Big Stick Dog Training

10/15/2024

Feel like you're missing out? I've got a new CARO Rally Novice class starting on the 21st at Nova Dogsport
Please email [email protected] to reserve your spot in class.

Come join the fun!
Don't know what Rally Obedience is yet? Here is how the Canadian Association of Rally Obedience describes it: "RallyO goes beyond basic heeling by interspersing over 40 obedience movements with the sits, turns and paces of traditional heeling. It also requires a brisk pace, positive attitude and happy demeanor."

The best part about CARO is that they encourage participation of ALL dogs purebred or mixed breed, as well as dogs and/or handlers of different physical abilities. CARO offers accommodations on course to make things more accessible to those who need it. For example, handlers with dogs over the age of 7 are automatically given the option to lower their jump height.

10/10/2024

Big Stick Dog Training and students have been very busy training for and filming Virtual Trials. Pretty neat!

09/15/2024

CARO Fun Match on Turf!!
Date: Sunday, September 22nd
Time: 2pm - 7pm
Location: Leanne's agility field in Whites Lake, NS (25 minutes from downtown Halifax). Address is in the entry form. Thank you Leanne for offering us a field for the fun match!
Entry form in bio
A Fun Match for everyone to come and practice CARO Rally Obedience in preparation for the upcoming Virtual Trial, and the For the Love of Dog trial on PEI which will be in turf.
We are offering the CARO Working exercises (10 minutes in the ring), two runs of CARO Rally Novice, and one run each of Advanced, and Excellent, and Versatility.
Let me know if you have any questions!

09/06/2024

Each virtual trial we host a run filming day (or two!) to help competitors film their runs. The set up and filming is the hardest part of the virtual trial, because everything needs to be set up correctly, the camera needs to be in the right place, and you have to remember to hit record, on top of getting yourself and your dog ready to compete.

In my first two virtual trials, I made all of the classic mistakes, learned a lot of lessons, and realized it is simply too hard to do the virtual trial alone!

There is no requirement to film with us, BUT we make the whole experience fun, friendly and community oriented. We also try to accommodate our sensitive dogs by giving them time to do their runs with no other dogs in the building.

Our filming dates are to be determined, if you have entered the virtual trial and would like to film with us, please send me an email with your submission information so I know which runs you will need to have filmed.

09/05/2024

I’m so excited to announce an upcoming training challenge, 21 Days to Tighter Heeling! Over the course of 21 days, we will provide you with daily exercises and training tips that will help you achieve a tighter heel position with your dog.

Registration will open next week, so follow along here for more details soon!

09/03/2024

The Barkside Pet Supplies has an amazing toy selection, often supplying things you can’t find at big box stores. Tugs, bumpers, frisbees and more - check them out for Back to School toys !

09/02/2024

I'm so thankful, and absolutely thrilled to get these photos from Wet Nose Images - Halifax Dog Photographer

Here are some of the adorable silly ones.

09/01/2024

Kate does the best drawings!!! I can’t wait to get this as a shirt

Ramma-lamma-lamma-ka-dinga-ka-dinga-dong

Available now at Kate Knows Merch: https://www.bonfire.com/we-stick/ or link in bio!

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Illustration: Two fluffy red Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers proudly carry one Big Stick between them

Text: “We stick together”

08/28/2024

I have a few spots left in my CARO Rally classes starting tonight at Nova Dogsport.

Come build your dogs confidence, life skills and leash walking all in one class, and all while playing a sport! Rally obedience is a great sport for building connection between dog and handler, you really can't go wrong.

08/21/2024

I have some spots this evening in my Rally Novice class from 5:30-6:30pm at Nova Dogsport and my Rally Advanced/Excellent class from 6:40-7:40pm
PM me or email [email protected] to grab a drop in spot!

08/21/2024

Want to learn the CARO Working Exercises, but can't commit to a class? Check out my Drop-In Working class on Mondays from 8:10-9:10pm at Nova Dogsport

If you're interested, just pop me a message. We work on a variety of the Working Skills each week, and we break things up by fine tuning our rally skills as well.

