Gwen Johnson
Gwen and Muddiford Scrubbing Brush
Gwen has been training dogs for competitive sports since the year 2000. Her dogs have taken her to well known events such as Crufts, Olympia and the World Agility Open. Gwen has vast experience training different breeds of dogs and has a talent for tailoring her teaching to suit the needs of her students – both canine and Human.
Her current dog Pie, an Australian Cattle dog has excelled in many arenas, She is a Show Champion, she is grade 5 in Agility (after her first season competing) and has recently gained her Kennel Club Working Gundog Certificate (on Dummies)
Gwen has a deep rooted passion for positive reinforcement training, for making the best of each team and for celebrating the talents of our amazing dogs.
Workshop 1 – Multiple marker systems
With my latest dog my ambition was to excel in multiple sports, in order to be able to do this much of my thinking time and preparation was spent on trying to make the clearest communication system that I could. It has revolutionised my training.
One of the progressions in modern training systems is the use of multiple markers. It allows us to communicate more than just the availability of a reward but what that reward might be and where it will be delivered.
Multiple marker systems add clarity to any work at a distance, focus, detail, and balance of drive. Essentially, they can add clarity and confidence in all areas of training and life with our dogs.
Workshop 2 – Working in tricky environments – reinforcement strategies that enhance relationships
Gun dogs have to work in really tricky environments, they need to be simultaneously calm and ready to go!
They can also be very good at being self-employed, so in order to be the best team mate possible we need to consider how and where our dogs are accessing reinforcement.
We will look at how to tailor reinforcements to your individual dog, how we work out what they really like, and how we work out how to effectively deliver reinforcement in order to have a relationship that allows us to work in challenging environments.