You've got plans for your puppy or dog. A long list of dog sport activities that you will train and tackle, jammed into an otherwise full schedule. Always looking ahead, you find yourself flying through life. That is until life throws you a heart-wrenching curve ball that stops you dead in your tracks.
In this podcast episode, we discuss how difficult it can be balance choosing WHAT you will do with your dog, WHY you are doing it, HOW you are going to it and WHEN you are going do it. No absolute answers are provided in this episode, rather a plea that we all be more mindful of how we are spending time with our dogs...since that time may be cut shorter than we care to admit.
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No dog sport is without risk for physical injury. However, it is our job, being the caretaker for our dogs, to be mindful of this possibility and to make the best decisions possible for them.
In this episode, Dianna shares an experience where her personal dog was injured at a CAT (coursing ability test) lure coursing test and outlines ways all dog owners can better advocates for their dogs.
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When we are choosing which dog sport, or dog sports, to do with our dog, it is important to give our dog a vote. However, it can be incredibly painful when what our dog wants to do, and enjoys doing, is drastically different from what our preferred dog sport may be.
We delve into this touchy, tricky and emotional topic in this podcast episode.
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Trick Dog Titles are one of the newest options in the dog sport world and have been met with both enthusiasm and a fair amount of grumbling. In this episode, we discuss if tricks as a whole have a value and whether they should be welcomed within the dog sport realm (hint: they should).
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With the start of a new year, many of us will begin creating trialing goals, such as our desire to obtain a certain title by a certain date. In this podcast, we discuss the benefit of designing smaller, obtainable goals that are laser focused on building specific skills for both you and your dog, and how these smaller goals will ultimately help you achieve the "big" goal of earning your desired title.
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When it comes to dog training, there are lots of terms that go along with it. Lingo and jargon that professionals throw around, which can cause a layperson's head to start to spin! In this episode, we will break down what exactly is meant when someone is called an "instructor" as opposed to a "trainer", whether these terms are truly interchangeable...and what being either of them should entail.
This discussion is designed to be helpful for those individuals contemplating entering into the professional dog training realm...while also ensuring current professionals are approaching their roles with the ideal perspective.
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Here is a shocker for you: dog training is a rather polarized activity. It is common for everyone to retreat to their respective camps, defensive, backs up, lips curled back with their teeth showing. In my opinion, this is the wrong way to go about things. Do I have preferences on how I will train my dog and my client's dogs? Yes. Are there certain techniques and tools I simply will not use in my training program? Yes. Does that mean the people who use those techniques or tools are inherently evil and incapable of having any value in their overall knoweldge about dogs or dog training? No.
In this podcast we will discuss how, as your dog's advocate, you owe it to them to always have an open mind, so you will be able to pick out the diamonds among the poop piles.
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In our very first podcast, we will answer the burning question of: what is the deal with dog sports and why would anyone ever want to get involved in one?! We discuss the benefits of dog sports as an activity, and how competition is a separate route that some dog owners may want to check out. And yes, we will also go into how online dog training really DOES work. This is going to be fun, and we thank you for listening.
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