Stevie Ray started training for Dog Agility early on with two goals in mind. Making the Canadian Agility Team, in order to attend the FCI World Dog Agility Championships and also winning the AAC Canadian Championship. This would likely require running clean for 6 rounds, 2 Standard Agility, 2 Gamblers and 2 Jumpers rounds, for all AAC Regionals and National Championship Events. In 2005 Stevie Ray had just turned 18 months before the National Championship and had only run at one agility [More…]

First, let me qualify this guide. In its current state it is a document in progress and has been written solely from my own experience with Dog Dylan and discussion groups I have been involved in since she was diagnosed. I would like any comments, additions, suggestions etc. There is still a lot to be added in areas that impact others in which my Dog Dylan had no experience. This is important for you to remember when reading, as there may be [More…]

Is your dog afraid of people?  Afraid of men, or maybe men with beards?  How about men or anyone wearing hats?  Experience with  people is often neglected with young dogs.  Maybe they grew up in isolation at a breeder’s, or at a previous owner before they were rescued.  We often wonder why dogs have issues with strangers, but they may truly lack any experience and have had to deal with strangers and the situations they present, completely on their own without guidance.  [More…]

We face fear flooding all the time in normal life as people.  Every time we do something new.  Maybe it is the first time you take your new puppy to puppy class, or maybe that first Dog Agility Trial.  How good you are at handling stress of this nature will certainly impact how easily and quickly you adapt to the circumstances around you.  This is also true of your dog and in fact, if they sense the apprehension in you, it will [More…]

My Bullseye View comes from detailed and objective observation of behavior and the accurate determination of cause and effect, or rather, stimulus and response. When I see something occur, I believe it occurred for a reason, always. If it was not as expected I wonder and try to determine why. If things repeatedly re-occur that way, then I am sure. Then as I see obvious patterns in behavior, I can do two things. One is to rewind the video of what I [More…]

You don’t have to look very far to see what stress can do in a dog.  I walk a mile around my neighborhood and I will face at least three dogs who bark and scream at me and my dogs with amazing intensity.  I often wonder how long it will be before they are in for a hernia. There are a few more who bark incessantly, but are not necessarily blowing a gasket to do so.  Then, in that same mile, there [More…]