Poor Kitty

I feel bad (well, just a little) for this kitty.

How to Stop Your Dog from Barking

Here's a great video from the experts at Canine Companions for Independence.

Bounce Jumps

Bounce jumping is a good skill to teach your agility dog because it:

 a) Makes them concentrate on their stride

 

 b) Is a good conditioning plyometric exercise for their whole body

Bounce jumping is essentially jumping multiple jumps with one stride or bound in between making it look as if the dog is bouncing or hopping over each jump.  When training for bounce jumps, start out with the jumps set low and handle from both right and left sides.  Start out with a few jumps in a straight sequence and gradually add more and try diagonals and arc formations.  

Have fun!

This post is credited to Maria

Too Cute

These aren't dogs, but this is too cute not to post!

Flyball Fun

http://www.flyball.org.au/dogweek/Torchy.jpg

Our beginner flyball dogs are doing very well!  If you want some extra practice, here are a few drills to try.

Jump over and back

  Set up a single jump and practice jumping over, turning in a tight arc, and jumping back over the jump.  You can have doggy turn around a cone or use the “around” command.

Recalls

  Flyball is less about having a dog that is ball motivated, and more about having a dog that will return to you upon call -every time.  Practice recalls by playing fetch or letting doggy out on a long line to sniff, then return on call.

Throwing parties

  Flyball is a very LOUD sport!  Practice jackpotting doggy and throwing them a party (becoming really excited) when they accomplish something new.

See you at practice!

Blog post contributed by Maria

Rattlesnake Vaccine Information

One of the ladies that attends obedience classes with me has a beautiful Spaniel puppy. A few weeks back when she came to class she told us the puppy had been bitten by a rattlesnake, right near her nose, and they were fortunate enough to be close to a veterinary clinic for treatment, or they would have lost her.

There is a vaccine available for dogs to provide them against rattlesnake venom; however, the vaccine protection can be overcome if there is a large amount of venom introduced with the bite. Dogs may require additional veterinary care, so it is recommended that even if your dog does have the vaccine and is bitten, you should still seek medical attention.

The following link provides some rattlesnake vaccine information:

http://www.rattlesnakevaccinations.com

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

Do you brush your dog's teeth. Should you? If so, how often?




WebMD has the following information about keeping your dogs teeth healthy:

http://pets.webmd.com/healthy-dog-teeth-10/dentistry-for-dogs