No matter what type of training you do with your dog, be it agility, rally, flyball or just general pet dog obedience, it's good to set goals to give your training a direction.
If you compete in agility with your dog then you should currently be in the middle of your winter training and starting to look towards the next season of competition, therefore now is a great time to set your summer goals.
But goals mean nothing if we don't put into place a plan to achieve them.
For example, if your goal is to progress from Grade 3 to Grade 4 this season, you now need to set little steps in order to achieve this.
If your dog is missing the down dog walk contact, then put into place little goals and steps to achieve consistent contacts, which will then help you to achieve clear rounds in competition.
Plan which shows you are going to enter and get the entries sent off. Consider entering some competitions NFC to work on ring experience. Or maybe your dog is knocking poles and therefore your plan will include jump grips, workshops and fitness exercises.
Perhaps one of your goals is to teach your dog a retrieve. You can set a training plan including step by step instructions on how to achieve this. Your first step may be to book onto a workshop or research different training methods before setting out your own training plan.
Ensure that your goals are SMART:
Specific - it is clear, defined, do you understand what you are aiming for?
Measurable - how will you know when you have achieved it, can you measure how far it is from completion?
Achievable - is it achievable, can you do it?
Realistic - is it realistic, do you have the resources, knowledge and time?
Time - do you have enough time to achieve it, have you set a realistic completion date?
Talk to your instructor about your goals and they will be able to help you in classes to aim your training in order to complete them.
Puppies learn about their environment by exploring and learning
which experiences were good or bad. Before a puppy is 12 weeks old they will
meet new situations with curiosity, after 12 weeks old they will approach with
apprehension.
Socialisation is about introducing them to all the animate
things they are likely to meet during their adult life, such as other dogs,
people of all varieties, sheep, cows, horses etc.
Giving your puppy lots of positive experiences when they
come across different situations will help them to be calm and happy throughout
their life and approach new things with confidence. With positive early
experiences they are much likely to bounce back if, at a later stage in life, they
meet something a little scary.
A puppy that is not introduced to a variety of experiences,
or that has a negative situation, will possibly express behaviour problems in
the future such as fear, anxiety and aggression. Therefore it’s vital to
socialise your puppy correctly.
Gently does it
The world can be a scary place for a young puppy, plus they are
not fully protected from potentially life threatening germs until they have
completed their vaccination program. Therefore it is important to take care and
introduce your dog to situations safely and positively in a way that does not
overwhelm them.
If a puppy becomes frightened of something before 12 weeks
old, it may struggle to get over that fear in later life. For example if your
puppy is taken along a busy road and gets a fright that overwhelms it, it may
become frightened of traffic for life, which will have a negative impact on
walking and travelling with your dog.
Your puppy should not be allowed to meet unfamiliar or unknown
dogs or walk on the ground along the pavement or in a park before it has
completed its vaccination program. Therefore you should carry your dog out and
about in your arms to give them some key socialisation opportunities. A short
walk along a few quiet streets for their first trip out will give your puppy appreciation
of new smells, sights and sounds.
Gradual scale
Experiences should be built up gradually, starting with very
small, gentle encounters that the puppy can cope with and then gradually increasing
their exposure day by day.
Use praise, tasty treats and fun toys to reward your puppy with
each new experience.
Your puppy does not have to come into actual contact with
something in order for them to socialise, it happens as soon as your puppy can
hear, smell and see them.
Things to socialise your puppy with
People – adults, children, babies, men, women, people
wearing hats, people wearing coats, men with beards, ladies with sunglasses,
etc
Locations – the park, the woodland, the beach, etc
Remember gradual, gentle, positive experiences!
Socialising your puppy with different dogs
Puppies need to learn how to behave around other dogs. They
should not engage in play with every dog they meet as some dogs, such as older
dogs may find this distressful, painful or simply annoying.
