First published July 2023 Pearls Feeding a whole, minimally processed diet is important to maintain a dog's longevity and health span. Raw diets are often messy and always require refrigeration, making them a difficult choice when traveling or convenience is a high priority. Here is a personal review of how Ziwi Peak Original Series Dog Food, a fresh, gently air-dried alternative to feeding a raw diet, is used to support a wide range of needs.

Adventures from a Semi-Private Agility Lesson There are training sessions that feel like study hall and others that feel like a sitcom with athletic stunts. This week’s semi-private lesson with Beth Martin landed squarely in the fun category. Layla arrived ready to play, ready to run, and very ready to let everyone know that tunnels are life choices. The Tunnel Commitment Ceremony…

Playing agility with a young dog is equal parts strategy session, comedy sketch, and tiny athletic miracle. Layla and I spent the weekend in a Young Dog Workshop with Jody Lolich, and it delivered all three in generous quantities. Here is what we learned, what we laughed through, and what we will be training next. Cracking the Code of the Verbal Tunnel Cue…

The Stole Heard ’Round the Training Ring Pre-novice agility took a glamorous turn this week when Layla debuted her new all-in-one tug: a glorious hybrid creature made of faux fur, fleece, and pure canine zeal. Naturally, I wore it around my neck like a mink stole, because what is agility without a bit of runway energy? Apparently, accessorizing works. Layla thought my new “fashion choice” was spectacular.

Rescue Roots I’ve always believed in rescue. Every dog I’ve ever had was either rehomed to me or adopted from breed rescue. Like most dog lovers, and like every ethical breeder I know, I want to see an end to suffering, neglect, and abandonment. When I adopted Jackie, my purebred border collie, she had been sitting in a high-kill shelter after her stray hold expired.

Pre-Novice Agility Two: Week One Agility has a way of holding up a mirror. The more I play, the more I see how much my movement shapes Layla’s understanding. While words are helpful, our dogs are reading us long before they’re listening to us. An example is the common verbal cue "sit." Many people believe their dog understands that verbal cue.

No mess, No Stress: Just Clean Weave Entries and Tidy Exits Layla’s not taking any crap on her weaves! She’s finding her entries, keeping forward focus, and proving that six poles are no problem when efficiency is the goal. She's doing a great job both in finding her weave entries after another obstacle and staying focused forward through six straight poles.

Prissy died today. Today is July 13, 2017.  July 21 this year would mark Prissy’s sixteenth birthday. Several of my friends have reached out to me today to offer their thoughts and kind words.  Karen Brown and Lisa Goodman sent notes about some of their favorite memories of Prissy.  Lisa will always remember Prissy filling in for missing Quadrille members when needed. 

This week’s agility session with Layla was all about crossing—literally and figuratively. We explored how to move in sync through blind crosses and rear crosses, and then tied everything together with serpentine lines. The Blind Cross: Moving Forward, Staying Connected Despite its name, the blind cross isn’t about losing sight of your dog—it’s about trust and timing. When I set Layla up on my right I played an “airplane” routine.

Every week, Layla reminds me that growth comes in layers. This time, we worked serpentines, post turns, and front crosses, with a healthy side of contact training. It wasn’t flawless, but it was full of “aha” moments—the kind that turn good runs into great partnerships. The Serpentine Shuffle Serpentine lines are cued with both the verbal cue “hup” and your body cues showing the dog their line.

If you’ve ever wished your dog could maintain focus on their task while making good decisions of their own, this game is for you. I first learned about It's Yer Choice from Susan Garrett. It’s Yer Choice (IYC) is more than just a self-control exercise—it’s a powerful way to teach your dog that their own choices make good things happen.

This week’s agility play reminded me of one big truth: the tunnel may be fast, but connection is what keeps the game together. The Learning Pearl As your dog explodes out of a tunnel, don’t just run and hope. Reconnect. A quick glance, a verbal cue, even a breath of acknowledgment — that’s your moment to reestablish the team. Dogs exit tunnels blind to where their handler has gone, and without that brief reconnection, they’ll make their own (sometimes brilliant, sometimes not-so-brilliant) choices.

Handling a young dog in agility is part art, part science — and all about connection. Each exercise builds independence, speed, and clarity so your dog learns to love the game as much as you do. Serpentine Lines: Encouraging Independent Commitment We kicked off the young dog handling seminar with serpentines — a classic agility skill that teaches dogs to think ahead and commit to the next obstacle without constant handler direction.

