All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label dog agility. Show all posts

Monday, October 3, 2011

K9 Kamp Heats Up!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

This week's K9 kamp had me, Tanner and Oliver back in agility training and having some fun with our workout step. I'll have to admit I had to dust that bad boy off after storing it under my bed sometime ago. We also discovered our core ball and wondered if we'll be getting an intro to Treiball via kamp. Hmmm.....

The good news is the dogs still remember the "Go Jump" command and they seemed totally entertained watching me step up and down. Despite my travel to Barkworld, the boys and I were able to pull off a reasonable hour plus to just make the minimum workout. Whew!

As I write this post I am waiting on my return flight home, ready to get back to a good dog walk after a few days of hobnobbing with fellow social media enthusiasts. What do you suppose Koly and Kelly have in store for us this week? Whatever it is, I'm glad to be home and dig in again. Happy tails!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Ask the Dog Trainer:
Good Sports for Border Collies

by Terry Lynn Cuyler, APDT, CPDT-KA

Dear Terry,

My Border Collie is a bundle of energy. I've been told and have read that he needs a job. I'm considering herding and agility, but am worried about him getting hurt in agility. Can you give me some tips on safe agility training?

And what about me; will I need to be in great shape to run around with him, or will I just give the orders? I am able to run and be active, but am not familiar with how much physical fitness I will need. I would like your ideas for both of us on staying safe and not getting hurt would be a big help.

Chitiqua M.

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Dear Chitiqua,

I agree that most dogs need a job, but especially a BC! Agility and herding are two wonderful activities and I love that you are concerned about injury to both you and your dog. Almost any active sport has the potential for injury.

Your dog will do most of the work, but it is a good workout for you as well. Conditioning will help both of you. Do not be a couch potato most of the week and then try to run Agility or Herding Trials on the weekend. Conditioning means aerobic exercise enough to get both your heart rates up and your muscles working hard.

Check out Christine Zink, DVM, PhD. Her books in print are available through Canine Sports. Building the Canine Athlete includes expert tips on preventing injury and rehabilitation. This book is shown below, but appears to be out of print. However, you may find this at your local library, as well at the more expensive one, The Agility Advantage.

In addition to Agility which is very popular and extremely fun, or herding, which does require something to herd, you might consider Flyball which is a relay race between two teams of four dogs. They race down an aisle with small hurdles, jump on a spring-loaded box to catch a ball, then race back to their owners so the next dog can go. Border Collies excel at Flyball. It is very fast and exciting. The really good teams have all four dogs up and back in l6 seconds. Whizzzz! Conditioning is important for Flyball athletes as well. But the handler does a little less work than in Agility. Check this link for more information.

The newest sport that might interest you is called Treiball. It was developed in Germany to give herding dogs an outlet without having to farm sheep J Instead of sheep they herd large balls down a field to goal posts. Here is a short video clip to give you an idea. Classes are springing up all over the USA now, so keep looking.

A sport for rainy days as well as sunny is K9 Nose Work. It is basically search and rescue for companion dogs. They are searching for a scent on half a Q-tip instead of having to search for missing people, but the dogs love it! It doesn’t require much physical stamina for either people or dogs. Puppies to seniors can participate and it can be practiced inside in your living room. Your dog’s nose is amazing and this is a way to celebrate it. Read more at the link.

I hope this post has started you thinking about the many things you can do with your wonderful dog to keep him healthy and engaged. Happy dog sports.

PawsProf

Our ASK THE DOG TRAINER Column can be reached at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. For more information on Terry Lynn Cuyler and her training, you may find her at Paws Prof. A personal appointment with a trainer will likely provide more specific information on your dog's issues and your questions.You can read more of Terry Lynn Cuyler's training questions at her Archives page.

For more information on dog activities and how to find them in your area, visit All Things Dog Blog's Dog Activities Locater page.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Let's Interview Oliver:
What's in My Papillon's Head?

by Carrie Boyko

(c) Alan Boyko

Oliver Loves to Bike with Me

It's Oliver's turn to get interviewed, although this may be an interesting challenge. Getting inside the head of a toy-breed dog is not as simple as the more athletic breeds.

Oliver has two primary jobs. One is as the editor-and-chief of 5 Minutes for Fido and the other is described at the end of his interview. Now let's see what Oliver has to say:

Oliver

"My mom sure is determined to keep me from running the house. Every time I tell Tanner to get out of the pool, she puts me on the step in a "Stay", and I have to watch while he swims and has fun. After I'm a good boy, she gives me a toy to chase around the porch. Sometimes I swim too, but it's not my favorite thing to do. She says I have to know how to get out of the pool because I'm so short. How many times do I have to prove to her that I know where the shallow step is?"

"My favorite activity is pretending to be a sled dog when we go biking. I'm really fast and can run for a long time. Sometimes I even pull mom. I only weigh 9 lbs, so she doesn't let me do it much, but it sure is fun to be in charge of the run."

"Toy breeds are often considered lap dogs, but I'm not sure I'm a toy breed. I like active things like product modeling, meeting the neighbors, shopping and and walking with Tanner and Jacque. We get lots of funny looks from passersby. Haven't they ever seen three dogs walking before?"

"I'm really glad my mom gives us all organic dog food. When we learned that Xena had cancer years ago, Mom said we were all going to eat like she does. Xena's cancer could not be removed with surgery, but she was still a happy, playful girl for 3 more years. I hope I live to be old like her. She really proved those vets wrong; they said she would only be with us for a few more months. Hah!"

"We have lots of toys at my house, but my favorites are the ones in the freezer. Mom fills Kongs and other safe toys, freezing them with fillings like organic dog food, kibble, organic carrots, apples, and sometimes a little cheese. Yum! I love the cheese best."

" I really did enjoy showing up Tanner at agility class, but I was a little young and was not sure I liked being told what to do so much back then. Now that I'm all grown up I wouldn't mind going back to try it again. It was lots of fun to run and jump with mom; I didn't know she could do that stuff!"

"Recently I began learning some new skills that have turned out to be pretty neat for both mom and me. Apparently I have an extrasensory super duper nose. At least that's what I'm hearing. After I started staring my momma down when she smelled different she finally discovered that I was just trying to tell her that she didn't have the right scent, and that was a bad thing. She finally figured out that she was getting sick right after I gave her the high sign. Long story short, Viola! I'm now a Medical Alert Service Dog. Mom says, "Who knew Oliver had such mad skills?"

"I say, "I did! Clearly, Momma can't smell herself, and Tanner seems oblivious as well. She's lucky to have me to keep her out of trouble. Now I'll be accompanying her on her outings to keep her safe. I rather like that job. Sign me up!"