IGP Obedience After Poor Protection Run

IGP Obedience After Poor Protection Run

Every handler will face it at some point. The protection phase stalls, the outing is messy, or the dog tips over in drive. Then comes the hard part. You still need to finish the routine with precision and calm. That is where a clear plan for IGP obedience after poor protection run makes the difference between a collapse and a composed finish.

At Smart Dog Training, we apply the Smart Method to bring structure back fast, even when the protection picture goes wrong. Our certified Smart Master Dog Trainers SMDTs use a step by step system that neutralises conflict, restores focus, and helps your dog deliver obedience that judges trust. This is not theory. It is the same blueprint we coach across the UK for real trial outcomes.

Why Obedience Falls Apart After Protection

Protection sparks intensity. If clarity fades for a moment, the dog can slide into conflict or frantic energy. The behaviours that usually look smooth in training now feel heavy and slow. To fix this, we first need to understand the drivers.

Drive states and conflict

Protection puts the dog in a high state. If the dog is unsure what ended the fight, the brain stays on the last picture. We see pushing into the sleeve, dirty grips, vocalisation, or scanning for the helper. Then the judge calls for heel and things unravel. Without a reset, asking for tight positions and precise pace is like shouting into the wind. The solution is a fast neutral point that turns the page from fight to work.

Handler pressure and marker clarity

After a mistake, handlers often tighten the lead, raise the voice, or rush the next command. That stacks pressure with no release. The dog reads conflict and either slows down or explodes. The Smart Method solves this through predictable markers and clean pressure and release. The dog learns that clarity ends pressure, not conflict. That is how we recover IGP obedience after poor protection run and keep the dog willing.

The Smart Method Reset

The Smart Method is our proprietary framework for reliable behaviour in real life. It is built on five pillars that work just as well on the trial field as in daily life.

Clarity

Commands, markers, and positions must be black and white. Your dog must know when the protection picture is over and the obedience picture begins. One clear end marker, then one clear obedience marker. No blur. No chatter.

Pressure and Release

Guidance is fair and brief. We apply pressure with purpose to help the dog find the answer, then release at the exact moment of correct choice. Pressure opens a door. The release and reward invite the dog through it. This principle is vital when fixing IGP obedience after poor protection run because it builds responsibility without conflict.

Motivation

We power the work with rewards that matter. The dog learns that obedience turns on the path to the helper or turns on the path to the toy or food. When the dog believes the work creates access, effort goes up and conflict goes down.

Progression

We add distraction, duration, and difficulty in layers. First quiet field, then helper at distance, then helper in motion, then trial level pressure. The dog only meets the next layer once the last layer is solid.

Trust

We protect the relationship. The dog trusts that answers are available and fair. When things get loud on the field, the dog still looks to the handler for direction. This is what steady IGP obedience after poor protection run looks like in the ring.

Immediate On Field Recovery Protocol

When the protection phase goes wrong, you need a fast, repeatable reset that respects the rules. Here is the Smart Dog Training approach used by our SMDTs across the UK.

Neutralise the picture

• Take one slow breath and soften your posture. Your body is the first cue.
• Step to a neutral point that you have rehearsed in training. Think heel side, dog in sit, eyes up to you, slight turn away from the helper. One small step can change the picture.
• Use your end marker once. Then silence. Let the marker draw a line under the last moment.

Re engage with food or toy

• Deliver one fast, tiny reward for eye contact. A micro win tells the dog the game has changed.
• Ask for one simple behaviour you can always win. Sit or down or a quick heel start. Pay it. Now the dog is working again.
• Then build back up to the next formal command in the routine.

This reset sequence turns emotion into action. It is the backbone of IGP obedience after poor protection run.

Post Bite Heeling That Holds

Heeling after protection is where most points leak. We rebuild it with a precise pattern.

• Start with a pre planned heel start cue that you use only after protection. Keep it simple and consistent.
• Shape the first three steps. Step one is lift and focus. Step two is position. Step three is rhythm. Reward on step three often in training.
• Hide the reward until the dog hits position and rhythm, then release to it. The message is clear. Focus and position turn on reward.
• Generalise. Train this with a helper present at different spots. Add spectators, judge voice, and field movement.

