In this strange time that we are in a lot of people are making connections with family and friends online. There has also been a big increase in people learning new skills or gaining more knowledge by studying online.
In my business I love to utilise the online aspects of teaching as it can open up a level of learning that clients can’t get in the in person sessions.
Last year in our group sessions the theory side of dog training was presented at the start of our classes. This isn’t practical in our 30 minute one to one sessions so we have gone online!
I have online courses, resources, webinars and seminars but the area which gets the most light bulb moments for the client is the zoom consultations 💡.
The zoom consultations are tailored to the dog and client! I look at the dog as a whole rather than just the specific struggle the client is facing.
Dog training is sometimes considered to be an in person thing and it is, however this is only a small piece of the whole training picture. The real success comes from understanding your dog and all their individual needs and quirks!
For example I have 2 dogs who live in the same house but they both have very different needs and training plans. To treat them exactly the same wouldn’t be fair on them and if I did one of them would loose out as their needs wouldn’t be being met as they wouldn’t be unique to them.
Dog training especially agility training in some ways is a lifestyle, yes it is a hobby but it is the lifestyle that your dog has day in day out which will help them get the best results when it comes to training.
What we feed them, how much rest they get, how much exercise and mental stimulation they receive along with what they rehearse every day all has an effect on what your agility training will look like and your general dog training for that matter.
Although I primarily train agility I cover general dog training and behavioural work with agility clients through my zoom consultations and geek club. This is because behaviour transfers and the dog as a whole is so important when it comes to training of any kind.
It doesn’t matter if you do agility just for fun or to compete, if your paying for training it is cost effective to want to progress (otherwise your paying for sessions when your not achieving as much as you could) I help clients to understand why what they do in-between their training sessions is either helping or hindering their agility training.
If you know me personally you will know I’ve had lots of success with both my dogs when it comes to competitions. This isn’t a result of me just going to training, it is a small piece of the jigsaw. I also actually don’t train my dogs agility that often despite me having my own arena!
What gets me success is my behaviour knowledge and knowing how to apply that to the individual needs of both my dogs and I do the same with my clients dogs to. We look at all the little pieces of the jigsaw and slot them together.
Knowing your dog as a whole will supercharge any training that you do with them. Understanding why they sometimes ignore your recall cue, are suddenly not interested in food or why they don’t do a task when you think they know it and they do it perfectly well at home!
This knowledge is what will make you succeed!
I give my students this knowledge in my online training. I’ve studied for years (and still do) with numerous organisations and training providers to ensure I know what I’m talking about and that the advice I give out is the most up to date advice there is out there. I study to provide the best service possible.
I see it time and time again in training when people are too set in the task of doing agility, they get fixated with the ‘doing’ and if that doesn’t go like they were expecting then the dog gets the blame or they put pressure on the dog to perform the task.
Agility has got to be fun for both the dog and owner and pressure doesn’t equal fun! If pressure is part of the training sooner or later one member of the team is going to give up! Usually it is the dog!
People sometimes think my training is focused on competition, they make the mistake of thinking because they don’t want to compete that the dog somehow doesn’t need to learn properly. They do! Not only for safety but also because the training will transfer into everyday life.
If you can’t get your dog to wait on a startline chances are they won’t be able to wait as you lift the boot of the car or they won’t be able to wait nicely in the kitchen while you prepare dinner.
If you can’t recall your dog around agility equipment in a secure area chances are you will struggle in the park when your up against bigger distractions!
Along with those two examples training agility changes the relationship you have with your dog for the better and relationship is at the heart of everything you will ever train your dog to do ❤.
So why do you need to train online? Well if you are hungry for more knowledge on how to get the best our of your dog then online learning will give you all the tools for this knowledge in the comfort of your own home.
Click here to find out more information on how my zoom consultations could help you!
Happy Training
Katrina 🐾
KB Agility 