What does your leash cue to your dog? Have you ever thought about it? Or noticed? Does it depend on which leash, what environment? Dogs have an amazing ability to learn environmental cues. The leash will often trigger a reliable…
NADAC Agility Trial Recap
This past weekend we entered a new mid-winter NADAC trial here. Usually we have a break from agility competitions from either Oct to late March/early April, or New Years to late March/early April. It was nice to get a chance…
Alternative Agility equipment descriptions
Inspired by this awesome think outside the box exchange: “That waffle thing” Me, with confusion, “I have no idea what you are talking about…” “That waffle thing on the stand, there are two of them with a stick across…” A…
Connection
Connection: the relationship of a person, thing or behavior to something or someone else. Connection is an all the rage buzz word in the current world of dog training. In years past the word instead was “Attention”. Attention: the act…
Listen for Stillness
This is starting to look like the season of stays. With stay instruction and training working its way into many lessons. Stays are an integral foundation behavior and a part of nearly all performance sports. And the bare bones basics…
The Devil is in the Details
I’ve yet to work with a new agility student who didn’t start off thinking agility was about dogs doing obstacles. Little secret: it’s not. A few days ago I started with a great new student who has a really fun…
NAE NADAC Trial recap
With Zora now recovered from her injury, we headed to VT for 1 day of a NADAC trial hosted by Northeast Agility Enthusiasts. A good friend of mine happened to have the weekend off, and wanted to get out of…
Neighborhood Watch
Did I mention she’s a busy body?
Contact Obstacles: More Than the End Zone
This spring I’m working with a number of agility teams specifically on contact obstacles. Some of the teams are with young dogs that the handlers want to set a solid foundation for contacts on, some are dogs who are nervous,…
Agility Trial Routines
I’m a rather routine, predictable person. I find routines comforting and reassuring. I like having plans. It’s harder to get lost, lose things and be forgetful when life is orchestrated with many patterns. It’s no surprise I have any number…