# onemind dog training



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Is anyone familiar with OneMind Dogs? A local trainer posted a "promo" on her FB page, but even after watching it I can't figure out what it's about. The web site is either light on details or I'm just dense.

It seems as though it's based on non-verbal communication, but I'm not sure what's really unique about that. Has anyone used it? Attended a seminar?


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

One Mind Dog training is an agility handling system based around, yeah, using body language and motion to communicate with the dogs rather than verbals. It was developed when a trainer's dog lost its hearing. It's not really unique in being non-verbal, except within the context of agility. It's supposedly fairly intuitive for the dogs which is nice, and it's definitely something I've seen bits and pieces of and USED bits and pieces of since I can't walk and chew gum at the same time. 

But no, it's not any more unique than most training or handling 'systems'. They're just really good at aggressive marketing and have had a lot of success in running their dogs which, of course, helps.

Basically I view them much the same way as I view Susan Garrett. There are some really good ideas in there, probably more than is apparent, but it's about 95% infomercial.


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks! That's kinda the impression I got, but wasn't sure. I mean, we just got an impromptu lecture about using our body language to guide our dog. It's one of several I've heard in a number of different classes (none agility).


----------



## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Yep. What CptJack said. I've done a seminar on it (all working spots were filled with dogs competing in high levels) and while interesting, is really only useful for courses with a lot of backsides and the like (so UKI agility and some international courses), and/or if you have a lightning fast dog you can use it in AKC/other venues to help out. That being said, some things like the reverse spin I have used even with my dogs and they LOVE it. Jari tends to like the OMD stuff better than Kimma, but then again he's also faster and I need things like that in my toolbox since we tend to do international-type courses in class. There are something like 36 different turns/crosses.


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Finkie_Mom said:


> Yep. What CptJack said. I've done a seminar on it (all working spots were filled with dogs competing in high levels) and while interesting, is really only useful for courses with a lot of backsides and the like (so UKI agility and some international courses), and/or if you have a lightning fast dog you can use it in AKC/other venues to help out. That being said, some things like the reverse spin I have used even with my dogs and they LOVE it. Jari tends to like the OMD stuff better than Kimma, but then again he's also faster and I need things like that in my toolbox since we tend to do international-type courses in class. *There are something like 36 different turns/crosses.*


36! Holy geez! I'm like CptJack, can't walk and chew gum at the same time.  I can see how someone at super agility level would need that, but I'd end up flat on my face. Does sound like fun to watch.


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Yep. I like a little bit of their stuff I've used because it saves me having to use verbals but there is no way I'm holding 36 turns in my head, at least at this stage. Mostly though like FM said, they're really mostly useful on tight, close, complicated courses.

I primarily run NADAC. It's that or AKC locally and so far my opinion of AKC is such that it'll be a cold day in hades before I give them money for anything. So, NADAC until or unless I find another venue in reasonable distance. I don't need, and am not close enough to the dog, to use most of it, anyway. If I'd ever done more than little bits with Bug, I probably would have borrowed more from it, but. Deaf Dog.


----------



## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

My agility instructor has done their seminar and then conducted a mini seminar on it for our club in which I had a working spot. I think it's all really neat but agree that the average agility competitor isn't going to ever use the majority of it. And it is geared toward more international style courses. But I really enjoyed learning it all and just having more tools in my tool box should that time ever come. Right now with Zoey I'm working on building her confidence and setting nice simple flowing lines for her...not gonna use a whole lot of OMD stuff with her, it's just not her style (though she does seem to respond well to the reverse spins). Come time for me to run Skye....that's going to be a whole different monster and I could see us definitely using a little more of the OMD stuff.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Ok so resurrecting this. Onemind dog stuff works for sure with certain dogs and types of dogs. I'm finding myself using and learning a lot of it with Hank because Hank is fast and I find it makes certain things much much easier on us both. I do think what dog you have will be a factor. I can't see it with Summer at all. I can out run her and we can do all basic front/blind/rear crosses. I can't outrun Hank though my trainer says I'm a fairly fast handler. My handling has switched a lot to trying desperately to keep me on the shortest path possible. Jaakkos are helping a lot. I think they are good at marketing for sure but it's also some pretty interesting and new stuff that is very helpful with the really fast dogs. He also turns a lot tighter with that kind of handling.

Also with my club being mainly USDAA I think I may run into this type of course more than some?


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

I use Jaakkos a lot and reverse spins are my secret weapon with Ocean. (But, I'm not sure if reverse spins are from OMD) I think their handling system makes a lot of sense to the dogs.


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

The sense it makes to the dogs is ultimately why I like it as much as I ended up liking it. It's still not really suited to the courses I run, but I use quite a bit more than I originally expected, and I don't... really have to teach the dogs anything with most of it. At least I don't have to teach them MUCH.


----------



## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

MrsBoats said:


> I use Jaakkos a lot and reverse spins are my secret weapon with Ocean. (But, I'm not sure if reverse spins are from OMD) I think their handling system makes a lot of sense to the dogs.


