I've decided to do book reviews here, to help you guys decide what's potentially a good book for you, and to help me get through my extensive reading list!
Book title: Should I Spay or Neuter My Dog?
Understanding the Secret Life of Sex Hormones.
Author: Jane Messineo Lindquist (of Puppy Culture)
What is this book about:
This book is looking at the scientific evidence, and giving reasons and explanations for the benefits, and costs of neutering and spaying. It also explains the consequences of spaying and neutering (or not).
Who would this book suit:
- Performance dog owners - Performance puppy owners - Performance dog breeders - Breeders - Dog trainers - Veterinary staff - Rehoming and shelter staff - Education about pet health and reproduction for children. - Pet dog owners that are willing to make an informed decision about their dogs reproductive health.
What was awesome about this book:
The introductory paragraph is awesome. It really describes us - dog crazy people. It's written in an easy to read and entertaining way.
There are four main infographics that are visually excellent, and summarise the main points. This is great for skim readers that want the basic idea but don't want to read everything. It would also work for education purposes.
This book has a nice amount of relevant science explanations, which makes it somewhat technical with some of the words, but I think it's important given the subject. The science explanations are written in an entertaining way with anecdotes and the perfect amount of detail for the audience. I like how sections discussed the scientific research that was related, and in many cases pointed out potential issues or limitations with the studies.
The section on pyometra was really interesting. This is not something that I know much about, having never owned an intact female (Chace was spayed at 12 months). I found it really interesting that the chances of pyometra vary so much between breeds. It was also excellent to see the impacts relating to behavior discussed in detail.
The references at the back of the book were extensive.
What I didn't like about this book:
It sounds silly but it's such a great book, but it has a flimsy light cardboard cover. This makes it almost more like a pamphlet than a book. I'd love this to be available in hardcover, and also an e-book which I think would be a great option for breeders to send home with their puppies to new owners.
I wish that the book had gone into other options, as it really only discussed entire, spay/neuter, or OSS. It would have been interesting to discuss other options such as ovariectomy, vasectomy, or the hormone-suppressing bioimplant for males.
This book is definitely firmly in the side of keeping dog's intact. Whilst I appreciate this, some people may find it confronting.
Verdict:
This book is a must-read for anyone with a vested interest in the long-term health and well-being of their dogs. It's a well presented and well-researched book, and an excellent price.
So there's this one trick, that every time I see it I cringe. It's not that it's the end of the world if you have trained this, but I think it causes more issues than the benefits and uses you get from training it.
It's putting feet into small items. Small cardboard boxes, or small bowls.
The reason that I don't like this.
Many of the issues that I see in dogs in terms of posture and fitness work is in how they hold their rear end. Many dogs tend to hold their rear legs under their hips, instead of in a natural stack. This is often because of muscle weakness, particularly core and gluteal muscle weakness. This trick encourages this positioning, as well as roaching through the back to hold the position - this is another common issue in performance dogs and one that is often found in dogs that struggle to keep their rear legs in a correct position.
Flori's legs are in a similar position here as what they would be in box, or bowl. Her rear limbs are tucked under her body, and she is curling her pelvis under to hold this position.
I want my dogs as they grow to learn muscle memory for correct form, in all positions. I would like my dogs to learn to use all their muscles correctly instead of using some areas too much, and some not enough.
Flori is standing more evenly here than in the previous photo, however, she is still placing more weight on her front limbs than her back limbs.
Here Flori is standing squarely. Her weight is even on front and rear limbs, and her topline is even. She is using her core, and glut's to stay in this position, and her limbs are positioned in an appropriate place under her body for her structure. *
Alternatives to this trick.
These tricks can look similar, and have a similar process in terms of shaping, however, have more benefits to stance and strength than the potential to cause issues.
Front feet on a small stable perch
Back feet on a small stable perch
Front feet on one small stable perch, back feet on a separate perch
Stand on an aerobic step
Send and stand on an elevated platform
Pivoting on a perch (In my opinion MORE cute than feet in a bowl!)
So. Think about what you teach, why, and the potential fallouts as well as the benefits! Have fun, teach stuff!
* Note: Flori is only 6 months old in the photo's above, and even younger in the video. She still has growing to do!
If you want help with trick training, fitness, or anything else email me on hybriddogtraining@gmail.com
Dear Tristan and the Rothesay Vet Clinic team, Lyn and the Raw Essentials team, and VSG.
