233 Posts Tagged With "Meeker"
Training on a Floppy Teeter - Video
09 Jun 2024
Training on such a floppy teeter helps dogs get used to the worst situation they'll ever encounter. But it can hurt sensitive dog’s confidence!
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Titling in Agility
24 Feb 2024
People have "feelings" about earning titles in dog agility and how others feel about earning them. Here's my take.
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Two Proposals for Determining Invitees to the AKC Agility Invitational
06 Jan 2023
I present two proposals for selecting teams that can perform well at the AKC Agility Invitational without requiring popular breeds to trial nearly every weekend.
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Seesaw or Teeter or ?
03 Apr 2016
I was at Canine Sports Zone for their awesome 2016 National Agility Championship fun match and we were watching the AKC event on the…
Progressive Jump Circle
10 May 2015
There are many ways trainers work on this problem. With Meeker I used Suzanne Clothier's Natural Jumping Method and some people like…
"Inverse" Ketschker or Ketschker to "Back Side"
13 Feb 2015
This is a handling "move" that I haven't seen used often but I find it interesting and, like the Ketschker to which it is related, dogs…
Improve Your Game by Training Away Your Weaknesses
18 Nov 2014
When it comes to dog agility training there are two areas where many of us need to focus: "Removing the Buts" and "Removing Issues". If you…
Open/Masters Course - They Didn't Kill Me...
29 Oct 2014
I love my students; they are always up for a challenge and they didn't try to kill me after running this course. This course isn't that…
Fast Masters Discriminations
22 Oct 2014
I wanted another open and fast course for last night's class and I worked in some tunnel discriminations and weave pole entry challenges; it…
Big, Fast, Fun Masters Course
15 Oct 2014
Until I arrived to set up a course last night I forgotten that I would have access to the whole training space for my course. With all the…
More Handling Fun!
24 Sep 2014
Last night's class had a number of skills packed into a single course; I put in: a 90 degree weave entry, a Pin Wheel , back side tunnel…
Masters/Advanced Handling Fun!
10 Sep 2014
Last night's course was a lot of fun for my Masters and Advanced students! I put together some Back Side jump and tunnel handling…
The Power of Recall to Side/Heel - Video
29 Aug 2014
Training a Recall to Side or Recall to Heel is an important foundation agility skill that is often overlooked or brushed past when starting…
Flyer's Third Birthday and First AKC Trial - Video
14 Jul 2014
Flyer was born on 7/11 and I always say I should have called him "Little Gulp" or "Slurpee". We celebrated by going to our first AKC trial…
Tagg Pet Tracker Review
12 Jun 2014
For some reason people think microchips are an alternative to tracking collars. They solve two very different problems. Microchips help…
More Thoughts on Goals and Success
04 Jun 2014
Five years ago I wrote an article on goals and success and I'm revisiting the subject on today's Dog Agility Action Day on Success along…
Nested Masters/Master Challenge/Novice Fun Run Courses
28 May 2014
I dreamt up these nested courses for the Meeker's Pals Memorial Day Fun Run and they include all sorts of fun challenges. The equipment…
Thanks Again Meeker's Pals!
09 May 2014
So many people supported us emotionally and financially while we fought Meeker's lymphoma and we will always be thankful. I've tried to…
My Dog is Stutter Stepping, Hesitating, or Weave Popping
07 Apr 2014
In seminars I sometimes come across handlers who say that about their dog or I observe it on course. I'm not talking about the occasional…
Puppy Agility: Connection Comes First
05 Mar 2014
Many performance dog owners want to start "working on agility skills" immediately with their new puppies. Some have the goal of having that…
Dog Agility News/Links: Jun-Nov
26 Nov 2013
Since Meeker 's diagnosis with lymphoma back in July I had been updating the AgilityNerd Facebook page more than posting here on my blog…
Sweet Dreams Meeker
13 Nov 2013
Yesterday Meeker lost his fight against lymphoma . To me his life won't be defined by the last five months of his too short eight years…
Aging in Agility - Choosing Retirement?
04 Sep 2013
I always thought that our dogs' age would determine when they should retire from agility. I figured, like any sport and any aging athlete…
June in August: AgilityNerd Elsewhere
04 Aug 2013
Yep it's August already, but here are all the links of AgilityNerd cool stuff I posted elsewhere on the web back in June: Hope you found…
Fuck You Canine Lymphoma!
19 Jul 2013
I'm not one for a lot of cursing, but I think this calls for it. For those of you following Agility Nerd on Facebook you'll have seen…
OMG! A Back Side in AKC Standard!
01 Jul 2013
Surprisingly that was the reaction from more than a few competitors when faced with Linda Robertson's Masters Standard course at the recent…
Voelker - Masters Snooker - Meeker Bronze ADCH
28 Jun 2013
I planned to start bottom left and go to the top weave entrance (knowing that if Meeker missed the tough acute angle entrance I could fix…
Our 2013 USDAA NC Regionals: Bah Bye - Videos
25 Jun 2013
Well it's been a month now and I hadn't yet posted any details on our adventures! I had two goals for this regional competition: earn "byes…
May Days: Elsewhere in May
18 Jun 2013
So much agility going on and not enough time to blog about it all! Here's some cool stuff I've posted elsewhere back in May:
Elsewhere in April
28 May 2013
Looks like April sped past and I didn't update you on AgilityNerd stuff elsewhere on the web; a lot of interesting links so let's get right…
Hanson - MC Standard - Video/Play-by-Play
21 May 2013
The course was designed by veteran USDAA judge Dave Hanson and judged by Seth Dunn. This course had a number of interesting challenges and…
Running A Frame - "Nerd Box"
07 May 2013
I'm using Rachel Sanders' running A Frame technique with Flyer and I thought I'd share my "Nerd Box" design with you. I came up with…
Challenging Big & Small Courses
26 Apr 2013
My class course this week was inspired by the two jump, A Frame, tunnel discrimination in one of Eduard Bonet's European Open qualifier…
Are We Qualified for Nationals Yet?
