description

Confidence is a big assignment for a puppy! Most owners have a vague idea about not wanting their puppy to be “afraid of things,” but no idea about how to prepare a puppy for the bombardment of stimuli that is life with humans. In this workshop, we’ll study the details! How to introduce new things in a productive way. When to lure and when not to lure. How to build initiative and foster optimism. This class will begin with the baseline mental game. Then we’ll work with the puppy’s physical senses and natural curiosity. We’ll learn skills and games that build confidence and teamwork. We’ll become keen observers and learn to measure our progress.

Young dogs have emotions and opinions! Whatever the puppy’s baseline, we can help young dogs become comfortable in their own skin. We can nurture or rekindle their natural curiosity. We can help puppies to think calmly and expect good things as they learn the ways of the big wide human world.

syllabus

• Who is this puppy?
• Is the puppy curious? Optimistic?
• Emotions and opinions! The unconscious and conscious reactions
• How to turn “Oh NO!” into “Oh YAY!”
• When to lure and when not to lure
• Teamwork = TLC: Trust, Leadership, Confidence
• The Curiosity Principle: Items out of place
• The Broccoli Principle: Push-back games
• The  Collar Games: I can put it on myself!
• The Substrate Games: Underfoot by choice
• The Noise Games: Tolerant vs. empowered responses
• Props for the classroom