Winter has officially started at my house here in Eastern Oregon, which means outside training time for my dogs has greatly decreased. While we still go outside for play time and daily exercise, with the off and on rain/snow, any agility training is off the table until spring. For my dogs I enjoy having someContinue reading “Winter Rest and Play”
Category Archives: General
Practice the Positive!
I don’t want those thoughts of “all the things that went wrong” to occupy my headspace for the rest of the trial. Because if I let that happen, it will continue to loop for the rest of the day and each run could continue to loop those negative thoughts.
The Straw That Broke the Camels Back
This little graphic is a very good representation of me and how it feels to have my battery drained. I love teaching seminars, going to trials, seeing my friends, laughing, and having a great time. But I pay the price for that with needing alone time. Time to recharge and give my mental space aContinue reading “The Straw That Broke the Camels Back”
Different Connections
Years go by and Try won everything there was to win for a Stakes dog in NADAC. She did things and took me places I had no idea I could reach. But that dog could have never left Novice and I would have been just as happy.
Fluid Contacts
I’m a big believer in allowing my dogs to choose their path in agility. I want my dogs to choose what works for them, both physically and mentally, and in my opinion contacts are one of the “big” things that I like to let my dogs choose. Every dog is different. Their structure is differentContinue reading “Fluid Contacts “
Focus on Conditioning!
Conditioning and fitness is a huge part of my training program with my dogs. When I am working on a skill with my dogs part of the process of teaching that skill is ensuring that my dog is properly conditioned. I look at the condition of the dog when it comes to an “agility problem”Continue reading “Focus on Conditioning! “
Commitment to Distance – Switch Work
In this video I am working Trip on some various Switch work with the cone. The Switch cue for my dogs means for them to turn away from me. In this video I am working on side switches, and front switches mostly. A side switch is when the dog is on my side andContinue reading “Commitment to Distance – Switch Work “
The Dogs Choice
Last week I did a live lecture talking about how I teach my foundation for contacts. It was a lot of fun and all my students asked some really great questions! One of the main questions that kept coming up was “what position do you want your dogs to perform on the contact?” And myContinue reading “The Dogs Choice”
The Choice
Those who have attended seminars with me have heard me say this time and time again; “If you want distance, your dog must have confidence” I love distance handling; I love the feeling of having that connection with my dog from 40 or more feet away. But the key to that kind of distanceContinue reading “The Choice”
The Run
The Run. Something every person who competes in agility wants. The amazing feeling of complete connection with your dog, a feeling that every team chases weekend after weekend. So what is The Run? The Run is a time where you feel completely connected to your dog, you are both so completely in sync that yourContinue reading “The Run”