22 Apr 2013
That is the question many competitors ask throughout the year in their agility venue(s) of choice and you can use Agility Record Book to…
WAO Team USA Practice Inspired Course - Video
29 Mar 2013
This week's class course was inspired by the interesting A Frame jump sequence in WAO USA Team Practice Course #4 . I only have a 60' x 6…
What's International? International Two Jump Drills
06 Mar 2013
You don't need a lot of equipment to train yourself and your dog to master the "International" handling challenges that are coming to USDAA…
Tires, Tori, Title, Totes, & Masters Challenge
28 Feb 2013
I've decided to publish an agility news article at the end of each month. Here's what I've been commenting on since the last news article…
Awesome Meeker Cynosport Photo
21 Feb 2013
I just received my photo from the 2012 Cynosport Games of Meeker coming out of a tunnel with his intense "What's next?" look on his face…
Masters Challenge Courses w/Video
21 Feb 2013
The judge was Francisco Berjon from Mexico. I really felt for him traveling to Wisconsin in February! It was a smaller trial with about 3…
Ban Dangerous Steel Jumps Now!
28 Nov 2012
There is no reason to use dangerous steel jumps anymore! Period. There are just too many opportunities for injury. Eye injuries and…
Blind Cross to Ketschker on Dana Pike Course
17 Nov 2012
I put color coded handler/dog icons and some description in the following diagram of Dana's course to help demonstrate this handling…
Silas Boogk Inspired Sequences With Video
14 Nov 2012
Silas asked us not to share his courses or video online. So I put together sequences demonstrating some of his handling ideas and lumped…
Our Cynosport 2012 Experience
04 Oct 2012
I wasn't going to go at all; and up until the week before I didn't know if we could go! Well Nancy, Meeker , Milo , and I are back from…
Coach This!
05 Sep 2012
I know what I like in a coach, I've had a few dog agility trainers and instructors over the years and I've been happy them and extremely…
Petey Is Famous!
25 Aug 2012
Nancy was at the Bucktown Arts Fest in Chicago today and saw artist Christy Freeman. Christy had done a really nice watercolor of Meeker…
Dana Pike/Steve Small Space Challenge With Video
24 Jul 2012
Dana had weaves along the left side of the course ending around jump 7. Her challenge was obstacle sequence 7-12; I found it interesting for…
WAG AKC Trial: QQs, MX/MXJ and a Gift - Video
17 Jul 2012
I've always joked: "You need to actually enter/go to trials to earn Qs". So I've signed up Meeker and me for four weekends in a row of…
Fun Small Space Courses With Handling Options - Annotated Video
08 Jul 2012
I extracted this smaller sequence from my class course last night at For Your K-9 . This sequence contains a 270 , Jump Wraps , a…
Handling With Intensity
06 Jun 2012
For today's Dog Agility Blog Action Day on the subject of "Attitude" I've written about the attitude I strive for when handling on course…
DcH Aalborg - Kurt Jensen Jumpers - Video
17 May 2012
Meeker and I traveled to Aalborg, Denmark to run a Jumpers course with an interesting layout. Well maybe we didn't actually go to…
Maybe it is Time to Train my Dog...
05 May 2012
I was at the NOCI AKC agility trial this past Friday with Meeker and I've decided I actually need to train my dog. Meeker has had a…
Four Small Space International Exercises
15 Apr 2012
I've created four small space exercises based on the opening jump layout of my International Flair! Seminar Course from a couple weekends…
Photos of Meeker at 2011 Cynosport Games
06 Apr 2012
Great photos of Meeker at Cynosport 2011
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Back Side of Jump Handling Combinations - Video
27 Mar 2012
After giving my International Flair! Seminar I thought I'd put together a diagram showing the handling combinations possible for Pushing…
If I Knew Then... Proactive Handling
07 Mar 2012
For today's Dog Agility Blog Event Day : "If I knew then what I know now" I want to share the most important agility handling concept I…
Flyer's First Swim
13 Nov 2011
Nancy and I take Milo and Petey to Splash Dog for swimming almost every week. Milo loves swimming and it is great exercise for him (he…
Our 2011 USDAA Cynosport Experience - With Videos
25 Oct 2011
I was glad to have visited Cynosport last year so I was familiar with the expo center layout and the general flow of events. We left Chicago…
Play Training: Human "Cavaletti" for Puppies
23 Oct 2011
I thought this was such a clever little game that I thought I'd shoot a quick video of me playing it with Flyer. You can vary how far apart…
Cynosport Here We Come!
