Clean Run Magazine - February 2010 - 30

though; sometimes personalities clash. If the trainer and the class are otherwise a good fit for you, then try to see how you can help the situation become even better by being a great student and setting a good example. Watching and Learning from Others During Class When you are not running a drill you should be watching and learning from the other students. If the social aspect of class overrides your ability to pay attention to the instructor, and you and your friends are often asked to be quiet, you won’t get all the benefit from your instructor’s directions and comments to others. In private training you don’t have the benefit of watching other teams work to see how other handlers might have chosen to do a sequence, which consequently exposes you to more and different handling options. Don’t waste this valuable training opportunity in your group class. proof your teeter. These are all good reasons to schedule private instruction time to address the problems. In private training you can take your training wish list to the instructor and work on each individual skill; it is impossible in a group setting to fulfill the wishes of each student each week. Classes should have a balance of skill/drill training as well as course work. If you are missing out on one or the other, you need to find a way to balance your training. What Kind of Student Are You? If you like learning the technical aspect and getting into the nitty-gritty of how and why we train a certain way, only a really great class may be a good fit for you. Class instructors do not always have time to answer every question you might have about a handling move or a training problem. Taking your detailed questions to an instructor for even a short 20-minute lesson can often clarify the questions and help you progress in your training. Distractions and Timing Some handlers don’t like the pressure of having fellow students watch them train. Certainly it can be stressful being in a fast-moving class and being unable to keep up with the group, but learning how to ignore the distractions of a large class with lots of dogs and handlers can only help you when it comes to the distractions and stress of running at a trial. Force yourself to stay organized, to jump up to help set bars, and to get you and your dog organized quickly for the next drill. Learning to memorize a drill or course in just a few minutes so the class can keep moving along is an important skill. Concentrate. If you try hard and focus on the exercise, you can train yourself to memorize sequences and courses quickly and to execute them in a number of different ways. Private training works at a pace you and the instructor set. If you need more time to learn a drill, you can take it. If you need help understanding why you should be in a certain place at a certain time, you have the luxury of discussing it in full with the instructor. Instead of driving home at the end of class feeling frustrated that you could not remember the sequences, you might leave your private instructor with a feeling of confidence in what you were able to achieve. Highly Stimulated Dogs Dogs are often much more animated in a group setting. Watching other dogs run can be exciting, and group classes are a good place to work on all the problems that can come up when your dog is in full “drive.” Proofing contacts, tables, and start lines is a great reason to attend a stimulating class each week. However, if your dog just keeps making the same errors because of that overstimulation, you might be hindering not helping your training. During class time you should work on keeping your dog’s attention with play and maybe some quiet tricks on the sidelines. Working stays and proofing contacts is one of the reasons I like to run my own dogs in the classes I teach. When I am in a quiet field by myself, my dogs rarely make mistakes. My dogs’ demeanor is slightly diminished from how high they can get during class time. But again, that can work for you or against you; it depends whether you are ever successful in gaining your dog’s attention, or getting him to play with you, or getting him to do contacts and start lines correctly.You should also not be so busy entertaining your dog that you do not participate in a productive way dur- Skill Building Classes should be about skill building. Each week’s class can progress toward helping you reach the next step in your training. If you attend an ongoing class where improving equipment skills is addressed on a weekly basis, attending each week can help you move forward in your training. If not, then taking private lessons on specific skills can supplement what you are missing in the groups. Training Focus You want to work on rear crosses; your instructor has been on a front-cross kick for months. You need the table in every drill possible, and you only use it in class once a month. You get on the contacts only briefly each class and you need to © Victor Steel photography, inc. © clean run Clean Run | February 10
Clean Run Magazine - February 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - February 2010
