Our Introduction to Agility class just concluded on Thursday night with a friendly competition.  The class was composed of dogs who had no prior agility experience before entering the class; check out how well they did!

As you can see from the video, the dogs and the owners all had a good time!  If this looks like something that you and your dog want to do together, be sure to sign up for our Agility and Disc Dog Weekend. We are bringing in Cyndy Douan, an agility and disc dog expert, to run the seminar; she is a fantastic trainer with a ton of knowledge and experience in a wide variety of dog sports.

The 2 day event will be a combination of basic agility, as well as disc dog instruction!  It is a hands on workshop that covers all of the basics of each sport, then all of your newly learned skills will be taken and put to use during “game day” on the second day.  To enroll in the seminar or more information on the event, please click here.

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Below is another video of a recent board and train, Bo.

Bo’s owners were looking to take an already great dog, and make him fantastic.  As you can see from the video, Bo did very well in the program!

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Over the past few weeks I have seen a lot of communication between dog owners, and some trainers too, addressing the topic of exercise and training.  Many have said that dogs are not listening because they have too much energy, dogs are chewing and digging because they have not had a 4 mile run yet today, and exercise the dog before you train him or her, you will see a better result.

Yes, chewing, digging, and other similar behaviors can be a direct result of too much energy and boredom, yes, dogs do need a lot of exercise, and yes, it is often easier to get a dog to behave when they are tired.

Personally, I think a lot of dog owners are stuck on the idea of exercise always has to come before any obedience because of Cesar Milan, who constantly stresses exercise, discipline, and then affection.  I am not knocking him, or disagreeing with him, but remember this approach often refers to rehabilitation cases.  Also keep in mind that you are not always going to have the luxury of running your dog for an hour before you need them to behave or follow a series of tasks.  Exhaustion is not a replacement for training.

If you are currently bringing your dog to the point of near exhaustion before training him, that is fine and good; exercise of course is very important.  However, as you progress in your training be sure to wean your dog off of the crutch of exhaustion and make sure they can function appropriately whether they are all fired up or about to nap.

If exhausting your dog is currently the only way to get your dog to behave, consider enrolling in a well balanced training program that can yield the results you and your dog both need.

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Below is a video of Oakley who recently completed our Leander, Texas Board and Train Obedience Program.  Oakley is an very energetic dog who loves to play, and trained up real nice.  Enjoy the video!

In addition to the obedience seen in the video, Oakley’s curriculum also involved a lot of other skills as well.  A lot of time was also spent dealing with Oakley’s handling skills, socialization, leadership, and leash issues.

Since Oakley has gone home last week, he is in the process of adjusting back into his new home environment.  His owner is picking up right where we left off with his training, which is a crucial part of any successful board and train program.  Good job, Oakley, and keep it up “Oakley’s Mom!”

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I realize most dog parks have fences and are designed that way to allow all dog owners to to be able to take their dogs to exercise safely.  I have heard many dog owners state that they go to a specific dog park simply because it has a fence, and I understand the importance of fences and most people’s views on fenced in dog parks, but here is my take on dog parks and fences.

Dog Parks with Fences:

• Tend to be smaller and sometimes not large enough for dogs to socialize without feeling confined and can eliminate escape routes if needed (during proper social protocols).
• Tend to be filled with dog owners who do not pay attention to their dogs because there is a fence and the chances of escaping are relatively low.
• Tend to be occupied with dogs who have zero training and no control.

Dog Parks without Fences:

• Tend to be large enough for everyone to spread out and have their own space to run, play, and socialize.
• Tend to be filled with dog owners who closely monitor and watch their dogs.
• Tend to be occupied with dogs with enough training and control to come back when called.

My Point about Dog Parks and Fences:

• Not every dog is socially stable and belongs at a dog park.  Having enough space to spread out can help allow dogs to exist without conflict, and of course, Dog Park Etiquette still needs to be practiced.
• Fence or no fence, you must keep an eye on your dog while at the park.  Surrounding yourself with others who are practicing this will help to avoid resource guarding, bullying, pinning, and other similar behaviors.
• Obedience provides us with functional control over our dogs, and the dog park is a perfect place to use your functional control.  What I mean is, if your dog is being pestered by another dog, tell him to come; if your dog is near a water bowl that is being guarded by another dog, tell him to come; if your dog is jumping on people, tell him to sit; and if your dog is getting too close to the road, tell him to come!  These are all things that need to be practiced in parks, fenced or not.

I am only sharing this info because there are so many great Dog Parks in Austin and throughout the country, and I hope all trips to the dog park are filled with good times – not emergency vet visits.

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We have previously discussed the importance of body language in previous posts, but mainly what your body is doing as a handler.  Just as we can communicate with our dog with our own body language, the dog is communicating with you by the things that their bodies are doing.  Let’s discuss one of the most obvious signs – the dogs head.

If you are an Unleashed Unlimited client, you have probably heard us say over and over again, “Watch the position of your dog’s head!”  This is so important because the dog’s head will tell us so much about what your dog is doing, what the dog is about do, what the dog is focused on, where the dog is going, and what is relevant to your dog.  Recognizing all of these things are crucial when training and interacting with your dog because these signals tell us so much information.  Let me use some examples:

Heeling – If you are walking your dog and their head is facing the same direction that you are traveling, you’ve got it made; the dog is focused on traveling forward with you.  If all of a sudden your dogs head makes a sharp turn to the left, you better believe that if given enough time, your dog may run to the left and break the heel position.  As soon as you see your dog’s head break hard to the left, NOW is your training moment – not when the dog is pulling your arm out of the socket.

Recall – If you call your dog back to you from 100 feet away and the his or her head is looking directly at you as they are returning to you, you’ve got it made; the dog is focused on traveling directly into you on a straight path.  If all of a sudden the dog’s head focuses on something to the right of you, technically your dog is still moving toward you, but now they are no longer on a path to intersect with you, they will veer off in that direction if given enough time; NOW is your training moment.

Place -  When using a placeboard as a targeting tool, you have to know when the dog is on track to hit the target, and when the dog is off track; the dog’s head can tell us both!  It may be a bit more subtle then when heeling, but if you don’t see a slight look down at the target but you do see another head position, once again – NOW is your training moment.

The next time you are out with your dog, really pay attention to your dog’s head, it will tell you a lot!

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We are glad to be back this month with a brand new edition of Student of the Month!  Enjoy the video.

So far, Kayla’s progress has not come as easily as some of the other dogs in our classes, but Kayla’s owners are very dedicated to their dog and the training.  They consistently attend class and practice at home in their daily lives, which has been the case for all of our other Students of Month.

Congratulations to Kayla and her family, they are well on their way to having the well behaved dog they have always wanted!

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