09 Oct 2011
Bright and early Tuesday morning Meeker and I hit the road and drive to Louisville, KY for the USDAA Cynosport Games aka USDAA Nationals…
"Puppy"'s First Week
26 Sep 2011
Well "Puppy" has been with us for a week now and so much has gone on. He got carsick on his ride home. His eyes checked out OK. His trip to…
It's Puppy Day!
16 Sep 2011
It isn't happening as I had planned it, but today is the day! For over a year I've been researching breeders, admiring local dogs, asking…
"International" Threadle Sequence - With Video
12 Sep 2011
I received an email from an Italian agility enthusiast asking how I would handle a training exercise he had found. It was an interesting…
Two Becky Dean USDAA Courses - A Tale of Two Ketschkers
24 Aug 2011
I liked all of her courses on the weekend but I wanted to focus on her Masters Pairs course on Saturday and a really nice Masters Jumpers…
Dana Pike - Awesome International Sequence - With Video
22 Aug 2011
If you want to work on some international handling challenges Dana Pike designed this little beauty as part of her class course last…
Watch YouTube Dog Agility Videos in Slow Motion
15 Aug 2011
I recently discovered that YouTube is releasing the ability to watch uploaded videos at two slow motion and two fast motion speeds. This new…
2011 USDAA North Central Regionals
10 Aug 2011
It was a big trial (I think I heard 1400 runs?), run in 3 rings on field turf in a great facility with plenty of crating space. I love…
Exercises from USDAA SE Regionals Grand Prix - Video
10 Jun 2011
The USDAA Southeastern Regionals were streamed live on CynosportTV (free!) last weekend. I was interested in a couple of the courses and…
Double Back Side Exercise
07 Jun 2011
As I mentioned in my course description from last week Meeker and I enjoyed Linda Mecklenburg's International Handling Seminar. Linda…
Advanced Class: A Little Piece of Evil - 01-Jun-2011
04 Jun 2011
Thanks to a Linda Mecklenburg International Handling Seminar I attended last week, I was inspired to add a double Back Side handling…
Steve & Meeker - Columbia Individual Open Jumpers
10 May 2011
The Americas and Caribbean Agility Championships were held in Bogota Columbia in March of this year. The courses were quite challenging. I…
International Flair - Dan Butcher AKC Courses
25 Apr 2011
There have been discussions on various agility email lists lately about AKC courses getting more difficult and/or including more…
Happy Birthday Meeker! or Now We Are Six
28 Mar 2011
Today Meeker turned six and it reminded me of this poem: So is he "clever as clever"? Well he sure can be! I wish he could be six for ever…
Max 200 Break-Away Tire
20 Mar 2011
I've written in the past about the need for break-away tires in agility. Well I ordered one from Max200 after seeing one at a USDAA…
ADCH Meeker and Qualified for Nationals
07 Mar 2011
Well Meeker and I finally did it and it wasn't pretty! We earned his USDAA Agility Dog Champion (ADCH) title at the Boone County Dog…
Contact Sports Agility USDAA Trial - With Video
07 Feb 2011
The judge for Masters and Grand Prix was Mike Wagner and I liked his courses. New local judge Jennifer Siegel handled Starters, Advanced…
Meeker Qualifies for Steeplechase and Grand Prix
23 Jan 2011
The judge was Judy Reilly from New York state and I really liked her courses a lot. They were challenging but fair; there was a little of…
Dana Pike - Awesome Course with Video
17 Jan 2011
I've said it before, but you have to set up this Dana Pike course. If you don't have room for the whole thing at least set up 5-10, that's…
Meeker's USDAA Return - RACE Agility 2011-Jan
09 Jan 2011
On Saturday, I was in the wrong place when the Gamble timer went off and screwed up his line into the Gamble, it hurts because it was a "do…
Dana Pike - Another Class Course w/Video
01 Jan 2011
In the diagram below there are two ending options, Dana had me run the second closing in the second run in the video. My "take away lesson…
Octagon Serpentine/Threadle Handling Drills
30 Dec 2010
We had a few minutes at the end of class and I converted part of a Double Box in the middle of a course into another classic jump layout…
Meeker's Return to Trialing - FYC CPE Trial
28 Dec 2010
Not only did Meeker have fun, run well and wasn't sore, I won the worker video raffle! Larry at Agility Videos kindly donated video of all…
Back Side/Back Side Jump
26 Dec 2010
Until recently, in the US Pushing a dog to the back side of a jump was rarely seen. But in the past couple years we are starting to see…
Dana Pike - Class Course w/Video
22 Dec 2010
This week Dana Pike came up with yet another course I really liked. This sequence had a 270 with off course potential, Jump Wraps , a…
Happy Holidays!
13 Dec 2010
Dana Pike - Fun to Run Course
07 Dec 2010
Run this course and let me know how it went for you. Meeker and I had a blast, thanks Dana!
Advanced Class: Serpentines and Threadles - 24-Nov-2010
05 Dec 2010
Here's a course for working on Serpentines , Jump Wraps and a Threadles from this week's classes at For Your Canine . A lot of…
Dana Pike - Super Serpentine Course
25 Nov 2010
In the opening there are at least three ways to handle the 3-4-5-6 Serpentine : What to do 17-18-19-20? There was some "gnashing of teeth…
Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trial 2010
19 Sep 2010
Well Meeker and I didn't get to go to Meeker, CO this year for the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Trial but Nancy and one of her girlfriends…
Wrapping the Last Weave Pole - With Video
30 Aug 2010
When the dog exits the weaves and the next obstacle is on the same side of the weaves as the entrance the dog needs to wrap around the final…
Meeker's Back Pain Diary
22 Aug 2010
I'm writing this to create a time line of the events and treatments surrounding Meeker's back injury . With luck this will help his…
Start Line Stays - "Stay" This Time I Mean It!
