August 12, 2025 • 27 mins
From anxious and reactive to calm, confident and focused — Cavaletti training is the secret tool you didn’t know your dog needed. 🐾
In this episode of the Sexier than a Squirrel Podcast, world-class trainer Lauren Langman and her colleague Jamie dive into how Cavaletti builds strength, balance, focus, and emotional resilience in dogs of all breeds, ages, and training backgrounds.
You’ll hear:
- How Cavaletti helps Lauren’s Border Collie, Brave, in her recovery from a devastating spinal injury.
- Why reactive dogs thrive with Cavaletti and how it changes movement patterns for calmer behaviour.
- How to adapt Cavaletti for small spaces, senior dogs, or limited off-leash opportunities.
- The simple setup that delivers results in just minutes a day.
Whether you want to prevent injuries, build your dog’s confidence, or transform reactivity into focus, this episode will show you why Cavaletti should be in every dog owner’s toolkit.
Watch for a cool opportunity (promo mentioned in episode) starting 21 August! 😮
Check out the course here:
https://absolutedogs.me/cavaletticourse
Join us for AD Live & Unleashed, a *FREE* Naughty but Nice Dog 2-Day Event held 8-9 November 2025. Tickets are limited, grab your ticket today + bring a friend!
https://absolutedogs.me/unleashed
If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27!
Want even more epic dog training fun and games and solutions to all your dog training struggles? Join us in the AbsoluteDogs Games Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/gamesclub
Want to take your learning to the next level? Jump into the games-based training membership for passionate dog owners and aspiring trainers that know they want more for themselves and their dog - Pro Dog Trainer Club!
https://absolutedogs.me/prodogtrainerclub
And while you’re here, please leave a review for us and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lauren Langman (00:09):
Welcome to the Absolute Dog Sex in a Squirrel
podcast.
I'm Lauren Langman.
I'm one of the world's leadingdog trainers and it's my mission
to help owners become theirdog's top priority.
In each episode, you'lldiscover how to gain trust and
communicate with your dog likenever before, creating
unbreakable bonds that make youthe most exciting part of their
world.
Cavaletti oh my god, it'sactually one of my favourites
(00:31):
and it really is a favourite forme because I've watched and
I've seen and I've beenfirst-hand sort of part of
seeing a dog develop not only intheir brain, not only in their,
but also in their concepttraining, I suppose, of
confidence and problem solvingand resilience and mental
toughness.
Like I love Cavaletti, Icouldn't love it anymore.
Jamie Hogg (00:52):
No, it's brilliant, it's amazing and it's a really
cool one to watch where a dog isat.
I think some dogs pick it upreally quickly and other dogs
really test your teachingability.
Lauren Langman (01:03):
I would suggest would suggest absolutely and
your resourcefulness and yourflexibility and your down and
you really have to break it down, don't you dogs literally break
it down?
And I'm thinking also I've usedit in lots of different
circumstances, but I'm thinkingback to when we filmed Cavaletti
and we were filming with Tokyo,actually our late dog and he
was uns, he wasn't right, he wasconfident circuits.
(01:25):
Actually he wasn't right on aon a sort of a cavaletti grid.
He wasn't, he was off a beat ona on a confident circuit or a
cavaletti beat.
And it can also help you withgait analysis.
It can also help you withlooking at sort of spinal
flexibility.
It can also help you looking athow you might strengthen and
condition an athlete, but alsohow you might look after an
older dog or a geriatric dog orgive them something to think
(01:47):
about.
I suppose similar to whenyou're in a residential home and
there's lots of differentpuzzles to solve Effectively.
Jamie Hogg (01:52):
It's another puzzle, yeah definitely yeah, being
able to pick up Well Cavalettiis going to be one of the first
kind of rehabby type thingsSomebody like a's going to give
you or something if your dog hasan injury.
It's going to be one of themain things.
So making sure that your dog isfit and able to do it and not
learning it as they're as theyneed to know it before there's a
(02:14):
problem, don't they?
Lauren Langman (02:15):
they need to know before they've got a
problem.
And I'm thinking brave, yeah,so brave.
For those of you don't know,brave is my border collie.
She had a spinal accident.
The spinal accident was prettyhorrific.
It was just sprinting acrossthe field and she went sprinting
across that field and bang wasdown, rehabbing her back to
walking.
I was talking to a lovelyfriend, tanya, I don't know if
you remember with her lovelyspaniel that had IBDD and they
(02:36):
still haven't got her walking,which is just traumatic.
It's really traumatic.
And that's six months in withbrave.
She actually was back to walkingwithin about four weeks and so,
as much as when anyone sees heryou might think she's a little
bit drunk looking, she's ataxicit would be the description of
it she actually is very, verygood, like she can.
She can go to the toiletstanding and squatting, rather
(02:59):
than having to be effectivelymade to go to the toilet, which
will be what some dogs areliving when they're in any sort
of spinal case, and sometimesthey do get full use again and
sometimes they don't.
But what I'm thinking when Ithink back to Cavaletti is
Cavaletti.
She knew it way before.
So when she started to comeback into it, although her leg
wasn't working, you could seethat her brain was going.
I remember this, so her brainremembered it, but her leg
(03:19):
didn't work because she has nofeeling in her back, left leg
and or very little feeling andno deep pain response that we
can see, really, and so I thinkthat I'm grateful she already
knew it before she ever neededit definitely, definitely, and I
think that I would be gratefulthat all my guys know it.
Jamie Hogg (03:37):
If anything was to happen, it's there isn't it.
It's there, the foundations arethere and I think them just
having the ability to be able todo that.
And then if you, like you said,with Tokyo picking up those
tiny little things, you can justpick up, and it wasn't like he
was lame, you didn't see it outwhen he was out walking or
(03:58):
anything like that.
It was only within thatexercise that you picked it.
Lauren Langman (04:02):
You'd see like a hitch and you'd go you just
look off a beat or you justhitch there.
Jamie Hogg (04:06):
Yeah, yeah.
Lauren Langman (04:07):
Incredible, incredible really that you could
spot it that easily.
Now, thinking through the typesof dogs that you think
Cavaletti helps or it suits, whodoes it suit?
Oh my God everybody, everybody,definitely.
Jamie Hogg (04:19):
I think throughout the badge we mention how to
adjust it for, like, if it waslike an older dog or if it was
like a really teeny, tiny dogand stuff.
We've got lots of little ideasthat we can make it.
Make it so it's workable forthose guys and, yeah, for any
dog, for puppies, you can startdoing the foundation training
straight away, because that willhelp you leaps and bounds in
(04:40):
the future then, won't it?
Lauren Langman (04:42):
Now, what is Cavaletti?
Let's just actually answer.
What is it?
For someone listening?
They're thinking Cavalettisounds like some sort of
spaghetti, sounds like somethingyou might eat in Italy.
What actually is it?
I?
Jamie Hogg (04:51):
think Cavaletti, I think I Googled it, but don't
quote me.
Lauren Langman (04:54):
but I think it means little horse, so it came
from the horse world, nice,carry on, I'm going to go read
it, read it, keep going, googleit just in case.
Jamie Hogg (05:01):
No, keep going, you're good.
So it means little horse and itcame from the.
It came from the horsey world,so it was all to help horses
with their gait and it thenfiltered through to the dog
world.
