More on the Ivan Balabanov Schutzhund Seminar including a new Tracking Idea
More on the great seminar with Ivan Balabanov. I love his approach to training which he describes as training without conflict (for videos go to 'Media' on his menu). He emphasizes trying to make it clear to the dog what you are asking, and to see things from the dog's point of view. I enjoyed his style and presentation very much and found him to be an excellent teacher, which is a nice thing to find in a World Champion and World Class competitor.
NEW - some more great photos - by Melissa Waters http://www.sleepingdogstudio.ca/Sleeping_Dog_Studio/Ivan_Seminar/Pages/Donna.html#0
NOTE: If you are looking for the part of this blog post about tracking, scroll down! Here is a quick link to his training videos - you can look for tracking specific or other (no I get no royalties, I just like to share info). The puppy treat chasing video was recommended for pups at the seminar, fyi, for foundations for all kinds of training. Each category seems to have a little free demo of his work as a teaser! I really like his method, very motivational and makes sense.
Here are some seminar participants and club members gathered around Ivan wearing his Calgary Stampede hat in honour of Stampede Days this same weekend
I learned so much in three days that will help me to move forward. I was also very honoured that Ivan told me a few times that Caden is a very nice dog. Caden is light years ahead of me, because this comes very naturally to him, so I need to stay ahead of the game. The most important thing I learned (and will have to practice) is a clean, clear OUT so that I can properly use my tug or ball as a reward. Ivan also showed how to use food and release so that food becomes a play source too - this way you can mix it up a lot between different rewards and keep it fun.
Below, Caden bites the pillow. Ivan tells me to say OUT and be prepared to say no, then correct with my leash if necessary.
A successful out! As you can see, Caden is now looking at me.
Below, my friends and trainers Dan Waters (club Pres) and Wade Waters (Club head trainer) watch closely so they can keep working with me down the road. I am sure (I KNOW) that the members of my club will be happy if I master this. The club has great instruction but for some reason I am a little slow on this particular thing - as a lot of it has to come from INSIDE you as a person. It's been a slow transformation but this Ivan seminar was perfect timing for me!
Ivan had to take me away from the dog so that I could practice the line handling on something else, so we used this trailer. I felt the difference between having too little leash and too much leash this way. It was a great demonstration.
So with the OUT and attention in place, Caden can do more things. Below he is launching himself for Ivan who is holding that pillow again. This long run down the field is called the long bite or pursuit. It imitates a bad guy running away, and the courage and force your dog has to stop him. Caden had just started working off the post at the club - and his protection foundation is very good, so that he was able to take this step at the seminar quite smoothly (kudos to Wade Waters here!)
PS Thanks to John Krayzel and Carla Harrison for the photos...that is John's van behind us - it's like an ad for Jungle Pruning in Calgary!
Caden targets the pillow and hangs on. He has a great, deep grip. The pillow is teaching him to jump higher. If Ivan was using the sleeve, he could not hold it up high enough to teach Caden to launch UP. This is a great way to teach dogs without having the full impact of the sleeve when they are running at full speed. Caden was not sure about it on Saturday but on Sunday he figured it out.
After getting the pillow, Ivan gives Caden a good "play fight." He alternated between letting Caden win, and asking me to tell Caden to OUT. When I said out from a distance, Ivan was ready to correct with the line. The first time, he had to correct. The next time, Caden outed before I could even barely say the word, because he is immediately rewarded with more play!
This was a beautiful female Malinois pup from BC named Ayla. Ivan's breed is the Mal. He rolled around with Ayla and built her drive and confidence using a tug on a stick. It was cute, but you could also see how he was getting her used to all of the things she will do when she is older. She was quite a show stopper when she came out.
Here is how things looked most of the time. Participants gathered around to watch while he worked with each dog. Sometimes we had to watch from the side of the field and he used a mic so we could hear what he was saying. He also gave a great lecture explaining his theories and methods.
TRACKING
Please note that the notes below are from my observation. To understand Ivan's methods and theories - you can actually download short videos online HERE. I think this is such a great idea! He also has tracking and training DVDs. I plan to follow up with these as I really like his method of TRAINING WITHOUT CONFLICT.
This was not a tracking seminar (no time) but one participant wanted to work on tracking. Ivan's idea to allow the dog to begin rebuilding confidence without handler interference was to put down a stake and make a circle track with food in the footsteps. The handler brings the dog to the scent pad and tells him to search, then moves away out of the picture to allow the dog to do whatever the dog needs to do to figure it out. There are no commands. It is an observation game. The dog works it out, finding the food. In the photo below, we all stood back quietly and watched the dog track offline.
On day one, the dog found some, changed directions, then showed signs that he was done - stopped searching, stared at the handler. There were no repercussions. He was just taken away. On day two, the dog did the entire circle. Then he moved beyond the circle to see if he missed anything. That was when the handler called him in and it was over. No praise or criticism. The idea is simply to allow the dog to regain his own momentum and drive to find the food and follow it. Eventually the circle gets bigger and you hope for the dog to work it solidly while you stand back. Then, you need to put yourself back into the picture very neutrally, holding the line. Remember. This is my interpretation only. Ivan has his own system and you need to attend a seminar, get a DVD or download a video to understand it completely.
Category Article German Shepherd, Schutzhund, Schutzhund tracking
