IGP Downtime Drills Between Runs

IGP Downtime Drills Between Runs

IGP downtime drills are the quiet engine of a winning trial day. When you control the moments between runs, you protect clarity, conserve energy, and build the calm focus that delivers points when it counts. At Smart Dog Training, we treat these drills as a core skill set, not an afterthought. Every routine is taught through the Smart Method so your dog can switch off, reset, and return on cue. If you want results in real life trials, this is where consistency is built.

Downtime is not just rest. It is structure, neutrality, and accountability delivered with fair guidance. That is why a certified Smart Master Dog Trainer will map your IGP downtime drills to match your dog, your club field, and the exact pressures you face on a trial day. The right routine gives you a confident athlete who knows how to park excitement, breathe, and be ready for the next phase.

Why Downtime Between Runs Matters

IGP tests preparation, not only performance. The time between runs is where arousal often creeps up, focus drains away, and small habits turn into big mistakes. Your dog needs a predictable routine that answers three questions every time.

• Where do I go now
• What should my body do
• When is work starting again

IGP downtime drills fill those gaps. They lower stress, preserve fuel, and maintain clear signals from handler to dog. With a rehearsed structure, you avoid nagging, reduce cueing noise, and protect the headspace needed for the next start line. Smart Dog Training builds this skill from day one so it holds under trial pressure.

The Smart Method Applied to Downtime

The Smart Method turns IGP downtime drills into a reliable habit chain. Each pillar works together so your dog can switch from drive to stillness without conflict.

Clarity

Words and markers must mean the same thing everywhere. We use a distinct marker set for rest behaviours, such as a calm release word, a low excitement payment marker, and a neutral keep-going cue for place or crate. Clarity removes guesswork and stops creeping movement or vocalising.

Pressure and Release

Fair guidance creates accountability. We show the dog how to hold position, how to soften on the line, and how to exhale tension. When the dog meets criteria, tension goes away and reinforcement arrives. This balance builds responsibility without conflict.

Motivation

Rewards during downtime are quiet and precise. Food and touch are delivered with calm rhythm so the dog values stillness, not frantic effort. The result is a willing dog that enjoys resting on cue.

Progression

We layer distraction, duration, and distance in small steps until the routine works anywhere. That includes busy club fields, judge movement, helpers, barks, and the noise of decoys working other dogs.

Trust

Predictable patterns reduce anxiety. Your dog learns that you will guide, the crate is safe, the place is restful, and work will come again. This trust is what sustains stable behaviour on long trial days.

Pre Run Reset Routine

Before each phase, the pre run reset sets your tone and your dog’s brain. These IGP downtime drills build a clean launch without clutter.

• Arrive at the staging area and stand still for ten seconds. Breathe and soften your shoulders. Your dog mirrors you.
• Place your dog on a mat or in the crate for two minutes of easy nasal breathing. Nose work and calm sniffing can be cued with a soft marker.
• Run a quiet focus check. One eye contact rep, one slow heel start, one sit, then back to rest. Keep it short. The goal is crispness, not warmup fatigue.
• Release to a neutral potty spot if needed, then return to the rest station. Repeat the same pattern each time so cues feel automatic.

Micro Warmups That Preserve Calm

Micro warmups should raise accuracy, not arousal. Keep them under sixty seconds, with one or two precise reps. For obedience, one clean sit in heel, one about turn, then end. For tracking, one scent check on the pad, then back to crate. For protection, a simple orientation to handler with quiet praise. Smart Dog Training keeps these micro sets consistent so your dog never tips into overdrive.

Post Run Cooldown Protocol

As soon as a run ends, you start the cooldown. Your dog should step out of the ring and enter a known pattern.

• Walk a small slow circle away from the ring. Keep the lead loose. Breathe slowly.
• Perform a three step settle. Park, down or sit, head down. Hold for twenty to thirty seconds.
• Deliver two to three calm food rewards at ground level. No tossing, no hype words.
• Return to the crate or place for two to five minutes of quiet. Covering the crate can help if your dog is visual.