Socialising a puppy with another dog should start with them
getting to see, smell and hear other dogs passing by. You could sit with your
puppy on a bench at a quiet park and let them watch other dogs, or stand with
them on the pavement as another dog walks by.
You could invite a friend and their friendly, vaccinated dog
around to visit you or you could go to visit your friends. Allow your puppy to
explore and greet in their own time, and if the puppy is trying to get away
from the adult dog then calmly and positively separate the dogs and keep the
adult dog from overwhelming the puppy, as well as interrupting the puppy if it becomes
too rough or persistent with the adult dog. Interactions should be kept very
short so as not to tire either dog out or allow your puppy to get too over
excited.
It will benefit your relationship with your dog if your puppy
is polite with other dogs and does not seek them out as a main source of fun,
you should be the most fun thing in a puppies life.
Recognise when your puppy is scared
Familiarise yourself with dog body language and pay
attention when your puppy looks scared. Common signs are the ears going back,
the tail drooping and being tucked underneath, wide staring eyes, lip licking
and the puppy may try to lean away or escape. If your puppy looks frightened
then remove them from the situation.
It is misguided to think that the puppy should face their
fears. Studies have shown that dogs’ fears will likely increase, making that
experience worse and have a negative impact on their future experiences. Keep
calm and gently remove your puppy to a familiar safe place.
Next make a plan to greatly reduce the intensity of the
experience they just found frightening and on another day introduce your puppy
to the lower intensity experience again with lots of reward. This may just
involve showing your puppy the object from a further distance away, or muffling
the sound so that it is quieter.
Socialisation continues for life
Although the key window for socialisation is before a puppy
reaches 12 weeks old, this doesn’t mean it stops here. Make sure that you pair
potentially new or more intense experiences with a reward to make the situation
positive for your dog.
If you have acquired your dog once it is over 12 weeks old
be sure to follow the socialisation guidelines above, gently introducing the
dog to new animate objects and pairing these with something rewarding.
Over the last few months Dig It has been holding monthly Rally-O classes, covering Level 1 to Level 3. Everyone was doing great so we decided to have a little competition for those who wanted to have a go at competing in Rally O, to put all of their hard work into practice.
Therefore on Friday 23rd October Dig It Dog Training Club hosted their very first ever 'Have a Go Rally Competition'. It wasn't an official Kennel Club Show so judging was relaxed and it was a huge success, with 18 participants taking part in our Level 1 course, designed and judged by Julie Nelson.
It was a fun and relaxing evening with everyone on two and four legs really enjoying themselves. All of the participants went home with a certificate for taking part and those with qualifying scores were awarded a rosette. The first five placements were given numbered rosettes.
I would like to thank Julie Nelson for designing the course and judging, Sheila and Joy for scribing and Lydia for the beautiful rosettes. I would also like to thank everyone else who attended to participate, we're looking forward to running another "have a go rally competition" in the new year, covering Level 1 and 2.
Well done to the following people who were placed:
1st - Angela Wilson with Lily 2nd - Leslie Thompson with Kibo 3rd - Angela WIlson with Willow 4th - Rachel Richards with Chip 5th - Rachel Richards with Daisy
The next Rally O Classes are to be held on 21st November and 5th December, please email enquiries@digitdogs.co.uk to book on. To find out more about Rally visit our website here: http://www.digitdogs.co.uk/training/rally-obedience/
As part of our Obedience Courses and general ethos as a dog training club we are keen to promote responsible dog ownership and we are often asked about the changes to dog legislation. These can be quite hard to understand, especially with so much information flying around the internet, and therefore with the help of a Dog Warden we have summarised the changes here for you:
Dangerously out of control
It is a criminal offence for your dog to be "dangerously out of control".
Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it:
injures someone
makes someone worried that it might injure them
A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if either of the following apply:
it attacks someone’s animal
the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured if they tried to stop your dog attacking their animal
New from May 2014
The Dangerous Dogs Act now covers private property. Therefore it is an offence if your dog is deemed dangerously out of control while within your own home or another persons property, i.e. if it bites a visitor, a delivery perons or yourself.