This has taken me years to write, and for that I'm sorry. But the day I'm going to write about was, in all honesty, the most difficult day of my life so far. I still tear up thinking about it. This letter was actually written over a long time, because revisiting this day is still extremely difficult.
Brody's healthcare was far from simple. He was always not quite normal, with new problems popping up, and old problems never fully resolving. It was always about managing his strange body, and doing the best thing for him, and for me. For him this included food and environmental allergies, epilepsy, strange not quite right blood work, and a big pneumothorax requiring days and huge surgery at VSG. You were always supportive, happy for me to work with multiple healthcare professionals, and explore complementary therapies. You were supportive of our raw feeding at a time when not many vets were. You referred me immediately to specialist care when we required it.
Thank you.
When Brody was finally diagnosed with prostate cancer you explored treatment options and discussed them openly with me, and with both Brody and my best interests at heart. You explored palliative care options and got in drugs 'just in case' even if we never used them. You fitted me in whenever I needed and talked on the phone whenever I needed it. You were caring and gentle with Brody, even when you had to squeeze his bladder to empty it causing both him and me pain.
Brody's last walk - at Murawai beach
Brody's last walk - at Murawai beach
On Brody's last day Tristan was honest when it was his time. He organized his day so that we could give Brody some pain care so I could go have one last walk at the beach. He then organized that there were no appointments after we put Brody to sleep, so I could stay with him as long as I needed. Because I have worked in vet clinics before I knew what normally happens to animals while they are awaiting pick up from the animal cremators, and Tristan arranged immediate pickup so this didn't happen.
Thankyou. It really means the world that I had people who cared about Brody and what was best for him.
I've written this letter for two reasons. One to thank the amazing team at Rothesay Bay. Secondly, because I can't even imagine how hard it is to do this job. But we are so lucky to have some amazing, and caring veterinary professionals in New Zealand. Thank you to all the vets who put 110% into the amazing care of their patients, and genuinely care for their patients.
Over my summer break I'm available for lessons in Morrinsville pretty much any time, up until my little mini holiday (mid-end of January) before I'm back to my 'normal' full-time job teaching.
I'm also open to workshops if you have a group interested, and I'm happy to travel for these within reason.
Here is my workshop schedule so far!
Sunday the 16th of December - PERFORMANCE PUPPY WORKSHOP (Morrinsville)
Saturday the 22nd of December - INTRO TO COOPERATIVE CARE (Morrinsville)
TBC some time on the weekend of the 29th / 30th of December - FITNESS WORKSHOP
Wednesday the 2nd of Jan - PUPPY AND AGILITY WORKSHOPS in Whakatane with EBOP members
Saturday the 5th of Jan - AUCKLAND WORKSHOPS (Auckland, North Shore Dog Training Club in Greenhithe)
Sunday the 6th of Jan - PERFORMANCE PUPPY WORKSHOP 2 (Morrinsville)
Friday the 11th of Jan - COOPERATIVE CARE 2 (Wanganui Agility show grounds )
If you are interested in booking a spot in a workshop, arranging a lesson or workshop, or have questions please email: hybriddogtraining@gmail.com
Here, I've got your back! If you are anything like me, then you need a holiday project (that will keep you busy over holidays or even better when Family visit...), and also super cheap presents. And if you are also like me all your favorite people that may need presents are fellow dog geeks.
So I've got it sorted - the amazing snuffle mat in a box. This will cost you around $6-$8 dollars per box.
The cool thing about this is that being in a box it will contain crumbs and treat fallout at the bottom, so it would be perfect to use at trials where people may have concerns about treats falling on the ground.
So what do you need?
A container that has holes in the side (I got a three pack for $4 at the warehouse)
Fabric sissors
Fleece fabric (about half a metre ish)
Hands and time
How to make
Cut the fabric into strips about one inch wide, 10 inches long
2. Push the fabric strips through the holes, so the ends are facing into the box
3. Tie a knot in the fabric around the plastic container
4. Make pretty colour patterns as you keep putting fabric strips up the sides of the container
5. Use!
It's pretty much up to you how long the strips are, or how OCD you are about making the outside fabric in neat patterns. You can really full the thing up with fabric by doubling strips through each hole (like in the bottom row in the example), or single strips.
So most of you will know by now that my 'proper' job is a teacher. I'm in charge of the Science curriculum at the local Junior High School.
Not only is it part of my job to model being a lifelong learner, but it's also one of the things that drew me to the job. I genuinely love learning new things. I love the geeky intricacies of Science, and how things are ever changing with new evidence.
