Z is for Zzz

Oh My Dog. Today marks the last day of the Blogging From A to Z Challenge April 2015. It has been, one again, a brilliant month, as it was last year in April 2014. So while we are still educating you about dog agility, we give you Z...

Zzz. Without sleep, your dog will not be able to function effectively in his agility. And the same goes for you; a tired, hazy, and wobbly handler makes for a slow and painful run. You may even forget the course when you run! A tired dog will run slowly, with no enthusiasm or enjoyment. If you don't rest your dog, you can say goodbye to a good quality run.

So ensure that both you and your dog are well rested and have slept well, and you can promise yourselves a happy agility career where you can succeed and be wide awake to enjoy every moment.

Goodbye A to Z 2015. We shall see you again in 2016.

We are joining our hosts Ruckus The Eskie, Love is Being Owned by a Husky! and Barking From the Bayou for the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

Y is for Yard

There are SO many things that you can do in your own yard that can help with your agility training. This is your own free time, so use it wisely and make your garden into a cool space for training your dogs. You can go all out and buy your own equipment to use in your garden, you could even get creative and make your own equipment using every day objects, and/or you could turn your garden in a doggy gym, using wobble boards, hoops, poles, and more.

So use your yard space to your advantage, and you will have yourself and your dogs a free little space to train all you wish in the comforts of your own home. You have the choice of what to do. I use the wobble board with Ethel especially, and the normal size jumps with Earl. I use the hoop high up with Earl, and on the ground with Ethel. Earl even has a go on the wobble board, too. The wings are also awesome, as both dogs can practice these. You can even use just one wing to train on. There are endless possibilities; this is your yard space and your training area, so use it and use it well. Your yard is your private training ground.

We are joining our hosts BlogPaws for the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

X is for X (marks the spot)

Oooh, X is such a hard word to A to Z... but guess what, people? We have a solution... an agility solution! And that is X marks the spot. All dogs enjoy having somewhere to want to get to at the end of runs. Do you understand? After a run, the dog runs to a certain place where he collects his tug or treat from you. Because in competition, you are not allowed to carry rewards in the ring, because if you get caught doing so, you are automatically eliminated! It is extra motivation, and at competitions, the dog's natural drive and ability to agility is tested. But your dog still needs to get his reward at the end, so thank the judge, and run to where your lead and toy is. They usually have a basket to keep these in, outside of the ring. And if you're using treats, run here and present your treat to your hard working canine, readily expecting it. You can create some great motivation using a reward spot. And at training sessions, devise the same. Run to a place which would not be classed as in the ring, and reward. Call this place X. X marks the spot to give those rewards! You should both race there at the end to present a reward as soon as possible.

X marks the spot for rewards!

You can now use X to make both of your agility lives easier, and race to to create extra motivation to run with more speed throughout the course. Your dog wants to reach X as quick as possible, to claim his reward, which he thoroughly deserves.

W is for Wings

When training your dog in agility, the wings on the jumps are important. This is the difference between a wide wrap, and a tight wrap; the difference between seconds gained and seconds lost. You want to loose those seconds, and beat the clock. And on agility courses, you are going to see a lot of jumps. So ensure you teach tight wing wraps. Toys are a great way to teach this; tugging rewards are a favourite in many motivated agility dogs.

To teach your dog to wing wrap, you must use difference commands for wrapping tight left, and wrapping tight right. I use 'right' and 'left' for wing wraps in those directions... it's as simple as that! If you are worried about the general right and left commands, as in changing direction from one obstacle to the next, I use 'wide' for right and 'low' for left. Devise your own commands. Remember, calling it 'banana' would work with your dog; he doesn't know! Using tug toys or high value food rewards, depending on your dog's motivation, is a good method. Leave your dog in a wait, release him, and just as he goes to jump, say your wrap command for whatever direction you are practicing. Back up and wave the toy excitedly, crossing over to the other side of the jump, for an extra tight wrap. As your dog wraps tight to get at the toy/treat faster, reward hugely. Keep practicing on each side, and soon, you will have a dog with a drive to get that reward as quick as he can, by wrapping all those wings tight. You have just saved seconds!

We are joining our hosts Snoopy's Dogblog, Alfie's Blog and My Brown Newfies for the Monday Mischief Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

Pride in a Picture

Earl finds pride in this amazing photo we got captured at a recent agility show. And I don't blame him! Although he is very much a proud and regal dog, I guess all dogs are generally modest about their prizes, awards and achievements. But this photo shows elegance, speed and a passion in the ring, which Earl knows and is proud of.

