Catch ON Camp! Who should attend? Catch ON! Camp is designed for herding handlers who live long distances away or who are unfamiliar with the concepts of positive reinforcement as applied to herding training. (I have tried many things while herding for over 20 years using positive reinforcement.) Catch ON! Camp is also useful for those who want herding practice with their dogs for two, solid weeks-- catch on and catch up!
Catch ON! When?—includes Monday- Friday, a week before regular Herding Boot Camp or Tending Camp sessions (check the schedule) and the regular Herding Boot Camp or Tending Camp session; plus you can choose to participate in up to 2 weekends of activities before and after Catch ON! Camp at no additional charge. (Or you can go sight-seeing!)
Note: After you sign up for Catch ON! Camp plus Herding or Tending Camp, you e-mail me (Carolyn) with your training plans for the weekends before & after Catch ON! Camp.
To summarize, Catch ON! Camp includes:
- (bonus, optional) The weekend before M-F Catch ON! Camp—we invite you to get an early start and join us at no additional charge in our other activities scheduled here at Raspberry Ridge or to train on your own. Or go sight-seeing.
- Monday-Friday Catch ON! Camp, where you have an opportunity to learn positive reinforcement herding with your dog.
- (bonus, optional) The weekend between Catch ON! and regular Herding Boot or Tending Camp. You can join in at no additional charge with our other Raspberry Ridge activities or train on your own here at the farm. Or go sight-seeing.
- Monday-Friday’s regular Herding Boot Camp or Tending Camp session.
|
Tending Camp is a good introduction to tending for the dog who has no self control when in the presence of large numbers of livestock. This camp focuses on desensitizing the dog to livestock so that the dog can listen to commands, behave appropriately around livestock, and be responsive to you the handler despite extremely arousing circumstances. Beginning steps of tending training exercises are performed on and off livestock to establish basic, willing obedience and independent thought in the dog. Training exercises are suggested that can be practiced at home, too. The beginnings of tending training theory and training exercises are demonstrated and discussed. Positive reinforcement is emphasized in all training.
Your dog should be in good, hard, physical condition for Tending Camp before he arrives. This is something you can do at home. Your dog’s stamina should be gradually increased by being exercised on a regular basis (starting at least one month before camp) so that he can easily sustain a trot daily for a minimum of a half hour period. Practicing this training regime should help your dog concentrate both mentally and physically and will reduce the potential for annoying muscle pulls and pad injuries that otherwise might occur. Of course, it helps to be in reasonable shape yourself!
We recommend that you bring a dog that has been herding tested and seems to have the instincts necessary for tending training for either camp.
|