12 Aug 2010
I'm hesitant to post this tip because it only applies in a very narrow set of circumstances and could be detrimental if applied…
Sports Bras for Agility Competitors
05 Aug 2010
I was late to Dana Pike’s class this week, due to taking Meeker to TOPS , and as I walked in Dana said I needed to blog about the most…
T Shirt Anxiety Wrap to Help Your Dog Cope With Loud Noises
04 Jul 2010
I've taken to doing three things to help Meeker cope with these sounds: He is also better if he can be distracted by playing with his…
Meeker's Back? Injury
20 Jun 2010
As folks on my FaceBook page know Meeker came up limping before going to agility class on June 1st. I've been meaning to post…
Clean Run Article Search Updated
20 Jun 2010
With Meeker 's injury it may have appeared a little quiet around here, but I haven't been slacking. I've just finished entering all the…
Do You "Handle in Drive"?
03 Jun 2010
People always talk about dogs "having drive" but I am starting to think it can be more important for the handler to have drive. I started…
Backyard Course Based on Masters Pairs Jumping Sequence - Annotated Video
03 Jun 2010
I enjoyed a recent Carol Voelkner USDAA Masters Pairs Course, it had a surprisingly tricky jumping sequence for the second dog, which I…
K-9 OTC AKC Trial - Meeker Gets His AXJ and his 1st QQ - Annotated Video
27 May 2010
This past weekend Meeker and I competed at the three day K-9 Obedience Training Club AKC AKC agility in Menomonee Falls, WI (love that…
IFCS World Agility Champs Individual Snooker with Video
19 May 2010
I was intrigued by J. L. Gauntt's Individual Snooker course from last weekend's 2010 IFCS World Agility Championships and decided to set…
NOCI AKC Trial - Meeker Gets His AX - With Video
13 May 2010
This past weekend Meeker and I competed at the Northwest Obedience Club Inc AKC AKC agility in Crystal Lake, IL. At our last AKC…
Lisa Jarvis - Jumpers and Snooker Courses - With Video
03 May 2010
At the RACE Agility USDAA trial early last month, the judge was Lisa Jarvis from Texas and she had really challenging Jumpers and fun…
Agility Right from the Start Seminar - Eva Bertilsson & Emelie Johnson Vegh
19 Apr 2010
I've mentioned before that I'd like to improve at using a clicker as part of agility training; and I just attended a seminar that really…
RACE USDAA Trial - 2010-Apr - Meeker is MAD!
05 Apr 2010
Well there is nothing more tedious than a blog post describing every run of a 3 day weekend; the executive summary is it was one of our best…
Mini Jumpers Course
23 Mar 2010
Here's a fun jumpers mini course that I set up for my students last week. It works handling at speed, Jump Wraps , a 270 , independent…
Our 1st Snooker Super Q - RACE Agility USDAA Trial - Video
15 Mar 2010
For a while I consistently screwed up Meeker's Snooker runs with my indecisive handling (I got to 0 for 7 in Starters Snooker). Then I…
RACE Agility USDAA Trial
13 Mar 2010
Judge was Peggy Hammond from Texas and these were some of the nicest flowing and challenging courses I've run; I'll definitely look for her…
3 Titles in 1 Weekend - Smack Dab's AKC Trial
11 Mar 2010
I'm thrilled with how well Meeker and I did at the Smack Dab's AKC trial in Naperville, IL this past weekend. It was a big trial with…
Can You Handle a Running Dog Walk?
07 Mar 2010
I got a kind email from Gary at www.running-contacts.com alerting me to his article Are You Fast Enough to Handle a Running Dogwalk? and…
Think Pawsitive USDAA Trial - Almost MAD
02 Mar 2010
The executive summary was we were 3 for 4 and now Meeker only needs a Relay Q for his MAD. Here is the video of our Standard and Jumpers…
Building a Double Jump
22 Feb 2010
Even though the backyard was still covered with snow and ice, yesterday's temperatures in the 30s got me itching to do something agility…
RACE Agility UKI Fun Match or UKI is A-OK
19 Feb 2010
This past weekend Meeker and I attended our first UK Agility International fun match and had a wonderful time. I recently blogged…
Five Sequences
17 Jan 2010
Sorry no video of Meeker and me running these so you'll have to settle for my handling comments. Sometimes I like to warm up with a fast…
Agility Engineer Blog
15 Jan 2010
I recently ran across Jessica's Agility Engineer Blog and thought other agility enthusiasts should know about it. She has a lot of good…
Susan Garrett $5 Certainty Challenges
07 Jan 2010
Two weeks ago Susan Garrett posted a $5 Certainty Challenge , where she challenges handlers to get to the crux of their dog's stress…
Broken Meek
07 Jan 2010
Meeker is probably in the best condition he has ever been in. We've been doing exercise ball exercises 1-2 times a week and he has been…
Meeker Advanced Agility Dog
27 Dec 2009
This weekend Meeker and I were at the RACE USDAA trial in Round Lake Beach, IL and earned Meeker's Advanced Agility Dog (AAD) title…
Four Backyard Sequences with Video - Clean Run Sourcebook
20 Dec 2009
Occasionally Anne Riba uses variations on courses from the Clean Run Course Sourcebook and they have been really interesting to handle…
Meeker at Hounds for the Holidays AKC Trial
09 Dec 2009
I took Meeker to two of the four days of the "Hounds for the Holidays" AKC trial in Milwaukee, WI this past weekend. I thought I should…
Looking Back at First Agility Trials
28 Nov 2009
I was consolidating data from my various old computers in preparation to loading my new laptop and I found videos of Mr Peabody and Milo…
Birthdays, Trialing, and Titles
14 Nov 2009
Well today is Milo's and my birthday, we think Milo is 11 years old and I'm... err, err,... let's just call it old :^) To celebrate I took…
Class Course - 11-Nov-2009
12 Nov 2009
Here's a technical-ish class course I invented last night at For Your Canine that works Threadles , Jump Wraps and weave entries. Here…
Snippet: Rear Cross to On Side Weave Entrance
10 Nov 2009
The sequence above can be handled a couple ways with the dog on the handler's right or left going in to the weaves. When Meeker was on my…
Bite Alignment for Performance Dogs?