So sports, I would say it'smore of a like come from that
area, but I think that cavalettishould be an every dog and,
like we've said with the, withthe naughty but nice dogs, it's
(05:23):
amazing for them being able,like like a dog that's reacting
to their environment, for themto be able to float through
Cavaletti.
It's one massive work on theirdimmer switch, so them being
able to control their level ofarousal and just being able to
have more proprioception, havemore flow to their movement.
(05:45):
So they're kind of not soerratic, because sometimes with
reactive dogs you just get aconstant of that kind of
reactive motion within theirbody, isn't it like?
Lauren Langman (05:56):
jagged motion.
That kind of hits the sameplace as the emotion, yeah,
doesn't it?
Often, yeah, and cavalettiettiwork involves a series of raised
obstacles, usually poles, toimprove balance, coordination
strength.
These exercises are designed toenhance various aspects of
training, including rhythm,suppleness and stride.
It challenges balance, forcingit to adjust at times with the
(06:17):
steps and maintain stabilityover poles.
It strengthens muscles, topline, particularly back legs,
and overall athleticism.
The exercises encourage them tostretch through their body.
Improving suppleness and rangeof motion helps them develop
proper form.
Brilliant for transitions,great for novelty, brilliant
mental stimulation.
(06:38):
Keeps them engaged, helps to beinterested, helps to keep the
interest in training processes.
Incorporates changes intraining processes.
Incorporates changes in gait.
Incorporates changes in speed.
Incorporates changes indirection.
Literally massive riders canalso work.
Oh, this is a horse one, soriders can also work with
cabaletti to improve their ownbalance.
Is used for equestriandisciplines, including dressage,
(07:01):
show jumping and eventing.
So if we translate that fordogs, I mean it's loads of
mechanics like your dog trainingmechanics.
Jamie Hogg (07:07):
Also a massive one for for dogs I was gonna say
horses and a massive one fordogs is forward focus and task
focus, keeping them focused on atask, and it is something like
I wouldn't take a full.
Well, I probably have taken afull set of cavalletti out on
the moors, but I, you know,we've got to be jamie weirdo up
the moors, you've got to have.
(07:27):
You know, there's like there'ssome exercises within the badge
that are just a couple of likefour cones and two poles, yeah,
and you can take that out andabout with you and again, that's
screaming to your dog that thatis a.
This is, this is what we'vedone at home, this is what I can
do here, yeah, and it's amazingto watch.
Well, it's amazing to watch oneof my naughty but nice dogs.
(07:47):
That was one of the exercisesthat I took up the most and
there was some sheep outside thevan and it was just like, do I
get you out now or not?
Because I trained the othersbecause they were all coping
with the sheep, but she doeslike sheep, so getting her out
and then doing she's working onthe game she knows, but with the
struggle around her.
And she was amazing.
Lauren Langman (08:10):
I think that's it, isn't it?
It actually gives them a taskto focus on now.
Looking here, it's likestraight lines, curves, grids,
combination exercises that's allof what we do, isn't it?
And when I listen to this, I'mlike, oh, I want to do more of
it, but we actually do do itmost days, like we do it most
days here, and I think that'sreally important to acknowledge
that this is something our dogsdo a huge amount of.
Now, what would be one of yourlight bulb moments in training
(08:33):
Cavaletti and I'm going to giveyou one of mine, and you've got
a minute to think on it and oneof mine was my dog was missing
their contact in agility, andshe was regularly missing her
contact in agility.
Her name's Wild and hermovement was off.
And so my light bulb moment wasto move the Cavaletti down next
to the dog walk to remind herof the movement pattern that I
wanted, and the movement patternI wanted was split feet.
I moved her down with Jamie.
(08:55):
I said, look, jamie, she can doit great upstairs, but we need
to move it down to the next tothe dog walk.
She needs to be able to do thisin the arena.
And lo and behold, she couldn'tdo it in the arena, could she?
What changed?
It was her arousal.
Her arousal, her arousal wasthrough the arena roof and the
arena roof is tall and so it was.
It was saying it was a, it wasa, it was a tall order to ask
her to focus in that environment.
The big thing I was suggesting,and I would say with her and
(09:17):
the cabaletti, was that alsotook a good couple of weeks to
work through.
Jamie Hogg (09:20):
Yeah, it wasn't breaking it down to small
sections, I mean it's notdissimilar to.
Lauren Langman (09:25):
I'm going to give the example just because
it's very relevant to me.
So sorry to take over for asecond, but this morning I
walked out in the woods.
It was tipping down.
Oh my God, it was tipping down.
It was bitter and horrid andtipping down.
Anyway, walking out and thedogs doing great, brilliant lead
work, absolutely gorgeous.
I've got four dogs off lead, onedog on lead, you can guess and
I turn around to go home andflip that dog toes and she is on
(09:48):
a toe and I'm like I reallydon't have time to stop, start
walking now and do all mystroking of the lead and playing
around and fiddling and doingpressure.
I want to pick her up and puther under my arm and run home,
and yet I know it's the wrongthing to do, but I also know
letting a toe is the wrong thingto do and go canny cross, which
is what she'd like to do.
She, like clipper on the back,clip and say mush, and it's the
(10:08):
same thing.
It's the arousal.
Sometimes in certaincircumstances or spaces will
take over.
Hers is heading home.
So when she's heading home, forwhatever reason, I think it's
probably that she thinks she'sgoing to go to the barn to do
agility.
I think it's always in her headthat, even though we've never
done agility soaking wet andafter a walk out in the moors or
out on the bridle path,optimistic or ever the optimist
and so I suppose it's the samething.
(10:29):
The, the change in the arena,the change in the scenario, the
change in the place that you'retraining them, I think makes a
really, really big difference.
Jamie Hogg (10:36):
What's been one of your light bulb moments so I
think in the beginning, when Istarted doing Cavaletti, I was
focused on the having six polesout and feeding in between the
poles, which there's nothingwrong with that that You're
building up confidence withinthe polls.
But what I kind of thoughtafterwards was or what I've
learned along the way isactually playing around with
(10:56):
your end articles is just asimportant as building confidence
through.
So sometimes I don't know,sometimes I miss you, miss those
things with training.
Sometimes you're so focused onthe or what someone's told you
to do, or the task and actuallyyou might be 10 steps backwards
and I was always racing forwards, which is what I tend to do
(11:17):
massive, massive, massivelearning.
Lauren Langman (11:19):
I think these light bulb moments are really
great.
I'm going to give you anotherlight bulb moment.
Jamie will give you another one.
One of my others was how muchyou can adapt it to suits
different sizes and heights ofdogs, and I actually learned
this when we were filming thebadge for cabaletti.
If you haven't already seen it,try and grab it.
I think there's a sale on rightnow.
If there's not a sale on rightnow, there'll be a sale really
soon, or it's worth it anyway.
Go and grab it.
It's a brilliant, brilliantbadge.
(11:39):
To get hold of it.
We teach you from zero to here,right from the beginning, all
the way through.
We give you some great, greatexercise and the resource where
you can look at how you buildall of the badge as well.
But I, what I really, reallyloved is how we adapted, and
what you taught me, jamie, waswhere I could use the little
cones or where I could flip themon a different side, or where I
could actually be probably moreresourceful than I thought I
(12:00):
could be.
Jamie Hogg (12:00):
Yeah, it was a really good moment for me to
realize how I had some dashhounds staying at one point.
I was just like let's doCavaletti.
