Liberty started training on the ramp at about 7 weeks old. We started with the ramp flat on the ground. We raised the angle up slowly. We got used to the sound of the diesel engine. During the whole process, we used marker training to reinforce behavior. Now at about 11 weeks, he enters and … Read more
Through the course of our puppy enrichment program, we used Mad Agility’s puppy agility equipment, including the puppy barrel (mini tunnel). Here’s Willie (Josie x Rusty Fall 2020) confidently shooting a full size tunnel like a pro. Willie’s mom tells me there was no practice at all. He just knocked it out. Willie is in … Read more
Focus and attention are core precepts of my manageable companion dog philosophy. That’s why I’m obsessed with manding. Once your dog or pup has manding down to a science, you’re probably getting asked for a lot of treats. That’s great. But according to Purina Senior Nutritionist Jan Dempsey, 90 percent of daily calories should come … Read more
I don’t believe in a visible treat pouch. With some dogs, I’ve seen the pouch become a distraction. For awhile I tried hanging the pouch from my belt on the back of my pants, but I found that location to be inaccessible. So instead, I carry treats in a sandwich bag in my pocket. I’ll … Read more
When stone cold Hawkeye was a pup, he was hard to convince. We had problems with focus and distraction. Hawkeye forced me to raise my game and learn training techniques to overcome the issue. Since then, I’ve proofed these techniques on several dogs and found them to be effective at forming a well-focused, less distractable … Read more