In Competitive Obedience Clickertraining gets more and more important. It works for the basics like heel position as well as for the more complex exercises. On this page I will explain how I teach my dogs certain elements for Obedience. I only do FCI Obedience. I don’t know a lot about AKC Obedience.
Heelwork
Having a good heelwork is the most important thing in Obedience. In competition, you will lose points for every incorrect heel position in every exercise. I teach my dogs to come to heel with a handtarget. For small dogs I will use a targetstick.
The Box
In FCI Obedience the box is a 3x3 meters (10x10 feet) square that has a pylon at every corner. The dog is supposed to run into the box and lie down on cue. The distance varies from level to level. In beginners and level 1 it is allowed to place a lead in the square. We can use that leash as a target. For this reason the dog should learn to run to his lead and lie down. It is a good idea to use a clicker for this purpose. If the dog knows what to do, you can increase the distance.
The Retrieve
A dog has to do at least one retrieve in every level. Starting with a simple straightforward retrieve and retrieving over a jump to retrieving a metal dumbbell or doing a directional retrieve. Again, you can use a clicker to shape this exercise. Start by shaping your dog to take and hold the dumbbell. Once your dog understands that part, ask him to come to heel. If your dog reliably comes to heel with the dumbbell, you can start to put the dumbbell in front of you and sent the dog. When the dog knows the whole process, increase the distance.