And then I got the Cavalettiout and I was just like let's do
Cavaletti.
Lauren Langman (12:08):
And then I got the Cavaletti out and I was just
like, oh, it's like some sortof like grand national hurdle
for them, isn't it, when you putout beer?
Jamie Hogg (12:14):
I didn't want to leave the poles loose on the
ground because I'm going to askthese dogs to kind of go over
them within sequence and Ididn't want them to roll on it
and hurt any, because obviouslywe're meant to be doing this for
fitness and for confidence and,and we don't want to injure
anyone, no dash found was harmed.
So anyway, I don't know like anidea, a light bulb moment was
(12:35):
oh yeah, so if we flip the coneson the side, but still.
Then there was the gappingissue, but it didn't matter
because they were just learningit for the first time and it was
just the momentum of goingthrough it, as long as they were
low enough for them to stepover.
That was my main priority Lowand secure, wasn't it?
Lauren Langman (12:48):
We wanted them secure, so it was great.
Jamie Hogg (12:50):
But then we've got many more ideas to help them
with spaces, keeping them closetogether Like stuff spaces,
sometimes to make the space less.
Lauren Langman (12:57):
There's so many different bits that you're going
to love and you really willlove them, and the ideas there
Go on another light bulb for you.
Jamie Hogg (13:03):
So I think foundations, foundations,
foundations always to get thefancy stuff like I love, and I
loved filming the s-shapedcavaletti and I love that and I
love watching them go through it.
I love them, the women there.
I love the way they weightshift as they turn the corner,
that they bend away from you.
But I tried doing it in thepast and I was just like it was
(13:27):
tried to build it up and then itwould like you'd go on to do
something else or whatever.
But after having thefoundations far more solid,
doing that was easy then.
So going back to thosefoundations and going back to
those foundations Foundation,foundation, foundation the
confidence that the dogs have tohave to go through that and
keep that forward focus and tobend away from you or push away
from you is really cool.
Lauren Langman (13:51):
It's brilliant and gorgeous to watch.
Watch like the fluidity and theflow when you watch it.
You will love it.
Now for you favorite dog forlike use and purpose, like as in
what, what's the purpose andthe use?
And I'm going to give anexample here.
I've used it already wildagility, dog agility, top level.
So she's crafts level, soquality, quality, qualify for
crafts at this level.
Like there's no point you goingto that event and missing the
(14:13):
dog walk.
There's no point like let's notgo to the event and miss the
dog walk.
As in to qualify, you're notgoing to qualify with a missed
dog walk and or very, very, veryunlikely to.
And so for me I loved usingthis to remind her how she
should move.
So it was a reminder of this ishow you move.
I absolutely loved it and forme it was like a real light bulb
and the more that she could doof it, the more it helped her to
(14:34):
understand how to move better.
So instead of hopping, so ifyou've got a skippy dog, often
like Jack Russell Terriers, orthe way they'll hold that little
patella leg, these types ofdogs, I think Cavaletti's
fantastic for skips or bunnyhops, brilliant, brilliant,
brilliant.
Jamie Hogg (14:51):
For how about you like favorite dog to use it for
or like where you see a realpurpose, like generally just
having that knowing what yourdog's normal is, knowing what
your dog's normal is, yes, andif then there is something
slightly off being like that daywe saw in tokyo, we knew
straight away.
We were like no, this isn'tnormal for him definitely
definitely, and I think if youknow what you're, you know if
you're having fun out in theback garden doing doing the
(15:12):
cavalletti and you know whatyour dog's normal is, then
having you know you're you'rethat so so much far advanced in
being able to go there issomething off there and maybe
having the ability to be able torecord your sessions as well,
because with some dogs they'revery speedy going through it,
aren't they?
Lauren Langman (15:30):
yeah, oh god, lord skittle.
Jamie Hogg (15:32):
And wild.
I've got a good eye of thesethings, but even they can hide
stuff, Unless you slow it down.
So having the ability to one,it's good for your training
skills.
You can video your mechanics.
Lauren Langman (15:46):
And review quickly.
Jamie Hogg (15:47):
Two, you can see what the dog's gait is doing.
And three, you've got evidenceto show your vet.
Oh it's brilliant.
Lauren Langman (15:54):
Yeah, evidence to show.
I often take the video with meto a chiropractor.
He might be listening.
He's going to be like, oh mygod, you're crazy lady, because
I must send him so many videosand I must show him so many
videos.
And for me, that offbeatmovement shows me something.
It might be tight sartorius.
It might be a tight hamstring.
It might be tight glue.
It might be something's alittle strained.
It might be back is sore.
(16:15):
It might be pelvis is out.
There's so many things.
Just be at an angle.
Yeah, I mean, give the exampleof wild going through recently,
because wild's been a little bitoff, yeah, and that could be
hormonal.
That could be like post-season,because they're a little bit
lax post-season.
It could be that she's had aninjury.
It could be that she's just hada bit of a strain gone.
(16:35):
What have you seen?
Jamie Hogg (16:36):
so it's just that she goes in at an angle rather
than going straight and that herhead is slightly to one side,
so she's holding that head alittle bit shorter.
But again, you'd only be ableto see that if you're slowing it
down and you're filming fromthe right angle, you'd have to
have quite a good eye.
Lauren Langman (16:52):
Right, you'd have to have a good eye.
You'd have to have an eye forit, because some people will
look and be like naughty dog orsilly dog and you're like no, no
, no, this is like repeated yeah, like this is something that
she's feeling sore in or she'snot able to do and should be
able to do, like why can't shedo it?
A bit like when you're havingan eye test.
You're having an eye test andthey're like can you read that
(17:12):
row?
And you're like no, and they'relike, okay, you should be this
level, that kind of thing.
So if we think of, if we thinkof in terms of Cavaletti, a
couple of real basic trainingpoints that you all want to
share, some tips, I'm going togive one and I can give you you
can take the example, jamie Iwould not use the manners minder
anymore and initially I usedthe manners minder a lot, and
the reason I don't like themanners minder now is that I
(17:33):
think it makes them rush.
But initially I loved themanners minder, the way we train
it through the badge and theway we train it through games
club.
Maybe you're a games clubber,maybe you're a PDT or maybe
you've even got the badge.
Hopefully you have um absolutedog store, absolute dash dogscom
.
Go and check it out.
But if I was doing it now viathe badge and and the badge
(17:53):
teaches this way I wouldn't usethe manners minder and that's
how the badge teaches.
Yeah, and because I actuallydon't enjoy the energy it gives
me and I don't enjoy the arousalit gives me.
Jamie Hogg (18:01):
Yeah, and I think I think it manners binder would be
cool if your dog hasn't got thecondition of the response of
I've got to get to that thing asfast as I can, yeah, or that
you've got the patience to train.
Actually we will, but that isreally hard training when they
have had that history, historyhistory massive reward for that.
So I think that that that is.
Lauren Langman (18:23):
It can be used, but I just if you guys are
listening, thinking what's theman's mind, that's fine.
Just ignore it.
Just ignore it and go on.
They're annoying.
Is that we hate this machine?
And a couple of couple of toptips, a couple of thoughts.
On cavaletti I'm going to alsosay let your dog go on their
dinner.
Let your dog go on their dinner, play Cavaletti for their
dinner.
You often do Cavaletti fordinner, and what would be a
couple of yours?