It is an offence for your dog to attack an assistance dog, i.e. guide dog, etc.
Maximum prison sentences have been increased.
Police and local authorities have more powers to seize a dog in a private place.
New from October 2014
The new Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act has given the Police and Local Authorities new powers to issue dog owners with specific orders, with the purpose of preventing a dog attack. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to £20,000. For example an owner could be orded to:
Attend dog training classes
Muzzle and keep their dog on a lead in a public place
Have their dog neutered
Repair fencing/property boundaries
Get your dog micochipped by 1st April 2016
In England and Wales all dogs must be microchipped by 1st April 2016. After this date all new puppies must be chipped by the time they are 8 weeks old. If a keeper does not microchip their dog they will be served with a notice giving 21 days to chip the dog. If the dog is not chipped within the 21 days then they will be liable to pay a fine of £500.
It’s turning out to be quite a year! Mum and I have just come back from an amazing
trip to Rieden in Germany. It wasn’t
just any old holiday, no – we were representing Great Britain at the European
Open. A huge honour indeed.
It all started just under 12 months ago when I won my Champ
ticket and could submit points for the squad selection process. We squeaked into the squad with just enough
points and attended two selection/training days at the beginning of the year in
Nottingham. In April Mum lost the plot
and forgot the caravan when we went to Lincoln for a 2 day show where the squad
was going to be selected. She made us
stay in a tent and it was freezing! I
snuggled up to Mum to keep warm and it must have worked because I ran really
well over the weekend resulting in a phone call a couple of weeks later which
made Mum very happy. We were Germany
bound!
Fast forward to July and Mum started packing.Stuff everywhere!Nanna Cadman was coming with us and we set
off with her car loaded to the brim on the afternoon of Monday 20th
for an overnight stop near Dartford Crossing ready for the early meet on
Tuesday.Tuesday morning dawned and Mum
was like a kid at Christmas and Nanna was a bit starstruck when she met some
dude called Pudsey who was also on the team with me.The first big test was trying to fit
everything in the coach!Not sure how we
managed it but put it this way the lockers were not to be opened until we
arrived at the hotel!We made it through
a tunnel just before it shut due to some problems at the French end.There must be some big moles near Dover to
make such a big tunnel?
It took us all
day to reach the hotel, we stopped every couple of hours eventually arriving
just after midnight.It was incredibly
hot and Mum had the audacity to nick my cool pad out of my crate and sleep on
it.Admittedly I was sharing her bed so
may have taken the liberty of stretching out…
The plan of action for the first day was to acclimatise
(i.e. do as little as possible as it was so hot).We visited the venue – very impressive and
HUGE!!We had a little training session to loosen up
after the long coach ride and just chilled as much as possible in the 40° heat.A brief thunderstorm lightened the atmosphere
a bit but only to a mere 34 ish.Thursday saw the official training session – another chance to get used
to the narrower jumps and sandy arena.Mum said I was better than the day before and couldn’t wait to get going
for real.The Opening Ceremony was a
great opportunity to meet lots of other dogs, some of whom barked in funny
languages!There were over 30 countries
represented with just short of 1,500 dogs in attendance.
Friday was Team Day.An early start saw us arrive at the venue for 0730.I could just go back to bed but Mum had to go
off and walk courses.Agility was first;
it was a long course designed to test various skills at speed.Mum was going to have to do a lot of running!She was incredibly proud of me when we went
clear!!Our first international clear
also happened to be the first clear for team GB for the weekend.Our team of 4 ended on 2 clears and 2
eliminations after the agility round.Eliminations sounds pretty bad but if the truth be known they were
amazing fast runs with one tiny error.Such a shame but eliminations to be proud of.Our next run (jumping) wasn’t until nearly
6pm.Mum gave me some Kronch but I was
flagging a bit.I still pulled a clear
round out of the bag though!Mum did her
best to scupper my attempts by kicking a jump over.Fortunately we had already negotiated that
jump and it didn't affect my run so the clear stood.Two clears!
