Focus/Attention Exercise Prerequisite:  Temperament Evaluation/Settle Exercise Our Attention Exercise is based on the methods of William Koehler.  Koehler spent time as chief trainer for the Walt Disney Studios, Instructor for the U.S.A. Army K-9 Corps, and Director of Obedience Training for the world’s largest dog club: Orange Empire of California. This exercise is geared toward getting your dog’s attention – regardless of distractions.   This session requires that you follow the program precisely. There are 7 important rules you should follow while doing your foundation training practice: - Begin each session after an hour or two of quiet confinement. This will make sure the dog is bored and ready for action - your training is the marvelous relief to that boredom. - Do NOT tell your dog you’re going to start moving by jiggling the leash, or speaking to it. - Do NOT stop walking, just because your dog doesn't want to walk, or is registering some sort of protest with you. - Do NOT be concerned if your dog is in front of you, to the side of you, or behind you…for our purposes, you do not have a dog attached to you.  You have simply chosen a destination and are walking to it. - DO be aware of your dog’s position…but do not spend time staring at the dog.  If it gets hopelessly tangled, untangle it –  with NO verbal communication – and continue on to your point. - Do NOT stray from the daily order of foundation training. You are teaching your dog that you are in charge of which  direction the two of you will travel.  Moving forward before the training has been completed will not allow the dog the opportunity to truly learn what you are teaching it. - Finish each session with a short period of letting the dog drag the long line.   Stop any attempts at ‘escape’ by keeping an eye on the dog and stepping on, or grabbing the line whenever it wonders too far.  Finally, allow the dog another hour of quiet time (ignore him) after the training is done. Now we’re ready to begin: Days One & Two:   1.  Pick a point – approximately 25 to 50 feet away. 2.  With your dog on a loose, long lead, walk to that point.   Do not stop walking, regardless of your dog's response.    3.  Upon arrival at the point, simply stop and stand for a minute or two – wait for your dog to get distracted and sniff about, then pick another point and walk to it. 4.  Repeat Steps 1 through 3, with three different points, with 15 to 20 rotations per day. 5.  Practice this exercise for at least 20 minutes, twice a day.  Pick 3 different points, and use them over and over. 6.  NOTE:  Hold the handle of the leash looped over your right thumb, then close your right fist around the leash.  Lock your left hand on the leash under your right hand.  Always use both hands, elbows and arms tucked close to your body - giving the dog the full 12 - 15 feet to explore and learn with. Day Three: 1.  Use the same three points you used on days one and two. 2.  This time, check where your dog is just before you begin to walk. 3.  If your dog doesn't start walking when you head for your next point, SPEED UP! 4.  Repeat this process at each point, for your normal 15 - 20 rotations. Day Four: 1.  Pick one of the points you’ve been using on Days One, Two, and Three. 2.  With your dog on a loose, long lead, begin to walk to the point. 3.  When you get half-way to your point, do an about-face turn and walk back to your beginning point. 4.  Repeat Step 3 until you can walk toward any of your chosen points without the dog forging ahead of you.   Day Five: 1.  Pick a completely new point – one with a distraction, such as a doorway, gateway, person, cat, toy, dog, etc. 2.  Walk toward the point & distraction. 3.  If your dog forges ahead toward the distraction, do an about-face turn and walk QUICKLY back to your beginning point. Even if your dog doesn’t forge ahead of you, when you get half-way toward the distraction, do an about-face turn and walk back to your beginning point. 4.  When your dog is no longer forging wildly  toward the distraction, approach to a safe distance (4 to 10 feet) and turn away again.  If the dog turns with you, showing more interest in you than the distraction, you have one 'refusal.'  Get several more refusals (the dog turning with you and refusing to go after the distraction) before moving on to step 5.  Use good judgement - don't approach too closely to any distractions that could be dangerous to you or your dog. 5.  After you have several refusals, move toward the distraction.  This time, when you reach your desired distance from the distraction (4-10 feet), simply stop.  If the dog moves forward, turn and run. Continue this process until the dog shows no interest in the distraction and is stopping behind you or next to you, waiting expectantly for your next move.  This is called a 'proof.'  Repeat until you get 10 proofs  per distraction. 6.  Repeat Steps 1 through 5  with as many distractions as you possibly can.  You will not be ready for formal heeling (loose-leash walking) until your dog views every distraction as a set-up that you have created for training. NOTE:  Sometimes, you will have a distraction that the dog will eventually be allowed to interact with calmly, such as a toy, another dog, a person, etc.  In these cases, we don't want the dog to think the distraction itself is bad, but that forging wildly ahead of you to get to the distraction is.  For these distractions, follow steps 1 through 4 above, until you have a few good refusals.  Then, give your dog the 'release' to calmly investigate the distraction.  If your dog is not calm, it is not proofed! Days Six & Seven & Eight & ….. Repeat the exercises from Day Five.  The goal is to convince the dog that ALL distractions are a set up.  The perfection is in the distraction-proofing.  The more you do, the better the dog will become!  Keep a list of the distractions, and mark them off as 'proofed' when you can approach the distraction and stop, and the dog stops and looks at you, expecting your about-face turn 10 times!