In agility I often see handlers admit their mistakes, recognizing when the fault was their own and not the dogs. They apologize freely and it is genuine and heart warming. Why do they do this? I think it’s because agility training may give you something that obedience training lacks - a better awareness of your role in your dog’s success or failure. It’s not about obedience, it’s about teamwork!

This past year handed out its fair share of challenges and life lessons, but it also made sure I experienced a fair number of positives as well. The positives? That’s easy, DOGS! and their humans; We welcomed many new students to the Supernova community this past year and it was my favorite part.

You don’t expect a human child to understand that they can’t cross the street without you, that certain things don’t belong in their mouths, or that when meeting a stranger you should be polite, without being taught. So why did we develop the expectation that puppies or young adult dogs should be able to do difficult things like off leash recalls aka puppy algebra?

I often hear people say “I wish my dog ran like that” when people see my Border Collie, Zima, run agility, and I’m not really sure how to respond. Does she run super fast? Yes. Does she LOVE agility? Absolutely. Will she take obstacles with a lot of distance? 10000%. The thing is though all of these things have been and are still struggles in our training.

We often have a specific goal in mind for our dogs, usually related to something we don’t want them to do, the “NO”. To us it may seem very simple, “I don’t want you to jump on people when you greet them”, but have we made it clear to our dogs what they should be doing instead?

Compliance is “the action or fact of acting in accordance with a wish or command.” When it comes to dogs, compliance is our expectation that our dog will do what we tell them to when we tell them to do it. The reality is that it's not that simple. 

This blog may not be what you are expecting. As a dog trainer and a dog mom, my advice is to teach your dog to do nothing. I’m sure you understand that I’m not telling you to teach your dog nothing, I’m telling you to teach them to exist, to relax, to be calm, to be still - in as many different places and situations as you can - because learning to do nothing may be one of the most useful things they ever learn.

It may seem difficult if not impossible to get that picture perfect pose of your dog. So how do the pros do it? Danielle from Digitails by Dea has some great tips for taking photos of your dog, whether you are snapping some amateur shots or are interested in working with a professional photographer.

Believe it or not, there are some things that I have taught my dogs that aren’t exactly useful in our day-to-day life, even though they have been a lot of fun to learn. Along with the not so practical skills we know, there are a number of things we have learned that have been very useful and that help to improve our daily life. Keep reading to see if these skills might be helpful to you too!

Nova is reactive. Although, at this point, you could probably consider her to be in recovery, or maybe remission. Passing her during a walk at the park you might even think she was friendly enough to greet.

Agility training helps to build a strong bond between you and your furry friend, as well as improve their physical and mental health; It also helps to keep them fit and active, and teaches them valuable skills that can be used in other areas of life. With your help, your dog will learn how to jump over barriers, run through tunnels, weave around poles, and navigate different obstacles at varying levels of difficulty. All of this physical activity contributes to a healthy lifestyle. With so many positive benefits, you can see why agility is one of the most popular dog sports!

One of the most popular activities for dog owners and their canine companions is agility training. Whether your dog is a trained professional or just starting out, here are just a few of the benefits of participating in the sport of dog agility.