many formats.
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From puppy class to advanced workshops with all varieties of dog training in between.
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We offer a rich curriculum through classes, workshops, seminars and courses.
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We produce books and DVDs devoted to dog training.
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We shop for the very best stuff your dog can enjoy - toys, games, leads, gear, jumps, jackets AND we only recommend stuff we use ourselves.
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We are qualified in teaching and training. Run courses for other trainers and instructors. We  teach our Wag More methods across the world.
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We lead the way in innovative and effective teaching for all types of dogs learning all types of skills.
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