Discover how to BOOST your dog's CONFIDENCE and stress resilience with fun MOVEMENT EXERCISES.
So that he can learn new skills faster and feel empowered in challenging situations.
MOVEMENT PUZZLES
Online program for dog training enthusiasts.
By Mari Valgma, CPCFT
get a special offer for bonus content on your email when the doors open in november 2023 + get a free exercise 👇
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INTRODUCING
MOVEMENT PUZZLES
Movement Puzzles is a program for teaching your dog fun dynamic body awareness and coordination exercises...
While boosting your dog's confidence for all kinds of challenging situations!
It is a step-by-step online program that teaches you everything you need for building your own Puzzles and giving you new ideas and detailed guidelines for fun training sessions every single month!
- 24/7 LIFETIME access to all the program content and training videos, including all future content updates, student community and all the fun training events we offer to our students every single month. Yeah, you read it correctly - you get LIFETIME access to the program materials. All the monthly training events and instructor support will be available to you for as long as we offer this program (and we plan to offer it for years to come!)
- Step by step instructions for 2 bowl game and building your first puzzles
- Library of puzzle exercises including all the future additions and detailed How To instructions for teaching your dog even the trickiest puzzles by splitting them up into small steps that leave your dog empowered and eager to tackle any new situation with joy!
- Monthly themed challenges with instructor feedback to your training videos. Every month we offer multiple 2 week long challenges to our students. During these challenges you get detailed how to instructions for exercises and instructor feedback. You will be the first to learn any new exercise added to the program! You don't need Facebook to participate! Access to these challenges is not time limited!
- Supportive student community on Facebook, packed with really cool training ideas from our students and instructors. Plus you can ask questions and get instructor support to your own videos.
- All the program updates. This program is constantly evolving. We update exercise instructions regularly based on student feedback. There are new exercises added every couple of months. Plus we have some cool plans for the future to keep both you and your dog motivated! And by joining the program you get access to all these future additions to the program!
Here's what you'll find inside Movement Puzzles program:
2 bowl game
- Step by step instructions for getting started with the 2 bowl game
- Instructions for creating an errorless teaching setup (well... as much as possible!)
- How to get your dog moving away from you/not looking at you and creating distance in your 2 bowl game
- Troubleshooting guide to target the most common problems with the 2 bowl game
Build your first Puzzles
- Detailed instructions for adding new exercises/behaviors into your 2 bowl game
- Build your first Puzzles with moving over cavaletti poles and platforms
- Learn how to use equipment as environmental cues so that the puzzle skills will transfer over to real life situations
- Master the logic of combining different behaviors for longer and bigger Puzzles
Library of Puzzle ideas
- Library of different body awareness, coordination and confidence exercises you can teach using the 2 bowl game and puzzles
- Get new exercises for dynamic body awareness and coordination... Or work on your dog's confidence when moving in all kinds of "weird" situations
- All the exercise guidelines are step by step instructions, splitting even the most complex exercises up into clear and frustration free steps for both you and your dog!
Inside Movement Puzzles you will find exercises like:
Dynamic Body Awareness and Coordination Boosters
- 3 different versions of cavaletti
- 5+ ways to use platforms and balance discs inside Puzzles
- Touching a small target while running through a puzzle
- Crawling inside a puzzle
- Walking on a sequence of smaller targets (like ladder rungs!)
- COMING SOON moving on very narrow surfaces and more! 😉
Confidence Boosters
(that sneakily also improve body awareness and coordination 🤓)
- Moving on unstable and surfaces that move
- Moving on higher surfaces
- Stepping over gaps higher from the ground
- Unsupported surfaces (like bridges!)
- Moving through a curtain of noisy/weird stuff
- Running through noisy and weird things under paws
- Moving through tight spaces
- COMING SOON moving through a tight space without a clear exit and more! 😉
All of these exercises are taught by splitting them up into small elements. Your dog will be doing the exercises independently, without you having to lure her.
In case of mistakes, the exercise setup will be adjusted to make the "right" answer the most likely one. As a result your dog will see challenges as something fun and empowering.
Because there are no verbal or visual cues from the handler, these situations themselves become cues for your dog & she will want to tackle them!
That's how you boost your dog's confidence and give her body awareness and coordination skills that transfer over to real life situations 😉
What's in it for you?