When the dog knows the first three steps, the rest of the heel can flow. This is how we stabilise IGP obedience after poor protection run without dulling drive.

Outing Mistake to Compliance Sequence

The outing is emotional. If it turns messy, we must end it clean and move on.

• Program one consistent end marker for the final release from the helper. One word. Always the same.
• Train a neutral hold after the out. Dog in guard, quiet, eyes up. Then handler steps in, clips, and walks out in heel. Reward away from the helper for the first three heel steps.
• When the dog expects this pattern, the end of the fight predicts work. Work predicts reward. The loop is clean.

This loop is a cornerstone in IGP obedience after poor protection run because it converts high emotion into a familiar job.

Retrieve and Send Away After Stress

After a rough protection phase, retrieves and the send away can fall flat. We repair them through smart reward placement.

• For retrieves, place the reward behind you. When the dog fronts clean with calm eyes, mark and spin the dog into heel for the reward behind you. This prevents tunnelling on the helper and keeps the head with you.
• For the send away, proof the down under emotion. Use a helper decoy as a prop at distance while you rehearse send and down. The reward comes from you once the down holds, not from the field. This keeps the dog working for you, not the picture.

Building Distraction Proof Focus After Protection

Focus must be robust. Build it in steps.

• Eye contact games with the helper in view but still.
• Heel passes that slice the helper line at twenty meters, then ten, then five.
• Timed rewards for sustained focus. Pay before the dog breaks, not after. The brain learns what earns the win.

When focus holds around the helper, IGP obedience after poor protection run becomes routine rather than a rescue act.

Handler Mindset and Body Language

Your dog reads you. After a mistake, handlers often rush or tighten. Train yourself to do the opposite.

• Breathe out and drop your shoulders.
• Speak once and quiet. No chatter between markers.
• Walk with the same rhythm you use in training. Rhythm calms the dog.

Your calm becomes the dog’s calm. That is why we coach handlers as much as dogs in every Smart Dog Training session.

Training Plan Between Trials

Rebuilding IGP obedience after poor protection run does not live only on trial day. It is built in the weeks before, with a clean plan.

Diagnostic sessions

• Run a short protection picture that triggers the issue.
• Cut the scene. Insert your reset. Layer one piece of obedience right after.
• Film everything. Look for late markers, unclear hands, or step patterns that differ from trial day.

Patterning reps

• Rehearse the first three steps of post bite heel until they are automatic.
• Build a fixed routine for clipping off the helper, stepping into heel, and rewarding away from the field.
• Alternate high and low arousal reps so the dog learns to switch gears on cue.

Reward Placement That Serves Obedience

Where you place the reward changes behaviour. After protection, place rewards where you want the dog’s mind to go.

• Front of your left hip for heel position and head carriage.
• Behind you for fronts and finishes that are straight and calm.
• At your chest for eye contact and engagement.

Use the release marker to send the dog to that reward. This ties precision to payoff and anchors IGP obedience after poor protection run in a clear loop.

Proofing With a Helper in View

Many dogs can heel in an empty field. The test is a helper in view. We use a staged approach.

• Helper still at distance. You work engagement games.
• Helper steps and stops. You run your three step heel start and pay.
• Helper moves and speaks. You hold focus for a few seconds, then release and reward away from the helper.
• Helper cracks a stick on the ground. You hold position, then release and reward. No drama.

Each layer confirms that your dog can see the picture and still choose you. This is the heart of IGP obedience after poor protection run.

Trial Day Handling Plan

Go in with a plan you can follow under pressure.

• Decide your reset step before you enter the field. It might be a calm sit and one breath.
• Use the same heel start cue that you have trained for post protection.
• If the outing is messy, finish the end marker once, then move to your neutral point. No talk after the marker.
• Stick to your rhythm. Trust your training. The dog will borrow your calm.

