Part 2 – The STOP

This is the major differentiator between other methods and the hardest / longest to train. I had decided that I wanted a completely ‘hands free’ method (both to encourage independence and avoid shoulder pressure), so everything would be shaped.

The Stop broke down into 7 distinct exercises:

1. Nose touches (NT)
2. Rear end awareness
3. 2O2O as a discrete exercise (away from contacts)
4. The Happy zone
5. Fading a NT
6. Looking ahead / next obstacle

vii.  Fading reward / varying reinforcement

I will cover each of these in more depth over the next few weeks