This morning, we only had three teams for tracking, but what a glorious session it turned out to be!
Scout demonstrated great resilience during a challenging little out-and-back track. In her second exercise, she joyfully found a stick that her mom had touched among the other sticks—such a fantastic achievement!
Wilfred tackled a 200-meter open paddock track with a cross track in the middle. He worked beautifully and showed impressive resilience as he navigated towards the end of the track.
Shine also completed a 200-meter open paddock track. She successfully located four out of five articles while handling a cross track that involved two different people and a dog.
The weather was lovely, the company was fantastic, and overall, it was a wonderful morning of tracking and training!
We had an exciting morning of tracking with five teams showcasing their skills—it was fantastic to see! The dogs absolutely thrive in this environment, and there were plenty of successes along with valuable lessons for the humans as well. What a great day!
One of my main priorities with Shine is addressing food refusal, particularly during our visits to the hospital environment.
There are always people eager to feed Shine and Scooter, and while we politely decline, there are times when food is left on tables, trays, or in bins. It only takes one accidental find for them to think they've hit the jackpot.
To tackle this issue, I'm implementing positive training strategies. I've seen many people use harsh methods to teach this, and over the years, I've heard of some truly disturbing approaches. I believe in fostering a positive and encouraging environment instead.
I will progress this training over the coming weeks.
This afternoon I played with some out of sight stays with distraction. So much fun and a darn handy skill to have with your dog. Keep a look out as we may do a short course on this🫸🏻
Our dedicated tracking teams got an early start this morning to beat the heat.
Despite the challenging conditions—dry, hard ground and warm temperatures—our incredible dogs performed admirably during their second week back.
It's truly wonderful to be training again with some of my favorite people in the world!
We're now in session three of our Whistle Recall Class, and the energy is fantastic!
With teams at various training levels, the diversity adds incredible value to our group experience. This remarkable group of dog and human pairs is eager to learn, tackle challenges, and, most importantly, cheer for each other's successes.
I can only imagine how much they will grow by session six—I’m eagerly looking forward to witnessing their progress!
Today marked our first day of tracking for 2025, and I’m thrilled to report that none of the dogs made any mistakes! They were all fantastic, especially considering the warm, dry weather and gusty winds, which can pose challenges during scent work. It was wonderful to have everyone back together, supporting one another and reveling in the joy our dogs bring.
This morning, we held our second session of the whistle recall class.
Each team engaged in fresh activities designed to enhance their dogs' enthusiasm and comprehension, encouraging them to return at full speed. Everyone performed exceptionally well, and it was wonderful to witness both individual and collective learning unfold—one of my favorite aspects of teaching.
Effective recall is rooted in the bond, enjoyment, and communication between the dog and their handler. It's not just a command to follow; it's an experience that the dog should find joy in.
I have no pics or video from this morning as I was in the moment with each team and enjoying watching them learn.
Just for fun her is a down then come with Scooter and Shine.
And we are there, the dremmel was used for the first time this morning and we had success. This handsome boy is now well on his way to better nails with minimal stress and restraint. We actually could hardly keep him off the table where the nail work happens, it's become a place of choice for him.
I am getting excited about classes starting back in two weeks, it feels like it's been forever since we used the shed and the arena to play dog stuff.
Here is the follow up on clipping Mr GSD's nails. What at super boy he was this morning, we only took a little bit off on his first go but he was a super star.
Clipping your dog's nails can sometimes feel like a daunting task. We’ve been focusing on making this process as stress-free as possible for this wonderful boy. He’s been learning to use a scratch board and is really starting to get the hang of it.
This morning, after some other training sessions, we decided to take a different approach to see how he would respond. He has a history of disliking having his paws held or having nail clippers near his feet.
Working together as a fantastic team, his owner and I completed a couple of sessions this morning that helped build his confidence with the process. Using the scissors was a brilliant step; I could gently place them around his nails and make a clicking sound. We were thrilled with how well it went!
Next week, we’ll be attempting our first real nail clip. Stay tuned!
Home Stays for Dogs (Boarding)