Yeah, you do.
You have fish heads, chickennecks.
(18:45):
She's like no, I'm a vegetarian.
Go on, jamie.
What would you say?
Jamie Hogg (18:51):
Top tips.
So my top tip would be to stickto the foundations and go
through them thoroughly beforetrying to rush and do the whole,
the whole set of them as I loveit.
Lauren Langman (19:05):
Yeah, I really would just foundations and build
it and, guys, these are goodfor um young dogs, old dogs,
rehab dogs, geriatric dogs anddogs who have behavioral issues.
Definitely brilliant, like amust for naughty but nice dogs.
Why would you train it fornaughty but nice dogs?
Because I think it's one of myfavourite exercises for a
naughty but nice dog.
Jamie Hogg (19:22):
I think it's amazing for them because, as I said,
like going through that andhaving a flow to their movement
rather than all of this kind ofjerky movement that they tend to
have, it's something that youcan take out and about with you.
So if they're a little bitenvironmentally reactive towards
you know, take it to a saferenvironment and work on it there
Once they've got the hang of itat home.
(19:44):
As I said, there's a fewexercises in there.
There's minimal equipment thatyou could take out and about.
That would keep give themlovely task focus.
Lauren Langman (19:52):
But yeah, I love also with naughty but nice dogs
how much it forces them toproblem solve on the job.
Because if you think about itmost naughty but nice dogs the
reason they react or do all thethings they do is because they
don't know what else to do andthey're actually not that
confident in their own decisionmaking ability to maybe
disengage or maybe come andengage with owner or put
(20:12):
themselves behind the owner orany of those things.
And I was thinking about Katie.
Katie's a little bit naughtybut nice.
We've got her at five months.
She's a lovely dog, actuallyreally nice natured dog.
However, she can be immediatelyreactive when she spots
something new with a bark, andwhat I've really noticed with
her is the more that she's ableto make these sorts of decisions
, the more she's able to makegood decisions on life or in
life.
And I remember taking to thebeach not that long ago a dog
(20:35):
dog typically charged at her andshe just went and shook it off
and I was like, wow, she reallyshook that off, like she didn't
do anything, she just sort ofhuffed and just shook, but not a
bark, nothing like a huff, likea pfft, pfft.
But that was it.
And for me because that's neverhappened to her in her four
years of existence.
It's never happened.
(21:01):
I didn't actually know whatthat scenario would be like,
whether she'd run back after thedog or whether she'd run away,
or whether she'd be scared orwhether she'd pounce on the dog
or whatever.
And as a good dog owner, youknow your dog is under your
control.
But when another dog comes fromnowhere and completely out of
sight, you you don't necessarilyeven know what to do other than
watch their response and seethat you've taught enough skills
, hopefully, for them to handleit.
And she really could and Ibelieve that that is through and
she like to the point that I'mlike you're, she's pretty social
actually when you watch how shehandled it, to the point that
(21:23):
I'd actually would almost sayyou know what.
That's the sort of thing that'smade her this.
Cavaletti, confidence circuits,confidence hoops those have
probably had three go-tos if youhaven't checked all of them out
on the website, on the storeabsolute dogs, absolute dash
dogscom, at confidence circuits,confidence hoops, cavaletti
those would be real go-to's fornaughty but nice dogs for me
(21:44):
definitely like a power bundle.
Yeah, yeah, they would be, theywould be, they would be amazing
.
And then when we think aboutfitness jamie, so now let's move
like shift gears, a littlecareful I say that.
And so shift gears a little.
When we shift gears and wethink fitness, how would you say
, because you helped me with myprogram for um Skittle?
On Cavaletti, how would you saySkittle's muscle has developed?
(22:06):
Because her physio is blownaway by how much better her
muscle is in the last six monthsthe main thing she's done is
more Cavaletti.
She doesn't have a lot ofoff-lead walks.
Why?
Because she's a serious hunter.
She does go on lines or flexileads and I can let her off
anywhere.
I just don't want to get on itregularly.
She's just a strong dog.
Regularly she's got greatrecall.
But I don't want her onpheasants regularly and I think
(22:28):
it's important where we livethat she doesn't get loads of
exposure.
So actually she's she's thattype, isn't she?
She's like the type to go alittle sort of hunty, and so I
just don't give a loads ofexposure to them.
Plus, oh, my goodness, I'venever seen ticks like this
season so far.
There are so many ticks and asmuch as we do everything we can
to protect them, I also do notwant to put them in the fire, so
(22:49):
I tend to be a little bitcareful on that.
She's hard hunting dog and sowith her.
What does her Cavaletti programlook like?
Jamie Hogg (22:54):
because because her cavaletti, I would say, is
probably the most musclebuilding thing she does, like
she does a lot of musclebuilding through cavaletti yeah,
so she does like there'sdifferent types of cavaletti so
it does just look like cones ina pole, but she does an extended
cavaletti where we want tolengthen and elongate the body
and we want her to.
(23:15):
I suppose that's working herback muscles and her core a lot
more yeah, it really pushes hertop line.
I think as well for goodcondition asking them to stretch
, aren't you really throughtheir stride?
So we want the poles nice andlow to the ground.
You don't ever want there to beany height in that because you
want them to be going low.
Even with big dogs you're stillhaving the the pole low to the
(23:35):
ground.
So she does extended cavaletti.
She does a variety of this thenthroughout the week.
So sometimes you'd focus onmore curved cavaletti or tighter
bend cavaletti for more days,and then you would do a couple
of days maybe the straightcavaletti and vice versa, and
kind of keep that kind of changein, just depending on what we
(23:55):
need to build up.
When we're doing the straightcavaletti, when they're, and
when they've got a little bit ofheight to it, you're.
It's a full body workout anyway, isn't it?
But it is.
It's um, you are asking them towork their glutes and they're.
They're kind of picky upmuscles.
Lauren Langman (24:10):
People laugh at me when they're picking up
muscles and but you're askingthem, it really is overall core
condition, top line, like it's abit of everything, isn't it?
Jamie Hogg (24:17):
yeah, yeah exactly a bit of everything.
And then, obviously, then, whenwe're doing the curve and the
bend, you can ask them tostretch a bit more, or you can
ask them to collect a bit more,and then you've got your, your
s-shaped cabaletti, which isjust asking them to like have
that independent asking them todo everything.
Lauren Langman (24:33):
And the best thing with with the s-bend is
that actually it's a realtop-end exercise.
So you might think you've doneloads of cavaletti, and you
might.
You might have thought thatyou've done a lot of what we've
talked about, but actually whenyou get to this one you'll go
actually I've got more to learn,like.
When you watch it you can seemost dogs still need to do more
of this.
Yeah, oh gosh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jamie Hogg (24:52):
Even my guys like they need to do more of this.
I don't do this enough withthem.
So you know, and there areexercises with that, like my
favourite one at the moment forwarm up is the two cones and two
poles and you're just askingthem to figure of eight round
that.
I think that's a brilliantexercise.
Lauren Langman (25:09):
And that's an indoor rainy day game To the
point, though, that I also thinkI should probably take that to
dog shows with me.
Yeah, I should actually havetwo poles and four cones and
take it to a dog show.
I think it's a great one.
High five, we're gonna do that.
Yes, do it, yes.
So, guys cavaletti, should youget it or should you not get it?
Should they sit on the fence?
No, don't sit on the fence.
