Sisko, Katri, Miia, Raili, Paivi, Ari and Hessu
Rakkaat Haukut (which translated means "Beloved Dog"), led by Raili Halme, invited DOG-GAMES staff for a weekend seminar on teaching "Reducing Stress in Agility and Flyball" in Helsinki, Finland. The weekend concentrated on how handlers and trainers could reduce the causes and symptoms of stress and help the dogs understand and learn - providing a strong foundation on which the dog could rely and build success from.
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The seminar was held in a complex of enormous caves in the heart of a hill in the suburbs of Helsinki, as training outside was out of the question due to the very low temperature and the depth of snow. The Finns are so keen to conserve their environment that many large public buildings are constructed underground, leaving vast areas of the city with wonderful woodland for the people and wildlife to enjoy. The entrance to the complex was so big that it felt like a set from a James Bond movie, and I began to wonder what on earth I had let myself in for! I needn’t have worried – the conference centre, housed in one of the adjoining caves, was state-of-the art with all the latest technology to help me display the videos that I had brought. The rear of the “cave” was cleared of its tables and chairs, carpeting brought in, a suitable barrier made from the tables so that the dogs felt less intimidated by the audience, and a variety of agility equipment arranged around the area so that each dog could be allowed in one at a time to explore and become used to the situation.
Despite the venue’s limitations of space and the floor surface, the weekend was a great success. With the help of my talented translator I was able to explain how to teach dogs the basics of agility and flyball using calm, quiet and stress-free training methods so that a dog is able to enjoy and concentrate on what it is being taught. Many dogs (and handlers!) find traditional training methods very stressful and the dogs often become confused or over excited. When this happens the dog is unable to concentrate on what it is doing and will often resort to frantic barking, running wildly around the equipment, or its movements become slower and unsure. These symptoms of stress often become synonymous with doing either agility or flyball and many trainers find it almost impossible to stop a dog displaying these behaviours. However, by managing the training environment and keeping the sessions short and pleasurable, dogs are able to control their levels of excitement and are able to learn and remember far more than would otherwise have been the case. These dogs need less training once they have learnt the basics and are far more quick, consistent and accurate when in competition.
The weekend was a great success and all enjoyed exchanging ideas and information about how dogs can enjoy learning these dog sports. There are plans for DOG-GAMES to return later in the year to do further talks and seminars with Rakkaat Haukut's dedicated and knowledgeable team.
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