Over the weekend I took a little trip to a special nursing home, St. Martha Manor.
I wore my fanciest outfit, which everyone said made me look oh-so-dapper!
I didn’t get many pictures of my visit as I was quite busy visiting some special people! But I’m pretty sure everyone had a great time, myself included!
And next time I’m going to have to bring a booster seat, because I missed out on quite a bit of fun once bingo started!
It’s no secret that I’m no stranger to being in front of the camera lens. And frequently I’m asked how my mom gets me to pose so well for a photo – and honestly, it’s quite simple…
….COOKIES!
I’d do pretty much anything for a taste of cookie!
So next time you want your dog to sit still for a photograph, make sure you have your pockets filled with cookies! Your dog will thank you!
Now that I’m back to my regular weekly agility classes (after mom had knee surgery and I had to take a little break) I’ve jumped right back in where I left off and I’m now doing full courses! I’m still a bit of a novice and have plenty to learn, but I’m having loads of fun running the courses!
So what do you think? Does it look like I’m having a blast?!
Every once in a while you get that itch. That itch to play and dart, and RUN!
And then just like that you’re off like a rocket. Faster than a speeding bullet you run, thinking maybe you’ll never come back.
But then mom digs around in her pocket and finds a leftover goldfish. Darn those gold fishes, they’re just so delicious.
And just like that you find yourself screaming…… “I’m coming mom, I’m coming…..don’t eat it…..I’m coming!”
Darn those gold fishes, they’re just so delicious.
You might remember that back in November I posted a tutorial on how to build your own agility weave poles with the help of my friends at the Dog Agility Shop.
Well when winter rolled around I had to pack up my poles since it was just too cold to practice outdoors. That was until my dad surprised me for Christmas with a set of homemade 2×2 Weave Poles.
I’ve been using my set all winter, and I’m proud to say I can now weave, but I completely forgot to share how they were made with all of you! So better late than never – here’s my tutorial for building your own set of indoor 2×2 Weave Poles!
DIY Dog Agility 2×2 Weave Poles – Set of 6 poles
Supplies Needed:
Step 1: Cut your 3/4 inch PVC pipe into 6 pieces that are 38 inches in length. Then place the PVC caps on one end of all your poles. Then you can stripe your poles with colored duct tape to make them more visible.
Step 2: Cut your Steelworks Plated Slotted Flats into three 36″ length pieces and six 9″ length pieces.
Step 3: Drill a hole the same size as your carriage bolts into the bottom of the PVC Plugs.
Step 4: Place the 9″ Slotted Flat pieces on opposite sides and 6 inches from either end of your 36″ length slotted flat pieces. Place your carriage bolts through from underneath to hold them together, with the PVC plugs on top. Add your washers and hex nuts to the inside of the PVC plugs and tighten to hold them together.
Step 5: Slip the PVC couplings onto the bottom of your poles and then slide them into the PVC plugs that are attached to the Slotted Flat pieces.
Step 6: Lay out the Weave Pole Placer as a guide as to where to place your poles (you can opt to leave it under the poles or remove it after they are placed). Your poles will work best on a carpeted surface.
For a quick tutorial on how to teach your dog the weave poles using the 2×2 method check out the video HERE. You may want to find a dog agility trainer or class in your area for more detailed instructions.
If you would like to make a set of outdoor weave poles, check out my tutorial HERE.
Easter is this weekend, so mom decided we could have a little pre-Easter fun by having an Easter Egg Hunt!
Incase you didn’t want to miss out on the fun either, here’s what you’ll need to have your very own Dog Friendly Easter Egg Hunt:
Simply fill your eggs with the treats and place them around the house or yard for your dog to find.
You can also use the egg hunt as a way to work on some training. Asking your dog to sit and wait before hunting for the eggs helps them learn patience.
Make sure to supervise your pet during the egg hunt, as you will have to help them open the eggs once found (it’s those cumbersome paws)! Also be sure to make sure they don’t chew on the eggs, as they can break easily.
Next time I think I’ll have to invite my friends over to partake in all the fun!
Happy Easter!
Sometimes when we are out on the farm my buddy Trooper tends to be a little bit of a lost soul. He mopes around with that towel in his mouth, unsure about what to do next.
But Trooper is a herding dog, so I know when he has his towel he just really needs to be put to work. So lucky for him I’m an expert at putting my buddy to work.
All I have to do is point Trooper towards the ponies and he’s stuck to them like glue.
Well, at least until he gets tired – so that’s why I have to keep my eyes on him at all times and make sure he keeps working.
Now that my Trooper babysitting duties are fulfilled I can get back to what I really love to do on the farm!
Digging Digging Digging!
Over the weekend my mom and dad went to a very special event (which I was not invited to – the nerve) called the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater. It sounded like so much fun that I thought I would share their adventure with everyone, even if I didn’t get to see it with my own eyes either.
The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. Each of the show’s 15 cats and 10 dogs were once strays, rescued from animal shelters. Now they love to show off onstage – by performing a variety of stunts and skits!
The event that my mom and dad attended also helped to raise money for the local SPCA by donating a dollar from every ticket to the shelter.
This amazing event featured lots of dogs and cats performing fun and exciting stunts, and they even had a whole act just with dachshunds!
I’m sad to have missed it myself, but glad that mom and dad were able to go and support the rescue animals. Mom even said it gave her some ideas to add to my own stunt dog act which I will be performing at the end of April to benefit the Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue. You can read more about that HERE.
If you’d like to see if the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will be in your area you can check out their tour dates HERE.
Images of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater are via.
Being a super hero I need to have certain tricks up my sleeves and on my tool belt. Tricks that can get me out of sticky situations, help me combat evil, and well, make me quicker and more agile when shimmying down groundhog holes! It’s because of this that I have learned to army crawl!
Teach Your Dog to Army Crawl
Learn to be stealth, agile and quick on your feet! Most importantly, fit down those groundhog holes with ease.
What you need: A handful of training treats, clicker
Step 1: Place a high value treat (something your dog really loves) in the palm of your hand, making sure that he knows it is there.
Step 2: Ask your dog to lay down by placing your hand on the ground in front of him.
Step 3: Slowly inch your hand away from your dog, encouraging him to shimmy across the ground after the treat. As soon as he moves closer to your hand (without lifting his front legs out of the lay down position) click and reward. If your dog pops up out of his lay down, ask him to lay again, and repeat the process until he does it properly.
Step 4: Continue asking your dog to inch along the ground until he understands what is wanted, you can then begin adding a verbal cue, such as the word “crawl”, and asking him to shimmy across the ground several times before getting his reward.
Congratulations, your dog can now army crawl. Now meet me at the groundhog holes, we’ve got some shimmying to do!
Disclaimer: The Let’s Get Tricky blog feature is designed to provide general information, instruction, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. Please note that we are not liable for any of your activities while attempting to teach your dog the techniques listed on this blog. Please train responsibly.
As you probably know, I’ve been taking weekly agility training classes since last spring. I’ve come pretty far in my training, but I still have lots to learn until I’m ready to compete.
Last week I had a visitor at class…..which means I have video proof that I’m an agility dog! Yay!
This week I decided that the teeter totter was a bit scary – I mean do you really blame me, that thing catapults you into the sky! But mom helped me get through my fears, and hopefully I’ll be back to darting across it at super hero speed just like I had been doing for the past several months.
Anyone else taking dog agility classes? What’s your favorite obstacle? Mine is the A-frame!