No one likes sitting on a fence.
(25:30):
Sit on the fence uncomfortable.
Go get it.
Yeah, go get it.
Go and grab it, have a look atit.
If you part of Games Club, ifyou do what we do, you're going
to love the learning.
If you're not part of GamesClub and you don't do what we do
yet, well, the badge standsalone, so you can actually watch
it from zero to here.
It does stand alone.
If you're part of Games Club,there's going to be some extra
lessons in there for you.
Equally, we love Cavaletti, atwhatever level.
(25:51):
So Start basics like the twocones, four cones, two poles and
playing around with it.
There's a lot you can learn.
There's so much fun and yourdog is going to thank you for it
.
Right, jamie, definitelythey're going to thank you for
it.
So, guys, that was this episodeof the Sex and Squirrel podcast
.
We'll see you next week, wherewe are going to get a little bit
tricky with it.
Welcome to the Absolute Dog Sex in a Squirrel
podcast.
I'm Lauren Langman.
I'm one of the world's leadingdog trainers and it's my mission
to help owners become theirdog's top priority.
In each episode, you'lldiscover how to gain trust and
communicate with your dog likenever before, creating
unbreakable bonds that make youthe most exciting part of their
world.
Cavaletti oh my god, it'sactually one of my favourites
(00:31):
and it really is a favourite forme because I've watched and
I've seen and I've beenfirst-hand sort of part of
seeing a dog develop not only intheir brain, not only in their,
but also in their concepttraining, I suppose, of
confidence and problem solvingand resilience and mental
toughness.
Like I love Cavaletti, Icouldn't love it anymore.
Jamie Hogg (00:52):
No, it's brilliant, it's amazing and it's a really
cool one to watch where a dog isat.
I think some dogs pick it upreally quickly and other dogs
really test your teachingability.
Lauren Langman (01:03):
I would suggest would suggest absolutely and
your resourcefulness and yourflexibility and your down and
you really have to break it down, don't you dogs literally break
it down?
And I'm thinking also I've usedit in lots of different
circumstances, but I'm thinkingback to when we filmed Cavaletti
and we were filming with Tokyo,actually our late dog and he
was uns, he wasn't right, he wasconfident circuits.
(01:25):
Actually he wasn't right on aon a sort of a cavaletti grid.
He wasn't, he was off a beat ona on a confident circuit or a
cavaletti beat.
And it can also help you withgait analysis.
It can also help you withlooking at sort of spinal
flexibility.
It can also help you looking athow you might strengthen and
condition an athlete, but alsohow you might look after an
older dog or a geriatric dog orgive them something to think
(01:47):
about.
I suppose similar to whenyou're in a residential home and
there's lots of differentpuzzles to solve Effectively.
Jamie Hogg (01:52):
It's another puzzle, yeah definitely yeah, being
able to pick up Well Cavalettiis going to be one of the first
kind of rehabby type thingsSomebody like a's going to give
you or something if your dog hasan injury.
It's going to be one of themain things.
So making sure that your dog isfit and able to do it and not
learning it as they're as theyneed to know it before there's a
(02:14):
problem, don't they?
Lauren Langman (02:15):
they need to know before they've got a
problem.
And I'm thinking brave, yeah,so brave.
For those of you don't know,brave is my border collie.
She had a spinal accident.
The spinal accident was prettyhorrific.
It was just sprinting acrossthe field and she went sprinting
across that field and bang wasdown, rehabbing her back to
walking.
I was talking to a lovelyfriend, tanya, I don't know if
you remember with her lovelyspaniel that had IBDD and they
(02:36):
still haven't got her walking,which is just traumatic.
It's really traumatic.
And that's six months in withbrave.
She actually was back to walkingwithin about four weeks and so,
as much as when anyone sees heryou might think she's a little
bit drunk looking, she's ataxicit would be the description of
it she actually is very, verygood, like she can.
She can go to the toiletstanding and squatting, rather
(02:59):
than having to be effectivelymade to go to the toilet, which
will be what some dogs areliving when they're in any sort
of spinal case, and sometimesthey do get full use again and
sometimes they don't.
But what I'm thinking when Ithink back to Cavaletti is
Cavaletti.
She knew it way before.
So when she started to comeback into it, although her leg
wasn't working, you could seethat her brain was going.
I remember this, so her brainremembered it, but her leg
(03:19):
didn't work because she has nofeeling in her back, left leg
and or very little feeling andno deep pain response that we
can see, really, and so I thinkthat I'm grateful she already
knew it before she ever neededit definitely, definitely, and I
think that I would be gratefulthat all my guys know it.
Jamie Hogg (03:37):
If anything was to happen, it's there isn't it.
It's there, the foundations arethere and I think them just
having the ability to be able todo that.
And then if you, like you said,with Tokyo picking up those
tiny little things, you can justpick up, and it wasn't like he
was lame, you didn't see it outwhen he was out walking or
(03:58):
anything like that.
It was only within thatexercise that you picked it.
Lauren Langman (04:02):
You'd see like a hitch and you'd go you just
look off a beat or you justhitch there.
Jamie Hogg (04:06):
Yeah, yeah.
Lauren Langman (04:07):
Incredible, incredible really that you could
spot it that easily.
Now, thinking through the typesof dogs that you think
Cavaletti helps or it suits, whodoes it suit?
Oh my God everybody, everybody,definitely.
Jamie Hogg (04:19):
I think throughout the badge we mention how to
adjust it for, like, if it waslike an older dog or if it was
like a really teeny, tiny dogand stuff.
We've got lots of little ideasthat we can make it.
Make it so it's workable forthose guys and, yeah, for any
dog, for puppies, you can startdoing the foundation training
straight away, because that willhelp you leaps and bounds in
(04:40):
the future then, won't it?
Lauren Langman (04:42):
Now, what is Cavaletti?
Let's just actually answer.
What is it?
For someone listening?
They're thinking Cavalettisounds like some sort of
spaghetti, sounds like somethingyou might eat in Italy.
What actually is it?
I?
Jamie Hogg (04:51):
think Cavaletti, I think I Googled it, but don't
quote me.
Lauren Langman (04:54):
but I think it means little horse, so it came
from the horse world, nice,carry on, I'm going to go read
it, read it, keep going, googleit just in case.
Jamie Hogg (05:01):
No, keep going, you're good.
So it means little horse and itcame from the.
It came from the horsey world,so it was all to help horses
with their gait and it thenfiltered through to the dog
world.
So sports, I would say it'smore of a like come from that
area, but I think that cavalettishould be an every dog and,
like we've said with the, withthe naughty but nice dogs, it's
(05:23):
amazing for them being able,like like a dog that's reacting
to their environment, for themto be able to float through
Cavaletti.
It's one massive work on theirdimmer switch, so them being
able to control their level ofarousal and just being able to
have more proprioception, havemore flow to their movement.
(05:45):
So they're kind of not soerratic, because sometimes with
reactive dogs you just get aconstant of that kind of
reactive motion within theirbody, isn't it like?
Lauren Langman (05:56):
jagged motion.
That kind of hits the sameplace as the emotion, yeah,
doesn't it?
Often, yeah, and cavalettiettiwork involves a series of raised
obstacles, usually poles, toimprove balance, coordination
strength.
These exercises are designed toenhance various aspects of
training, including rhythm,suppleness and stride.
