Train, Don’t Complain

This is probably one of the oldest phrases to be said amongst dog sports people, and for a long time it bugged me, but now it has a whole new meaning to me and I have grown to use the phrase to motivate me. I used to look at course maps and find defeat before I ever...

The ‘baby dog’ Label

What do you consider a ‘baby dog'? Is this label given to dogs of a certain age? Is it given to them until they've reached a certain achievement? Are they the baby until you get another new dog? Even if you've never used it yourself, I'm sure you've heard a...

Your Dog is Your Greatest Coach

Does your dog trust your handling? Do you trust your dog to follow your handling? Agility courses are like puzzles. I love puzzles. I love looking at a course map and predicting how my dog’s natural path helps me and how his natural path should be changed so he can...

Bits, Tools, and Choices

I often share with my students, “Shrek can do that, and he knows nothing!” What I mean is that Shrek only knows lots of “bits”. Even though I practically live at an agility training facility, I do not actually train my dogs all that much or often. By the...

Shrek Update: Play, Train, Play!

Shrek is a total rockstar at life. It's been a little too long since your last update, so this one is pretty long. Lots of videos, lots of just “informal” tips I have with regards to just having a puppy. What we've been up to… 1. Going to work every...