This week Layla proudly graduated to Pre-Novice Agility! 🎉 Watching her progress has been equal parts thrilling and humbling—because as any agility handler knows, every new level comes with its own set of challenges (and homework). Contact Work: Building Confidence Our biggest project right now is contacts—specifically, Layla driving confidently into her 2o2o position (two paws on, two paws off).

Allowing dogs true autonomy goes far beyond exercise — it’s a foundation for their physical and mental well-being. Off-leash (or on a long line and harness with freedom to choose), dogs have the freedom to use their own muscles and minds in ways structured training or backyard play can’t replicate. Every decision — where to sniff, which path to follow, how fast to move — builds confidence, reduces stress, and nurtures problem-solving skills.

This week’s agility training with Layla was all about contacts, confidence for driving, and clarity for weaves. Contacts: Finding the 2o2o Sweet Spot After receiving a WHOLE lotta reinforcement for sitting on a plank in the zone of reinforcement, Layla has decided that sitting in the contact zone is her new interpretation. Creative, but not quite right! Instead, she needs clarity to drive all the way to the end of the contact and land in…

Layla doing a great job in Beginner Agility 3A. We're in Week 5 already! Support Success for Your Young Dog With a young dog, remember to support them through the obstacle at this stage. Even if you are a bit late cueing the next obstacle, it’s important to provide the young dog with clarity to successfully maneuver each obstacle. For example with the A frame, let her hit the A frame successfully, then mark the success with “Yes” then cue “Go” “hup!” That way Layla stays on her correct line and does not get pulled off the A frame if I cue with my body the next jump too early.

This week, Layla and I stepped up to short course sequences featuring the A-frame, jumps, tunnels, and dog walk. She flew through with confidence, and we mixed in weaves and the teeter for good measure. Her weaves are shining—success on 12 poles when split into two six-pole sets! The teeter “bang game” is also coming along, building her confidence with every rep.

Rotating new treats prevents boredom, boosts motivation, and makes learning more fun and effective. The highest value treat often does not come from the dog food store. Usually it comes right out of your own fridge, pantry, or kitchen. Variety Matters Rotating new treats prevents boredom, boosts motivation, and makes learning more fun and effective. When we talk about training treats as reinforcement in…

This was a week of introductions—building on turns and crosses, adding in serpentine lines, and introducing “push,” “check check,” and 12 weaves for the very first time. “Push” "Push" is a backside jump cue, and it starts simply: from the start line, I stand lateral to Layla behind the first jump. With a clear “push push” cue, she drives out around the wing, then takes the jump back toward me.

Layla and I continued our agility journey this week with some exciting challenges and rewarding progress. The highlight of our session was playing with a post turn over a jump into the dog walk sequence. Focus on letting Layla find her own 2o2o contact “feet” — two paws on the contact zone, two off. Never lure. Instead, give her the chance to own the behavior first, then reinforce it.

This week, Layla and I dove into front crosses — where you change sides while your dog is in front of you. Think of it like a “front” in obedience. Always consider the dog's line to the next obstacle, so when she crosses in front, she sees the next obstacle. Front cross 💡 Pro tip: Leave your front side open so the dog sees her line of travel.

The border collies in my household vary from adolescent to geriatric. Each one has a continuum of needs when it comes to engagement and enrichment. Enter the enrichment puzzle. I've been on a bit of an odyssey to find as many as possible to challenge my pack, from my 13 year old geriatric Gunner, to my adolescent recent adoptee Layla, and my steady on but keenly intelligent seven year old Jackie.

Meggie enjoying a marrow bone Enrichment Strategies I've collected a veritable armament of enrichment chews, toys, and other calming aids. These assist me with new fosters that have to be on activity restriction due to medical reasons. These also help keep my own active dogs engaged and gives extra enrichment. Pearls: Toys and chews keep dogs calm during activity restriction: Here are some of my favorites.

Today in Beginner Agility 3 Week 4, Layla and I delved into sequences. These sequences tested both her skills and our teamwork. Tunnels, Jumps, Turns, Tire, and Table We started with a series comprising tunnels, jumps, sharp turns, a tire, and the agility table. Layla approached each obstacle with enthusiasm, showcasing her growing confidence in navigating sequences.