So obviously that is going to seep across to my dog training. As someone charging for dog training services, I believe that it is vital to continue to progress my knowledge and understanding. It's a responsibility I have to my students. It's part of what they are paying me for!
So where do I go, and what do I do to learn more about dogs, and dog training?
Here's my go-to information, and courses:
Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. They have SO many online courses to choose from each term and are excellent value for money. The FDSA also has webinars and an excellent supportive online community. Many of the international presenters I have hosted at Hybrid Training are FDSA instructors.
Jumping Gymnastics and Worked Up! Seminars at Hybrid Training with FDSA Instructors Sarah Stremming and Leslie Eide.
This is just the start of an extensive list! I'm also a big fan of books. Because who doesn't like books! It seems that the faster I read them, the faster I add new ones to my collection.
Stay tuned for future blogs where I talk about some of my favorite books.
We have a new champion at Hybrid Training! At just over 5 months old Flori has gained her Trick Dog Champion title.
It was somewhat of a challenge finding the right tricks for each level, that not only were appropriate for her size and age, but also that we were capable of training with only a few short sessions. I'm very conscious about not putting too much demand on my young dogs, both physically and mentally.
I decided to use working through the trick titles to give me some specific skills to work so we could both work together to learn how to work as a team. Also so I could learn how Flori learns, and we could fine-tune our communication skills. I also wanted to work on these skills on tricks that if we had issues wouldn't have a long-lasting impact on skills that we might need for any future performance sports.
If you are interested in looking at information about the Trick Dog titles go to http://www.domorewithyourdog.com/trickdog/ . It's not cheap to work through all the titles to Champion, but something that I really wanted to do.
Now to plan what Flori and I work on next!!
My favorite trick - Flori and Evo's 'Up high, down low' tandem trick
Flori's full application for her title
If you are interested in training trick's I'm happy to help! Email hybriddogtraining@gmail.com to arrange a lesson.
So here's the thing. My last two puppies have been pretty good and easy puppies. Maybe this is because I've gotten better at finding lines and litters with good tempraments, but I also think it's my approach to managing, and dealing with 'problems' that arise.
I really like training. I like approaching a problem or skill and breaking it down. I like looking at the geeky science of training. But I'm also super busy, and a tad lazy. You know what? I'd much rather spend my time working on something fun, than fixing a problem.
Here's my take on problems (and having less of them to deal with).
Manage the environment to help avoid problems developing.
There is a reason that my young puppies are in puppy pen, crates, or other restricted spaces when they are not being directly supervised. It helps with toilet training, and them feeling safe and secure, but it also helps in stopping bad behaviors like chewing rugs, eating socks, or digging holes from occurring. Not only is this less time and energy for me in the long run, but it also helps ensure their physical safety...... Foreign object removal surgery is expensive!
Flori has recently developed a real liking for my socks and underwear on the clothes airer. So I moved them to the top, only to discover she can climb it. So I found another solution. Because yes I could probably work on this training wise, but I'm hoping with a simple environmental tweak I can avoid this behavior becoming habitual and reinforced.
Note: Underwear and socks are now hanging up high, off the curtain rail.
Decide what bug's you enough to fix, and what you really don't care about!
Every dog has behaviors that are less than desirable. Deo is a horrendous alert barker at noises outside at home. Yes it bugs me, but living rurally on a busy State Highway with traffic noise means that no-one but me and the other dogs can hear it. It is one of these things that I have decided is less than ideal, but not worth the training time. And you know what? This could potentially bite me in the bum in the future, like if I was to move somewhere with neighbors, but I'll deal with that when, and if, that happens.
My dogs are allowed on couches at home. I love sitting with them and having cuddles! Some people would see this as a problem that needed fixing. I don't! They get off if I ask them too, and if I was ever to be at another persons house who didn't like dogs on couches (unlikely as all my friends are fellow dog weirdos) I would leave them outside or in the vehicle, or use a station which is a behavior that I have trained!
Just watching some Netflix on the couch..... So comfy!
So be smart. Control the environment and decide what you are, and are not ok with! Then you'll have more time to train the fun things.
If you DO want help with training the things like not jumping on the couch, email me on hybriddogtraining@gmail.com
My name is Kelly, and I'm an overthinker. Sometimes I even find myself overthinking about being an overthinker.