We didn't qualify for the team final but it transpired my
agility run was my best run of the weekend – small and medium results were
combined although we ran at our own height.
I came 61st out of 385.
How good is that?
Saturday saw the individual runs.I may have been a little inattentive on the
start line and kind of forgot to move!Mum nearly had heart failure but after a fishwife impersonation to wake
me up I did get going.Not the fastest
run (0.93 of a time fault) but other than that we were clear.If I had actually run from the start we’d
have been inside the time!In the
agility we were doing a lovely run until Mum shouted close but forgot to
mention the small matter of doing the seesaw so we got a 5 for a refusal.I got my own back though and missed the dog
walk.Ha!
We didn’t make any finals but watching them on Sunday was
totally awe inspiring and we got to cheer on some amazing partnerships,
including 5 from Team GB. One word. Wow!!
Such a huge honour to be part of such a prestigious
event. Not bad for a Brown Rat! It wasn't easy in the heat and Mum says that
she needs to make sure in future that she feeds me something throughout the day
to give me energy. Sounds good to me!
All that was left was the long trip home. I have to confess I rather like the only dog
thing. I'm not a huge fan of cuddles but
it is nice to be able to snuggle up with Mum when I fancy. Mum still insists on smothering me with
kisses and telling me I'm amazing. I
think she may have lost the plot, although the new bed that has appeared for me
is very comfy and I won’t complain.
It was good to see the rest of the gang when I got home
(although I won’t tell them that). Aunty
Deb had some biscuits ready for me too!
I need to thank her, if she hadn’t stayed at home again to look after
everyone else we wouldn’t have been able to go.
I bought her some chocolates to say thank you.
Fame hasn’t gone to my head.
Mum won’t let it. She still tells
me off when I try and drag Bert round the kitchen by his tail. Meanie!
Well, this last few months has definitely been one of unusual occurrences. A couple of days when there’s only been me going to a show and some days training with Very Clever Dogs. Then it gets even stranger! Nanna Cadman arrived one afternoon, piled stuff into the van and off we went, leaving behind everyone else, even Aunty Deb! We picked up Sarah and Kita and carried on our journey. Several hours later we arrived at this ferry place. Couldn’t see any agility equipment anywhere so I was slightly sceptical when Mum got me out of the van and we went for a walk. The mystery deepened when Mum took the van into this big floating fish thing with a whole load of other cars, lorries and vans. Kita and I were transferred to the dog hotel part. It was actually OK, I mean we had the room to ourselves and everything but it didn’t stop me doing my best to tell everyone I was there and also trying to work out how to get out and go for a sneaky wander round. Turns out Mum was watching my every move on some sort of Doggycam. Rumbled! Honestly, can’t a dog do anything in peace?!
Anyway the next day we arrived in Holland and given that we were too early to check in at the hotel, we did a detour to Amsterdam and wandered round. Bikes everywhere! And pigeons!! After Amsterdam we made our way to Ermelo and our home for the next few nights. I’ve never stayed in a hotel before with Mum. It was really posh and I had to be on my best behaviour. We were in the middle of a forest so there were some great walks, although on hearing that there were wild boar roaming around Mum was a bit dubious.
After a good night’s kip on Mum’s bed we had the morning to ourselves so took the opportunity to wander around Ermelo town before visiting the venue for WAO for a training session. The venue was amazing! 3 indoor schools and a massive outdoor arena. Mum and Nanna were well impressed! Training was hard work as it got a bit warm so I decided to conserve my energy and not run quite as fast as I can do. We had a short break and then another training session, this time indoors. Everyone knows I love it indoors so I went much faster and Mum had to work hard to keep up with me.