10 Nov 2009
I saw some of the local news tonight and during the sports segment they showed a football player who demonstrated his range of motion…
Four Backyard Sequences - Serpentines, Threadles and 180s
30 Oct 2009
A couple weeks ago Meeker and I were at to For Your Canine for a CPE trial and the Jumpers course had a section that I thought would…
Rand Park Dog Training Club AKC Novice Trial
17 Oct 2009
A big thanks to Liz for taking the video, she and her pup River ran very well all day, especially impressive for a youngster. So I'm…
Advanced Class Course - 2009-Sep-15
18 Sep 2009
So if you are looking for an ugly course this is one of them. As I've mentioned before I usually make up my courses from the equipment that…
Backyard Practice Course/Video - Jumps and Weaves
13 Sep 2009
Earlier this week I threw together a Jumpers With Weaves backyard sized layout with five sequences to play with and thought some folks might…
New Website Design Complete
06 Sep 2009
I finally completed my new two column layout for the blog. So now the front page has a featured article in the left and a list of all the…
Go Jimmy Go Again
19 Aug 2009
Well by popular demand , Nancy got Meeker his very own Go Jimmy Go T shirt. The store she ordered it from in Hawaii put some Go Jimmy…
Mental Aspects of Front and Rear Crosses
26 Jul 2009
After discussions on the challenges of timing crosses with some students I wanted to pass along some thoughts about Front and Rear…
Go Jimmy Go!
19 Jul 2009
Nancy bestowed the nickname "Jimmy" on Meeker shortly after I adopted him one weekend when I left him in her care. A month or so ago, we…
Trial, Title and Tribulations
17 Jul 2009
Well a bunch of stuff has been going on since the Fourth of July, some good and some not so good. We went to For Your Canine for a CPE…
Intermediate Class - 2009-Jun-24
25 Jun 2009
Here is last night's "spur of the moment" intermediate class course, it gives some "city and highway driving", 270 s, a Pin Wheel , and…
One Snooker Q and Meeker AD
15 Jun 2009
Well we finally did it, Meeker 's first Starters Snooker qualifying score happened at the Cream City Canines USDAA trial in Wilmot…
Some Thoughts on Goals and Success
22 May 2009
In a recent trial post I made what I thought was an innocent remark: "from a Q perspective we didn't do very well (only 3 for 7)" and…
Teeter Whip and Base Hop
14 May 2009
I was at a trial a while back and the club was using a new teeter in one of the rings. If I recall correctly it was a two piece 1/…
Contact Sports Trial - Mental Side of Snooker
10 May 2009
From a Q perspective we didn't do very well (only 3 for 7) and our Starters Snooker Q was one of the elusive ones. We did earn our Advanced…
Putting a Cross In Only to Take it Back Out
01 May 2009
If you walk a course and end up putting a cross in at an obstacle only to take it back out again before the next obstacle you should take a…
RACE USDAA Trial
25 Apr 2009
Here's the video (It is only missing our final Adv Jumpers run): A big thanks to everyone who videotaped us! Here are the "highlights…
Snippet: Rear Cross Into Contact/Tunnel Discrimination
30 Mar 2009
There was a Fun Run at For Your Canine today and it uncovered another "snippet" that Meeker and I need to work on. Lisa B had set out…
Meeker is 4
29 Mar 2009
Yesterday was Meeker 's fourth birthday, that means we've been together for just under three years. So I didn't doing anything special for…
Track Your Performance - Agility Record Book
22 Mar 2009
I use Dave Connet's Agility Record Book (ARB) software to track how Meeker and I do at our trials and wanted to share its features with…
CPE - For Your Canine - Mar 2009
20 Mar 2009
I won't bore you with play by play of all eight runs. So here are some highlights: So overall we were 6 Qs for 8 attempts, 5 1st places and…
Pushing on the Last Pole
08 Mar 2009
When there are an even number of weave poles the dog always exits the weaves on the side of the weaves opposite of the side on which they…
Snippet: Contact With Cross to Weaves
02 Mar 2009
This snippet is about challenges due to sharp turns from contacts to 90 degree weave entries. Dana Pike's class course this week…
Happy 2nd B-Day Petey!