Benefits for you
- Train new behaviours faster because your dog has better control over her body and you don't need as many repetitions anymore
- Ability to make all kinds of moving through/under/over behaviours super easy and logical for your dog
- Fewer frustration behaviours during your training because your dog is better able to complete any training task with ease
- Keeping your dog's brain active (coordination training is like a vitamin to your dog's brain) and delay/avoid onsets of conditions like doggy dementia
- Lower vet bills because your dog knows how to look after his own body during sport/work
- A new (and fun!) tool in your training toolbox
Benefits for your dog
(just to name a few)
- Improved precision and control over his body when running
- Better focus on the exercises and obstacles
- Improved independent performance, not having to look at the handler so much
- Higher confidence in new and also in difficult and physically demanding situations
- Longer attention span
- Improved reaction speed to cues
- Recovering faster in physically tricky situations
- Reduced risk of injuries thanks to better control and higher confidence in challenging situations
- FUN! She can run... and get treats!
Who is this program for?
🙋♀️ Canine fitness enthusiasts looking to add new, movement focused exercises to their routines
🙋🏼♂️ Dog handlers and trainers who are familiar with R+ training concepts and are always looking to add new tools to their training skills
🙋🏽♂️ Dog owners and trainers looking for confidence and socializing exercises for new surfaces, moving over/ through funny stuff (many puzzles are also suitable for puppies!)
🙋🏼 Dogs recovering from an injury and returning to the sport to restore body awareness and coordination for sport challenges. Only if cleared by a vet for returning to activities!
❌ This program is NOT FOR someone looking for
- detailed fitness plans: this program will give you exercises & exercise ideas, but not exact daily training plans
- general conditioning and strengthening workouts
- foundation R+ training: this program relies on R+ training concepts but won't be teaching the foundations of R+ training
Prerequisites to get the most out of this program:
- Your are familiar with clicker training or use a verbal marker for reinforcement delivery.
- Your dog has done some foundation fitness training and is familiar with cavaletti, getting on and off unstable equipment and platforms (it's not a must, you can learn this inside the Movement Puzzles program, too!).
- Your dog is happy to offer behaviors without always getting cues from the handler. This program relies heavily on environmental cues (props) without any verbal or visual cues from the handler.
Hey! I am Mari Valgma
I am a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer (CPCFT), passionate about helping dedicated dog training enthusiasts train their dogs to move with precision, awareness and confidence, especially in situations that may otherwise be called "challenging".
Over the past 7 years I've worked with more than 1200 dog training enthusiasts and since 2020 I've been focusing on developing the concept of Movement Puzzles - exercises that helps dogs learn to balance, control their bodies and move with precision while actually running.
What started as a canine fitness training concept has now been shown by my students to also help dogs with confidence, focus, independent obstacle performance and even reactivity! It has become an integral part when preparing my youngest dog for his search and rescue training.
New benefits of this super fun training concept pop out every single time I run this hugely popular Movement Puzzles program and I can't wait to see you inside!
Will you be joining Hélène and Bobbie as the next fan of Movement Puzzles?
Hélène Lawler
Canada
Fenzi Dog Sports Academy instructor, Founder of Shaping Chaos and Dog Sport Scholars
USBCHA herding Open handler & coach
"My dogs and I are absolutely loving Movement Puzzles, which have become my new go-to for building foundations."
This unique skills-building program is so powerful that I believe it has the potential to completely change how we train our dogs for work and sport. Not only that, it SHOULD change how we train for work and sport.
Mari’s systematic program teaches both dog and handler the skills we need for performance excellence without danger of over-arousal (hallelujah!), all the while building confidence and developing excellence in communication.
Her step-by-step lessons are clear, easy to follow, and well organized. Her insights are paradigm shifting. Which, as a lover of rabbit holes, is my favourite part of working with Mari. But my dog is very grateful too! Particularly since the exercises allow her to tell me exactly where I need to improve, and how.
"Mari has a fresh approach to developing the underlying coordination and balance needed for dog sports...
... that dovetails beautifully with current training concepts such as loopy training, performing in flow, slow is the new fast, and forward focus. In a warm, engaging manner, she pulls together these bits and pieces into a cohesive whole. And my dogs love the exercises!"
Kathryn Kuhlen, USA
"Mari’s Movement Puzzle class was a surprising adventure into a new way of training and thinking."