Next day we had a short training session and then the Opening Ceremony. Oh and loads of pictures of the team. I think everyone looked really smart – when they weren’t squinting because of the sun!
On Friday the competition started. An early start (at the venue for 7am!) before competition kicked off at 8.15. Mum had to go off and walk some courses whilst I took the opportunity to catch some more zzzzs. Our turn soon came around in the jumping and we were off. The course was REALLY spread out which Mum liked although it meant she would have to do some serious running. Unfortunately I slipped in the weaves so I missed one. Mum was ahead of me so she didn’t notice until I came out on the wrong side, so we wasted a bit of time as we had to go back and do them all again. This was to prove very costly. Team England had some good solid runs and looked good.
I decided to give Mum a near heart attack in the agility. With hindsight perfecting my ‘launch off the dogwalk’ manoeuvre was possibly not a great idea at WAO and should have been reserved for a slightly less important event. It certainly took Mum by surprise and as a result she was out of position and couldn’t save a big fat elimination. Oops. The top percentage of dogs (I can’t remember how many) went through to Rounds 3 and 4. I was less than half a second outside that percentage so didn’t go through. Gutted! Having to redo the weaves cost us (as did me flying the dogwalk but we won’t mention that…).
Saturday for me was a day off competing. A REALLY long day doing nothing apart from cheering on everyone else and the occasional mooch around. Some places for some of my amazing team mates and exciting agility to watch.
On the Sunday Mum and I were eligible for the Bonus Speedstakes. After having Saturday off I had recharged my batteries and was raring to go. Another big course and we were flying round until Mum moved about half an hour too early and sent me over a jump instead of round the back. Doh! I suppose we were even though, I missed the dogwalk and she didn’t get her timing right. 1-1! Mum was really happy with me and still gave me a big cuddle.
All we had left was the Closing Ceremony where we cheered really loudly especially for the three silver medals that England got. I felt really proud to be part of such an awesome team!
On Monday we made the trip home. The floaty fish thing was really bumpy which wasn’t very nice but I didn’t get seasick. Slight technical hitch when there were a couple of roads closed and we had to take a diversion to get home. Mum said she was really tired. I wouldn’t know – I slept all the way!
I really enjoyed my week away with Mum and Nanna. It’s quite nice getting so much attention and hogging Mum’s bed. I know Mum was really proud of me. She said I’m a very Special Brown Rat :o)
Mum also said that we wouldn’t have been able to go if Aunty Deb hadn’t stayed at home to look after everyone else so I want to take the opportunity to say Thank You to Aunty Deb too.
Dig it Dogs, Sandbach, Cheshire CW5 6DY and
Cheadle, Staffordshire
"Advanced
handling is merely more precise application of the fundamentals"
Daisy Peel is known worldwide as a
leading instructor and competitor in the sport of dog agility. She has
represented the USA internationally over a dozen times, across three continents,
with three different dogs; four times at the FCI World Championships, three
times at the European Open Championships, twice at Crufts, twice at the World
Agility Open, and twice at the Americas and Caribbean. She has placed
individually at the European Open and at the FCI World Championships, is a WAO
World Champion, as well as an Americas and Caribbean Gold Medallist. Daisy has
won three AKC National Championships, and three USDAA World Cynosport Grand
Prix Championships, with two different dogs. She has been a Finalist at the AKC Nationals and USDAA
Cynosport games numerous times, and has won numerous USDAA Regional
Championships.
Daisy is also recognized worldwide
for her abilities as an instructor. Her students have excelled at the top
levels in AKC, USDAA, and AAC (Canada), and have themselves been selected to
represent their countries at international events. Daisy’s thinking that
“advanced handling is merely more precise application of the fundamentals”
means that she is dedicated to the improvement of handlers at all
levels, regardless of their current level or goals and aspirations.
