At times, things can happen so fast with a dog that it becomes a blur of information, and important details can be lost. Becoming a skilled observer who knows what they need to say and can see it, even if it is fleeting – well, this takes practice – a lot of practice!
On top of that, the practice has to be meaningful. Simply watching the same video over and over in the hopes that your brain will suddenly see something new is often just frustrating.
Instead, try this observation skill practice: watch video (or live dogs), focusing on just one aspect. Begin with one specific focus, ignoring anything else for now.
For example, pick a video with 3 dogs. Bring your focus solely to just one dog’s balance. Look at the details that tell you dog A is in – or out! – of balance. Compare Dog A to herself throughout the video clip. Are there times when she’s out of balance? Why?
Next, watch another dog so that you can compare and contrast.
- Is dog A more or less balanced than Dog B? In what ways?
- Watching Dog C, compare that dog to A & B. What differences do see? What similarities?
Rinse and repeat for every aspect of body language. Careful, meaningful practice is how observation skills are built.
My Observation Skills courses are designed to sharpen your observation skills. Join us, and discover new ways to SEE THE DOG and understand dogs and our relationships with them.
Understanding the Physical Dog: Observation Skills – Using video, graphics, “Try It Yourself!” exercises and Q&A sessions, Suzanne will enrich your understanding of the physical dog. Your observation skills will be fine-tuned, giving you the ability to ask, “Can you?” when working with any dog, no matter what the training or performance goal may be.
Observation Skills Part One – Accurate observations are at the heart of great training (and great relationships). If you don’t really SEE THE DOG, your relationships and training are missing important information dogs need you to know. Learn Suzanne’s holistic approach that includes the complete dog – physical, mental and emotional as interactive parts of the whole. Blending techniques from ethology with the practical skills learned in a lifetime with animals, Suzanne’s lessons build on each other to develop your skills.
Observation Skills Part Two (Pre-Req Observation Skills Part One) – This course takes you deeper into observation skills. You’ll learn about recording observations, knowing what you need to know, multiple aspect observations, and how details of body language create important context for understanding behavior in deeply nuanced ways.
All courses start on April 13th, and include instructor led support through weekly Q&A sessions. Early Bird Dog pricing is available through March 16th.
