Browsing all posts in Dog Training.
Got Moxie
Moxie: backbone: fortitude and determination.
For those of you who aren’t on FB or haven’t heard yet…there is a new member of the Dragondogs. Moxie.
Moxie is our first ACD aka Australian Cattle Dog aka Blue Heeler. Tracy Custer evaluated her and sent her info out into the disc dog network about an awesome Frisbeast. Abby knew that I was looking for a new dog, so she sent me the link with a note that said… here is your dog. It went kinda backwards from there. Some other guy wanted her too – so I made the patient and responsible choice after a really cool chat with Apryl … I’ll wait another 6 months until Leila is a bit more established. The dog would have another great disc home to go to so no worries.
Butterfly Grips and Throws
The butterfly throw was one of the first tricks we learned with Lilli. I think John Arnett introduced us to the butterfly flow in our first ever lesson with him. Lilli took to them right away. Then 6 months later we went to disc dog camp at Pawsitive Vybe and learned new grips and tricks. After the Paws camp this past summer, we added the butterfly vaults and my favorite, the butterfly backflip – which was the favorite trick in Lilli’s first competitive freestyle routine at Canis Major #1!
Finally Flippin in Puppyville
We’ve shared over and over about how Leilani is developing very slowly as a disc dog…slower than we’d like. For about 6 months, she’s been eating grass in the middle of very short sessions, even right in the beginning of sessions. She still loves the disc, but the disc practice outside has been very unproductive. We’d settled in that we’d focus on her being our “trick dog” since she loved shaping so much and didn’t seem to stress at all during long shaping sessions. We were hoping that in the next 6 months or so, she’d settle in.
Leilei Cuteness Caught on Tape
We’ve been practicing religiously lately – at least once a day with each dog plus shaping in the evenings and posting NONE of it to the blog… Sorry folks.
Emily requested a Leilani fix today – so shall she receive.
January Ramblings
I generally like to write on topics or do updates but today I just want to ramble. I have been thinking about this for a while and wanted to share it. It’s not anything new or amazing, it’s just on my mind. We all have tendencies in life and as trainers. I find that our dogs while different tend to have some similar strengths due to what I would call our confident skills. I watch some of the top disc dog teams and their routines sort of seem the same from event to event. They have their trademark moves and skill sets. It makes sense and I am not saying that there are not constant tweaks and innovations. Moreso i am wondering what skills my dogs have that i have not discovered due to habits or routines I may have formed in training and play. Flipping for example could be a place where someone else could throw the disc and get an entirely different motion from my dog. I will wrap this up with a pledge to seek out new life on new planets by forcing myself out of routine. Like closing one eye or throwing all lefty or copying someone else’s routine. Ron Watson and Apryl Lea have a cool idea to write the skills and sequences on note cards, mix them up and go. This doesn’t address skills i do not know but does change flow.
Disc Dog Flip Tutorial
How to get your dog to flip. Flipping is a great example of something that is easy and complicated. The basic idea of the flip is simple, the varied mechanics and influences make for a dynamic and challenging skill to master. The good news is your dog could be flipping in a day, assuming proper health and disc drive are already in place.
Choosing a Superstar – Kai Bear
Have you ever seen that movie Sliding Doors? The movie basically points to the notion that each little choice you make can completely change the future. I think about that concept a lot.
Lilli Leaping A disc dog jump drill
Lilli’s jump has always seemed a little off to me. In her defense, this is likely a result of inconsistent disc placement. We really never considered placement of the disc in our first 6 months of throwing discs for Lilli. That and she does not seem to be an explosive leaper naturally.
Pawsitive Vybe Disc Dog Camp
At the heart of the 3700 mile drive was disc dog camp with Ron Watson and Apryl Lea in Grand Rapids Michigan. As I mentioned before, I was usually a no to this kind of expedition due to the costs and we were not exactly rolling in it at the time. Thanks to Andrea’s enthusiasm and to the regular and inspiring talks with Ron, I saw that the cost was a small price to pay to pursue what we love. The opportunity to learn from Ron and Apryl and the adventure itself were worth more than whatever the expenditure would be.
Why The Cross Country Dog Training Trip?
Because we love our dogs. I had wanted a frisbee dog since I was a little boy. I never imagined I would do more than just throw the disc over and over , and I had no idea the skills and training required to make it happen.
