A few weeks ago Griffin and I helped the training center at a giant pet expo. We did 3 “show” a day in the main ring and then talked to pet owners about training for the rest of the day. Griffin, a dog who has a hard time ignoring people Read more…
On Saturday we were at a 4-H Dog Judge’s training day. I was there to be learning and I was there to help. I spent part of the day frantically taking notes about how to be even better at judging. And for part of the day I was a dog Read more…
Both events were ultimately not that exciting. The obedience trial was especially disappointing. Before our turn, I had to leave for another commitment! At the trial site, Griffin was very excited and his arousal level was much higher than at an agility trial. We’re looking for another obedience trial Read more…
In 2012 I intended to be doing a lot of trials and events with all the dogs. It didn’t happen. Blaze did one day of rally and Griffin did one day of agility. But we did a lot of seminars and my notes say we did at least 26 days Read more…
Denise often referenced how important warm up time is before taking a dog into a competition ring. The type of warm up needed to get the dog mentally engaged needs to be appropriate for the dog, the handler, and the type of activity. Here are some of the notes I Read more…
Last weekend Denise Fenzi was in Ohio to present two days on “Drives and Motivation for All Sports” and one day of “Problem Solving.” I especially enjoyed all the obedience enthusiasts and all of the golden retrievers present! Denise is a great presenter, many of the attendees had attended multiple Read more…
I probably spend too much time on these behaviors. And so while waiting for the car to warm up before leaving classes last night…I ‘tested’ our finishes. Verbal or visual cues for both the left and right finishes. I need to move less. But I’m getting better! I think the Read more…