I worked with my then 10-month old BC pup and my 5 year old field Labrador. It was enlightening to observe their balanced movement progress, development of body awareness for performance of the challenges, and mental acuity to solve the puzzles. My observation skills improved and I consequently became a more effective partner for them.
Mary Young, USA
Bobbie Lyons
CCFT, KPA CFT, Program Director CSCC, KPA Faculty
"From my first exposure to movement puzzles I was super intrigued with the concept and now I use it often for so many different things. "
I love it for puppies and old dogs. It is a great way to teach clicker mechanics to new students. It is a great way to teach proprioception to dogs and for dogs to learn and think at a distance from their handler.
I continually find more and more uses for movement puzzles. Thank you Mari for sharing this concept. It will always be part of what I teach.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When does the program start?
There's no fixed start date for this program. You will get full access to all the contents as soon as you join, so you can start working on the exercises and start getting results straight away!
How long will this program take me?
It will all depend on you 🙂 The idea of Movement Puzzles can be mastered in a couple of weeks. Every new element in the ideas library will take approximately 3 days - 2 weeks to teach with daily sessions (some take less, some more). None of the Ideas Library exercises are mandatory and you are free to mix and match based on your own interests and your dog's needs.
From what age is this program suitable?
Most of the confidence boosting exercises are perfect for puppies as young as 3 months. The body awareness and coordination exercises are better suited from 8 months and up. If you're wondering about taking this program with a puppy, then I'd personally recommend taking this program, observe what your puppy is able to do easily and focus on these exercises. You can join in with the more challenging exercises as your puppy progresses :)
Is Movement Puzzles the same as Beyond Dog Sports: Dog Walk course?
No. Beyond Dog Sports: Dog Walk teaches some Movement Puzzles, but is highly focused on narrow surface skills.
Movement Puzzles is a more general program and includes many different exercises for general confidence boosting, body awareness and coordination training.
I already have Beyond Dog Sports: Dog Walk course. Will there be anything new for me in the Movement Puzzles program?
There is some overlap between these two courses, but there are a lot of new exercises for you in the Movement Puzzles course. Beyond Dog Sports: Dog Walk course covers only the narrow surface exercises, but Movement Puzzles has exercises focusing on running through things, noisy things, things touching the body, stepping on small targets etc.
We have a special offer for Beyond Dog Sports: Dog Walk students, contact us before joining: hello@themovingcanine.com
What equipment will I need for this program?
- For learning the Movement Puzzles foundation exercises, you'll need:
- 2 bowls, 2-3 cones
- 1-2 platforms/steps. Human step platforms and Cato boards are perfect.
- Optional: 1 balance disc/unstable surface. Balance discs with bases (Gymnic or TotoFit) or Propel Air Platform are the perfect. The disc/platform should not roll or slide under your dog.
- 2 cavaletti poles
Additionally you'll need some creative solutions to come up with equipment like (these are for the Ideas Library exercises): - Stool or a chair that you can use for crawling
- A cardboard box + empty plastic bottles or similar for a box of "funny stuff"
- Plastic bottles on strings + something to hang them on (or similar for a "noisy curtain")
- Old tires/wooden ladder or something similar to give your dog narrow surfaces to step on (like ladder rungs)
- Other equipment may be necessary as we come up with new exercises.
How much space do I need for the exercises?
Recommended area of 4x 6 meters/13x 20 feet, however you can also make it with half of that size with smaller puzzles. Make sure the surface is non-slippery!
What level of feedback is included in this program?
This is a self paced program with support in the students only Facebook group and Monthly Challenges inside this course. During these challenges you can post your videos and get instructor feedback on your exercises. The first challenge is all about getting started with puzzles and will run within the first 2 weeks of you joining the program.
I'm so bad at filming myself and posting videos of my training. Will I have to do it in this program?
Only if you want to 🙂 You can post your videos for instructor feedback during the challenges, but there is no requirement to post your videos for the program to work and give you results. In fact, most students say the program instruction videos and guides are so clear and so easily understandable that they can easily train on their own, without posting training videos.
What teaching platform is the program using?
The program content is hosted on an online course platform called Zenler. Challenges are carried out on a platform called Circle. There is no course content on Facebook (but there is a student community on Facebook) and you don't have to be an active Facebook user to participate in this program.