Of course when it's about something as important as my new puppy the overthinking is huge. And stressful. Because obviously that one time that she stood weird and had an elbow that rotated out most definitely means that she has major orthopedic issues and will never walk, let along be able to jump agility jumps. And that one time her eye looked weird totally means she's obviously going to be blind.
Let's be honest - we put a lot of weight into the future of our young performance dogs, and we want everything to work out. For many of us, it's a substantial financial, emotional, and time investment. Some of us have intensive well-designed training plans, others do bit's and pieces and hope for the best. But no matter what you do (or do not do) many of us will overthink about it.
But you know what? We overthink because for many of us it's our nature. But also because we really care. About our sport, about our beautiful puppy, and about showing the world how truly awesome they are.
So.... enjoy your puppy. Try not to stress. Trust in your training, and that you won't screw your beautiful new puppy up too much! Try not to overthink so much.
" But how often should I do that?" and "How many times a week do you need to do cardio" and "Should that be something I am putting into my dog's fitness training schedule?"
And I understand. These were the questions I was asking too when I started fitness work. But the honest answer is:
It's just not that simple.
How cool would it be to be able to give everyone one simple plan to start? That would be awesome. And make it easier for everyone! But here's the thing. One fitness plan just isn't suitable, or appropriate for everyone.
Here's what I'm considering when I put together a plan:
The dog's age and physical maturity
Past history in health and any orthopedic issues
Behavioral needs and training history of both the dog and handler
The dog's structure
The dog's current musculature; the amount of muscle, areas lacking muscle, imbalances in muscle e.g. from the right to left side.
The dog's current levels of balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness
Any other body specific needs or concerns
The sports, of lifestyle that the owner would like to pursue
Any sports specific skills that are an issue
What the owner and dog are already doing that can be counted towards fitness
The owner's lifestyle, specifically time that can be used for fitness training
The skills already mastered, and equipment available.
So whilst the main fitness components (cardio, flexibility, strength, balance, mental fitness and exercises working each plan of motion) will be the same in any fitness plan, the specific details of the plan will be extremely different for a Chihuahua with a straight rear end who's owner wants to compete in obedience, and does not want to spend more than an hour a week doing fitness exercises, to a border collie who does an hour off lead walk, and 30 minutes training agility every day.
So your take-home message: Start working on fitness skills, confidence with equipment, and learning new exercises BUT make sure you are working with experts who can ensure you are putting this together in the best way for you, and your dog!
This post is related to one that I made not too long ago - on collecting baseline data. So what I want to know, is how well do you really know your dog, and their body?
Here's some thing's to think about. Because for many people this doesn't occur until their dog is sick, or injured and the healthcare professional asks 'Is this normal for your dog?' You know what, this is one of the thing's I LOVE about fitness work. You get to know your dog really well, and understand what their normal is. And many of the thing's that we look at for your dog's normal isn't necessarily wrong, but if these things change can indicate a health or orthopedic issue.
So here's some thing's to consider.
Baseline bloods. When Brody (my first dog) starting having seizures, we did a series of blood tests to look for any potential causes for these. Unfortunately, he had a few readings that were at the extreme range, or slightly outside of the normal range. Because we didn't have any baseline bloods to compare too, we didn't know if this was just his normal, or if this was something significant to him and the seizures. Unfortunately for many dogs the trauma and stress of having blood drawn can potentially negate the use of having baseline blood information on file. My recommendation would be that if your dog is having any other procedures done (spey, or dental's etc.) and if it is appropriate and possible to get some blood drawn at that time. Alternatively, you can train consent signals and a cooperative blood draw to make this procedure less stressful for the dog.
Brody's first walk after the surgery to fix a pneumothorax.
Musclemass and use. How muscles feel, how big they are, and if they are symmetrical on each side can have a big impact not only to performance but also to injury. Often in subtle injuries, muscle mass will decrease where there is an injury, and increase in the areas that are compensating for that injury. Also for particular sports particular muscles are very important, for instance, many border collies are either lacking in gluteal muscle (which is the main muscle that produces the explosive hip extension required in jumping) or do not effectively use their glut's in hip extension. It is important not only to get a baseline in muscle mass, use, and symmetry but also look for changes to the dog's normal. A physio, rehabilitation vet, or certified fitness trainer will be able to help you record a baseline analysis of your dog's musculature, and track any changes.