26 Feb 2009
Well today is Petey's second birthday. In this past year his coat is really filling out and he has grown a bit of a "goat beard" on his…
Great Lakes Belgian Tervuren AKC Trial - 02-Jan-2009
13 Feb 2009
Well Meeker and I went to his second AKC trial over a month ago, but I've been so busy with Googility that I haven't had time to write…
Aid To Australian Dogs and Their Families
10 Feb 2009
As I'm sure you know, terrible brush fires have claimed the lives of Australians, their pets and livestock. I just heard that DOGS Victoria…
Ouch is Spelled...
30 Jan 2009
flexor digitorum superficialis. A couple weeks ago at class Meeker was laying in his crate and had wedged himself into a corner of it so…
It Takes a Foot of Snow and Three Days...
16 Jan 2009
Last weekend it snowed heavily and the backyard was filled with almost a foot of snow. I was off work on Friday so all three dogs were…
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year
23 Dec 2008
Nancy put together this holiday card with three separate photos from the sunny summer; since our attempts at taking a photo with all three…
CPE - For Your Canine - 30-Nov-2008
09 Dec 2008
Two weekends ago I decided to do a day of show entry at Our first run was Level 4 standard and for some reason I pulled off on the approach…
Rachel Sanders' Reliable Running A-Frames DVD
27 Nov 2008
I just watched Rachel Sanders "Reliable Running A-Frames" Two DVD Set and was really impressed. I first learned of Rachel's running A…
Five Practice Sequences
23 Nov 2008
I almost forgot about this practice course I setup and videotaped back on a warm, sunny day in early October. This course is a combination…
Meeker CPE and AKC Trials
16 Nov 2008
I've been to two one day trials with Meeker recently, a CPE trial at For Your Canine in Schiller Park, IL and his first AKC trial at…
2008 USDAA Steeplechase Sequences Video
10 Nov 2008
As I mentioned in my article on six sequences based on the 2008 USDAA Steeplechase Semi Final Course I video taped Meeker and me running…
USDAA Steeplechase - Six Sequences
01 Nov 2008
I was taking a look at the USDAA Cynosport Games courses and decided to come up with sequences based the Steeplechase Semi-Finals course…
Naughty Border Collie Print
12 Oct 2008
I was just organizing my photos and came across a photo of a print Nancy got me showing a "Naughty Border Collie". It was painted by Dottie…
Contact Sports Agility Trial
11 Oct 2008
Before I get to the details here is what I recorded in Agility Record Book : The Gamblers NQ was all my doing. Here's part of the gamble…
Meeker & Petey in Herding 101
06 Oct 2008
Well this time it was Nancy's doing. She signed us both up for a one day "Sheep Herding 101" workshop with trainer Kathy Kawalec in…
How Would You Handle It? Video
03 Oct 2008
Well I finally setup a similar course to the one I described in this article and shot a video of the six different handlings outlined in…
How Would You Handle It? Dana Pike 20-Sep-2008
20 Sep 2008
This past week Dana Pike had a good Jumpers With Weaves style course that had a section for which we were all discussing the handling…
Contact Sports Agility - Aug 9-10, 2008
08 Sep 2008
Saturday had some good and bad moments. Meeker was quite excited and I was able to get him to tug while in the warm up area. He was…
Stuart Mah Seminar - Jul 2008
08 Aug 2008
I attended my first Stuart Mah seminar last month at Meyer's Kennel in Belvidere, IL. Stuart is certainly a very successful handler and…
Dog Photos
27 Jul 2008
Nancy had to work all weekend so I've had all three dogs at my place this weekend. All four of us have been outside most of the time playing…
Fast Forward Dog Sports - Rachel Sanders
20 Jul 2008
Here is the direct link to her library page . I really like Rachel and have attended all of her local seminars. I especially like her…
Cream City USDAA Trial - 15 & 16 Jun 2008
18 Jun 2008
This past weekend Meeker and I trialed in Wilmot WI at the Cream City USDAA trial. It was an outdoor trial with two rings. Our judge…
Cream City USDAA Trial - 15 & 16 Jun 2008
18 Jun 2008
This past weekend Meeker and I trialed in Wilmot WI at the Cream City USDAA trial. It was an outdoor trial with two rings. Our judge…
Unattended Equipment Safety
09 May 2008
I saw a tragic story come through on a number of agility email lists a couple weeks ago that I thought I should share it with those of you…
Meeker's First USDAA Trial
16 Apr 2008
Well Meeker and I put on our "big boy pants" and tried his first USDAA agility trial this past weekend (only my second USDAA trial…
Contact Cozies: Keeping Contacts Safe
07 Apr 2008
Here's my interpretation of the Contact Cozies Steve Stochaj wrote about in his comment on my article about the dangers of frost on…
Meeker Turns Three
28 Mar 2008
Happy Birthday Meeker ! Today Meeker turned three years old. He's been with us just under two years (one more month until his adoption day…
Feeling My Age: Minor Knee Injury
21 Mar 2008
Well it was bound to happen at some point. But it didn't happen in agility. I hurt my knee at a Flyball tournament! Flyball, derogatorily…
Dana Pike Advanced Class Sequence - Weave Entries
06 Mar 2008
Don't pay strict attention to the dimensions in the diagram, they are rough estimates from my memory. Here's how you should set it up. The…
Serpentine Handling Techniques
15 Feb 2008
The Serpentine is a common obstacle sequence and there are many ways to handle it. I'll present the most common approaches and I've…
Snow Angels?