IGP downtime drills after the run teach the dog to let go of the previous work. This protects the next phase from leftovers like vocalising, forging, or over eager grips.

Place and Crate Neutrality

The heart of IGP downtime drills is neutrality. Your dog must see the crate and place as restful zones, not holding pens. Smart Dog Training builds this with structured sessions away from trial pressure.

• Crate means lie down, head low, quiet eyes. Reinforce with low value food placed between paws.
• Place means body stillness on a mat with a soft keep-going cue. Reward the exhale and slow blinks.
• Handler steps away and returns with no drama. No excitable greetings during downtime.

Tether or Vehicle Crate

Tether setups and vehicle crates are common at trials. We train both so the routine is portable. The rules are the same. No pacing, no whining, no scanning. Your dog learns that stillness brings relief and predictable rewards.

Handler Skills During Downtime

Your behaviour sets the state. The best IGP downtime drills include handler skills that teach you to regulate your dog through calm leadership.

Body Language and Respiration

Keep your stance neutral, knees soft, and shoulders easy. Inhale for four, exhale for six. Speak less. Your dog tracks your breath and posture.

Marker Words and Quiet Rewards

Use distinct markers for rest behaviour. A calm maintain cue for place or crate, a soft yes for payment, and a final release. Rewards are slow, low, and precise so the dog stays grounded.

Environmental Proofing

Downtime must hold under noise and movement. We proof in layers so your dog learns to tune out the world.

• Sound. Barking dogs, clatter, judge voices. Start at low volume and grow it in short sets.
• Motion. Helpers walking, sleeves moving, dogs heeling past. Add distance first, then duration.
• Proximity. Work closer to the ring only when the dog shows stable neutrality at easier levels.

Smart Dog Training builds distraction tolerance through the Smart Method so each success is clean and repeatable.

Food and Hydration Timing

Fuel supports behaviour. Keep portions small before runs and feed larger meals after final work. Water lightly before and after each phase, not in big gulps. Use water breaks as part of IGP downtime drills so the pattern is predictable. If your dog tends to vocalise when hungry, we adjust timing and reinforce rest with measured food placements that do not spike arousal.

Using Equipment Strategically

Equipment sends clear signals. The work collar or harness goes on for performance, and a neutral collar goes on for rest. Use a light lead that relaxes easily in your hand. Keep the crate cover and mat consistent. We avoid fidget toys during downtime so the dog does not self wind. Everything in your kit supports the lesson that quiet earns relief.

Sample Eight Week Progression

Build IGP downtime drills gradually so they stand up to the chaos of a real trial day.

• Week 1 and 2. Teach crate and place neutrality at home. Ten to fifteen minute sessions, two times per day. Reinforce breathing and head down.
• Week 3. Add low level household noise and handler movement. Start two minute absences while the dog holds a quiet down.
• Week 4. Move to a quiet field. Layer distance from distractions. Introduce micro warmups of thirty seconds, then back to rest.
• Week 5. Add other dogs at distance. Practice pre run reset and post run cooldown exactly as you will do it on trial day.
• Week 6. Increase proximity to action. Work within sight of heeling dogs or helper movement while your dog remains neutral in crate or on place.
• Week 7. Full mock trial day. Run two or three short phases. Follow the entire routine between runs without skipping steps.
• Week 8. Tidy up. Identify weak links such as vocalising in vehicle crate or scanning near the ring. Target those in short, precise sessions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over warming. Too many reps in the micro warmup turns focus into frenzy.
• Chatter. Constant talking makes you white noise and raises arousal.
• Inconsistent markers. Mixed signals cause creeping movement and guessing.
• Free for all breaks. Potty breaks and water stops should follow the same pattern each time.
• Reinforcing noise. Do not open the crate when the dog vocalises. Wait for one quiet breath, then open.

