Great distraction to incorporate into obedience training!

[Amy & Bernie]

Hi all, as many have seen Bern's in an obedience program right now - and one very major aspect is introducing distractions, to ensure you have not just an obedient dog, but a reliable one - they are not always one in the same!

Well I figured out a great distraction today. It's grass! This seems so simple, definitely a no-brainer to some degree, but honestly we've been so focused on getting our walks perfect we've been ignoring the grass completely! The intensity of all the smells, tastes, leaves and sticks was perfect.

Maybe most of you already do this, I could be way out of touch. But in our house, grass is generally reserved for relieving oneself (Bernie) and playing (Bernie and us), but we haven't been doing our obedience routine on the grass. In parks, yes, but on designated trails. Who knew we're such rigid rule followers?!

Anyhow, for those of you who haven't really done all your obedience work on a big stretch of alluring grass, give it a shot. Creepy crawlers are a bonus distraction, they're Bernie's fav.

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I completely agree that grass is a great distraction.  In our town there's one Park with lots of soccer fields that often have the added bonus of "goose poop", randomly scattered.  The coaches actually have to clear the fields before every game.  So we regularly walk the Doods on those poop laden soccer fields and require them to heel....no nose to the ground.  I know it's pure torture for them, but it's a wonderful way to teach them discipline.  When I first started with Murphy's heel training, it was really tough because he not only wanted to smell...he wanted to roll in it.  Now he's a trooper.  Thanks for bringing this up....great point.

[Adina P]

Oh my yes!  Boy was it a distraction or Rosco and Boca!  When I started Rosco on heeling it was so bad I eventually moved to concrete ONLY until he got the idea of what heeling meant.  Otherwise it was requiring me to make more well timed and consistent corrections than my uncoordinated self could.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Great Advice Thanks!!!

[Jeanne, Tura and Dolly]

One of our dogs is totally focused on smells so the grass is the mother lode! A great distraction and something we are working on.