Yeah I'm pretty sure reverse spins are OMD, that's where I learned them anyway. Zoey reads those well. We also like lap turns.


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

O reads reverse spins and jaakkos way better than any sort of front cross I could pull. I am totally sold!! LOL


----------



## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Yep, I find myself using lots of it with Jari, but really the only things I end up using with Kimma are reverse spins, forced fronts, and sometimes tandem turns. She doesn't generally like backsides (demotivating to her) so I really just try to do as many fronts as humanly possible to keep her moving. Keeps me moving as well


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

NADAC courses use a TON of tandem turns!


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Ha Ha So glad I started this thread so y'all could talk over my head.  Maybe someday we'll get there...first we need to get through our foundations classes.


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Agility is FILLED with jargon. It's kind of fun once you even mostly get the language, and utterly overwhelming before then.


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

CptJack said:


> Agility is FILLED with jargon. It's kind of fun once you even mostly get the language, and utterly overwhelming before then.


You're right about that! I went to a mini-workshop and learned about front, rear, blind, and some names I forgot crosses. Who knew there were so many kinds of crosses? I was raised Catholic; we had with and without (Jesus).


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Lol. They have a good visual dictionary on their site.

http://www.oneminddogs.com/category/agility_basics/basic_techniques/
http://www.oneminddogs.com/category/agility_advanced/advanced_techniques/

But I watch it over and over and still can't quite figure out the difference between reverse spin, jaakko and ketscher. All I know is I do jaakkos.


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

Apparently, the difference between the Jaakko and the Ketscher is how tall the handler stands. The Jaakko....the handler bends down to cue it and more or less gets in the dogs face to cue hard collection. (I asked my instructor a couple of weeks ago.) Apparently the Ketscher is "soooo last season."  I do reverse spins like it's my job now....but I can't put into words what I do! LOL 



> Ha Ha So glad I started this thread so y'all could talk over my head. Maybe someday we'll get there...first we need to get through our foundations classes.


You will get there!!!! I remember being totally lost the first year I did agility.


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

I can do reverse spins, but it's usually because I've lost my balance and don't want to face plant.



MrsBoats said:


> You will get there!!!! I remember being totally lost the first year I did agility.


I appreciate the encouragement.


----------



## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Heck into my second year I was still asking what a blind and a rear cross were. I knew how to do them but could not for the life of me remember which was which.


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Laurelin said:


> Heck into my second year I was still asking what a blind and a rear cross were. I knew how to do them but could not for the life of me remember which was which.


In a blind cross, you're temporarily blind to your dog's shenanigans.  At least that's how I remembered at the workshop (completely forgot how to do it since then).


----------



## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Hahahaha I technically learned I think 16-20 or so of the moves by now? And I legitimately cannot remember names to half. I just do them LOL.


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

I was thinking that....I probably do tandem turns and have no idea that I'm actually pulling them off. ROFL


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Tandem turns were the bane of my existence for roughly 200 years because I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT what I was trying to get the dog to do, and when it was appropriate to use them. I am still not great at figuring out when and where to use them, unless it's a really obvious set up (as in very text book) for them. There are other places other people would use them when I just use a plain old rear cross. That works for me. I like regular old rear crosses. The weird thing is, I don't think we have ever been taught or learned a regular rear cross in any of our instruction stuff. It was all the tandem turn thing where rather than just changing sides with your dogs you flip them away from you ala tandem turn at some degree of angle or another. (Note: I don't *think*, that doesn't mean we haven't, but I don't remember it)

Kylie's pretty okay at them, though every once in a blue moon instead of getting a lead leg change turning her out away from me at the angle she needs, she just does a complete circle or three before orienting to the next obstacle. It's both amusing and frustrating.


----------



## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Ah yes! Tandem turns! That's what I meant when I said lap turn earlier, which, we do those on occasion as well, but more so the tandem turns. I like them a lot and we are getting better at them. But yeah...clearly I have trouble remember what everything is called too!


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

I'm resurrecting this thread for a question. Our training center is hosting a One Mind workshop next month and I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to go. Here's the description for the session I'd attend:



> ++Friday, Aug. 19, 2016: Intro to OMD Techniques Novice/Beginner/Young dog workshop for less experienced handlers new to OMD and agility in general- Jumps and Tunnels; 1-2 jumps used to teach techniques in the morning; short sequences of 3-5 jumps/tunnels using learned techniques in the afternoon


I'd audit because I don't see Katie and me being ready for a working spot by then.


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

In my opinion learning new skills is *always* worthwhile. Will it eventually work for Katie? I don't know. But knowing it will help YOU, and it would be fun, so. Yes, I'd go.


----------



## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

I would definitely go...have fun!!


----------



## cookieface (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks. I just realized that the workshop day is our first Friday back to work, so I'll need to see if I can get the day off.


----------

