“Get It” and “Find It” cues can be incredibly helpful for teaching dogs about when a reward is coming and how it will be delivered. Differentiating between the two types of cues, also gives your dog a wealth of information…
Into the Abyss
Imagine you’re on a hike with a friend. It’s your first time on this mountain. You and your friend are hiking along and the trail now brings you to a cliff. Your friend keeps walking toward it, you slow down…
Agility Trial Recap: NADAC Northeast Regionals 2019
Over the 4th of July holiday weekend we competed in the 2019 NADAC Northeast Regionals event. Regional events are hosted once per year in the various regions (as designated by NADAC) of the country. Each year clubs that wish to…
Agility Side Changes
In the beginner agility program I teach, the 2nd session of classes is devoted to directional skills and crosses. It’s the class I start hearing references to dancing and having two left feet from the students, and is is where…
Your Dog’s Need and Your Want
Agility (or any competitive dog sport) is generally considered a want. A human want. The competition piece of it at least. Enriched environments and mental activity is a need and want for many dogs, and agility training in generally can…
What Does Your Dog Do for Fun?
What does your dog do for fun? When left to their own devices, what activities or behaviors does your dog initiate for enjoyment, relaxation, silliness, fun? Why does it matter? I think it matters what our dogs do for fun…
Lead Outs
In dog agility most folks are familiar with the concept of a lead out. For those uninitiated, a lead out refers to the stay that you ask your dog to do at the beginning of the course, before the 1st…
DIY Automated Puzzle Toy Dispenser
A number of years ago an amazing product came onto the market. It was one that allowed a user to put into the machine a bunch of stuffed kong puzzle toys, then it would dispense the Kongs on timed intervals…
8 Years
When I think back to how much life has changed in 8 years, I think ‘where has time gone?!’ I’ve been lucky and privileged enough to share the past 8 years with Tom. And hopefully will get to share may…
NADAC Agility trial recap
Yesterday morning we stopped in at the local NADAC trial for a few runs. As my life this month has been swamped with things other than training my dogs, we entered only 4 (out of 8 offered for the day)…