We all adore this photo. And to see it in colour and up close, here you go...

We are joining our hosts Dachshund Nola and Sugar The Golden Retriever for the Black and White Sunday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

Sepia Saturday - V is for Vigilance

In the ring, vigilance is vital. You must know where your dog is at all times, and know where to go next to run the course successfully. One wrong obstacle and you and your dog are eliminated from the competition rankings. You cannot become placed. So keeping on top of your dog and working alongside him as a partnership will work wonders when it comes to taking the right course and ending having ran clean.

Always know where your dog is on the course.

So be on top of your dog, be vigilant, and have your wits about you. Don't allow anything to slip from your control as the handler. Know where your dog is, where he is coming from, and how to handle him correctly over the next section of the course. And most importantly, walk, walk, walk and walk the course beforehand, and then you are 100% sure you know where you are going when it comes to competing in the ring with your dog.

We at Earl's World! are cohosting the Sepia Saturday Blog Hop alongside Ruckus The Eskie. We thank our amazing fellow host and you can join in below.

U is for Understanding

Dogs are not robots. If they really don't want to do something, for whatever underlying reason that may be, they will either not do it altogether, or they will do it and you will be able to see their disgust. Therefore it is vitally important that within the sport of dog agility, you get used to the signs that your dog is not comfortable doing it. If and when this does occur, it is important that you stop and attempt to discover the source of the concern your dog has. And ensure you're not pushing your dog too hard. Because he will soon find this 'game' hard and stressful, plus exhausting. If you push his body too much when aiming for maximum speed in agility, you may overdo him, and wear him out. So understand that he may not always be up for it, and ensure you know the signs of when to call it a day. Reasons could be anything from injury, to just not having a good day. So be sure you know the tell-tale signs and speak your dog's language to ensure happiness.

Is your dog having a bad day? Know when to call it quits.

We all have days where everything seems like too much. Or we twist our ankles doing too much running, or are exhausted from the previous day's exercise and activities. Well, our dogs are no different! So don't ruin it for your dog, by misunderstanding and/or dismissing the signs he is giving. Pay attention to him throughout to ensure he is happy and comfortable.

We are joining our hosts To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and My GBGV Life for the FitDog Friday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

T is for Timing

In dog agility, you always have to be in the right place at the right time, in order to lead your dog over the next obstacle in the next direction. No dog and handler will be the same, as many dogs are speedier than others, and vice versa. With speedier dogs, you have to be even quicker to move to your next position. In order to achieve this, you must have your timing right.

Timing doesn't mean counting the seconds as the time goes by as you run, no, no. It means sending your dog, and as quick as you can, running to the place you need to be in next. You need to know your own dog's speeds and abilities, and train by these. You know your own dog, so base the timing around this to move towards more success. Point with your hand, as to where you want your dog to go next. He should have been trained to look at your directions and take them without hesitation. If your dog beats you to it, your dog is almost guaranteed to take the wrong obstacle; you were simply not there to tell him otherwise. So get your timing right, and you will be able to lead your dog with grace over the course.

We are joining our hosts 2 Brown Dawgs Blog and Heart Like A Dog for the Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.

S is for Stamina

As well as speed, both you and your dog must have a good amount of built up stamina to successfully run the courses in dog agility. Stamina can also help with other areas of dog agility, too. Such as a dog will low or no drive. Stamina is more important to dogs and handles who compete on a regular basis, however stamina can help both of you in just about anything and everything. Anyone can do this; it's fun and keeps you both fit, too.

A good way to build your dog's stamina is to take it one step at a time. Take your dog over one jump, and straight afterwards, reward with an entertaining and enthusiastic game of tug. If your dog won't work for toys, food can also be used, however tugs are generally used to create drive, also. This is an added benefit to building this stamina. You should aim to progress to more obstacles until the reward, thus your dog having built his/her stamina, and being more willing to work, due to expecting a reward each time. This is also a fun and exciting way to build stamina, drive and skills.

So now you see... stamina is an important part of dog agility. You will soon discover that using some simple and fun methods which will appeal to your dog will help you out when it comes to running in the ring. And remember to enjoy your training.

We are joining our hosts BlogPaws for the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop. We send many thanks their way, and you can join in below.