New Course Dates ..
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11TH & 12TH DECEMBER 2010
See below
Opening Communications - Rod Roberts - £100
In over twenty five years of instructing I’ve seen people who no matter how hard they try just cannot seem to connect with their dog, I’ve heard other instructors say.
“Praise your dog” “Fuss your dog” “Play with your dog”
But nobody tells them how!
I too have been guilty of this but there never seems to be an appropriate time to provide a proper explanation; in a class situation it would hold everyone up, on a one to one there always seem to be more pressing problems.
Opening Communications is a workshop designed to address these problems.
Three of the most basic skills in dog training are:
Praising, Fussing, and Playing with your Dog
When these skills are mastered enhanced Relationship, Motivation, and Concentration will ensue.
A dog’s confidence is normally event-specific. With the skills to praise, fuss and play, that confidence can be lifted to the point where it becomes Self Esteem which is a confidence in life.
When you have created self esteem and increased motivation, and concentration, your dog will be happy to work with you to a level rarely achieved previously.
On our Opening Communications Workshop, we will be working on improving your observational skills, thereby increasing your understanding of contextual or micro body language which is the dog's way of communicating with you.
Opening Communications uses the precept
that the meaning of a communication is that which is taken from it,
not that which is meant by it.
The Skills Learned at an Opening Communications Workshop
will allow you to communicate with your dog at an altogether new level.
Opening Communication
The Concept
Opening Communication as a concept started with the realisation that a lot of handlers work with their dogs without any apparent mental connection being there. The handler struggles to school the dog to do the simplest of exercises, with the dog only grasping what is required as a vague response to muttered or shouted commands and a definite lack of understanding being present.
Because verbal communication is limited in the range of its vocabulary to relatively few words of command, which in themselves are little more than triggers used to create pre-trained actions. Our options are:~
(1) The tonality of our commands, praise and disapproval.
(2) Tactile or touching interactions.
(3) Using interactive play and other skills to enhance and build rapport and allow the handler to manipulate the dog’s mood states.
One of a dogs innate skills is being able to read persons mental state. This comes from an instinctive ability to read and react to a persons body language, which is a survival skill that allows the dog to react appropriately when faced with anger, fear, aggression, strength and weakness. A dogs body language can be incredibly diverse, at one extreme a curled lip or a wagging tail to, at the other extreme, a barely perceptible change in the dilation of the pupils. Sometimes a curled lip can be a placatory grin and other times a severe threat. How the dog wags it's tail can mean a multitude of different things from pure pleasure to threat.
Timing
Dogs have incredible speed of reaction, you only have to watch 2 dogs running and playing in woodland to realize they have a fantastic speed of reaction, they can be playfully barging each other while running at very high speed, jumping over obstacles and dodging round trees and bushes, watching for a few minutes will make it become obvious that the dog's reactions are faster that the fastest of people.
If a dogs reaction is so much faster both mentally and physically than a person how is it possible for a very good trainer to appear to have almost perfect timing. The answer is simple the very experienced trainer will be anticipating the dogs action and reaction before they occur, this enables the handler, although much slower physically and mentally, to arrive at the point in time at the same time as the dog.
Our Opening Communications workshop has been formulated to:
• improve and enhance the handlers understanding of Canine body language and appreciate the effect of their own body language on the dog they are training.
• promote the handlers ability to interact with their dog by touch, voice and activity.
Overall to improve communication between dog and handler.
Rod Roberts
To find out dates and availability contact Rod
New Course ...
SANDLINGS DOG TRAINING GROUP
Presents
ROD ROBERTS’ OPENING COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOP
SATURDAY & SUNDAY 11TH & 12TH DECEMBER 2010
SHOTTISHAM VILLAGE Hall, Nr. WOODBRIDGE, SUFFOLK
Light refreshments are included in the Workshop Fee. Plus reasonably priced home-made hot lunches are offered.
List of local B&B’s and Caravan Parks is available on request.
All places must be pre-booked and pre-paid, cheques payable to M. Brothwell. Please return your booking slip to....
Margo Brothwell, Scotland House, Boyton, Woodbridge, Suffolk. IP12 3LE. Phone: 01394 411763.
E-mail: bobandmargo@btinternet.com
On receipt of payment, full course details and travel directions will be forwarded.
Rod Roberts Opening Communications Workshop
.......... Delegate Place/s (Full Weekend Only) @ £100 ........
..........Two Course Lunches @ £6 per person, per day .......... Vegetarian *Yes/No
(This Workshop does not lend itself to single day attendance)
Bringing your own dog is encouraged, but non-dog handling delegates will gain as much from this Workshop.
Delegates Name: Postal Address:
Phone Number: E-mail Address