CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

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Agility

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Foundation Basics - Open to all dogs and puppies 12 weeks and up with some to no training experience.  This class is a prerequisite for all Bratty Paws Dog Plex Agility classes with no prior experience.  This class teaches your dog how to learn and problem solve with positive reinforcement based techniques that build confidence and understanding.  This class teaches the student how to achieve desired behaviors with high level reinforcements using different types of food and toys.  No correction based training is allowed.   Some of the life skills and agility foundation basics that are taught in the Foundation 1 class are: Clicker training and timing mechanics to teach dogs how to learn quickly with confidence, Focus, Name Recognition, Loose Leash Walking, Sit, Down, Stand, Left, Right, Free Shaping, Fit Paws, Body Awareness, Balance work, Stretching, Targeting (front and rear feet), Circle Work, Flat Work, Front Cross, Rear Cross, Cavaletti's, Ladder work, toy reward and play.  Restrained Recalls, crate training and more.  This class runs for 6 weeks and meets for 1 hour a week.  This class can be taken as many times as needed and is also appropriate for older dogs that need to refresh their foundation or that are lacking foundation skills.  Instructor approval required for Foundation 2.

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Foundation 2 - (Prerequisite Foundation Basics) - Foundation 2 Agility is the second class in the Bratty Paws Dog Plex Agility Curriculum.  This class can be taken multiple times to ensure complete understanding for both dog and handler.  All foundation 1 skills will be reviewed and higher criteria and proofing will be applied to the Foundation 1 skills.  New skills added in the Foundation 2 class will be as follows:  Single Jump work, plank work and balance work on the planks.  Introduction to straight tunnels, long and panel jumps, collection and extension cues, static cues and verbal cues.  Weave pole entry work and 2 on 2 off end of plank behaviors.  Table obstacle introduced.  Up plank work from around the clock approaches and advanced targeting.  Nose and hand touch targeting. This class runs for 6 weeks and meets for 1 hour per week.  Class should be taken several times to ensure all behaviors meet instructor approval to move on.

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Performance Puppy - (Prior agility competition experience is a prerequisite.) This class is for any experienced agility handler with a new puppy that wants to focus on the early preparation for competition level agility. This class will cover all the basics that are currently in our foundation basics level class but with higher criteria with more games, body awareness and play drive for higher level learning.

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Front Cross / Rear Cross Skills - Whether your dog is competing in a performance sport or is just a family member, canine conditioning has many benefits. Strength, balance, flexibility and body awareness are the focus of this class. You will develop an understanding of proper form, technique, and progression of exercises with various FitPaws equipment.

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AKC Novice Skills - (Prerequisite, Foundation 2 and proficient on ALL equipment) This class will focus on skills seen on Novice courses. Including Front Crosses, Rear crosses, start lines.

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AKC Open/Excellent Skills - (Prerequisite, Competing in Open/Excellent level or about to compete at this level) This class will cover the skills needed to be successful in the Open and Excellent levels of AKC Agility. 

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Intro to Agility - This class is open to any dog or puppy with no agility or training experience. The purpose of this 1/2 session class is to be introduced to the sport of agility and some of it’s obstacles. This class also gives an opportunity to see if agility is an activity that would be fun for both dog and handler. This class is not a substitute for foundation basics and is the next class in the Bratty Paws agility curriculum.
 

Handling Basics - (Prerequisites are Foundation Basics, Foundation 2, Foundation 2 Contacts and weaves, Foundation 2 Jumps and tunnels.) this is a novice level class that will focus on front, rear and blind crosses, straight lines and rotations. This class is for a dog/handling that has gone through the foundation level classes and needs more help on correct mechanics when it comes to handling. This class is also fine for more experienced dogs that want to fine tune their skills without worrying about course work.

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Distance and Layering - (Proficiency on all agility obstacles is a prerequisite.) this class is an intermediate level class that will focus on adding more distance during handling sequences and adding layers.

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Weaves & Contact Proofing - (Contact and weave proficiency is a prerequisite.) this class is an intermediate level class that will focus on more advanced sequences involving contacts and weave pole proofing.
 

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Conditioning

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Canine Fitness - Whether your dog is competing in a performance sport or is just a family member, canine conditioning has many benefits. Strength, balance, flexibility and body awareness are the focus of this class. You will develop an understanding of proper form, technique, and progression of exercises with various FitPaws

equipment.