Prep to trial in the CARO fall virtual trial, or at the trial on PEI at For the Love of Dog in October!

08/15/2024

Wednesday Night Classes are starting back up again on August 28th. Both of these classes have a few spots in them - don't miss your chance to register and save a spot! Email [email protected] to register.

08/11/2024

I could cry, I really truly love working with my dogs.

Yesterday was Gene’s time to shine, he achieved his CARO Rally Silver Championship title (and Bronze at the last trial, that I forgot to post about!). He did 3 C stream runs, all of which were perfect 200 scores 😭 I didn’t want to stop competing with Gene in CKC rally just because he struggles with ring stress. When he is not feeling under the intense pressure that there can be at trials - he is the most beautiful worker. I am so lucky to be his handler and get to experience what it is like to be 100% connected during a rally run.

Willow - while she just had fun on Saturday and got no C stream cues because she was all party and no precision 😝 I was so impressed with her enthusiasm and her ability to work for no cookies AND just be happy to be there with me. I think all of the agility training has her brain turned up to high speed which is fun and something I need to learn to harness for rally.

Instead, Sunday, our CARO Working Trial was where she shone the brightest. She showed up, barely having a formal retrieve just months ago, and achieved her Rookie II title. It takes 4 different retrieves! Retrieve over jump, on flat, designated retrieve, and scent article retrieve.

She gave every run all she had, and I was thrilled to be working alongside her for it, to get your Rookie II you need to be able to do all 10 of the Working Exercises! She is the best.

I always say that Gene and Willow fill in the gaps for one another, and they seriously do! Gene struggled in working, but everyone kept saying that he always looks like he feels like he did it right - which is exactly what I want! It doesn’t matter if they did it wrong, that’s on me. I just want to work with happy dogs 😊

Oh ps, they finally got their Advanced Brace title!! ❤️

Thank you Carolina Bergonzoni and Saundra Clow!! And Jamie Leigh Burt for doing team runs with Atlas Gene and me ❤️

08/06/2024

Congratulations to Penelope and Nina for graduating this sessions Intro to Rally Obedience Class at Nova Dogsport
They have made some huge progress in their rally skills and within 6 weeks were doing full Novice courses with confidence.

We will be back to class with a couple spots in our Novice Class starting Monday August 19th, 7-8pm.

08/05/2024

I have a drop in spot tonight in my Novice Class
7-8pm at Nova Dogsport

Send a message to learn more

08/01/2024

CARO Working is made of 10 exercises that are inspired by different sports, like obedience, agility, and more!

When you enter a Working trial, you can choose up to 5 exercises to compete in in a round. You "pass" or "not yet" exercises individually, and you are allowed to retry each exercise at the Rookie level. After you have 3 passes of a given exercise at a certain level, you move up to the next level for that exercise. The levels are Rookie, Elite and Expert, and each level is harder or more complicated than the last.

For our Obedience folks, CARO Working offers an awesome way to practice Open Obedience skills like retrieves, distance signals, directed jumping and articles.

For our Agility dogs, come show us your retrieves, back ups, cone wrapping and jumping skills!

For the rest of our sports dogs, there is something for everyone in CARO Working 🙂

In order to title, you must get 3 passes under two different judges in 5 of the 10 exercises at a given level (title: Rookie I, Elite I, Expert I). If you get 3 passes under two different judges in all 10 exercises at a given level, you achieve Rookie II, or Elite II. And if you get 3 passes in Expert in all 10 exercises, you are awarded the CARO Working Championship Title.

Come check out CARO Working at our upcoming trial on August 10th and 11th at Ace It Canine Academy in Harrietsfield, Nova Scotia.

1-2 Exercises per Working run = $14
3-5 Exercises per Working run = $28

Entry form: https://forms.gle/zR2jKopJBsRybuME8