Why Focus First? – because FOCUS must happen before engagement and learning can take place! This is where learning begins- a progressive series of exercises, games and techniques that are the foundational skills to building focus and relationship with emphasis on positive conditioned response throughout.

The goal of this program is to introduce foundations for building focus and engagement to facilitate and enhance learning and relationship. These are steps to better training and fulfilling experience for dog and handler!

Topics covered:

• Food Drive- strategic use of food in training
• Setting up Focus training sessions-a beginning and an end.
• Acclimation is everything! A systematic process that sets the tone for everything that follows.
• Teaching Focus as the gateway to engagement, relationship and learning
• Being fair to your dog with clean mechanics and clarity in training- does your dog understand you?
• Magic Markers-how multiple markers can change your training!
• Focus Games and Exercises to build offered focus with duration and beginning engagement training.
• The “off switch” and end of session cues.
• Generalization

*Email Char for info on private lessons, classes or workshop: dogsontheball@gmail.com