These days, our dogs are unemployed!

They no longer hunt, they no longer herd sheep.

GUIDES CANINS gives you the chance to participate in activities with your dog:

Give him a job to do

Make him happy

Manage and prevent behaviour problems

Work on your team spirit

Create or maintain bonds

It all starts with training! Work your dog using methods based on the concepts of conditioning and the principles of positive reinforcement. See the results as you learn to improve your timing and develop your drive and perseverance-all while having fun!

Obedience

Obedience is essential to ensuring good communication within the master-dog team. With obedience, we can establish a common language, build leadership and create bonds. Obedience teaches our dogs how to please us.

The first meeting for Puppy Classes and Basic Obedience is a two-hour orientation evening that the entire family, with the exception of the dog, may attend. We will discuss all pertinent material that does not require the presence of your dog: leadership, principles of reward and punishment, stages of development, learning principles, prevention and correction of behaviour problems.

Puppy Classes

For puppies 8 weeks to 5 months

• Socialization and educational games
• Introduction of basic commands (come, sit, down, stand, stay, give)
• Housetraining
• Controlled mouthing
• Jump on people
• Walk on leash

Basic Obedience

For dogs older than 5 months

• Review of basic commands and proficiency training
• Shaping of new commands (tricks)
• Walking on leash without pulling
• Heel position and heeling
• Problem management: house soiling, biting and mouthing, jumping on people, excessive barking

Obedience & Performance

For dogs that have had a basic obedience class

• Attention work and watch command
• Heeling on and off leash
• Stand for exam
• Introduction to sign commands
• Introduction to the retrieve

Obedience & Competition

For dogs that have had obedience classes or training or have their CD

• Review the novice routine (heeling, stand for exam, recall, stays)
• Training of the open routine (down on recall, retrieve, jumps, out of sight stays)
• Introduction of some utility exercises (directional jumping, go back)

Trick Class

For socialized dogs that know basic commands or that have obedience training

• Introduction to clicker training
• Shaping of new commands and tricks: bow, turn, rollover, shake paw, play dead, backup, bark, go around, jump through arms, weave through legs, etc.

Rally Obedience

For dogs with a solid base in obedience and for whom heeling is not a challenge.

Rally Obedience is a relatively new activity. It combines traditional obedience with the sport of agility. Rally-O goes beyond regular obedience by interspersing over 40 movements including heeling, basic positions and turns with obstacles like weave poles and tunnels. The sport requires a brisk pace, positive attitude and happy demeanour.

• Introduction to the different exercises
• Introduction to the competition rules
• Practice using real courses

Agility

Agility is a fun and exciting team sport in which the handler works his dog over a timed obstacle course. Agility training is designed to build confidence and team spirit between man and his best friend.

Beginners

Introduction to the equipment.

Basic

Introduction to handling techniques:

• Crosses
• Direction changes
• Introduction to obstacle discrimination
• Introduction to distance work

Intermediate

Review and work on improving handling techniques:

• Controlled exercises
• Obstacle discrimination
• Distance work
• Courses

Advanced

Work on improving handling techniques and introduction to competition:

• Rules of different agility organizations
• Introduction to the games
• Strategies and walking the course
• Conditioning

Competition
Starters, Advanced, Masters

Problem solving for dogs ready to compete, already competing or for the agility nut:

• Contact zones
• Speed
• Control
• Stress management
• Obstacle discrimination
• Weave entry
• Distance work

Practices

Use of the grounds for training.

Flyball

Flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs. Each dog must jump over four hurdles to arrive at a box containing a tennis ball. The dog must then trigger release the ball by pushing a pedal, catch the ball and return over the four hurdles to the start line. The first team to finish is the winner of that heat.

Beginners

Introduction to the sport.

Basic & Practice

Teams are set up, and an emphasis is placed on proficiency training, improving time and working on passes.

Skijoring

Skijoring is a winter sport that gives your team the opportunity to enjoy the chilly season and to stay in shape! With his harness, your dog will learn to pull you on skis or on a sled.

Beginners

Introduction to the sport:

• Introduction of the proper way to pull
• Command conditioning (whoa, left, right)
• Pass techniques and practice

Tracking

Tracking is a natural activity that we don't have to teach our dogs! Using his awesome sense of smell, we just have to work on motivation and provide some guidance and framework for the dog to orientate his search.

Beginners

Introduction to the sport, training technique to teach the dog to follow a scent to find a person or an object:

• Scent theory
• Training methodology
• Motivational development
• Technical handling
• Track laying technique and charting
• Introduction of turns and cross tracks
• Introduction to scent articles and indications

Disk Dog

Does your dog enjoy chasing after a Frisbee®? Is he a big ball of energy that needs to be exercised? Would you like to keep your four-footed friend in shape? Are you looking for an activity that requires little in the way of equipment, space and money? This is the sport for you! Whether you and your dog are alone at the park or at a competition with lots of friends, this exciting and sometimes spectacular sport will spice up your training and your daily outings. Whether you've set your sights on competing or simply want to play Frisbee for fun, it's an excellent way to work on your dog's attention and motivation: two essential ingredients for practicing any canine sport!

Introduction to the sport

For dogs and humans who enjoy playing Frisbee!

• Learn to do the different throws
• Work on your dog’s catching efficiency • Learn about safety / introduction to the sport
• Learn the competition rules

Course fees include registration with the Canadian Disc Dog Association. They also include the Retrieval Proficiency Test (RPT) and an end-of-session test held the final week of the course. This test is sanctioned and the points obtained will go towards CDDA titles.

Conformation Handling

Conformation is the sport of presenting a dog for evaluation of his or her breeding qualities. Appearance, structure, movements and temperament are indications of a dog's quality for producing puppies. In conformation, dogs are examined by a judge who determines how each subject compares to the “perfect” dog as established by the official standard for each breed. This standard describes the characteristics that enable the breed to perform the function for which it was originally bred. Conformation handling is therefore the art of selling your dog's qualities.

Practicing show handling

Contact André and Diane Dandurand at 450-455-8906 danandre@videotron.ca

Schedule for upcoming practices