It challenges balance, forcingit to adjust at times with the
(06:17):
steps and maintain stabilityover poles.
It strengthens muscles, topline, particularly back legs,
and overall athleticism.
The exercises encourage them tostretch through their body.
Improving suppleness and rangeof motion helps them develop
proper form.
Brilliant for transitions,great for novelty, brilliant
mental stimulation.
(06:38):
Keeps them engaged, helps to beinterested, helps to keep the
interest in training processes.
Incorporates changes intraining processes.
Incorporates changes in gait.
Incorporates changes in speed.
Incorporates changes indirection.
Literally massive riders canalso work.
Oh, this is a horse one, soriders can also work with
cabaletti to improve their ownbalance.
Is used for equestriandisciplines, including dressage,
(07:01):
show jumping and eventing.
So if we translate that fordogs, I mean it's loads of
mechanics like your dog trainingmechanics.
Jamie Hogg (07:07):
Also a massive one for for dogs I was gonna say
horses and a massive one fordogs is forward focus and task
focus, keeping them focused on atask, and it is something like
I wouldn't take a full.
Well, I probably have taken afull set of cavalletti out on
the moors, but I, you know,we've got to be jamie weirdo up
the moors, you've got to have.
(07:27):
You know, there's like there'ssome exercises within the badge
that are just a couple of likefour cones and two poles, yeah,
and you can take that out andabout with you and again, that's
screaming to your dog that thatis a.
This is, this is what we'vedone at home, this is what I can
do here, yeah, and it's amazingto watch.
Well, it's amazing to watch oneof my naughty but nice dogs.
(07:47):
That was one of the exercisesthat I took up the most and
there was some sheep outside thevan and it was just like, do I
get you out now or not?
Because I trained the othersbecause they were all coping
with the sheep, but she doeslike sheep, so getting her out
and then doing she's working onthe game she knows, but with the
struggle around her.
And she was amazing.
Lauren Langman (08:10):
I think that's it, isn't it?
It actually gives them a taskto focus on now.
Looking here, it's likestraight lines, curves, grids,
combination exercises that's allof what we do, isn't it?
And when I listen to this, I'mlike, oh, I want to do more of
it, but we actually do do itmost days, like we do it most
days here, and I think that'sreally important to acknowledge
that this is something our dogsdo a huge amount of.
Now, what would be one of yourlight bulb moments in training
(08:33):
Cavaletti and I'm going to giveyou one of mine, and you've got
a minute to think on it and oneof mine was my dog was missing
their contact in agility, andshe was regularly missing her
contact in agility.
Her name's Wild and hermovement was off.
And so my light bulb moment wasto move the Cavaletti down next
to the dog walk to remind herof the movement pattern that I
wanted, and the movement patternI wanted was split feet.
I moved her down with Jamie.
(08:55):
I said, look, jamie, she can doit great upstairs, but we need
to move it down to the next tothe dog walk.
She needs to be able to do thisin the arena.
And lo and behold, she couldn'tdo it in the arena, could she?
What changed?
It was her arousal.
Her arousal, her arousal wasthrough the arena roof and the
arena roof is tall and so it was.
It was saying it was a, it wasa, it was a tall order to ask
her to focus in that environment.
The big thing I was suggesting,and I would say with her and
(09:17):
the cabaletti, was that alsotook a good couple of weeks to
work through.
Jamie Hogg (09:20):
Yeah, it wasn't breaking it down to small
sections, I mean it's notdissimilar to.
Lauren Langman (09:25):
I'm going to give the example just because
it's very relevant to me.
So sorry to take over for asecond, but this morning I
walked out in the woods.
It was tipping down.
Oh my God, it was tipping down.
It was bitter and horrid andtipping down.
Anyway, walking out and thedogs doing great, brilliant lead
work, absolutely gorgeous.
I've got four dogs off lead, onedog on lead, you can guess and
I turn around to go home andflip that dog toes and she is on
(09:48):
a toe and I'm like I reallydon't have time to stop, start
walking now and do all mystroking of the lead and playing
around and fiddling and doingpressure.
I want to pick her up and puther under my arm and run home,
and yet I know it's the wrongthing to do, but I also know
letting a toe is the wrong thingto do and go canny cross, which
is what she'd like to do.
She, like clipper on the back,clip and say mush, and it's the
(10:08):
same thing.
It's the arousal.
Sometimes in certaincircumstances or spaces will
take over.
Hers is heading home.
So when she's heading home, forwhatever reason, I think it's
probably that she thinks she'sgoing to go to the barn to do
agility.
I think it's always in her headthat, even though we've never
done agility soaking wet andafter a walk out in the moors or
out on the bridle path,optimistic or ever the optimist
and so I suppose it's the samething.
(10:29):
The, the change in the arena,the change in the scenario, the
change in the place that you'retraining them, I think makes a
really, really big difference.
Jamie Hogg (10:36):
What's been one of your light bulb moments so I
think in the beginning, when Istarted doing Cavaletti, I was
focused on the having six polesout and feeding in between the
poles, which there's nothingwrong with that that You're
building up confidence withinthe polls.
But what I kind of thoughtafterwards was or what I've
learned along the way isactually playing around with
(10:56):
your end articles is just asimportant as building confidence
through.
So sometimes I don't know,sometimes I miss you, miss those
things with training.
Sometimes you're so focused onthe or what someone's told you
to do, or the task and actuallyyou might be 10 steps backwards
and I was always racing forwards, which is what I tend to do
(11:17):
massive, massive, massivelearning.
Lauren Langman (11:19):
I think these light bulb moments are really
great.
I'm going to give you anotherlight bulb moment.
Jamie will give you another one.
One of my others was how muchyou can adapt it to suits
different sizes and heights ofdogs, and I actually learned
this when we were filming thebadge for cabaletti.
If you haven't already seen it,try and grab it.
I think there's a sale on rightnow.
If there's not a sale on rightnow, there'll be a sale really
soon, or it's worth it anyway.
Go and grab it.
It's a brilliant, brilliantbadge.
(11:39):
To get hold of it.
We teach you from zero to here,right from the beginning, all
the way through.
We give you some great, greatexercise and the resource where
you can look at how you buildall of the badge as well.
But I, what I really, reallyloved is how we adapted, and
what you taught me, jamie, waswhere I could use the little
cones or where I could flip themon a different side, or where I
could actually be probably moreresourceful than I thought I
(12:00):
could be.
Jamie Hogg (12:00):
Yeah, it was a really good moment for me to
realize how I had some dashhounds staying at one point.
I was just like let's doCavaletti.
And then I got the Cavalettiout and I was just like let's do
Cavaletti.
Lauren Langman (12:08):
And then I got the Cavaletti out and I was just
like, oh, it's like some sortof like grand national hurdle
for them, isn't it, when you putout beer?
Jamie Hogg (12:14):
I didn't want to leave the poles loose on the
ground because I'm going to askthese dogs to kind of go over
them within sequence and Ididn't want them to roll on it
and hurt any, because obviouslywe're meant to be doing this for
fitness and for confidence and,and we don't want to injure
anyone, no dash found was harmed.
So anyway, I don't know like anidea, a light bulb moment was
(12:35):
oh yeah, so if we flip the coneson the side, but still.
Then there was the gappingissue, but it didn't matter
because they were just learningit for the first time and it was
just the momentum of goingthrough it, as long as they were
low enough for them to stepover.
