Retrieve Over the High Jump Your dog knows how to jump, and he knows how to retrieve. Let’s put it together. The hard part about the retrieve over the high jump is getting back and forth between the jump standards, especially considering the unpredictability of where...
One of the challenges of learning “stay” from the dog’s perspective, is humans often want to teach it in a very vague manner, which leaves the actual stay itself very poorly defined. It’s compounded by the fact that we usually aren’t thinking very much about sitting...
Of course, there are obvious things like “don’t enter before you are ready” and “read the rulebook” (if you haven’t read it, you can find the AKC rulebook here), but you don’t need me to tell you that. And frankly, I’ve been told that many times, and it just...
Is there a trainer out there that has significantly influenced you in a major way? I have several, but one of the top women that changed the way I look at training is Leslie McDevitt. I loved her book and, as soon as I finished it, I purchased the accompanying DVD...
Do you break into a sweat when you see this sign on a rally course? Out in the open, with not a single ring gate or wall near by? Backing up in heel position is a challenging exercise for both dog and handler. We don’t always move too smoothly in reverse on our own,...
Why should we bother teaching the dog to “back up”? It’s an important movement skill, which helps the dog learn to use his body safely and efficiently. It’s a skill that is used in rally directly (the dreaded “3 Steps Back”), but it’s also helpful in strength...
