In 2014 I started offering small group classes for my private clients with reactive dogs, to help them expand the skills they learned to new environments and with other dogs. I wanted to come up with ways to help keep the dogs more engaged with their humans, after all, being in a public park with other reactive dogs present was distracting enough! I drew some inspiration from TTouch and Rally obedience – I loved the course layout of rally, with the cones and signage. I also really liked the body awareness exercises I learned about in a TTouch seminar, using a variety of pvc equipment for the dogs to step through. I decided to bring these elements into my classes, and created some of my own equipment in addition to purchasing gear such as platforms. I placed these in a wide circle, giving the dogs and their handlers stations where they could build assigned skills, and had the teams rotate through the stations. I wasn’t quite sure what to call this, so I simply started using the term “course circles.”
I’ve been perfecting this approach ever since then, using it for a variety of cases. I found that it has transformed my group classes. It’s been a game changer for reactive, anxious, hyper vigilant, distracted, and dogs with over arousal. Most of all, I found that the dogs AND their humans had more fun training, leading to better results and faster progress.
Here’s what they are, and how I use them.
Course Circles
A course circle consists of 4-6 stations placed in a circle. The width of the circle should be wide, with extra room in between each station to allow for sniffing/free movement. Like this:
The stations typically have some sort of equipment (or visual cue such as a cone), and I assign a different behavior at each station. The types of equipment you choose to use and which behaviors you want to assign at each station is completely up to you, the dog(s) in question, and the skills you want to build. I’ll share more about the assigned behaviors here in just a bit.
In general, many of my circles have Klimb platforms, a slow feeder, cavalletti poles, cones, and an adjustable platform that I can make smaller or larger + change shape. Varying the activity at each station keeps things interesting, and allows you to practice a variety of skills.
Note the space in between the stations and how that allows for the dog to gather scent from the other dogs in class. I do this on purpose – I want the dogs to have the ability to get information from the other dogs without interacting with them. I also want that space to allow the dogs to move freely as they go to the next station, but this can also serve as an opportunity to reinforce something simple such as engage/disengage if they notice another dog as they are moving along. But most of the time I instruct my clients to allow their dogs to sniff as they move to the next station. When they arrive, the dogs often want to check it out, after all the dog before them just trained/ate there and there are lots of interesting smells to investigate! I instruct my clients to allow their dogs to process this part first, as their dogs will be more relaxed and engaged during training once they finish.
The repetitive nature of the course – going in a circle and coming across the same stations multiple times brings predictability, helping the dogs to calm down and acclimate to each other’s presence while also building their skill set.
Examples of equipment/assigned behaviors at stations:
Assigned Behaviors
The behaviors I assign at the stations have a purpose, and usually fall within 3 categories: a skill that they will use out in the real world, something that increases body awareness, and something simple (physically and mentally) to serve as an easy pathway to reinforcement. By having the dogs use both their bodies and their minds, they stay far more engaged during training. They also relax more quickly, and are less interested in the other dogs in class. Here are some ideas of behaviors that I assign:
Skills: Call aways (from distractions), figure eights (loose leash skills), sit, down, offered eye contact, recall, stationing.
Body Awareness: 2 paws on platform, 4 paws on platform, walk the plank, walk through pvc ladder, balance board, weave, cavalletti poles.
Easy Behaviors: snuffle mat, slow feeder, treat scatters, treat chases.
Course Circles in Action
In my reactive dog group classes, I have the dogs walk at a distance from one another at the park for the first 10 minutes to help them acclimate. This allows time for sniffing and an opportunity to relieve themselves. Then we walk over to the course and I demonstrate each station so my clients know what behavior to ask for. Each team starts at a station, and does 5-7 repetitions of the behavior before I announce to give a release cue and move on. The teams rotate at the same time and we repeat this process for several minutes until everyone has gone around the entire course 3-4 times.
Adjusting Criteria
When the dogs first start at each station, I show my clients how to reduce criteria for success. For example, many dogs who have never been on a platform before may show apprehension. I demonstrate how to build interest in the platform, all the way to the dog jumping on. This process is expanded upon during each subsequent round, and since we do several rounds in class it gives each team plenty of time to revisit the stations and increase criteria. It’s very typical to see a dog who wasn’t sure about getting on a platform the first round to be jumping on and holding a sit or down by the last round. By breaking down the behavior and raising criteria as the dogs are successful, my clients also get to see the process involved with this – which is a really helpful concept for them to learn.
