Suggestions for an excellent training routine

Just a suggestion, but incorporate the "Left, Right, Sit your Dog" (always done on your leather leash) along with your Longe Line workouts. Once your dog shows you it has "signed up for the training" by sticking to your left side during a Longe Line training session, switch out from the Longe Line to your 6' leather leash. STAND on your leather leash as you take the time to roll up your Longe Line correctly and clip it out of the way on your belt loop closest to your spine.

Then, say "Fido, Heel" and as you command ..."Heel" is when you begin to move forward. Heel until your dog begins to forge ahead of you and out of heel position then utilize the new Right About Training Turn (which you learned in class) and do a couple of those turns until your dog decides that sticking by your left side in the "safety zone" is the intelligent decision. Then begin to move forward again with a "Fido, Heel" and practice a few halts (you will learn the mechanics for doing a correct halt this next week in class). Do however many "Left, Right, Sit your Dog" exercises you have decided to do, then command, "Fido, Heel" and start heeling again.

Repeat the process above, but mix it up. The more random you are, the more your dog has to focus on you instead of the world. So be random in when you choose to do a Right About Training Turn or decide to stop (when there are terrific distractions) and/or do more "Left, Right, Sit your Dog" exercises. FYI....this above sequence training is less than 30 minutes TOTAL time.

When done correctly your dog will be what we call "mental toast" because your dog has been required to think, focus on you attentively and seek to figure out what you are going to do next.   Head home using the leather leash (do whatever you training needs to be done).  Just before you get home, in a safe location, switch to the Longe Line and stroll home. If you've done your homework correctly, your dog will be more than willing to just follow quietly beside you as all it wants is to go home and rest.

This is what we call "cool down time" as your dog is thinking and meditating on the lessons it just learned. Do a Long Down on a bench outside (if the weather is nice enough) or go home and do a Long Down or kennel your dog for 30 minutes. They will be very grateful to just give it up and lay down beside you. This is a critical processing "quiet time" for your dog to take the lessons just learned and begin to store them in their long term memory.

Doing the LL (Longe Line) workouts, then switching to your leash, then heeling including Right About Training Turns and Sits, then LL home, then ending with 30 minute Long Down sequence is a great training practice. Your dog will be mentally tired and that is what you want to happen. A mentally tired dog is tired dog and a tired dog is one ready to quietly relax at home which makes for very happy owners:)

Rain today? If so, nothing is better than working your dog in the rain as it is cool today and NOT so brutally humid:)

Roxanne

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