Measuring Readiness and Reliability

Reliable IGP downtime drills look boring. That is the goal. Use these checkpoints to measure readiness.

• Heart rate and breath settle within one minute after a run.
• No scanning eyes while on place or in crate.
• Loose lead neutrality from the ring to the rest station.
• Micro warmup reps are crisp and end cleanly on a calm release.
• Dog can nap between phases even with noise nearby.

When these markers hold across locations and trial like environments, your routine is match ready.

Troubleshooting High Drive Dogs

High drive dogs can learn deep calm with structure and accountability. Smart Dog Training uses IGP downtime drills to channel energy into precise behaviour.

• Whining. Mark silence, pay low and slow. Use light pressure and clear release to show the path to quiet.
• Pacing. Shorten duration, block visual triggers, and reward stillness quickly. Add movement only after the dog relaxes.
• Explosive starts. Reduce pre run warmup to one rep. Bring the dog out of the crate later so the gap to work is short.
• Handler tension. Train your breathing and posture daily. Your state controls your dog’s state.

For complex cases, work directly with a Smart Master Dog Trainer who can watch your timing, adjust your markers, and sharpen your dog’s accountability while keeping motivation high.

When to Get Professional Help

If your dog vocalises in the crate, stays stuck in high arousal, or breaks position under distraction, targeted coaching speeds results. Smart Dog Training delivers structured, progressive plans that map to your goals and trial calendar. Ready to turn your dog’s behaviour around Book a Free Assessment and connect with a certified Smart Master Dog Trainer available across the UK.

IGP Downtime Drills Checklist

• Pre run reset. Arrive, breathe, place or crate, one focus rep, then rest.
• Post run cooldown. Slow circle, settle, ground level food, return to rest.
• Crate neutrality. Head down, soft eyes, quiet marker, calm release.
• Place work. Still body, keep going cue, layered duration with distraction.
• Micro warmups. One or two reps, under sixty seconds, end early and calm.
• Proofing. Sound, motion, proximity, added in layers.
• Handler skills. Breath, posture, low voice, precise markers.

FAQs

What are IGP downtime drills

They are structured routines that keep your dog calm and focused between runs. At Smart Dog Training, we teach rest behaviours, micro warmups, and cooldowns so your dog can reset and perform on cue.

How early should I start training IGP downtime drills

Start now. We build these habits from the first training sessions. The earlier you create crate neutrality, place skills, and calm markers, the easier they hold on trial day.

How long should my dog rest between runs

Quality matters more than time. Most dogs benefit from two to five minutes of structured rest after a run, then quiet crate time until the next call. Follow your plan, not the crowd.

Can I reward my dog during downtime without raising arousal

Yes. Use low key delivery at ground level with calm markers. No tossing food, no hype voice, and no fast hands. Reward the exhale and stillness.

What if my dog whines in the crate

We reinforce silence and stillness. Wait for one quiet breath, mark, then open. If whining persists, we add fair guidance with clear release so the dog learns how to relax. A structured plan from Smart Dog Training solves this quickly.

Do these routines change across tracking, obedience, and protection

The core pattern stays the same. We adjust micro warmups to match the phase, but the rest cues and cooldowns are consistent so your dog always understands the plan.

Can I practice IGP downtime drills at home

Absolutely. We start at home to build reliable habits, then add noise, motion, and proximity in steps until the routine works anywhere.

When should I seek professional help

If your dog cannot relax near the ring, breaks place, or vocalises despite practice, book with Smart Dog Training. Targeted coaching from an SMDT will correct timing and criteria fast.

Conclusion

IGP downtime drills are a performance multiplier. With the Smart Method, you build clarity, motivation, progression, and trust into every minute between runs. Your dog learns to switch off, reset, and step back on the line with clean focus. That is how you protect points and produce reliable behaviour in real trials. Your dog deserves training that truly works. With certified Smart Master Dog Trainers SMDTs nationwide, you will get proven results backed by the UK’s most trusted dog training network. Find a Trainer Near You