Goal: Verbal Fun games = Mind Games! In this lesson we ask… your dog are you listening to my words? This lesson is a continuation of Prep School Verbal Fun 1, Flatwork L1 Verbal Fun 2.

Equipment: Toy and Food Rewards. A crate.

Suggested Training Area Size: 12’ x 12’ (4m x 4m)

Step 1: Start this session with a warm up of Crate Games “drive” in to the crate. Utilize your collar grab game to send your dog into the kennel. Release your dog and play, move away from your crate.

Step 2: Away from your crate have a second warm up with Verbal Fun 2 games! Toy our front “get it”. Mix up “get it” with a giving a new cue! Sit, down or a trick. The reward for listening to the cue is to earn the reward and a big celebration.

Step 3: Lets put them both together now! Hold your dog by his collar revving him up to send him into the kennel. Send him in a few times and reward. This time take his collar but instead of the cue to go into the kennel you will cue a new behaviour. You may wish to start with “sit” or “down” which ever is strongest for your dog. Then mix it up between the two. The reward for a successful response on your dogs part will be a release and reward by cueing and sending into the kennel. You can follow it up with a toy or food reward in the kennel.

Add distance and change up the cues to surprise and test if your dog is listening. Verbal fun is about listening during ACTION and DRIVE!

Troubleshooting

If your dog fails, you may need to remind your dog of the layers in Verbal Fun 1 and 2 again. The layers of understanding built in these three games will help your dog’s cue understanding on course. It is important to have understanding at all three levels. Mind games are F-U-N you need to not be discouraged if your dog is making errors. This is all part of the learning process.