 

Scent Work

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Intro to Scent work for Fun - The  intro  class to scent work is the foundation, to  get  the dogs  to hunt , using  their noses.   We will be  using  boxes and  food  in  the intro  class to  build up the dogs  strong hunting  skills.  Odor  will be introduced paired with  food, after  the first  six weeks.  Please  bring  lots  of  high value  food to class, plus  a 6ft and  about  a  10 ft leash also. but no longer  than a 15' leash.   Dogs  should only  be wearing   a flat buckle, or  a harness for class.  If  you  can,  please  bring a crate, to keep  your dog in when another dog is working,  We want  the dogs to be  totally focused  on  the hunt, and not  get distracted by  other dogs nearby.   This  is  the dogs game, and  you  as handlers will be  learning so much, on how your  dogs indicate their finds.

Tricks

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Tricks Level 1 - Trick training is a super way to have fun with your dog and to impress your family and friends with what your dog can do.  It also gives your dog a job, helps with body awareness and teaches them to learn and problem solve.  Tricks can be performed and trained anywhere are require no special equipment.  Some of the tricks that will be taught in Level 1 are:

 

1- how to use a clicker, free shaping exercise, nose target 

2- sit, sit pretty, paw/shake

3- spin/twirl, down, crawl

4- paws up, paws in, free shaping review

5- roll over, play dead

6- Ashamed, figure 8 through legs

7- peek a boo, front feet target, review other tricks

8-back feet up, back up, review

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Training Basics/Obedience

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Training Basics/Obedience - This class is open to all dogs and puppies that need to start learning life skills to be good family members.  This class will focus on building a relationship and teaching simple, uselful skills that apply to good dog ownership.  Examples of such skills are name recognition, sit, down, stand, stay, come, healing on a loose lead, basic meet and greets with other dogs and people, performing under distraction, crate training, waiting at doors, not jumping on people, going to a mat/crate and more.  Toy and food reinforcements and how dogs learn are key to getting the desired behaviors on cue and with great understanding.  Teaching the human part of the team is the most important part of this class as dogs are super smart and learn very fast if the trainer is clear and consistent with what they are teaching.  We are not looking for compliance in this class, we are looking for dogs to happily perform each task with great understanding and willingness to work.  NO Physical or Verbal correction is used in this class.  With this kind of training, your dog can go anywhere and be a behaved addition to your family.

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SEMINAR DESCRIPTIONS

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Verbal Cues in Novice/Open Sequences - Learn how to incorporate verbal cues in your handling system that help your dog negotiate around a course with more information.  Sarah will set up Novice/Open skill sequences and go over where certain verbal cues are appropriate and are most helpful for the dog.  She will also show you how to isolate the training of a verbal cue to pair with a behavior so your dog has a good understanding.  This clinic starts at 9am - 12:00pm is open to dogs training agility at the novice level.

 

Verbal Cues in Master Sequences - The clinic will focus on the timing of your verbal cues in masters level sequences and break down how well your dog actually knows the cue.  Sarah will set up scenarios that will test your verbal skill cues and help you to improve your dogs understanding of them while on course.  This class is open to dogs with master level skills and currently competing at any level.  This clinic starts at 1:00pm to 4pm

 

Novice/Open Sequences with specialty jumps - In this class, Sarah will set up novice/open level sequences that include some of the different types of jumps seen in agility that are often more troublesome for dogs to negotiate on course.  Breaking down of each individual jump will be included in this class.  The specialty jumps that will be used are the following:  tire jump, AKC and UKI, Wall Jump, extended spread double, AKC double, AKC triple, AKC broad jump, UKI (International) Long Jump and panel jump.  This clinic will run from 9am to Noon and is for young dogs at the Novice level or Novice Open competitors that need some troubleshooting on these jumps

 

Master Sequences with Specialty Jumps - In this class, Sarah will offer master level sequences with fast lines that incorporate the specialty jumps (tire jump, AKC and UKI, Wall Jump, extended spread double, AKC double, AKC triple, AKC broad jump, UKI (International) Long Jump and panel jump) where negotiating courses can be more difficult for the dogs.  Finding the best handling for each team on these jumps will be the focus.  This class runs from 1pm to 4pm

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