Learning how to be more interesting than …
Sunday, March 28th, 2010 Posted in training | Comments OffWhen I first starting the formal study of dog agility and was going to a lot of group classes, one of the classes was held in a horse barn--and Elly often (always?) went off to search for those appetizing chunks ...
Training speed off the startline
Saturday, March 27th, 2010 Posted in training | Comments OffI've been asked a few times recently what I did to train Dancer's startline--and her fast speed off the line. I was determined from her puppyhood that she would have a great stay, so I've been training it for years. ...
Note to self…
Sunday, March 21st, 2010 Posted in life with poodles | Comments OffDo not trial with a nasty nasty cold. I went today... did one run, came home. Slept for three hours.
Lows and Highs…
Saturday, March 20th, 2010 Posted in agility titles, training, trials | 1 Comment »I train so much--too much?--and sometimes it seems it's all for naught. Yesterday, I was thoroughly skunked: 0 for 5. Elly took three obstacles and started going around jumps in standard, so I scratched her out of jumpers; Dancer did ...
Evolution/Origins of Dogs
Thursday, March 18th, 2010 Posted in life with poodles | Comments OffNew research on the origins of dogs and how they developed from wolves: Finding Puts Dog Origins in Mideast. The researchers (VanHoldt and Wayne of UCLA) suggest that the domestication of the dog allowed for the development of agriculture, by guarding ...
Well, that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped….
Monday, March 15th, 2010 Posted in trials | 2 Comments »I had a wildly frustrating and momentarily exhilarating weekend--Dancer did the teeter twice (and jumped off it once), which was a huge big deal. She initially hated the 26" jumps (only our second USDAA trial, and quite possibly our last) ...
Getting ready for a trial…
Friday, March 12th, 2010 Posted in life with poodles, training, trials | Comments OffDebbie and I worked yesterday with both Dancer and Elly. I gave Elly lots of rest this past week, and suddenly she is back to being a dog with her tail on fire, excited about everything. She's still terribly thin, ...
Thinking about biomechanics and biochemistry and dog agility
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 Posted in life with poodles | Comments OffSome trainers think that a collected curved jump is better for the dog than a flat fast jump and that that's a reason for higher jump heights. I've been musing on that and on other aspects of the dog's physical ...
Reading poodle history
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 Posted in life with poodles | Comments OffI've been doing some poodle history reading of late. I've been reading this book: Annie On Dogs which is a compendium of articles by Anne Rogers Clark, who had three dogs that she bred win Best in Show at Westminster. ...
Even a small victory is sweet…
Saturday, March 6th, 2010 Posted in training | 2 Comments »In the latest news on Dancer's teeter retraining (don't yawn so loudly, it's rude), today I took Dancer to a (drop-in) class at our regular barn. Five barking dogs. Five handlers. Small barn. Dancer did the teeter without stopping FOUR ...