IGP Warm Up Planning Per Phase

IGP Warm Up Planning Per Phase

IGP warm up planning is the bridge between your hard training and the performance your dog delivers when it counts. At Smart Dog Training we build every plan with the Smart Method so your dog moves with clarity, motivation, and calm control from the first step to the final transport. As a Smart Master Dog Trainer I treat warm up as a precise system that matches the needs of each IGP phase tracking, obedience, and protection.

This guide walks you through IGP warm up planning per phase so you know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to keep your dog in the right emotional state. You will learn how Smart structures the sequence, how we use pressure and release to set accountability without conflict, and how to read your dog so you can adjust on the fly. Every drill, marker, and handler action fits inside Smart Dog Training programmes. If you want professional support an SMDT will design and coach your plan for the field you are stepping onto.

Why Warm Up Matters in IGP

IGP warm up planning turns potential into reliable behaviour. It protects precision under stress, prevents over arousal in protection, and wakes up detail in tracking. Without a plan you gamble with focus and obedience. With a plan your dog knows the job and the rules before you cross the line. Smart uses the same pattern at trials and in training days so the dog trusts the process and gives consistent work anywhere.

The Smart Method Framework

Our warm up plans sit on the five pillars of the Smart Method. This structure creates repeatable success.

• Clarity clear markers, clean handling, and a start routine the dog can predict
• Pressure and Release fair guidance through a line, leash, collar, or decoy pressure followed by instant release when the dog commits to the task
• Motivation rewards that fit the phase and the dog food for tracking, play and praise for obedience, and access to the fight in protection
• Progression drills layered from simple to complex so you can scale up or down on the day
• Trust the bond that comes from calm leadership and honest reinforcement

Core Principles For IGP Warm Up Planning

Before we break down each phase set these global rules.

• Start with the end in mind define the target state for each phase and warm up into that state
• Short and sharp keep quality high and volume low
• Earn the start cue use simple reps to confirm engagement and accuracy
• Manage arousal plan to raise or lower energy before the start line
• Protect precision always finish on a clean rep
• Control the environment pick spaces, distances, and visuals that fit your dog

Arousal Targeting by Phase

IGP warm up planning per phase is all about emotional balance.

• Tracking low to medium arousal calm brain, active nose, loose body
• Obedience medium arousal switched on, elastic body, clear head
• Protection medium to high arousal powerful but thinking, clean outs, steady guarding

Essential Kit and Set Up

Prepare the same way every time to trigger confidence and routine.

• Tracking line, harness if used in your Smart programme, articles, bait if applicable, and a light marker toy only if you use it to settle after
• Obedience collar, short leash, marker rewards food or toy, dumbbell if needed, and a safe space for a few micro reps
• Protection approved equipment as used in Smart training, clear plan with the helper, and a quiet holding area to keep the dog neutral between reps

Pre Session Health and Mobility

IGP warm up planning begins before you step on the ground. Give your dog time to toilet, hydrate in small sips, and loosen up with five minutes of relaxed walking. Add light mobility head turns, shoulder circles with food lures, gentle side steps, and a few springy trots. Keep muscles warm not tired.

Start Rituals and Markers

Smart uses simple predictable rituals so the dog knows when work begins. A quiet sit, a touch point, or a hand target can anchor focus. Use clear markers Yes to reinforce, Good to hold, and Out to release a toy or sleeve. In protection the release must be clean and rehearsed under rising pressure. Keep cues the same every time so the dog finds certainty fast.

IGP Warm Up Planning Per Phase Overview

Here is how Smart structures the three phases. Each plan scales to the dog and the field. We adapt reps and spacing but keep the same logic start neutral, build the right state, confirm clarity, finish on success.

Tracking Warm Up

The goal is a calm, methodical nose with steady rhythm. IGP warm up planning for tracking sets the nose first, not the legs. We avoid over activation and never rehearse frantic movement before a start peg.

Step by Step

• Check in do two to three engagement reps on a loose line eyes off you, nose down on cue
• Nose switch on lay a tiny food scatter in short grass and let the dog settle into sniffing, then end quietly
• Line handling rehearsal pick up the tracking line, let the dog feel the light pressure, then release when the nose commits
• Micro track two to three paces with one article finish at the article with calm praise and food on the ground
• Corner check if corners challenge your dog, mark a single deliberate turn and reinforce slow careful steps
• Article ritual practise the indication with you standing as you will in the phase pay stillness and precision

Handler Notes

• Keep voice soft and body quiet
• Feed on the floor to keep the head down
• If the dog bubbles up pause and breathe, then restart the nose game
• End two minutes before you need to stage so arousal can settle

IGP warm up planning in tracking is about patience. You are not trying to make the dog excited. You are proving that the rules never change and the nose pays every time.

Obedience Warm Up

We want a bright, elastic dog that can switch from play to precision without losing clarity. The Smart sequence starts with engagement, moves into micro skills, then previews key elements you will show in the phase.

Step by Step

• Engagement switch on with two to three fast marker reps hand feed for eye contact or a one bounce tug game then settle with Out and a food hold
• Heeling micro pattern five to ten steps with two turns and one halt reward head position and clean sits
• Station control practise sit, down, stand on a platform or ground with silent handler posture
• Retrieve preview one light hold and front finish reinforce straight grips and quiet mouth
• Jump preview if allowed and safe rehearse the approach without a full jump you are protecting arousal and joints
• Fronts and finishes one perfect rep each so the dog remembers picture and path

Handler Notes

• Keep sessions short under five minutes total warm up time
• Use Out and a food hold to settle after any toy play
• Finish on a smooth heel picture so that is the last memory before the start

IGP warm up planning in obedience uses pressure and release with precision. A light leash prompt into position followed by instant release and reward tells the dog exactly where value sits. This fair guidance avoids conflict and builds responsibility.

