Want better scores in the obedience ring? Trying to up your score and make it into the placements? Been telling people “But he does it perfectly at home” as you leave the ring after yet another NQ? The trick is to successful obedience training is proofing! Proofing is what allows dogs to offer flawless performances in the ring while surrounded by all the busy distractions of a dog show. By playing fun proofing games at home in your training, your dog will think that kid standing ringside yelling “Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!” while waving a hot dog is just another setup to distract him!
Proofing is the next level after your dog has learned the exercise. Remember the old Dr. Seuss book “Green Eggs and Ham”. Proofing games are a lot like this – you know your recall but can you do it near a fox? Can you do it past smelly lox? This app won’t teach you to train your dog the exercises but helps you take it to the next level so you walk into the ring knowing your dog can pass the exercise no matter what because it’s already done things so much harder than that in practice. Proofing empowers your dog to make choices and be rewarded for being right. It’s a great confidence builder for dogs who are stressed in the ring.
In The Ribbons provides one exercise to do with your dog at a time so you keep your training sessions short. You want to end a training session with the dog wanting to keep playing and wanting more. Proofing is an essential skill in Novice because the dogs being shown there are new to the ring and not as seasoned to performing in a “real” show that’s a lot noisier than working in class or at home. Upper level dogs in Open and Utility also need lots of proofing because the retrieves and jumping exercises performed away from the handler require more independent thinking from the dog.
The app features over 200 exercises for Novice, Open and Utility levels. It’s full of games for success in the AKC ring but will also benefit international competitors and even rally competitors who just want better attention in the ring. Some games require a helper but all can be done in your own home with no special equipment beyond what’s in your own training bag. Written by a geek girl who has showed in dog obedience for over 12 years.