Canis agilis

05/23/2024

TREATING REACTIVITY & DISTRESS WITH SCENT GAMES
I've been teaching K9 tracking lessons for almost 15 years. I've observed just how focused dogs can become when following a track or airborne scent. For some dogs, tracking behavior is intrinsically rewarding. For other dogs, it really is about finding that next treat further down the track.

Since about 2020 most of my client base has been pet owners needing help with their dog's reactivity or environmental sensitivities while in public spaces. I've relied on desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques typically used by other dog trainers.

Then sometime last year year it occurred to me that starting some of these reactive pet dogs in a program of sport tracking might help resolve their distress while out in the world. If they could become so intent following a track from treat to treat to treat....then maybe they wouldn't have to be so vigilant or reactive toward that other dog in the parking lot or the mob of children on the playground.

I've seen some positive outcomes among my own client dogs and now some veterinary research lends support to the approach I've been testing for a year. Send me a message if you want to learn more about including sport tracking or other scent games in treating your dog's reactivity while in public spaces.

Can scent work and sniffing help your nervous and reactive canine patients cope better with visits to the veterinary clinic?

05/10/2024

Now that Joan is retired from her job as a federal scientist, she is more available to work with Canis agilis clients. Joan started training dogs when she was a child and has put AKC obedience and rally titles on multiple dogs. She is also one of the strongest agility competitors in Oregon. Joan and her Belgian shepherd Dagger just returned from Italy where they were members of the USA agility team at the 2024 FMBB Championships. So if you are a beginning rally competitor or are an advanced agility handler looking for some coaching, Joan is ready to meet you at our training barn near Corvallis.

04/10/2024

A great big congratulations to Joanna and her Hanoverian scenthound Quinn for passing the Tracking Dog (TD) test on their first try! Last year this team also passed the Tracking Dog/Urban (TDU) on the first attempt.

03/22/2024

Canis agilis Social Studies sessions give our clients an opportunity to practice dog training while keeping their dog comfortable around other dogs and people. We meet once a week in public settings around Corvallis. Two or three private lessons are required before clients can participate in Social Studies. Send us a message or visit our website for more information.

Private lessons offered in obedience, basic K9 manners and dog sports

03/22/2024

Spring is the best time of year to try the sport of tracking with your dog. We offer private and semi-private lessons near Corvallis, Salem and Wilsonville, Oregon. Send us a message for details.

02/08/2024

Only data geeks will get to the end of this article by Carol Beuchat. Which is unfortunate because all breeders (or anyone wanting to buy a healthy dog) need to understand the perils of inbreeding. Research has demonstrated strong correlations between level of inbreeding and an increased risk of genetic diseases, decreased longevity and increased puppy mortality. The last time I checked, the average coefficient of inbreeding (COI) for Tervs and Groens were greater than 25%, which is the degree of relatedness between brothers and sisters.

By Carol Beuchat PhD