Daisy teaches students of all ages and stages around the globe, in person and
through her Online Classes,
and is dedicated to helping people further their self-improvement through
better training,
better handling, and better mastery of their mental game.
I have had the amazing experience
of representing the United States of America for a number of agility
competitions. Each experience was an amazing one that has been a large
part of who I continue to become as a person, and I’m proud to be able to
represent the USA.
•USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility World Champion (2009,
2010, 2013)
• AKC Agility National Champion (2007, 2010, 2012)
• World Agility Open Individual Pentathlon World Champion (2012)
• World Agility Open Snooker World Champion (2013)
• FCI World Championships USA Team (2007, 2010, 2011, 2012)
◦ 2011 European Open Individual Agility – 2nd Place
◦ 2011 European Open Team Agility – 1st Place
◦ 2012 European Open Individual Finals – 5th Place
• FCI Americas and Caribbean USA Team (2011, 2012)
◦ 2011 Bogota, Colombia – Gran Jumping de las Americas Y Caribe
2011 Champion (gold medal)
◦ 2011 Bogota, Colombia – Gran Agility de las Americas Y Caribe
2011 Champion (gold medal)
◦ 2011 Bogota, Colombia – Americas Y Caribe 2011 Open Team
Champion with Jester,
and Linda Mecklenburg and Wonder (gold medal)
◦ 2012 Chile – Americas Y Caribe Individual Gold Medalist
◦ 2012 Chile – Americas y Caribe Team Bronze Medalist with Solar/Juno, and Linda
Mecklenburg and Wonder/Scopey
• USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility Regional Champion (2004, 2009,
2010 (x2), 2011, 2013)
• USA Representative at Crufts (2011, 2013)
◦ 2011 – 1st in Agility, 3rd in JWW, 2nd in the Finals
◦ 2013 – 1st in Agility
• AKC Rose City Classic ISC
High Combined Winner (26″) (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013)
Monday August 3, 2015.
12noon - 6pm
TRAINING TROUBLESHOOTING SESSION: how
errors in reinforcement affect weaves, contacts, start line stays, etc.
£80 for £10
working spots, £40 for auditing.
Sandbach inside.
Tuesday August 4, 2015.
10am - 6pm
GRADE 7 COURSE HANDLING AND TRAINING.
£100, 10 working spots.
Cheadle outside.
Thursday August 6, 2015.
10am - 6pm
GRADE 6-7 COURSE HANDLING AND TRAINING.
£100,
10 working spots.
Cheadle outside.
Friday August 7, 2015.
10am - 1pm
CHALLENGING JUMPING SKILLS, push your dog and your handling skills over some tricky
jumping exercises to improve your dogs jumping and your timing.
8 spots, £50 .
Sandbach inside.
2pm - 6pm
GRADE 1-3 0R
YOUNG DOG WITH EXPERIENCED HANDLER, important
handling and training skills needed for agility progression.
10 spots, £50. Sandbach inside.
Saturday August 8, 2015
11am - 5pm
GRADE 3-5 HANDLING AND TRAINING
£70, £10
spots.
5pm - 7pm
CLEAR MIND, sports mental management
directed towards agility, organizing and clarifying your goals, skills and
focus as a team to achieve success.
Unlimited, £25 per spot.
Sandbach inside.
ANY AUDIT SPOTS ARE £30
PER DAY
*Note Monday's sessions will have a
30 minute break, Tuesday and Thursday a 1 hour lunch break. Please bring snacks and drinks, for you and
your dog :), thank you.
This June we opened our doors and welcomed everyone to our Open Day and Fun Dog Show. Have a go agility, have a go rally and have a go flyball. All for free! We want to encourage as many people to try something new with their dog and have a go at a dog activity.
The Dogs Trust attended to provide free microchipping and advice and a total of 20 dogs were chipped!
