When Hannah Branigan began training her first dog for obedience competition, she wanted to play the game but train using positive reinforcement. She quickly discovered that traditional methods weren’t for her and that she had to throw out the old playbook. “Clicker trainers like me look at the problem completely differently,” she says. “We break down skills into easily mastered bits and pieces that we then link into behavior chains to produce flashy heeling and snappy drops on recall.”
Hannah built a new training program from the ground up. The results were awesome. Her dogs have competed successfully at the national level, earning High-in-Trial awards and advanced titles through several organizations. These strategies have transformed training for hundreds of teams, who also believe in the power of positive reinforcement and good training practices. In Awesome Obedience, Hannah lays out all the components to build the behaviors needed to go as far in obedience training as you want.
You’ll learn:
• How to create a happy, reliable partner using motivational games
• Where to put your efforts (hint: not in Fronts and Finishes)
• How the mechanics of exercises affect training
• How to fine-tune your dog’s arousal level for maximum performance
• How to train your dog to ignore ring distractions (like that judge following you around)
• How to train the critical, unscored transition portion of your performance between exercises
• Most of all, how to have a blast with your dog while you train
“Hannah’s observation skills are razor sharp, and she is able to break down complex behaviors into small pieces to readily teach the human and the animal. She explains succinctly what each student needs to do to maximize success, making the learning experience energizing and fun.” —Lynn Rives, student
Hannah Branigan applies a background in human sports and biology to the world of animal training and canine competitive sports. She has titled dogs in obedience, agility, conformation, Schutzhund, and rally. Hannah is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), a KPA faculty member, a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. A popular speaker, she teaches workshops all over the country. A self-proclaimed training nerd, Hannah hosts the popular, award-winning podcast, Drinking from the Toilet, and has received rave reviews for her competition obedience DVDs.
6 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
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Awesome Obedience
The first thing to say about this book is that the author is American and the tests to which she refers are those of the AKC; however most of the exercises are extant across several disciplines in the UK and thus this book should not be rejected out of hand. I am not sure if there is a similar book on the market, but this is the first one I have come across which has broken down all the exercises into small components and then described how to put them together in the required chain/sequence. This book is aimed at the competitor in Obedience and/or those who want to improve their performance in the Obedience Section(s) of their chosen discipline whether that be IGP, Working Trials, Rally etc. In an ideal world, we would all have access to a top coach on a 1:1 basis on at least a weekly basis; but that is rarely the case whether due to financial or geographical reasons. Thus this is a fantastic resource either for those who do not have this access and/or for the handler to follow up between 1:1s. What does the author cover? Heelwork, Retrieve (including the retrieve over the hurdle), Positions on the Move, Distance Control, Scent Discrimination, Stays, Sendaway, Hurdle and Long jumps, Temperament Test as well as equipment. But these are just the “whats”; more importantly Hannah details the “hows” with the emphasis on clicker training, targeting and movement skills. This is quite a technical book and, although it is illustrated copiously with both diagrams and photographs, there may be times when the reader could benefit from discussing some of the exercises with a 1:1 instructor. This is a publication that deserves to be in every competitor’s library to be referred to repeatedly.
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foundation games and fun
Hannah Bragigan is doing for obedience what Susan Garrett did for Agility...setting the dog and handler up for success by teaching a series of sequential fun games to build a firm foundation. we are working our way through the book making check marks and annotations in the margins as we go along. If I could recommend an improvement, it would be to add a work book for use in record keeping.
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I am so thrilled Hannah wrote this book
This is a very aptly named book because it is AWESOME. it has inspired me to start my young Belgian in Obedience and I refer to it frequently. I appreciate the signature mix of humor, wisdom and incredible attention to detail that is pure Hannah Branigan. Hannah is always amazing at explaining how to break things down and teaching precision behaviors skillfully, and this book is the culmination of years of Hannah's thoughtful and fun teachings. If you have any interest at all in Obedience, you need the book. now.
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Awesome Obedience
This is one of the best books I've read about using positive reinforcement for competition obedience. Hannah lays out very comprehensive yet easy to understand exercises. I'm buying more books as gifts for my team of trainers.
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Awesome obedience
I wish I would have found this book 30 years ago. This is the book those of us who know there must be a better way but do not have access to like minded trainers have been waiting for. Clear concise and entertaining. Never thought one book could have it all.
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Excellence in every way!
I have been impatiently waiting for the release of this great book for a long time. I ordered it on release day & wasn't disappointed. Hannah speaks to us in plain, easy to understand, terms even though the material presented is thorough & meticulous. The sheer volume of valuable training information loaded in these pages is extraordinary. This is the first must-read book I've reviewed & recommended in a long time. Don't wait to order this one. This is a book that will provide you with an immediate plan of action toward our mutual goal to become the most well-informed, competent trainer we can be.