Ahhh, the ups and downs of agility trials. When you get to the top levels of competition, there is no room for error, it’s all or nothing to earn those elusive championship qualifiers. I liken dog agility to gambling, every so often you hit the jackpot that keeps you coming back for more. In this video you see my 10-year old, normally consistent, cocker spaniel having a wonderful run until…

Since TJ is not the high drive border collie (especially in a big and somewhat overwhelming arena), I did a restrained start to get the motor running while whispering “ready, set, go”. He had a beautiful start making it past the “C-shaped” tunnel which I was extremely nervous about him taking the wrong end and even through the dreaded weaves (his least favorite obstacle). Once we completed the weaves, I thought to myself “yes, we are going to qualify” and with the adrenaline pumping we started into the closing loop of jumps. Just as I started to think we were home free, TJ turned 180 degrees to take a jump off course. I was so bummed.

What went wrong?? After watching the video, my hypothesis is two-fold.

1. I took my eyes off TJ for a second losing that all important connection. My mistake was thinking that we can run a sequence like this in our sleep so I started to let up.
2. You’ll notice that the chute tunnel is pointed out of the ring as if it is the last obstacle. I suspect that TJ thought he was finished with the run and he was trying to complete the final jump sequence as I have trained him to run ahead to finish the course.

Although I was disappointed, it was a great run with my best buddy who is quickly reaching retirement age. Any day I can run with him is a good day.

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Our four dog household is full of love… and hair. My husband, son, and I love to cuddle with the dogs on our navy blue couch. While one could question the intelligence of purchasing a navy blue couch when you have dogs with golden hair, at this point, I am stuck with the conundrum of either banishing my four-legged friends to the floor, vacuuming the couch on a daily basis, or purchasing a new couch (which doesn’t really solve the problem because then muddy paw prints would likely appear). So, this year for Christmas I asked for a Sure Fit Pet Cover for my couch. After a couple months of use, here’s my review:

How It Works: The Sure Fit Pet Cover is made of a quilted, durable material that covers the couch seat, arms and back. You simply tuck three fabric tabs in the back and sides of the cushions and flip the fabric onto the arms and back.

Review – Neutral: The Sure Fit Pet Cover is very easy to place and remove from the couch which I see as a major advantage over full couch covers. The fabric is very durable and washable. My only complaint is the fabric shrunk slightly after the first wash making the cover prone coming off the sides and back. Although it doesn’t stay in the correct position 100% of the time, I am still using it every day because it tends to attract more dog hair that the couch fabric, it keeps dirt off the seats, and easy to wash every week. I do think this product would be more effective for a couch with a lower back and arms.

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Speaking of dogs and babies communicating… my four dogs have taught my 1-year old what doggies say, check it out in this cute video!!!

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“Awe the trash can… so many wonderful things that could be further enjoyed but for some reason my human throws them away. I try to retrieve them, but my human scolds me and tells me NO.” Sound familiar, I remember my mother and father constantly scolding the dogs for getting into the trash. They never really tried to train our dogs that the trash can was off-limits, it was always an angry reaction when the used tissues were shredded throughout the house or last night’s leftovers were smeared on the kitchen floor.

Granted, you can train your dog to not get into the trash can, but I believe that removing the temptation saves everyone frustration and stress. Can you imagine your dog sitting by the trash can all day long thinking to himself “I know she trained me to stay out of the trash, but the aromas are calling to me!”

At our house all trash cans and diaper pails have lids. We have 4 dogs and we never have issues with dumpster diving. Plus, the house stays fresh because the trash is covered! You can get covered trash cans in a variety of sizes and styles. Personally, I like the SimpleHuman brand. Keep it simple, stop Dumpster Diving by putting a lid on it!

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For the past three years I have been recommending the Easy Walk™ harness, a product of Gentle Leader, manufactured by Premier to all my puppy and obedience classes. I started using the harness when I got my youngest Australian Shepherd three years ago. Walking both my Aussies was challenging, but with the harnesses they are both under control. Those of my students who have purchased it have been very pleased and now enjoy walking their dog.

The Easy Walk™ harness is different from other harnesses in that the clip to the leash is on the chest area instead of on the shoulder area. Think of this, the dog’s power and strength is in the shoulders. With the clip on the chest when the dog pulls it puts pressure on the chest which stops the pulling. So when they pull out in front of the handler and they reach the end of the leash the tension on the leash turns the dog back to be face to face with the handler. At that moment the handler acknowledges the dog and shows the dog the correct place to walk is next to his leg.

As associate of mine is a professional dog walker and recently sent me this testimonial – (more…)

behavior problems, collars, dog, halters, supplies, walking Hide