There is nothing like hands-on learning with your fellow dog enthusiasts. At this workshop held at Good Choice Dog Training in Albany NY, some brave volunteers stepped up to demonstrate that we all can use some sharpening of our observation skills.
In this exercise, I demonstrate a simple but strange gesture – picking up one bag at my side, then one on my other side, shuffling a couple of steps, turning and then placing the bags down one by one before standing up and clasping my hands.
This is an exercise in observation. The first person must watch me, and then without any further explanation or practice, tap the person next in line and when they turn around, demonstrate what they observed. The further we get from the start, less and less of my gestures remain!
What is fascinating is what bits of my original gesture do get passed along, and how and when new gestures are introduced into the transmission.
Enjoy watching, and while you do, try your hand at detailed observation. Make notes about what disappears and changes with each person’s interpretation. Can you see these shifts?
- Flexion
- Core orientation
- Balance
- Gesture – magnitude & speed
- Use of hands and fingers
Not quite what to watch or how to keep track? Want to build new observation skills? Join us for the Observation Skills courses!
