No I don’t mean moron Mastery I mean more-on mastery:). Since writing this post last week I have had a number of you that have offered to move to Alberton to achieve the immersion I suggested when wanting to learn Italian. I am flattered you would have picked our program to model, but the impracticality of all of us in the tiny apartment has prompted me to write about how one may immerse yourself in other ways.
To really get a grasp of the Say Yes program you would start right here at this blog. Have you read all of the archived articles? Next, are you signed up on my newsletter? There are two very easy ways to start the process. Obviously it would be great if you could join us in Ancaster for one of our camps but the next best thing would be to take the shrink wrapper off of my DVDs that are sitting on your bookshelf and really get to know the content. If you don’t have all of my books and DVDs get them now! Click on the link at the top of the page that will take you to our online store. If you can’t get them all at once, buy two at a time until you have the collection. Go through each of them not just once but enough times so you thoroughly understand the concepts being taught.
In addition to all of that, I will make available my “Foundation Notes.” This is a set of notes that is normally only available to those that come and see me live and in person. In your quest for mastery I will make these available. The cost is $45 CND plus shipping. I normally don’t sell these unless you have attended a seminar with me and have a grasp on our program as some of the articles may be overwhelming if you are new. In this package there are over 100 pages of articles I have written for different magazines and some articles that have never been published, that I have used only for camps here at home. The notes are divided into Foundation, Puppy work, Obstacle training and some on handling. If you are interested you can contact Penny at [email protected] and she will let you know how you may purchase them.
For those that are fortunate enough to be able to take the next steps and train with me in Alberton, the progression of workshops would be:
1) Advances in Dog Training (unfortunately I have never offered this program at home but it is invaluable). The “readers digest” version of this is “Lurer’s Anonymous. Both of these workshops have a lot of lecture and demos with minimal working with the dog.
2) Puppy Camp: is a three day seminar available to puppy once they have had 2 vaccinations (10 weeks) up to 1 year old. The focus of this camp is relationship building, puppy jump grids, body awareness exercises and laying down the building blocks for handling and contacts skills.
3) Skills Camp: is a four day workshop open to any dog 1 year old or over (or 10 months or older if you have attended Puppy Camp) that wants to immerse themselves in the skill work of the Say Yes program. We have dogs brand new to agility as well as former National champions attend this one. It is a great follow up to puppy camp but also is a stand alone camp for those wanting train or re-train their jumping, contact training, 2×2 weave work or body awareness. There is no sequencing or handling at this camp.
4) Tweener Camp: is not offered routinely, only on demand. It is a 4 day camp open only to those that have attended either a Puppy or a Skills Camp. Very much like Skill but with more work for the dogs to further along the skills introduced in your last camp.
5) Graduate Skills Camp: is offered only once per year. Here we introduce foundation handling as well as jump grids and polishing up contacts and weave training before starting your dog’s agility career. Many students re-join us at Graduate Skills camp to tune up on skills that might have gotten sloppy after a year of trailing.
6) Contacts & Weaves Workshop: This program is not offered routinely (when my timetable allows) and is open only to those that have take one of the above workshops. It is an intense 2 or sometimes 3 days that furthers along all of the contact games (we have 35 of them) and 2×2 weave pole training.
7) Handling Camps: Here students are introduced to or reminded of the nuances in Greg Derrett’s handling system. We offer camps at a higher “Master” level as well as once aimed at you “Growing in Teamwork”.
I made a decision last week that I will be suspending all of my teaching of privates lessons and weekly classes at home and will not be doing seminars away from home for the next little while. Those of you that have currently lesson booked with me, I will work with you, but I can’t book new ones. I need to follow through on a few projects that I currently have on the go. What I have in store are things to help everyone that I know will make learning much easier for everyone (like my free 2×2 webinars). Until the time I will be back doing seminars (I love to teach so this will not be permanent) my instructors; Lynda Orton-Hill, Tracy Sklenar, Katie Oilshlager, Penny Hewitt and Blanche Cooper will carry the load of any teaching in the Say Yes program to be done away from home.
So for those of you booked into my workshops in Colorado in August, that will be my last one for now, so lets make it a real party! If you need more information you can contact Susan Anderson at [email protected].
Yes I will be doing camps in Florida in Jan 12-14 & 18-20th with a smaller novice one in February. My goal is to have all my new projects wrapped up by the new year, but I won’t take on any new assignments until I do.
Today I am grateful for all of the wild ideas I get running through my head that allows me to continue to offer a fresh approach to dog and agility training.
Oh!I am so lucky to be able to attend your week long training siminar/workshop “down under in Oz”.
just can’t wait to see you in person.