That was my main priority Lowand secure, wasn't it?
Lauren Langman (12:48):
We wanted them secure, so it was great.
Jamie Hogg (12:50):
But then we've got many more ideas to help them
with spaces, keeping them closetogether Like stuff spaces,
sometimes to make the space less.
Lauren Langman (12:57):
There's so many different bits that you're going
to love and you really willlove them, and the ideas there
Go on another light bulb for you.
Jamie Hogg (13:03):
So I think foundations, foundations,
foundations always to get thefancy stuff like I love, and I
loved filming the s-shapedcavaletti and I love that and I
love watching them go through it.
I love them, the women there.
I love the way they weightshift as they turn the corner,
that they bend away from you.
But I tried doing it in thepast and I was just like it was
(13:27):
tried to build it up and then itwould like you'd go on to do
something else or whatever.
But after having thefoundations far more solid,
doing that was easy then.
So going back to thosefoundations and going back to
those foundations Foundation,foundation, foundation the
confidence that the dogs have tohave to go through that and
keep that forward focus and tobend away from you or push away
from you is really cool.
Lauren Langman (13:51):
It's brilliant and gorgeous to watch.
Watch like the fluidity and theflow when you watch it.
You will love it.
Now for you favorite dog forlike use and purpose, like as in
what, what's the purpose andthe use?
And I'm going to give anexample here.
I've used it already wildagility, dog agility, top level.
So she's crafts level, soquality, quality, qualify for
crafts at this level.
Like there's no point you goingto that event and missing the
(14:13):
dog walk.
There's no point like let's notgo to the event and miss the
dog walk.
As in to qualify, you're notgoing to qualify with a missed
dog walk and or very, very, veryunlikely to.
And so for me I loved usingthis to remind her how she
should move.
So it was a reminder of this ishow you move.
I absolutely loved it and forme it was like a real light bulb
and the more that she could doof it, the more it helped her to
(14:34):
understand how to move better.
So instead of hopping, so ifyou've got a skippy dog, often
like Jack Russell Terriers, orthe way they'll hold that little
patella leg, these types ofdogs, I think Cavaletti's
fantastic for skips or bunnyhops, brilliant, brilliant,
brilliant.
Jamie Hogg (14:51):
For how about you like favorite dog to use it for
or like where you see a realpurpose, like generally just
having that knowing what yourdog's normal is, knowing what
your dog's normal is, yes, andif then there is something
slightly off being like that daywe saw in tokyo, we knew
straight away.
We were like no, this isn'tnormal for him definitely
definitely, and I think if youknow what you're, you know if
you're having fun out in theback garden doing doing the
(15:12):
cavalletti and you know whatyour dog's normal is, then
having you know you're you'rethat so so much far advanced in
being able to go there issomething off there and maybe
having the ability to be able torecord your sessions as well,
because with some dogs they'revery speedy going through it,
aren't they?
Lauren Langman (15:30):
yeah, oh god, lord skittle.
Jamie Hogg (15:32):
And wild.
I've got a good eye of thesethings, but even they can hide
stuff, Unless you slow it down.
So having the ability to one,it's good for your training
skills.
You can video your mechanics.
Lauren Langman (15:46):
And review quickly.
Jamie Hogg (15:47):
Two, you can see what the dog's gait is doing.
And three, you've got evidenceto show your vet.
Oh it's brilliant.
Lauren Langman (15:54):
Yeah, evidence to show.
I often take the video with meto a chiropractor.
He might be listening.
He's going to be like, oh mygod, you're crazy lady, because
I must send him so many videosand I must show him so many
videos.
And for me, that offbeatmovement shows me something.
It might be tight sartorius.
It might be a tight hamstring.
It might be tight glue.
It might be something's alittle strained.
It might be back is sore.
(16:15):
It might be pelvis is out.
There's so many things.
Just be at an angle.
Yeah, I mean, give the exampleof wild going through recently,
because wild's been a little bitoff, yeah, and that could be
hormonal.
That could be like post-season,because they're a little bit
lax post-season.
It could be that she's had aninjury.
It could be that she's just hada bit of a strain gone.
(16:35):
What have you seen?
Jamie Hogg (16:36):
so it's just that she goes in at an angle rather
than going straight and that herhead is slightly to one side,
so she's holding that head alittle bit shorter.
But again, you'd only be ableto see that if you're slowing it
down and you're filming fromthe right angle, you'd have to
have quite a good eye.
Lauren Langman (16:52):
Right, you'd have to have a good eye.
You'd have to have an eye forit, because some people will
look and be like naughty dog orsilly dog and you're like no, no
, no, this is like repeated yeah, like this is something that
she's feeling sore in or she'snot able to do and should be
able to do, like why can't shedo it?
A bit like when you're havingan eye test.
You're having an eye test andthey're like can you read that
(17:12):
row?
And you're like no, and they'relike, okay, you should be this
level, that kind of thing.
So if we think of, if we thinkof in terms of Cavaletti, a
couple of real basic trainingpoints that you all want to
share, some tips, I'm going togive one and I can give you you
can take the example, jamie Iwould not use the manners minder
anymore and initially I usedthe manners minder a lot, and
the reason I don't like themanners minder now is that I
(17:33):
think it makes them rush.
But initially I loved themanners minder, the way we train
it through the badge and theway we train it through games
club.
Maybe you're a games clubber,maybe you're a PDT or maybe
you've even got the badge.
Hopefully you have um absolutedog store, absolute dash dogscom
.
Go and check it out.
But if I was doing it now viathe badge and and the badge
(17:53):
teaches this way I wouldn't usethe manners minder and that's
how the badge teaches.
Yeah, and because I actuallydon't enjoy the energy it gives
me and I don't enjoy the arousalit gives me.
Jamie Hogg (18:01):
Yeah, and I think I think it manners binder would be
cool if your dog hasn't got thecondition of the response of
I've got to get to that thing asfast as I can, yeah, or that
you've got the patience to train.
Actually we will, but that isreally hard training when they
have had that history, historyhistory massive reward for that.
So I think that that that is.
Lauren Langman (18:23):
It can be used, but I just if you guys are
listening, thinking what's theman's mind, that's fine.
Just ignore it.
Just ignore it and go on.
They're annoying.
Is that we hate this machine?
And a couple of couple of toptips, a couple of thoughts.
On cavaletti I'm going to alsosay let your dog go on their
dinner.
Let your dog go on their dinner, play Cavaletti for their
dinner.
You often do Cavaletti fordinner, and what would be a
couple of yours?
Yeah, you do.
You have fish heads, chickennecks.
(18:45):
She's like no, I'm a vegetarian.
Go on, jamie.
What would you say?
Jamie Hogg (18:51):
Top tips.
So my top tip would be to stickto the foundations and go
through them thoroughly beforetrying to rush and do the whole,
the whole set of them as I loveit.
Lauren Langman (19:05):
Yeah, I really would just foundations and build
it and, guys, these are goodfor um young dogs, old dogs,
rehab dogs, geriatric dogs anddogs who have behavioral issues.
Definitely brilliant, like amust for naughty but nice dogs.
Why would you train it fornaughty but nice dogs?
Because I think it's one of myfavourite exercises for a
naughty but nice dog.
Jamie Hogg (19:22):
I think it's amazing for them because, as I said,
like going through that andhaving a flow to their movement
rather than all of this kind ofjerky movement that they tend to
have, it's something that youcan take out and about with you.
