Long thin agility course End April 2015

Here is this weeks long thing course. Very tight with out yard but actually ran well, the turn into the weaves at 5 was challanging and most dogs needed to be on the right side for that. Over 15 worked very nicely as an 'ass pass'

Here is Smudge running this course 

Old Mill Dog agility homework - Left and right circles

I wont lie - I am totally rubbish at knowing my left from my right so I have never actually taught my dogs 'left' and 'right' on an agility course
But I have found this a useful trick for many reasons. Firstly it teaches you and your dog about luring and phasing out the lure (I teach this trick to a new dog just after I have started teaching them 'sit') It is good for warming up muscles and getting focus. It can be great fun for the dog so great for cheering them up when they are a bit down or unmotivated and it gets dogs comfy with turning away from you and  you crossing behind them as a starter to flicks and rear crosses

I usually start with the dog infront of me and a treat in my right hand. I lure the dogs nose clockwise and reward for the nose moving, then reward for 1 step to the right, 2 steps, 4 steps and then a little jackpot for them getting all the way around. (sometimes bigger/less flexable dogs need a bit more space so I lure and take a step back.
Once they have done a couple of full circles with a lure in my hand I then remove the treat from my hand and lure with an empty hand and reward from my other hand
Slowly over time move the lure hand higher and higher and make your circles smaller until you are just pointing in the direction you want them to go.
Add the cue word ('right') when you know they will take the full circle and say it as they are circling, I dont try saying the word before the action until they can do it with just the finger point then I would say 'right' wait a sec then point - if the dog does it before the hand signal then they get a jackpot

Remember and work on the other side (left) as well

Old Mill dog agility homework week #4 between your legs

I couldnt make a video any better than this one for this exercise.
This is a fun easy trick to help you line your dog up at the start of an agility run. Sometimes dogs get a little unhappy if you pull and push them into position and a heel position or infront of you position to line the dogs up without pushing them although is better isnt easy to always see what the dog is seeing from where you leave them.
This trick is about teaching your dog to go round between your legs and then sit/down/stand (whatever you use at the start line)
It means they are looking in the exact same way as you are so you can line them up perfectly

Take your time building up to stepping away from the dog, make it a very fun and rewarding position to be in and your dog will love their start lines.

Remember to pop over to our website for dog agility training in Paisley, Renfrewshire and the surrounding areas

Old Mill Beginners homework week 3 - front crosses on the flat

This one is way easier to see than to explain!!
You start with your dog on the left hand side focusing on you
Then you rotate anticlockwise 180 degrees keeping your dogs attention by bringing in your right hand with a treat in it. Reward when you are facing the opposite direction with your dog on the opposite side from where you started
Repeat the other way

Keep practising the flat work as well and you can add the front cross into this to change the side your dog is on

Old Mill agility, Beginner homework week 2

Stays, recall to hand and post turn

Stays
For agility you can have a sit, down or stand stay. A stand is the least secure stay, its easier for the dog to move, but anything that works for you and your dog.
Personally I dont use a 'stay' command - it isnt needed. You ask your dog into the position then teach them that they stay in that position until they are asked to do something else.
Teaching that is actually really easy - get them in position, reward, reward, reward then release them from the position. Then same again with a slight gap between rewards. (I will make a video of this when it stops raining)
Build up difficulty slowly, if your dog moves dont get angry with them (anger can actually make them insecure and want to creep towards you) you just made it too difficult - so put them back in position and start again making it nice and easy.

Once your stay is nice you can work on sometimes releasing them to you at a distance. Face away from them and call over one shoulder - have a treat or toy in that hand and hopefully they will run to that side.
Then you can add in a post turn, when they are running to your hand turn so they wrap around your body then chuck the toy/treat as the reward.

Dont forget to keep up the circle work as well :) (I dont ask for much eh? :D )
make it all FUN (for both of you) and better to do a couple of 1 min training times rather than trying 1 10 min boring training time

Old Mill Dogs

Last year I posted that I had had to stop teaching at the agility club I had helped set up and had been teaching at for 2 years.
I was very sad to leave and determined to do something as I had loved my teaching so much.

Well a bit of hard work and some really great friends and family and we have just started up a new project

Old Mill Dogs

This is a very exciting new project, not only will we be continuing with the agility training but my partner in crime has some exciting different skills so we are adding dog walking and other dog training - gundog training, obedience, tricks

And to top it all our brand new training ground is totaly secure

Here is my friends dog Blue, he was so excited when we put the jumps in the ground that he sat in the middle and wouldnt move

Classes are starting TOMORROW (gulp) but we will be starting several more beginners agility classes over the spring and summer so contact me or pop over to the website for details

Teaser 3

And here is the text that will be in the local papers

Club barking with joy after Glasgow Airport’s donation

A local dog agility club has received a cash injection of £2,500 from Glasgow Airport’s FlightPath Fund.

Phoenix Flyers Dog Agility Club, which was set up last year by airport security guard, Tony Gallacher, will use the funding to purchase the agility equipment needed to train the dogs.

Dog agility is a sport where a handler guides a dog over a course of jumps, tunnels, weaves and contact equipment. The airport has also provided the club with full use of land at the airport, near the picturesque Paisley Moss.

Tony said: “I launched the club last year with two members and we’re now up to 15. The club has proved really popular and to continue to grow we had to invest in some new equipment.

“The airport has really pulled out all the stops in their generosity to the club. Not only have they allowed the club free use of the land, which is in the perfect environment for dog training, they have donated a storage container for the dog agility equipment and £2,500 to help get the club started.”

John McConnell, Head of Commercial at Glasgow Airport, said: “We are only too happy to offer support to the Phoenix Dog Agility Club. I spent some time with Tony and the team and they do a fantastic job training the dogs. I wish the club every success for the future.”

Tony added: “Dog agility not only keeps you fit it improves the bond between dog and owner. It is a sport suitable for most breeds of dogs and we would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in joining the club.”

For more information check out www.phoenixagility.com

Picture info:

John McConnell joins Tony and the some of the club members for a spot of agility training.

Further info:

1. Tony has worked as a security guard at Glasgow Airport for the past 10 year
2. His dog was his bridsmaid at his wedding"

1. 
   

Teaser take 2 :)

This was our photoshoot to thank Glasgow Airport for their grant for our dog agility club

Phoenix Flyers update

A little teaser :)


Come back tomorow to see whats going on with Phoenix Flyers dog agility club

The secret is out

Following on from my shhhh post - Pat was almost correct!

In my street there are three of us who train our dogs at agility, and of course we chat to all the other dog walkers while we are out and about.

Lots of people have expressed interest in teaching their dogs agility and we have given them the contact details of the clubs and classes in the area - but people have been coming back to us and saying the classes are all full.

So we decided to start our own dog agility training club The Phoenix Flyers for Paisley, Renfrewshire and the surrounding area

The support we have got from this venture has been amazing. We have already got and refurbished a set of agility equipment, a local business has given us access to a secure field to train on and a unit to store the equipment and another local business has offered to cut the grass and keep the field in tip top condition

and we have actually started getting interest from the website even tho I havent even launched it properly yet

So here it it :)

Please click to see The Phoenix Flyers dog agility training club We are still building it just now so bear with us :) but feedback would be welcome

Shhh

I have an exciting secret

Im not telling :)

Heres a little hint - see if you can guess