With this plan, IGP obedience after poor protection run becomes a rehearsed skill, not a guess.

Common Errors and Fixes

• Error. Talking to the dog between markers. Fix. One marker, then silence until the next behaviour.
• Error. Rushing the heel start. Fix. Own the first three steps and pay them often in training.
• Error. Rewarding near the helper. Fix. Reward away from the protection picture to keep the dog on your channel.
• Error. Over handling with the lead. Fix. Apply brief, fair pressure, release at the instant of correct choice, then reward.

Case Study From the Smart Field

A young male entered a club trial with strong grips but weak recovery. After the out, he scanned, vocalised, and blew the first heel steps. We built a four week plan using the Smart Method.

• Week one. Install one end marker. Install a neutral sit with a soft turn away from the helper. Pay eye contact. No big obedience asks yet.
• Week two. Add the three step heel start. Pay on step three. Reward is from the handler, away from the helper.
• Week three. Bring the helper closer. Add judge voice and spectators. Keep sessions short. End on a win.
• Week four. Link outing, neutral sit, three step heel start, then a short pattern of heel and about turn. Film every rep.

At the next event, the dog outed clean, sat neutral, and floated into heel. Focus held and the rest of obedience stayed intact. That is the power of structured IGP obedience after poor protection run.

When to Bring in a Smart Master Dog Trainer SMDT

If the dog rehearses errors, they become habits. A certified Smart Master Dog Trainer SMDT can spot the tiny leaks that cost big points. We diagnose the root cause, plan your reset, and coach your handling so it stays steady under stress. Sessions are available nationwide, in home, in small groups, and through tailored behaviour programmes, all under the Smart Dog Training system.

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 Obedience After Poor Protection Run In One Subheading

Your plan should be simple enough to run on auto pilot. One end marker. One neutral position. One three step heel start. Reward away from the helper. Repeat. That is the sequence that anchors IGP obedience after poor protection run.

FAQs

What is the fastest way to recover after a bad protection phase?

Use one end marker, take a slow breath, set a neutral sit, and run your three step heel start. Pay on step three away from the helper. This fast loop turns emotion into focus and stabilises IGP obedience after poor protection run.

Should I continue the routine or retire after a big mistake?

If your dog can respond to your reset, continue. If the dog is not hearing you, retire and protect the picture. Either way, your next sessions should rehearse the reset so the dog knows how to switch gears under stress.

How long does it take to rebuild obedience after protection?

Most teams see strong change in three to four weeks with focused reps. The key is short sessions, clear markers, and staged proofing with the helper in view.

Will fixing the outing reduce my dog’s drive?

No. When done with the Smart Method, clarity and fair pressure increase confidence. Drive becomes channelled, not suppressed. Work predicts reward. The dog learns to think and still work hard.

What markers should I use for this plan?

One end marker to close the protection picture. One reward marker to open the obedience picture. Keep both short and distinct. Use them the same way every time.

How do I train with the helper in view without losing obedience?

Layer the picture. Start with the helper still at distance. Add small movements. Add sound. Reward away from the helper. Only raise the layer when the last layer is solid.

Can young dogs learn this reset?

Yes. Keep sessions short and fun. Teach the neutral sit, the three step heel start, and reward placement early. Young dogs that learn to change gears will thrive later in IGP.

Conclusion

Great teams are defined by how they handle adversity on the field. With a clear plan, you can turn a shaky protection phase into a composed, point rich finish. Use the Smart Method. Anchor your markers. Own the first three steps of heel. Place rewards where they build the picture you want. Then proof it layer by layer with the helper in view.

IGP obedience after poor protection run does not have to be a gamble. With Smart Dog Training, you get a structured system that delivers calm, consistent behaviour in real life and under trial pressure. When you need expert guidance, our SMDTs are ready to help you rebuild with confidence.

Your dog deserves training that truly works. With certified Smart Master Dog Trainers SMDTs nationwide, you'll get proven results backed by the UK's most trusted dog training network. Find a Trainer Near You