I know it has been a long time since this entry was written, but I have to say I loved reading it. Discussing immersion as a step to mastery you wrote to “immerse yourself … get a grasp of the Say Yes program … Have you read all of the archived articles?”
After 15 years of teaching the basics of agility to 4-H kids I am ready to train my own Sheltie. Determined to “do it right” I began reading again. (It has probably been at least 10 years since I had done serious reading on agility training methods.) My reading led me to this site (just in time to sign up for the new e-course! Yea!)
Being rather OCD myself, knowing I will not be able to attend a camp – at least for the time being, and wanting to learn all I can, I began to read your blog from the first archive.
I have been pained I missed your early newsletters and the 31 tips in 31 days, but have learned a lot from the blog. At times I have wondered if it is “over the top” to read EVERY post. But now here you are telling me that is EXACTLY what I should do.
I am sure there are lots of others reading these older posts. Thank you for leaving them online. Not only will I be better training my Shelitie, but I know I will be a MUCH better teacher next spring.
Congrats Susan on saying YES to prioritizing projects to achieve what you need and want. It’s a very difficult thing to do!!!
Hi Susan,
Where do you hold your Florida camps?
Helen
My foundation package arrived today – and I’m in England! Well done to your staff – especially Penny and to Canada Post, this must be some kind of record.
There is a lot of material in the package and I can’t wait to get into it. We are having a heat wave here so as it’s too hot for the dogs to do much I can get reading and planning instead – perfect timing.
Thankyou Susan for making this material available to those of us who sadly will probably never be able to get out to Ontario anytime soon.
Susan,
I know lots of people would love to attend all you camps & seminars but, because of where they live, can not afford the cost of the camps plus the cost of travel.
Have you every considered “Cyber” camps/seminars?
Just brainstorming here but, you could have a website set up where you teach the days lessons and people could video themselves and send to you for review.
Once you think they have mastered the skills you could say they have completed the course and could move on to the next phase.
Just a thought.
Susie
Dallas, TX
Hi Susie, I am working on something for everyone. Give me a couple more months!
Susan,
I was thinking about your motivational seminar more. I just wondered, there are many of us who read your blogs and there are some really great agility people to look up to. It occurred to me that those agility people must have people they look up to as well?
Lisa
Pretty good post. I just found your blog and wanted to say
that I’ve really liked browsing your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your blog and I hope you post again soon!
I got a little nervous there–but *sigh of relief* I will see you in August in Colorado!
I had always wondered what the progression of the camps looked like…thanks for posting that. What would you suggest for a dog who started out all wrong (yes we were part of lurers anonymous but have seen the light) Would skills camp be the best choice? (my dogs are 2 and 4)
Dear Susan,
Congratulations on the new blog, it looks fab!
Latest news from “Cujo” the min-pin:
Liva (as her real name is) re-entered the competition-ring last weekend. We had a bad (and long) history of her leaving course, but after a lot of good dog-training (I’ve always been positive, but mayby to permissive) the picture has changed. We won our standard run and came in second in jumpers, both runs we’re clean bien sur!
As I owe you big time for this succes I’m sending you tons of cyber-karma.
Your books, dvd’s and this blog has really been world-changing for my dogtraining.
But I’m still hoping to win the lottery and take the pincher ladys to Canada ;o)
Have a lovely summer,
Hugs Emily
That is amazing Emily!!!! Thanks for the update, I so love to hear of success stories like this! Keep up the hard work and best of luck with all of your future runs.
Please, please, please keep doing local seminars. Phoenix and I are hooked on our workshops, I’m certain we’ll have major withdrawal pains if we can’t go!
As I live in the U.K. at present I hope your plans involve technology!! Coming to Alberton is not an option for me right now.
I love the 2×2 weave pole and Success with one jump DVDs and have just e-mailed Penny about the foundation notes.
By using the available technology you should be able to both spend more time at home with your own dogs and family and reach the people everywhere who love your positive approach to training and wish to learn more.
Wow, all your camps seams relay fun:) I’d love to go to one, (but unfortunately I live in Sweden and is only 15 years old so I don’t have the opportunity to attend one of your camps right now:( ).
But I relay love your blog and I absolutely going to buy all of your books and DVD’s 🙂
Thanks for your blog (and sorry for all the misspelling:))
And I thought I was the only one that wanted to move in. I am sure you could make me and my dogs superstars. Oh well.
Your dedication to the masses is very much appreciated. I really enjoy your blog. Nice to see you will be home more, your dogs will definitely be glad not to see the suitcase out as much.
Are you going to be doing local seminars?
What a great peace of news! I can’t wait to get your foundation notes. From Belgium it’s hard to attend your camps although I’d love to.
One more time I’m so gratefull you share your wonderful knowledge of dog training we all of us.