Blog

Matches are valuable, but often scarce - let’s make the most of every opportunity! In today’s video, I’ll discuss strategies to use match time effectively, whether you’re prepping for a show or tackli...

You spend hours teaching your dog the exercises. This won’t take hours!

Commit to practicing how to maintain your dog’s attention as you enter the ring!  

When your dog will pay attention as you hee...

Competing in obedience for a weekend implied two trials, one Saturday and one Sunday. Each trial had 6 classes: Novice A & B, Open A & B and Utility A & B.

Now we’re faced with far more choices. Many c...

It certainly seems that after you teach your dog to perform the obedience exercises, you should be able to go to an obedience trial, and earn your title.  Unfortunately, simply learning the skills is ...

Recently, I hosted a webinar- Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals. 

The first question in this video involved a dog that is sniffing the ground on his way to the scent article pile. 
When so...

It is extremely disappointing to be in the ring and have something unusual occur that derails your performance.

I teach seminars all over the country, and I hear the word “proofing” a lot. Often, pro...

There is nothing more frustrating than a mistake your dog only makes in the ring.

The AKC recently amended the Obedience Regulations to include the Fix n’ Go.
Do you have the tools to address the mo...

When we are competing in obedience, our dog's mindset should be both, animated and accurate.

I don't think our dogs can be in that perfect balance at all times. If training has been easy and fun, you...

Last fall, M and I made our Utility debut. In this video, she failed, and this performance offers me a great way to bring up and explain Matching Law, which says;

"When there are multiple behaviors

...

Proofing Part II:

The word, proofing, is bandied about, and there are even “proofing classes” being taught. This makes me nervous, as extreme distractions can easily make a dog unnecessarily nervous ...

Proofing Part I:

One of the greatest frustrations for obedience competitors is failing.

Not earning a green ribbon is a drag.

Years ago, I had a dog that was very inconsistent. He would go from her...

When you are competing, no matter the level, it is easy to let the cloud of disappointment overwhelm you when our dog makes an error in the ring. A failure can feel like a waste; a waste of time, effo...

On August 25, I had the pleasure of conducting a webinar with judges, Bob and Cathy Knight.

Bob and Cathy have been training dogs together for nearly 50 years. Together, they have earned 7 Obedience ...

A friend called the other night to tell me she'd gotten her third UD leg. "I'm going to start entering Open and Utility now, and I'd like to try for UDX legs." She told me.

"Hold on," I told her, "Yo...