Weight. This is something that most owners are aware of, but as performance dog owners we need to be very critical not only of weight but weight in terms of muscle:fat. A performance dog should be as lean as possible, whilst still maintaining muscle. This mean's often feeding will need to be constantly adjusted based on activity, training (and the volume of treats associated), and other life features like amount and quality of sleep and stress. Recently Evo's weight has dropped to a very low level, because I didn't account in the increase in activity in the form of extra walking, and playing with the puppy. So now I have adjusted his food to help get his weight back up a little bit.
Areas of muscular tightness. Every dog that I have worked with has a tendency to get tight muscles with overexertion, and/or training and competition. Every dog has some areas, whether this is from structure, how they use their body, or injury, that tend to get tight more often. If this tightness in muscles is not known and worked on then this can develop into a more serious issue. Deo tends to get tight across his right side of his neck. This is from a combination of his straight terrier front-end structure, his ewe neck, and the fact that he ran into a wooden post at full speed at 2 1/2 years old and possibly did some damage (this is when one of his ears fell down, after having two pricked ears up till then). If these muscles are left tights and sore he will often get sore across his left hip (compensating), and will often not weave. He also gets super terrier grumpy! The best people to help you check, and work on muscles are physios. Once you are aware of the muscles or areas that your dog tends to get sore in you can also help with applying thermal energy (heat) with a wheat bag or red light (or similar).
Stance and weight bearing. Every performance dog handler should be critically aware of how their dog stands, sits, downs, and bear's weight across their limbs in these positions. Structurally all dog's are different, and it is important that you are not only aware of your dog's structure, but how they hold their structure. Musculature can impact a dog's stance. For example a dog structurally may have an appropriate length of back (proportional to leg length) and adequate topline, but a weak core could make it's back look like it sags (or has a sway back). Like musculature often a dog's stance or weight bearing itself is not an issue, rather than if there are significant changes in this.
Deo's normal is that with his structure his knee's knock inwards a little in a sit.
Chace's normal stance has some issues. These are that she holds stress in her upper lumbar spine, just after her rib cage. She shifts her weight forwards, and always hold's a little more weight on her hind right than her left.
Joints and range of motion.
Dog's can have a different range of motions in their joints comparatively, this can because of their structure, musculature, or the activity that they do. Like musculature, a physio, osteopath, or rehabilitation vet is the best person to assess your dog's current range of motion. Imbalance between left and right sides, or changes (both in terms of a significant increase, or decrease in joint range of motion) can indicate an injury.
Movement.
How often to do record, and assess movement of your dog's? What is your dog's normal striding in a walk, or do they pace? How do they trot? Do they have even extension of limbs or stride length? Again, like the other factors, it's often a change in striding that can indicate an issue. A physio, rehabilitation vet, or qualified hydrotherapist can analyze your dog's movement and help determine their normal. Below is a video of Chace a few weeks ago with natural striding in the yard, and then trotting in slow motion over cavaletti. You will notice she has quite a bouncy trot - this is her normal.
General activity, including sleep. A huge indicator for Chace that anxiety was negatively impacting her life was when I got an activity monitor on her, and Evo, and compared their sleep stats. Chace spent around two hours less a night sleeping, as she was getting up and moving, pacing, and was generally unsettled. After she started her anxiety medication this resolved. Because of the increase in sleep at night (and less movement) she also put on weight, and I had to adjust her food. Recently I've found that the new FitBark2 activity monitor providing excellent information as Flori grows. I like this activity monitor as it's easy to access information on my phone, link's to my own FitBit, and doesn't have ongoing monthly fees associated with it. The cool thing is it also sends you alerts if there is variation in any stats that are significantly different from her averages, which helps you recognize any significant changes.
So what information do I collect, and when / how often?
I video almost every training session and load all these videos into YouTube. This gives me a pretty constant record of how my dogs move, sit, stand, and lie down.
I'm trying to more regularly get footage (like once a month) of their different gaits in a natural setting, like when they are running around the yard. They also have an intensive analysis of their gait, and also how they are standing / sitting / any area's of muscle soreness / joint ROM each fortnight with their hydrotherapy session for general fitness, as my Hydrotherapist Rachel (Hydropaws) is amazing at picking up any small changes to their normal.
I try to get them to a physio/massage therapist every month or so to check more implicitly muscles and joints.
I look at weight bearing, and their stance in positions every day. Both in everyday life, and when training. Once you get an 'eye' for this you can't stop looking!
I try to collect baseline bloods when the dog's are having any other medical procedures, or before starting any medication.
