This previous weekend, was the Group K9 Professional annual Group Weekend Extravaganza!
That is the place, lots of the staff members from throughout Australia come to K9 Professional for 3 days of workshops, coaching, demonstrations, enjoyable, buddies, assist and good instances.
I began Group K9 Professional round 2009 or 2010 from reminiscence, to kind a bunch of individuals I used to be teaching in canine sports activities solely.
The purpose was to create an area for those who cherished coaching their canines, that didn’t have any curiosity or time for political crap or ideologies and simply needed to assist one another.
Within the 14 – 15 years, Group K9Pro have had extra podium finishes, throughout extra canine sports activities, with extra breeds than any group within the Southern Hemisphere.
Many staff members began with canines that got here to me with behaviour issues resembling aggression and went on to scrub up within the ring.
These had been simply abnormal individuals, that didn’t stop, that did the work, they adopted the plan, they joined forces with me.
I made them winners.
I run free “Group Days” at K9 Professional about each 6 weeks and lots of members practice collectively weekly as nicely, BUT annually, all of us get collectively for this occasion, which all of us have come to like.
Individuals began to reach to camp mid-week to camp at K9Pro, they get arrange and all prepared for the primary day.
Friday is Seminar day the place I’ve a number of matters to current in our coaching room.
All of us begin with breakfast collectively after which it’s time to get began.
This yr’s matters included issues resembling setting standards when instructing workouts, shaping vs luring, reward supply, Coaching in drive, timing, and various element on the mindset of your canine and your self, relationship constructing and creating precision work.
This all leads into platforms and placeholders and lots of extra discussions round matters of curiosity.
Saturday, one among my long run buddies and Group K9 Professional member Maree Rablin offered her methods and Heelwork to Music workshop to very eager Group K9 Professional individuals.
These various matters assist increase consolation zones and assist all the things suppose outdoors of the field studying to show a number of heeling positions on each side and really cool methods.
Then into Saturday afternoon the place we moved on to “Heel Magic”. This was about me exhibiting enhance a canines heel work and introduce distractions that may strengthen heel work too.
Reward place, reward supply, timing, inner / exterior reinforcers, communication and the record goes on.
A part of the afternoon workshop was to debate the “delusion” that instructing canines Life Expertise will diminish or inhibit their drive.
It is a huge misunderstanding some individuals have and it will possibly find yourself with those that have canines in canines sports activities, having to stay with an unruly, misbehaved canine in the event that they wish to retain any drive for his or her sport.
All Group members chip in and we then prepare dinner all meals meals, and everybody will get nicely fed. Every night time there have been nice conversations across the Bon Fireplace and I cooked a full Lamb on the spit on Saturday night time, adopted by some Karaoke!!!
Sunday we began with an introduction to monitoring and a staff member, Bron who’s coaching IGP monitoring gave an indication along with her Herzhund Malinois, Drift.
We then laid starter tracks and about 20 canines and handlers had a go together with nice outcomes.
With no time to spare we moved to IGP Bitework for our staff members which can be coaching IGP C part work and people growing puppies for a similar.
All the time thrilling stuff to observe for the staff.
After an excellent BBQ lunch and we had been into extra competitors obedience and heel magic workouts. A number of canines on the sector directly working towards engagement and efficiency parts.
Many staff K9 Professional members compete and or are coaching for Nosework, so many hides had been set for a lot of canines to run by search routines, indoor, outside and autos searches proved the canines had been greater than able to find all of the hides.
Because the afternoon rocked alongside we mentioned my applications for RATG retrieving and ship aways and something of curiosity I had not lined.
I can inform you that after 3 days of presenting, cooking, karaoke, bon hearth chats, canines canines and extra canines, nice instances with good buddies, I used to be drained but additionally unhappy to see everybody packing as much as go.
The standard of labor the staff have delivered over the previous 15 years has been excellent, however their friendship far outweighs even their canine coaching.
Obedience, Rally, IGP, Herding, Agility, Nosework, Monitoring, Hoopers, Flyball, SAR, HTM, DWD and so on and all doing so nicely.
These individuals make me so proud.
I needed to share with you ways a lot enjoyable we had and share pics of my brothers and sisters excelling on this atmosphere.
Steve
