DISTANCE LEARNING
ONLINE GROUP ZOOM LESSONS
We, at Trainers to the Rescue have been teaching online classes since 2020, and found many skills lend themselves to online learning. These skills can be taught in a very small space. Being required to video yourself also forces you to take a good look at exactly what you are teaching your dogs.
Our online classes are taught in two phases. Phase one is a Zoom meeting that you can attend live (we normally have 4 working students). If you are a working student, you will work during the live Zoom meeting, working on the skills or challenges presented that week. If you are an auditor, you may listen and ask questions during the live meeting.
Phase two is watching/posting videos via a Private Facebook group. One of the class TAs takes the zoom meeting and edits them into practical chunks. This way you can watch the material on your own schedule. Our TAs also create supplemental materials to more clearly demo techniques or concepts that might have happened during the live class. The group is also a place to ask questions between meetings to make sure you are on the right track. Yes, we can even help you set up your software and hardware.
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The online group Zoom lessons we are currently offering are outlined belowed.
RELIABLE RETRIEVE
This online course is designed to teach both dogs and their handlers the essentials of a reliable, enthusiastic, and thoughtful retrieve. We’ll cover the Mark, Take/Grab, Hold, and Presentation. We’ll also include a variety of fun games to reinforce these important skills, teach dogs problem-solving, and build confidence and reliability. By the end of the class, teams will be able to complete the obedience Retrieve on the Flat, Retrieve Over the High Jump, and Glove Retrieves (AKC and UKC). These same skills are also useful for hunting retriever work (hunt test, working certificate, etc.).
We estimate this course will take three, six-week sessions (18 weeks in total).
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Our Zoom meeting is scheduled for Tuesdays, from 7 to 8pm Pacific Time.
Each session is $180 for a working spot (4 available); $90 for auditing (unlimited available).
Working folks get to work live during the weekly Zoom Meeting, receiving immediate coaching feedback. Auditors are encouraged to attend the Zoom meetings and ask questions (we love questions!). Everyone is encouraged to post videos and questions to the private Facebook group, where a team of moderators and the instructor are happy to share their experience and encouragement.
Our Zoom meeting is scheduled for Tuesdays, from 7 to 8 pm Pacific Time.
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Here are the dates for the first six weeks:
March: 10, 17, 24, 31
April: 7, 14
ADVANCED HEELING (audit)
An audit spot will be $200. I am happy to set up a payment plan with you; absolutely ask!
The pre-requisites for this class are:
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Completion of Foundation for Heeling online (available to audit for $250), or
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Team has some competency with basic heeling skills: Heel Position, Attention/Engagement, Start, Halt, Right/Left/About Turns, Changes of Pace, Left/Right Circles. You can still be using lots of rewards, but you cannot be using a lure to keep your dog in heel position. Your heeling doesn't have to be perfect as long as you are committed to progressing on all of those components alongside the new material we will be covering.
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In this class we are doing the assembly needed for reliable teamwork, which leads to confident, successful heeling. It's really exciting when you suddenly realize YOU ARE HEELING, when the week before it didn't seem possible. I really want you all to have that experience, when it all comes together.
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This 18+ weeks of content can be audited through our private Facebook group. As you work through the classes, you are welcome to post your homework/videos for feedback from the instructor and peers.
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FOUNDATION FOR HEELING (audit)
Heeling is HARD. It is a lot of skills on the human, and it's a lot of skills on the dog. Furthermore, the human and the dog have to work in tandem to achieve the smooth and fluid partnership we dream about. Demystify heeling by breaking it down into smaller skills from defining heel position, adding movement, learning how to cue, handler body language, teaching turns and arcs, changing speeds, attention, and more. We help you build the technical skills for the human and the dog to assemble the "big series of little skills" that make up heeling.
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This 18+ weeks of content can be audited through our private Facebook group. As you work through the classes, you are welcome to post your homework/videos for feedback from the instructor and peers.
MORE AVAILABLE CLASSES FOR AUDIT
Work at your own pace through our videos and materials in our class Facebook groups that you will gain lifetime access to. You will also have the benefit of the student community to bounce ideas off of. Instructors and TAs will provide feedback to questions and videos, as well.
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The current classes we have available for auditing are:
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Tiger Puppy (performance puppy skills)
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Intro to Heeling​​