04 Feb 2008
Nancy mentioned that I hadn't posted any pictures or videos of Petey in a while. He is approaching his 1st birthday and is now as big as…
Minuet - Two Jump Drill - Again
15 Jan 2008
Two weeks ago I posted two handling approaches for Bud Houston's two jump Minuet setup. After my post I got some good handling…
Dancing the Minuet - Two Jump Drill
28 Dec 2007
Agility pioneer Bud Houston posted some simple setups as part of a game idea with several interesting handling possibilities. He…
A Frame Mover
14 Dec 2007
The best A-Frame mover I've ever used!
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A Cold Breeze
24 Nov 2007
It was in the mid 20s this morning with a wind that made it feel too cold to go for a long walk with Meeker . So we played some Frisbee in…
Handling Tunnel to Dog Walk Wraps
16 Nov 2007
In the last year or so I've seen a slightly different method for handling tunnel to dog walk wraps that might of interest for some dog and…
Contact Frost Warning!
03 Nov 2007
As the weather turns colder here in the Midwest we are seeing temperatures dropping below freezing overnight. I was at agility class bright…
How Would You Handle It? - Sequence 1
02 Nov 2007
In recent weeks I've run some practice courses with interesting subsequences in them and I thought I'd start blogging them as little…
Camp Photos
23 Oct 2007
Photographer/proprietor Kathleen Shaffer of Pup Art Photography has taken photos at the last few Dana Pike camps. I finally got around…
Outdoor Compact Fluorescent Floodlights
15 Oct 2007
The previous owner of my house had installed fixtures for three pairs of incandescent floodlights lights pointing out to the yard. This time…
Stride Regulators
21 Sep 2007
As their name suggests, Stride Regulators are used to assist dogs in using a particular stride pattern when performing the A Frame. The…
Dog Doings
14 Sep 2007
Well I've been really busy with work and haven't been updating my blog with any of our dog's activities. So here is an update along with…
Weave Pole Entrance Challenges
02 Sep 2007
After writing up my definitions of On and Off Side Weave Entries I started to think about what might make a really difficult weave entry…
Safe Fetch Games?
04 Aug 2007
Playing fetch with your dog is often recommended as a great way to give your dog exercise. However, many dogs are injured playing fetch in…
Meeker's First Injury... Updated
27 Jul 2007
As I wrote last week , Meeker had a slight limp after playing in the yard. I visited TOPS Vet Rehab and, as usual, they were able to…
Meeker's First Injury...
21 Jul 2007
Well crap, crap, and crap! Meeker and I were playing in the backyard in the morning this past Tuesday. We had been playing Frisbee and…
CPE - For Your Canine - Meeker's First Trial
14 Jul 2007
I had originally planned to wait until the fall before entering Meeker in his first trial. But due to a fortunate turn of events I took…
Lisa Potts - CPE - For Your Canine Jul 2007
13 Jul 2007
With the kind permission of CPE judge Lisa Potts I am posting her courses from the trial at For Your Canine from the end of June. Lisa…
Practice Course - Discriminations And More
29 Jun 2007
I'm still working Meeker on contacts and obstacle discriminations and after this earlier setup I came up with this setup and some…
Petey Loves the Water
22 Jun 2007
Well it was in the low 90s here last weekend and we filled up the doggie pool for Milo , Meeker and Petey . Well it turns out Petey…
Across The Feet/Across The Toes
05 Jun 2007
Several years ago I came across this interestingly named handling manuver on Guy Blanke's website. I haven't found need to use it too…
Jimmy Does A Magic Trick
02 Jun 2007
Nancy "channelled" Meeker (aka Jimmy) and recounts his adventure running into the next agility ring while another dog was running the…
Just Call Me...