I also get Rachel to thermal image my guys once a year, to check for any significant changes. The SyncCanine thermal imaging is very accurate because it is adjusted and checked by external specialist veterinarians, so you really only get any significant issues identified. We use this to look at muscles and joints, but also to check the older dogs teeth, as in his first imaging Deo had two teeth show up red hot in the imaging which needed extraction.
Flori had her baseline scanning done this weekend, along with the older dog's yearly imaging. This imaging is vital because it's another diagnostic to help me establish her normal, but also because it's a baseline image from BEFORE she starts agility training. There is a few small thing's that we are going to keep an eye on, so we will re-image over Christmas as she (hopefully) grows out of her gangly teenage phase!
So recently I retired Chace from agility. This was for a number of reasons, the main being that she was just to stressed in the ring environment with the dog's in close proximity. I'm very proud of what she has achieved in her competing career - Agility Champion, Flygility Champion, and numerous Jumpers challenges, and agility challenges.
Photo by Caitlin Frater (https://www.facebook.com/betelgeusephotography17/)
But with Chace being retired, this does not mean that she's not still training, playing, and doing awesome stuff! It just means that our focus has changed. We're continuing to train the things that are hard for her (cooperative care and vet work), and hard for me (confidence that we can deal with off lead walking in public places where there might be dog's). Around the time that she retired from agility she also gained her Trick Dog Champion title, through video submission.
Photo by Caitlin Frater (https://www.facebook.com/betelgeusephotography17/)
Many of you know that I'm a training geek. Most of my lessons's at Hybrid Training are used to fund my professional development and learning about dog training. Much of this I do through the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. This online training provider uses positive, best practice modern training practices. I've done everything from fitness, scentwork, disc, tricks, and much more.
Chace's next new adventure (and mine) is going back to something Chace has great foundations in - obedience. It's something that I was really put off in Chace's early training days, because the environment (stays etc.) was too difficult with a reactive dog.
So now we are working on our Fenzi TEAM titles. It's about working up to complex obedience behaviors in sequential steps, or levels.
Here's the video of Chace where she gains her TEAM 1 title!
So this is a conversation that I often have with students who have new puppies. How do you know when you are doing too much with young dogs? How do you balance this with the stress of 'getting the training done'? Or maybe the thrill of your young dog learning new stuff!
Flori is learning to sit on a platform.
Here's things to consider:
Is what you are doing going to add to your puppy's physical development, or possibly hinder their physical development? Exercise is important, but too much (or the wrong kind) can cause harm.
Are you balancing their physical, and mental wellbeing?
Are you prioritizing life skills, and being a great pet dog?
Is what you are training neccessary right now?
Is what you are training appropriate for your pup's age?
Flori exploring a local walking spot
I tend to not be too specific week to week what I want to train with my young dog's. Instead I focus on what is needed over that week, and what is available in terms of socialization opportunities. I use list's of skills that I would like to cover that I can look at if I need idea's of things to work on. I have larger goals over approximately 6 month periods, for example in the first 6 months I would like Flori to have learnt basic reinforcement strategies and clear communication with me, be consistent in toilet training, be able to walk in a lead and harness, be happy to have nails done and vaccinations/vet checks, and have been exposed (in a positive manner) to a crapload of socialization experiences.
Some socialization during a sports tournament at school
I prioritize teaching skills in the following order:
Base life skills (toilet training, happy crating, being ok in the car, on lead, interacting appropriately with the other dog's in the house etc.)
Emotional and mental wellbeing (enrichment, sniffing, decompression walks)
Learning how to cope in this crazy human world (socialization)
Learning how to speak the language of learning and training with me (reinforcement strategies)
Cooperative care work (handling, grooming, nails, veterinary related work)
Base performance sports skills (recalls, station training, agility foundation work like wrapping a cone, scent work, basic obedience)
I feel like if Flori can be happy with this, nothing will faze her!
You might have noticed a couple of things above. Firstly the sports specific skills are last. That's because really they are of the least importance to the overall wellbeing of my dog's. I do sports because I like them, and I hope that my puppy's will also love them. But you know what, they might not. In that case, I'll find something else we can do together. Its also last because once you have some of the other skills (reinforcement strategies in particular) the sports specific skills are easy to teach! You might also notice that although I'm primarily an agility competitor, I try to teach a wide range of different sports skills.
So relax, have fun, make sure your pup can deal with life, and don't stress too much about what you have, or have not taught!