So if they're a little bitenvironmentally reactive towards
you know, take it to a saferenvironment and work on it there
Once they've got the hang of itat home.
(19:44):
As I said, there's a fewexercises in there.
There's minimal equipment thatyou could take out and about.
That would keep give themlovely task focus.
Lauren Langman (19:52):
But yeah, I love also with naughty but nice dogs
how much it forces them toproblem solve on the job.
Because if you think about itmost naughty but nice dogs the
reason they react or do all thethings they do is because they
don't know what else to do andthey're actually not that
confident in their own decisionmaking ability to maybe
disengage or maybe come andengage with owner or put
(20:12):
themselves behind the owner orany of those things.
And I was thinking about Katie.
Katie's a little bit naughtybut nice.
We've got her at five months.
She's a lovely dog, actuallyreally nice natured dog.
However, she can be immediatelyreactive when she spots
something new with a bark, andwhat I've really noticed with
her is the more that she's ableto make these sorts of decisions
, the more she's able to makegood decisions on life or in
life.
And I remember taking to thebeach not that long ago a dog
(20:35):
dog typically charged at her andshe just went and shook it off
and I was like, wow, she reallyshook that off, like she didn't
do anything, she just sort ofhuffed and just shook, but not a
bark, nothing like a huff, likea pfft, pfft.
But that was it.
And for me because that's neverhappened to her in her four
years of existence.
It's never happened.
(21:01):
I didn't actually know whatthat scenario would be like,
whether she'd run back after thedog or whether she'd run away,
or whether she'd be scared orwhether she'd pounce on the dog
or whatever.
And as a good dog owner, youknow your dog is under your
control.
But when another dog comes fromnowhere and completely out of
sight, you you don't necessarilyeven know what to do other than
watch their response and seethat you've taught enough skills
, hopefully, for them to handleit.
And she really could and Ibelieve that that is through and
she like to the point that I'mlike you're, she's pretty social
actually when you watch how shehandled it, to the point that
(21:23):
I'd actually would almost sayyou know what.
That's the sort of thing that'smade her this.
Cavaletti, confidence circuits,confidence hoops those have
probably had three go-tos if youhaven't checked all of them out
on the website, on the storeabsolute dogs, absolute dash
dogscom, at confidence circuits,confidence hoops, cavaletti
those would be real go-to's fornaughty but nice dogs for me
(21:44):
definitely like a power bundle.
Yeah, yeah, they would be, theywould be, they would be amazing
.
And then when we think aboutfitness jamie, so now let's move
like shift gears, a littlecareful I say that.
And so shift gears a little.
When we shift gears and wethink fitness, how would you say
, because you helped me with myprogram for um Skittle?
On Cavaletti, how would you saySkittle's muscle has developed?
(22:06):
Because her physio is blownaway by how much better her
muscle is in the last six monthsthe main thing she's done is
more Cavaletti.
She doesn't have a lot ofoff-lead walks.
Why?
Because she's a serious hunter.
She does go on lines or flexileads and I can let her off
anywhere.
I just don't want to get on itregularly.
She's just a strong dog.
Regularly she's got greatrecall.
But I don't want her onpheasants regularly and I think
(22:28):
it's important where we livethat she doesn't get loads of
exposure.
So actually she's she's thattype, isn't she?
She's like the type to go alittle sort of hunty, and so I
just don't give a loads ofexposure to them.
Plus, oh, my goodness, I'venever seen ticks like this
season so far.
There are so many ticks and asmuch as we do everything we can
to protect them, I also do notwant to put them in the fire, so
(22:49):
I tend to be a little bitcareful on that.
She's hard hunting dog and sowith her.
What does her Cavaletti programlook like?
Jamie Hogg (22:54):
because because her cavaletti, I would say, is
probably the most musclebuilding thing she does, like
she does a lot of musclebuilding through cavaletti yeah,
so she does like there'sdifferent types of cavaletti so
it does just look like cones ina pole, but she does an extended
cavaletti where we want tolengthen and elongate the body
and we want her to.
(23:15):
I suppose that's working herback muscles and her core a lot
more yeah, it really pushes hertop line.
I think as well for goodcondition asking them to stretch
, aren't you really throughtheir stride?
So we want the poles nice andlow to the ground.
You don't ever want there to beany height in that because you
want them to be going low.
Even with big dogs you're stillhaving the the pole low to the
(23:35):
ground.
So she does extended cavaletti.
She does a variety of this thenthroughout the week.
So sometimes you'd focus onmore curved cavaletti or tighter
bend cavaletti for more days,and then you would do a couple
of days maybe the straightcavaletti and vice versa, and
kind of keep that kind of changein, just depending on what we
(23:55):
need to build up.
When we're doing the straightcavaletti, when they're, and
when they've got a little bit ofheight to it, you're.
It's a full body workout anyway, isn't it?
But it is.
It's um, you are asking them towork their glutes and they're.
They're kind of picky upmuscles.
Lauren Langman (24:10):
People laugh at me when they're picking up
muscles and but you're askingthem, it really is overall core
condition, top line, like it's abit of everything, isn't it?
Jamie Hogg (24:17):
yeah, yeah exactly a bit of everything.
And then, obviously, then, whenwe're doing the curve and the
bend, you can ask them tostretch a bit more, or you can
ask them to collect a bit more,and then you've got your, your
s-shaped cabaletti, which isjust asking them to like have
that independent asking them todo everything.
Lauren Langman (24:33):
And the best thing with with the s-bend is
that actually it's a realtop-end exercise.
So you might think you've doneloads of cavaletti, and you
might.
You might have thought thatyou've done a lot of what we've
talked about, but actually whenyou get to this one you'll go
actually I've got more to learn,like.
When you watch it you can seemost dogs still need to do more
of this.
Yeah, oh gosh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jamie Hogg (24:52):
Even my guys like they need to do more of this.
I don't do this enough withthem.
So you know, and there areexercises with that, like my
favourite one at the moment forwarm up is the two cones and two
poles and you're just askingthem to figure of eight round
that.
I think that's a brilliantexercise.
Lauren Langman (25:09):
And that's an indoor rainy day game To the
point, though, that I also thinkI should probably take that to
dog shows with me.
Yeah, I should actually havetwo poles and four cones and
take it to a dog show.
I think it's a great one.
High five, we're gonna do that.
Yes, do it, yes.
So, guys cavaletti, should youget it or should you not get it?
Should they sit on the fence?
No, don't sit on the fence.
No one likes sitting on a fence.
(25:30):
Sit on the fence uncomfortable.
Go get it.
Yeah, go get it.
Go and grab it, have a look atit.
If you part of Games Club, ifyou do what we do, you're going
to love the learning.
If you're not part of GamesClub and you don't do what we do
yet, well, the badge standsalone, so you can actually watch
it from zero to here.
It does stand alone.
If you're part of Games Club,there's going to be some extra
lessons in there for you.
Equally, we love Cavaletti, atwhatever level.
(25:51):
So Start basics like the twocones, four cones, two poles and
playing around with it.
There's a lot you can learn.
There's so much fun and yourdog is going to thank you for it
.
Right, jamie, definitelythey're going to thank you for
it.
So, guys, that was this episodeof the Sex and Squirrel podcast
.
We'll see you next week, wherewe are going to get a little bit
tricky with it.
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