Confidence Boosting For The Cautious Dog

Fun training, activities and games that grow your dog’s self-confidence

What you’ll learn
Build your dog’s self-confidence by using games and fun activities at home.
Learn a strategy to help when your dog has an experience/object that is worrying to him/her.
Improve the relationship you have with your cautious dog.
Learn activities to help calm and enrich your dog’s life

Requirements
There are no prerequisites for this course however the activities and training are all based on positive reinforcement training methods. Some of the actvities that require props for your dog to interact with and I have used items that are easily obtained or that you will have already in and around your home. For example, empty plastic milk bottles, old sheet, suitcase, ladder etc. This course is NOT designed for dogs that display fearful aggressive behaviour to deal with anxiety, I recommend working with a Veterinary Behaviourist.

Description
Why is growing your dog’s self-confidence so important? Well, it allows your dog to live its best life. Replacing stress and anxiety by growing your dog’s confidence brings out the true personality of your dog. When we grow a dog’s self-confidence in one area, through fun training, activities and games, it has a flow over effect into other areas of the dog’s life. The course is based on the principle of ‘training for the situation, not in the situation’, starting the activities at home, then building up layers of success. One of the most important aspects to growing your dog’s confidence is training and playing games in an environment that is fun and relaxing (ie not stressful) for you and your dog. When your dog experiences a new/novel object or activity in a familiar safe home environment, it is much easier to grow his/her confidence compared with being in the stress and anxiety of the unpredictable outside world. At the end of the course we discuss how to build up the layers of success and growing your dog’s confidence in the wider world.During the course we use positive reinforcement training methods and I prefer to use food to reward your dog. Using a toy to reward your dog builds drive or speed. Using food as a reward builds behaviour, which is what we really want to help grow your dog’s confidence.You don’t need to purchase any special equipment for the activities. I have tried to give you alternative and household items that can be used. The activities covered don’t require a lot of space, can be done inside or outside and are in fun, short and effective sessions. The course is divided up into 6 weeks and each week has 4 sessions. Each session contains a video and downloadable written notes.

Overview
Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Welcome

Lecture 2 Getting Started

Section 2: Week 1

Lecture 3 Pick Up Sticks

Lecture 4 Ball Box

Lecture 5 Calmness is King!

Lecture 6 2 Paws On

Section 3: Week 2

Lecture 7 Lolly Scramble

Lecture 8 Cone Game

Lecture 9 S.A.T – Scary, Acknowledge, Treat

Lecture 10 Play Gym

Section 4: Week 3

Lecture 11 Recycling Rummage

Lecture 12 Treasure Chests

Lecture 13 Under Cover

Lecture 14 Collar Grab Game

Section 5: Week 4

Lecture 15 Mad Muffins

Lecture 16 Fireworks

Lecture 17 Tip Toe Throught the Tulips

Lecture 18 Hand Target

Section 6: Week 5

Lecture 19 Milk Bottle Challenge

Lecture 20 Plank Work

Lecture 21 Noise Tray

Lecture 22 Tunnels

Section 7: Week 6

Lecture 23 Ladder Walk

Lecture 24 Wibble Wobble

Lecture 25 Suitcase Challenge

Lecture 26 Confidence Path

Section 8: Extra

Lecture 27 Water Confidence

Section 9: Wrap Up

Lecture 28 Next Steps

This course is designed for owners of cautious dogs – dogs that cower, tremble or try to run from everyday life items or activities that they perceive as scary. Replacing stress and anxiety by growing your dog’s self-confidence brings out the true personality of your dog. When we grow a dog’s self-confidence in one area, through enrichment activities and games, it has a flow over effect into other areas of the dog’s life. It allows your dog to live its best life.