Adjusting the Course
I typically find that the dogs are rocking the behaviors after 3 or 4 rounds, and at this point I have them take a short break as I adjust the course. There are many ways to do this – but here are a few of the more common ones I do:
Making the course smaller: Being that it is circular in shape, I simply move the stations in. This is a great way to help reactive dogs become more comfortable being in closer proximity to the other dogs in class, while keeping the course/behaviors predictable.
Change the assigned behaviors: If one station has the dog going on a platform and sitting, I might add duration to the sit to raise criteria. Or, I might add in some new behaviors/equipment to the course to mix it up and make it more interesting.
Change the shape of the course: I will pull assigned behaviors (such as leash walking and stationing) and have the dogs do these behaviors (with the same equipment/visual cues) in a different context. For example, I will place platforms off to the side of a pathway and have some dogs be on a platform while another dog practices focused leash walking as they go past, which is essentially a “set up” in leash reactivity cases. I then rotate the dogs so each of them has a chance to practice the stationing and leash walking parts. By keeping the equipment and assigned behaviors the same, it helps the dogs know what to expect. It is this piece right here – pulling behaviors from the course and applying them to real life scenarios that is my end goal. Depending on my clients – whether it’s a drop in style class, semi private lessons, or private lessons, I adjust the course and behaviors to reflect as much of a “real life” application as we can.
Other Uses for Course Circles
The visual cues of the stations in a course circle are powerful. For dogs who are overwhelmed by their environment, these types of visual cues serve as a “I know exactly what is coming next” element that can help them feel more secure. But course circles don’t always need to have physical items to be part of the station. By pairing a specific behavior with a specific location/context, you can create a similar degree of predictability. Here’s another example of how I’ve used a course circle.
I had a client whose dog made amazing progress with their leash reactivity during a private lesson program with me, and could enjoy walks around the neighborhood again. Then one day a large, unattended dog bolted from its house and attacked my client’s dog while on a walk. After that, my client’s dog couldn’t step outside of their gate without her tail tucked and constantly scanning down the street. She struggled to respond to the behaviors she had learned during our time together, because she was so worried about being in that environment.
I created a course circle, using both naturally occurring locations/visual cues that were in the environment (gate, walkway, carport) along with some equipment that I brought in. I paired assigned behaviors to the locations and the equipment, using a several behaviors that were already familiar to her and were well rehearsed. The course started at their back gate, to just outside of their carport, to under their carport, and then back inside their yard again. The course was small and close to home, and after each round we went back inside their yard for a short break. Here’s what our initial course looked like:
I instructed my client to practice this same course each day for 2 weeks. After only a few days, my client’s dog was eagerly looking forward to leaving the yard, was no longer tucking her tail, and could stay engaged with her human without scanning towards the street. During each subsequent session, I changed a piece of the course circle, assigning other behaviors such as loose leash walking down the street a bit, then right back to the familiarity of the course.
Eventually I pulled out the physical item stations (platform and cavalletti poles), and we added in other behaviors out front, in addition to expanding the area we were training in to be further from home. And by the end (after 6 lessons), this dog was comfortable going on walks like they had in the past, before the attack. By reintroducing her to that environment with as much predictability as possible, she knew what to expect. This process also helped my human client, who was also traumatized by the attack. By giving both of them a way to work together that prioritized their emotional needs, they built upon that success and gained confidence together again.
Predictability, context, consistency, visual cues, repetition – all of these help dogs learn, and all of these are components of course circles. I don’t use course circles with every client, but I find them to be a powerful tool for cases where the dogs are highly distracted by the environment. By modifying that environment, and then slowly fading the course, I can help the dogs transfer their skills in a way that sets them up for success. They have been invaluable in my practice, and I can’t wait to hear how others use them as well!
Video
To see a course circle in action in one of my Level 2 Group Walks classes click here. A few caveats – all of these dogs have completed private training programs to address their leash reactivity, and come to classes to continue building their skill set around new dogs. These clients have practiced really hard, and it shows.
I go over course circles in my online Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals course, demonstrating their use for a variety of cases.