Protection Warm Up

Protection asks for the highest emotional control. We want power, clean outs, and stable guarding. IGP warm up planning here must balance drive and clarity. Smart works a short pattern with the helper so you preview the rules, not the whole routine.

Step by Step

• Neutral start slow walking and quiet praise while the dog watches the field
• Target check one small bite on the correct target with full grip and immediate Out reinforce with a second clean bite or calm praise based on your plan
• Guarding rehearsal two to three seconds of still, strong bark and hold handler neutral, helper passive
• Transport focus one short step off with the helper and a return to position keep the dog thinking
• Out under motion one moving release and re engagement this confirms clarity under pressure

Handler and Helper Notes

• Agree the plan in advance no surprises
• Keep reps low to prevent overload
• Reward with either a rebite or calm handler praise based on what keeps your dog clear
• Stop early if arousal spikes use a quiet walk and a sit to reset

In protection our pressure and release is precise. The dog meets pressure when rules are not met and feels relief the moment they comply. Over time this creates a confident dog that works with the helper and the handler as a team.

Putting It Together on Competition Day

IGP warm up planning per phase does not happen in a vacuum. You have call times, travel, weather, and field layouts to navigate. Smart coaching prepares you to flex without losing structure.

• Time boxing set a latest start point for each warm up and a hard stop so the dog can breathe before the phase
• Energy economy do not rehearse long chains keep reps crisp
• Field reading consider wind, ground moisture, and cover for tracking; noise and distractions for obedience; and helper position for protection
• Crate routine use a calm hold between phases with a short sniff walk to reset

Sample Timelines You Can Scale

Use these as starting points then adjust with your SMDT coach. They fit the Smart pattern of short, clear, and purposeful work.

• Tracking 6 to 8 minutes total nose switch on 2 minutes, micro track 2 minutes, article ritual 1 minute, quiet walk 1 to 3 minutes
• Obedience 5 to 7 minutes total engagement 1 minute, heeling micro pattern 2 minutes, stations 1 minute, fronts and finishes 1 minute, quiet walk 1 to 2 minutes
• Protection 4 to 6 minutes total neutral start 1 minute, target check 1 minute, guarding 1 minute, out under motion 1 minute, quiet hold 1 to 2 minutes

Adjusting for Your Dog

Every dog needs a custom plan inside a consistent framework. That is the heart of the Smart Method. If your dog runs hot shorten play, lengthen calm walking, and pay more for stillness. If your dog runs flat add a few snappy marker reps and a short chase before you ask for control. IGP warm up planning thrives on honest data you collect from training and trials.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too many reps the dog peaks early and fades when it counts
• Last minute changes new cues, new toys, or new patterns add doubt
• Talking too much noise blurs clarity and weakens markers
• Skipping the cool down the dog carries tension into the crate and the next phase
• Chasing hype in protection big arousal with no clarity ruins your outs and guarding

Cooling Down Between Phases

Recovery is part of IGP warm up planning. After each phase give your dog a short sniff walk, small water sip, and a quiet settle. Gentle mobility keeps muscles loose. Keep praise calm and simple so the dog can recharge for the next job.

How Smart Coaches Your Plan

Smart Dog Training builds IGP warm up planning into every advanced programme. Your SMDT maps your dog’s arousal curve, notes precision weak points, and sets a phase by phase sequence that matches your team. You get scripted reps, timing windows, and handling notes that you can run anywhere. This is how we deliver real world results that hold up under pressure.

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.

Troubleshooting On The Day

Even with strong IGP warm up planning you may face surprises. Here is how Smart handles them.

• Over arousal in protection switch to quiet walking, ask for a sit and focus, then a short clean out rep before you end
• Flat obedience add two fast marker reps with a tiny play burst then lock in with a micro heel
• Noisy environment use distance to soften the picture and rehearse one clear behaviour you can pay
• Scent washout in wind reduce volume and rehearse an article indication to anchor the nose

Measuring Success

Track simple metrics to refine your IGP warm up planning over time.

• Time on warm up and time to start line
• Engagement score quick to connect, neutral, or sluggish
• Precision score sits, fronts, grips, and indications clean or messy
• Recovery speed how fast the dog settles after work

Use these notes to adjust the next session. Small improvements each week add up to big stability in trials.

FAQs

How early should I start IGP warm up planning on trial day

Plan backward from your call time. Start the phase warm up 10 to 20 minutes before you need to stage, then end a few minutes early so your dog can breathe and reset.

Should I use toys in warm up

Yes when they serve the plan. In obedience and protection use brief, structured play to spark engagement, then settle with a clean Out and a food hold. In tracking avoid toy play that lifts arousal.

What if my dog gets over excited in protection

Shorten the pattern. Do one clean target bite, a fast Out, and end. Walk away calm. Your IGP warm up planning should always finish under control.

How do I warm up a sensitive dog

Lower volume and increase distance from pressure. Use quiet markers and short success reps. Build confidence with predictable patterns and clear release.

Can I combine phases in one warm up

Keep phases separate. Each phase needs a different emotional state. Track first with calm, later build energy for obedience, and finish with controlled power in protection.

How do I know if my plan is working

Your dog walks to the line confident, offers the first behaviour fast, and recovers quickly after the phase. Precision holds when stress rises. If not adjust timing, reps, or arousal work with an SMDT.

Conclusion

IGP warm up planning per phase is a skill in its own right. When you pair Smart structure with honest handling your dog hits the field in the exact state needed for tracking, obedience, and protection. Keep reps short, cues clear, and energy on target. Build the routine now so trial day feels familiar. If you want a plan built around your dog and your goals we are here to help.

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