Our Fun Show started at midday and was very popular! Judge Dawn from The Paw Wash Groomers had a tough decision to make. As we rolled through the classes every aww'd and coo'd as we reached the Pleasant Puppy category. Aaron Roscoe, Signal 1 Producer, came along with his tiny pug puppy and they got 1st place! Everyone was nodding in agreement, she was just gorgeous and so well behaved.
It all got a little silly as we got to best 6 legs and the deserving winner was a spotty dalmatian and its spotty legged owner! Now that's what you call Best Spotty 6 Legs!
The show finished with a great laugh in The Egg and Spoon Race! Hold your spoon and your dogs lead in the same hand and race to the other side. Such fun!
Once the fun show was finished there was still lots for everyone to do and we must thank Oscar Pet Food for kindly sponsoring the whole show. Monkey Dog Wear brought their great selection of collars and leads to sell, plus Windyways and Instructor Bex successful made a good amount for their fundraising with their table top sales. Of course we can't forget Bret in the Brunch Box who completely sold on of burgers! I'm glad I had mine as a cheeky late breakfast before the rush.
In the afternoon the Carrry On flyball team gave us a great demonstration and Lydia & Freddie got to show us that they are not only amazing at agility but flyball too!
We are pleased to announce that the Fun Show raised a whopping £100 for the Dogs Trust and thank you for everyone who came and participated in the day! The weather was glorious and we hope that you all enjoyed your day. Check out our full gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/digitdogtrainingclub/sets/72157645069884742/
Success is this theme for the latest Dog Agility Bloggers Action Day. Which is today! Success is broad, everyone has a different interpretation and everyone takes different successes from different situations. The Dog Agility Bloggers Action Day brings together a whole range of people to discuss one topic, and creates a huge varity of answers. The Dig It Instructors have each given their brief take on Success, as part of today's Action Day! Ruth Turner: My idea of agility success is taking at least one thing from each run that I was pleased with, and that we did successfully, and celebrating that thing.
Audra Hurst: Success for me is when you run your dog and it flows, and you feel like you are a team and you just want to go and do another run straight away because it felt so great.
Katie Burns: Success is competing in partnership with my dog and having mutual trust in each other so smoothly.
Michelle Dakin: To work the dog I have in training at competition.
Sarah Stokes: Depends on which dog I'm running, for Greg it's the team work as others have stated. For Ffi Fo it's having her confident to be in the ring and having er wagging her tail all the way round.
Rachel Richards: Success for me with Daisy is her having a real BLAST and ending the run with a huge smile on her face no matter what happened in between start and finish.
Lou Cadman: Success is getting the awning down dry! Arriving and having everything set up, dogs walked and dinner on before it gets dark
Beating the course/judge and doing the best run you and your dog could possibly do.
I think success changes as you progress up the grades. When you start out it might be remembering the course or dog staying in the ring. As experience is gained it might be nailing a weave entry or a specific sequence etc.
Sarah McLean: I like to be consistent, so success to me is trying to get as many clear rounds as I can! I love going home from a show saying 5 runs 5 clears :), 2013 we had 1 Elimination all season. Its not all about winning, if I feel we have run the course and stuck to criteria in my handling and also Kita has stuck to criteria then I am happy!
Oh and if you are consistent winning comes without trying.
Bex Bebbington: Success for me and Polly is having focus and having that connection walking into a ring so I know she isn't going to just run off sniffing. Even if she goes wrong or makes up a new course, success for us is just her being focused and staying with me, actually wanting to do agility. Success with me and Gemma is when she does those spot on weaves or gains some speed from nowhere. Gemma also makes me feel success after any run, and never fails to lighten my mood after a lack of interest and concentration from Polly
The day came and we set off to the rescue. I immediately fell in love with a one-eyed cat with liver problems; the kitty was so affectionate, but we learned she couldn't be rehomed. Julie-Ann suggested we visit a Greyhound rescue, as Greyhounds are very docile, easy to look after, don't need much exercise, and make ideal first dogs. We ended up with a six-year-old retired Greyhound called Patch. Patch, now 12 years old, is a wonderful chap. He's looking old now, and like all old men, he's started dribbling lots and groaning.
