by Denise Fenzi | Jul 12, 2018 | Brito, Generic training advice, Lyra, Raika
I am not a dog “behavior” trainer; I train dogs for competition dog sports, and I limit my behavior training to within that realm. For example, dogs that stress up, stress down, uncomfortable with the stand for exam, etc; that’s my territory. House...
by Denise Fenzi | Jul 5, 2018 | Brito, Generic training advice
I love precision heeling. I love seeing a dog heel with a perfectly parallel body, not moving out of position even an inch, pulling up on the left turns and powering through to the right. I also love heeling games! I love how they add energy, flow, and confidence to...
by Denise Fenzi | Jul 2, 2018 | Brito, Generic training advice
Heeling games are things that we do to increase our dog’s drive and enthusiasm for heeling. Dogs can learn heeling games even if they have no heeling at all; indeed, probably the best time to teach heeling games is roughly when you are teaching precision...
by Denise Fenzi | May 2, 2018 | Brito
Today I wanted to see what I had with Brito’s heeling. Here’s an unedited video: After you teach the pieces of lovely heeling, You have to string them together. At that point, I use my choice of reinforcement (food or toys) and the positioning of those...
by Denise Fenzi | Apr 14, 2018 | Brito, facebook live
If you’d like to learn more about the topic of Cue Discrimination and Getting off Props, take a look:
by Denise Fenzi | Feb 16, 2018 | Brito
For the new AKC Cue Discrimination Exercise, your goal will be to teach your dog to listen to a specific position cue like sit, down or stand without creeping towards you. How might you accomplish that? First I would suggest separating out the challenges. 1, Listening...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 14, 2017 | Brito
Even a relative beginner to dog training can start creating behavior chains and there are some real advantages to doing so early in your training career. Chains are endlessly more interesting to dogs than single behaviors. As a rule, single behaviors rely on external...
by Denise Fenzi | Jan 4, 2016 | Brito
I wrote the following blog when Brito had been in my home for about two weeks. It’s always fun to look back, so…here’s Brito when he was about five months of age: Here is an eleven minute training session of Brito from this morning. You can see a...
by Denise Fenzi | Jul 16, 2014 | Brito
I frequently talk about the importance of scaling back on duration without compromising criteria when you are training in environments that are challenging for your dog.For example, I have suggested that if your young, distractible, or novice dog is not ready to heel...
by Denise Fenzi | Jun 28, 2014 | Brito
In the Utility class of obedience, your dog must be able to follow a direction of travel for both the directed jumping and the directed retrieve exercises. Taking a line of travel as directed by the handler is a basic foundation skill, and can be taught completely...
by Denise Fenzi | May 27, 2014 | Brito
Heeling is the foundation of obedience. Fortunately I love heeling, so I’m very motivated to find ways to make it beautiful, accurate and engaging for me and my dog. I also enjoy teaching heeling to other handlers, probably more than any other obedience skill....
by Denise Fenzi | May 15, 2014 | Brito
Brito has been here about six months now; he’s barely a puppy anymore! While working on some class materials I found a video that I took of Brito the first week that he was here. I used portions of this video to introduce him to the world but I picked...
by Denise Fenzi | Mar 25, 2014 | Brito
Here are some steps that I am taking with Brito to train a retrieve over high jump; maybe this can help you get started too. I have not yet introduced the stay before the send. I also did not bother with the dumbbell hold in front. If I were ready to add in the...
by Denise Fenzi | Mar 11, 2014 | Brito
This video shows the steps I’m using with Brito to teach a retrieve with a “front.” I teach the ‘hold’ at the end of my shaped retrieve training rather than at the beginning. I do this mostly because the dogs enjoy it more, progress...
by Denise Fenzi | Feb 24, 2014 | Brito
I’ve gloated enough about the book; now back to our regularly scheduled programming! Brito is learning to “mark” which means, “look straight ahead”. I use this cue for the go-out portion of directed jumping for Utility. I also used it...
by Denise Fenzi | Feb 5, 2014 | Brito
Here are two videos that I took today; both are unedited. Good stuff happens! Questionable stuff happens! And it’s all just fine; I’ve got a happy baby dog who is learning and trying hard to work in public. But he’s still a baby – just about...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 29, 2013 | Brito
Go ahead and admit it; you’ve never seen such a cute little dog in your entire life:). Here we are working on some heeling, fronts, and the very beginnings of sit in heel position. He is just beginning to hand me the metal scent article; separately he has...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 22, 2013 | Brito, Lyra
This blog isn’t about teaching scent discrimination. There are plenty of ways to teach scent work that are kind and effective; pick one or blend a few and find a plan that works for you. Here is how I taught Lyra if you want some...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 19, 2013 | Brito
I took Brito to his weekly ring prep class today. A miracle happened. For two minutes and fifty three seconds, he stayed in the ring with me and focused on his job. He did not run off to visit dogs outside of the ring. He did not leave work to look for a promising...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 4, 2013 | Brito
The past few weeks I concentrated on a few things with Brito: Play with toys. That is coming along pretty well. Less good outside but hey, he’s a baby. Play with me. That also suffers outside, but still…we’ll get there. Retrieve. Super! Good boy...
by Denise Fenzi | Nov 26, 2013 | Brito
Brito is learning to “find” fronts – first on his own and then with a dumbbell. He’s wearing a leash to prevent him from running off to pee on the bushes. He is very fond of peeing on things lately. Note that I no longer click for retrieving...
by Denise Fenzi | Nov 20, 2013 | Brito
I had intended to record every few sessions of Brito’s retrieve so that someone might be able to follow along and possibly progress with their own dog. Unfortunately, Brito did what many dogs do…he just figured it out and skipped some of the intermediate...
by Denise Fenzi | Nov 17, 2013 | Brito
Ring prep class is what I call the process of acclimating a dog to the competition ring. From my perspective, this can never start too early. Here is a video of Brito’s very first ring preparation training day. He really doesn’t have to “do”...
by Denise Fenzi | Nov 12, 2013 | Brito
I have introduced Brito to a few more retrieve concepts. I’m now (gently!) pushing him away before starting the retrieve – this encourages Brito to move in a forward direction after he puts his mouth on the bar. If you don’t do this step, many dogs...
by Denise Fenzi | Nov 5, 2013 | Brito
I’m working on Brito’s retrieve. Until now, criteria has included interacting with the dumbbell without stepping on it (I extinguished that), any nose or mouth touching, front teeth, front teeth and nibbling, and slightly more than front teeth. Most of the...