01 Jun 2007
Well we decided the puppy's name is... He responds to it more than any other name. It seems fitting since Petey was a nickname for Mr…
Dana Pike Advanced Class Course - May 1, 2007
20 May 2007
I just realized it has been over a year since I featured one of Dana Pike's class courses. I assure you that is only due to my lack of…
Walking Dogs On Grass
10 May 2007
This time of year when I'm walking Meeker early in the morning the air is cool, humid and lately it has been fragrant with lilac and lily…
Practice Course - Obstacle Discriminations
07 May 2007
An open and fast sequence. Begins with a Serpentine to the Dog Walk. I tried handling from both sides; for me handling with the jumps on…
A New Member of the Family
27 Apr 2007
Well Nancy's gone and done it... Here are some puppy pictures from Nancy's visit to the breeder: Here are some pictures of the puppy at home…
Practice Course - Serpentines, Threadles, Weave Entries and Contacts
03 Apr 2007
For the first backyard course of the year I wanted to setup a course that I could run as a whole and that I could leave set up for a while…
Meeker Is Two
28 Mar 2007
Happy Birthday Meeker ! Since Meeker was an owner relinquishment to Mid America Border Collie Rescue he has papers from his breeder that…
Grass
23 Mar 2007
Grass as agility equipment you might ask? Sure. I want Milo and Meeker to have a comfortable and safe surface on which we can play and…
Contact Wicket
04 Mar 2007
Previously, I had made a Contact Hoop for helping Meeker hit his contacts; after working with Dana Pike on contacts she pointed out I…
Meeker's Itchiness - Taking a Holistic View
27 Feb 2007
While I really want the focus of this blog to remain on agility training and not spend too much time on other areas, it seems folks are…
Agility Matting For Indoor Training
21 Feb 2007
I've taken the plunge and put rubber matting down in My house has hardwood floors throughout and the sun room has a tile floor. The…
Single Sided Threadle Handling
30 Jan 2007
I learned this technique from Rachel Sanders at Dana Pike's "2006 Fall Maintenance Camp" . It was remarkable that the vast majority of…
Dog Allergies and Itchy Meek
26 Jan 2007
At our first visit to the dermatologist she wanted to rule out skin mites, so we put Meeker on Revolution (a topical insecticide also used…
Suzanne Clothier's "The Clothier Natural Jumping Method"
18 Jan 2007
As far as I know Suzanne Clothier's book The Clothier Natural Jumping Method (Copyright 1989) was the first book written for dog…
Traditional Threadle Handling
12 Jan 2007
There are three "traditional" methods for handling Threadles . Two of which have the handler perform crosses and the third uses only…
Flyball Stuff
23 Dec 2006
So I'm working on the agility articles I mentioned in my article on Dana Pike's "Fall Maintenance Camp" , shooting video and making…
Reflective Safety Apparel
17 Dec 2006
My quiet little suburban area doesn't have street lights or side walks so I walk Meeker on the edge of the streets (it is pretty safe as…
Contact Hoop
08 Dec 2006
It seems when I train with Rhonda Carter I not only learn to be a better handler and trainer but I find she has come up with an idea for a…
"Run the Dog You Brought" and "Run the Dog Not the Course"
04 Dec 2006
I am very much still training Meeker for the agility game. I've noticed times when I use handling with him that he doesn't fully…
Snow Jump
01 Dec 2006
Ok just a little wintery agility update. The northern suburbs of Chicago got a lot of snow overnight. Here's a jump in my backyard, the bar…
Practice Standard Course Built Around A Jump Chute
30 Nov 2006
Now that I finally have all my contact equipment and Meeker is confident running over all of it at full height I decided to set up some…
Fall Maintenance Camp: Barry, Carter, Moureaux, Pinder, and Sanders
10 Nov 2006
Wow! Phew! That's how I felt after attending a five day camp at Dana Pike's facility in Wilmington, IL. I was happy and exhausted by the…
Meeker's "Rules Of the Road"
01 Nov 2006
On the days when I don't work at home I have a dog walker come by and give Meeker 30 minutes of exercise around midday. He is a young and…
Meeker's Daily Menu
31 Oct 2006
Ever since I adopted Meeker he has had dry and itchy skin. Nancy recommended I add coconut oil to his diet and his skin isn't dry anymore…
Let's Make a Deal!
29 Sep 2006
I was fooling around with a tunnel and three jumps in the backyard with Meeker and came up with this obvious setup that I found was useful…
Dearlove Nested Class Course - Sep 28 and Oct 5 2006
26 Sep 2006
This week's sequences have a little of everything in them: There are two Intermediate team sequences. The first opens with a three jump Pin…
Seal Skinz Waterproof Socks
23 Aug 2006
Socks? you might ask. Yep socks. I was just miserable during a rain soaked three day agility seminar with squishy shoes and many changes of…
Learning the Rear Cross
17 Aug 2006
I walk you through learning the footwork for a rear cross and demonstrate with pictures and video clips.
Rear Cross
13 Aug 2006
The Rear Cross is a handling manuever that, like all crosses, is used to allow the handler to change from one side of the dog to the other…
Learning the Outside Arm Turn
09 Aug 2006
The Outside Arm Turn can be used to initiate turning your dog during a Rear Cross . It is effectively a partial "spin" cue. In itself this…
Dana Pike Agility Foundation Seminar
02 Jul 2006
I took Meeker to Dana Pike's Novice Agility Seminar this past Sunday at Nancy Reyes' For Your Canine facility in Schiller Park, IL. I…
Learning the Hand Target
17 Jun 2006
Teaching your dog to target your hand with their nose is a very valuable behavior that can be used to train other behaviors. It helps focus…
Dana Pike, Jen Pinder and Rhonda Carter "2006 Spring Maintenance Camp"
13 Jun 2006
I attended the "Spring Maintenance Camp" Dana Pike held at her place in Wilmington, IL this past Memorial Day Weekend. Like last year…
i-Click!
04 Jun 2006
Nancy Reyes at For Your Canine just introduced me to the Karen Pryor i-Click! clicker. Before I used this clicker I figured "a clicker…
Meet Meeker!
14 May 2006
Yep, that's right, Steve finally has his very own dog. For over ten years I have been fortunate enough to train and play with Nancy's Mr…
Simple Neck, Shoulder, and Back Stretches
14 Nov 2004
We try to stretch our dogs before and after Agility and Flyball practices, trials, and tournaments. I briefly discussed Handler Stretching…