Three years ago, we were walking Patch when we saw a couple coming toward us with two Border Terriers and a young Border Collie pup. The Collie was bouncing everywhere and would throw herself belly-up onto the ground for a tickle when anyone walked past. "What a lovely dog," I said to Julie-Ann.
We stopped and talked to the couple. They told us that they were three-month-old Izzy's fourth home. They had gotten her from the dog warden, who had said that if Izzy didn't find a forever home soon, she would have to be put down. The couple had had her about five weeks, but during that time their circumstances had changed dramatically, as the wife had become pregnant. Moreover, one of their terriers wasn't getting on with Izzy. They felt they could not give this energetic puppy the time and attention she deserved, and knew it would be cruel to keep her with a family who couldn't care for her sufficiently, as Collies can develop mental health issues if they are not worked or given a job to do. They can destroy everything if they became bored. The couple was heartbroken.
I immediately shouted, "I'll have her!"
"You will not," said Julie-Ann, quick as a flash, but I'd already made up my mind.
Over the next few days, I spoke to lots of people about my intention to rehome the Collie. Everyone tried to warn me of the work and dedication such dogs need. "She will change your life." "You won't be able to just go away; it's like having a baby."
It is true that these dogs need a lot of work, and they do change your life, but no one told me it would be for the better.
I went straight to obedience lessons. Unfortunately, the first trainer was very old-school, only telling the dogs when they were doing something wrong rather than when they were doing something right. I didn't realize the difference until I read a book by Karen Pryor. "I'm doing this all wrong," I said to myself.
I immediately stopped tugging on the lead, and Izzy started walking by my side, and also became more passive toward other dogs. I also noticed that dogs are like antennas to your mood. If you stay calm, so does the dog. More often than not, you can anticipate how the dog might react to various situations, which helps you prepare for what might happen and avoid bad situations before they arise. I realized that dogs, like humans, prefer to be asked instead of shouted at. I have also learned about being consistent with cues and the values of rewards and praise.
Izzy is now three years old, and since having her I have become more patient. I have become an outdoor kind of person, as she taught me to love walking, and I've lost three stone in weight. I now go to a dog-training club in Sandbach called Dig It Dogs, where it's all about positive reinforcement. Izzy and I train together every day on our own. We also compete in agility, and have started working trials training. I love training her so much that I've enrolled in a distance-learning program to earn a degree in canine training. I have also started teaching agility classes as a Dig It Instructor.
Winter 2012, Izzy had to have her dew claws removed, and we were advised not to get the dressing wet. It rained for about two weeks nonstop after that, so to keep her from getting bored, we learned loads of tricks, and I ended up making a little video that I put on YouTube.
I hope you enjoy watching it, and I hope it makes people feel differently about rescue dogs. All dogs want to please, and all you've got to do is ask nicely and make it fun.
Teaching tricks helps develop a strong bond -- and it's also useful when you can't be bothered to get off the sofa and you want the remote passed, the living room door shut, or your slippers and the post. It also helps when you and your partner just want to pass notes to each other between rooms, like, "Put the kettle on while you're in the kitchen."
Izzy is the best companion. She is always happy to see me. She knows when I'm upset and rests her head on my lap. She's never grumpy and always wants to go out and explore the world.
This summer, Izzy and I are going to walk the Pennine Way for charity. It's 268 miles and should take about 16 days. We are both really excited. Keep an eye on my YouTube, as I will be uploading new videos about the walk and more tricks as we learn them. At the moment, Izzy is learning to tightrope walk, and she's also working on a handstand.
As for the nice couple we got Izzy from, they live near us and see Izzy regularly. Izzy makes these weird excited squeaks when she sees them. She only makes the noises for them; I think it's her way of saying, "I love you, and thanks for saving my life."
