Agility is a great confidence booster for your dog – and fun in the process. Your dog also learns to pay attention to you – to take and execute your commands. In the 7th week of our basic classes, we set out several pieces of equipment for your dog to experience. If you can, come to more than one of the Puppy Kindergarten or Level 1 classes that week.
“Guys, we know we were not born here, (Our birth place was a big sheep farm in the middle of Scotland.), but we sure can party with the best of US-born dogs.
“How about an invitation to the July 4th doings? We can show your guests lots of tricks and expressions.” [From the left: Miste, Mither, Moss.]
While you consider their request, how about putting your dog(s) on a sit/stay and decorating them or the scene with some July 4th colors?
The exercise will help ‘proof’ the dog’s sit/stay command and when he/she/they do — you’ll know they were paying attention to you, doing what you want them to and remaining on task. Those are the three essentials of basic dog training. You will have accomplished a lot and had some fun in the process.
Dog training need not all be heel, sit, down, stay commands. Have fun with your dogs. Engage their brains to encourage them to figure out what you want them to do. Name the activity — here a ‘wave’ from Miste. 
Her wearing a costume is also part of training. Put it on and expect the dog to leave it alone and pay attention to you and remain on the task you’ve given the dog. Training can and should be fun for both you and your dog. Enjoy.
Enjoy. Happy 4th.
In the first part of training for a dog, before the dog has learned what you want him/her to do, it is tempting to try to hold the dog in the place you want him/her to be — pulling on the leash so there is constant pressure on the dog’s collar. We call it a ‘tight lead.’ That’s the wrong approach.
Instead, leave the leash lip until you have to tug gently on it. This ‘loose lead’ puts the responsibility on the dog to choose where to put himself or herself.
As the trainer you win either way — you can correct the dog or you can praise the dog depending on the position the dog has chosen.
The photo here shows examples of tight and loose leads. Here is a close-up illustration.
In this short video watch the handler work with this Bull Terrier puppy with a loose lead. Occasionally, the handler will tug gently on the leash to get the dog’s attention when the attention wanders off task.
..and now act on that picture. Join our dog training classes. the new session is starting this week; however, we also can begin the training with you and your dog whenever your schedule permits.
Use the ‘Contact Us’ tab to tell us about what you need and want from training.
This picture shows the Level 2 dogs at work — staying in place while their handlers go out of site. That is one of the requirements in the Canine Good Citizenship Test that we help you prepare for in the beginning levels of our school.
Marcia’s precious Scotia observed her 7th birthday this past weekend. How time does fly. Here is a brief video of Scotia’s early years as puppy and her service work as a therapy dog and along the way her obsession with playing with sticks. This video is a remarkable reminder of how valuable pictures can be to help one recall the good times. Marcia has done a fantastic job of keeping the pictures of his Scotia organized and available for important story telling opportunities like this one. The music that accompanies this brief video was provided under license from– Purple Planet at http://www.purple-planet.com
An important way to get one’s children involved in helping train the family dog is through tricks.
The goals in training are to teach the dog to pay attention, do as you say and stay on task. While basic obedience lessons have those goals as primary objectives, it is often hard to get children to be interested in and consistent with the training techniques.
They may have more fun teaching the dog trick behavior – sometimes starting with simple ones – “shake”, “sit pretty”, etc. When the dog is engaged in these tricks, the dog is meeting the training goals as well — to pay attention, do as the child says and stay on task. The stronger approach, of course, is a combination of regular obedience training and trick class.
Everyone wants their dog(s) to pay attention, do as they say and stay on task. But how does one achieve that? Of course, basic training is a good start – heeling, sit, down, come, etc. Many folks may say that’s enough. They didn’t come to dog class to learn any tricks – ‘I just want my do to behave.’
But, take a look at Bart (left). He surely seems to be paying attention to Jill, doing as she wants and is clearly on task.
We suggest you not overlook the value of tricks in teaching these primary lessons. In this brief video, you will see lots of dogs ‘on task.’ The video comes from our holiday program, December 2013. The music accompaniment is provided by http://www.purple-planet.com
That’s the advice from the owner of a two-time Agility World Champ. The owner/team mate of this Border Collie suggests that speed in agility is often the creator of mistakes in performance. She describes that problem in this article that reports on her relationship with this remarkable dog. Agility is such a rapidly growing sport in the United Kingdom that one can find matches almost every weekend in the summer.
In this brief video, Allison Frappier, one of the outstanding dog trainers in our group, demonstrates a smooth run on an agility course without undue speed.
Don’t neglect it from the sit, down and stand positions. You give the dog the assignment to remain in place while you go away — a short distance at first and gradually longer distances — while the dog must remember of you have assigned him or her to do — stay in place.