Play is an important activity for a dog with lots of energy. For an older dog still wanting to play, warming him up will reduce the chance of injury. When he plays tug, it is like us doing a weight workout. When he chases the toy, it is like us running. Add any level of skill work into the session and you are working out every part of the dog, physically and mentally. This makes warming him up very necessary. You will notice that I have Dikran do controlled movement in all directions before getting to the more active part of the play. This gets his body warmed up before he does any hard running. Care must be taken to not overwork an older dog, keeping the session appropriate to the dog's age, level of fitness, and skill level. In this video, Dikran is just shy of his twelfth birthday and in excellent physical and mental shape. His drive to play is as high as it was when he was younger, so I need to be the one to determine how much to have him do. This is true for anyone playing with an older dog. We want to keep our older dogs fit, active, and alert without causing any unnessesary injury.
Brushing the teeth.
The best way to brush the dog's teeth is to teach the handling of the mouth and the positioning on the back separately. Then, when both can easily be done, we put them together. When the dog is on his back you have an easy view into the mouth and can reach all of the teeth with the toothbrush. This will save you a lot of money down the road as well as saving the dog the ordeal of dealing with bad teeth and gums.
It's always a good practice to challenge your dog with harder versions of skills that they already know.
Training with Bruce and Maverick at the Rose Bowl with some very cool distractions.
Dikran's nap routine. It is important to be comfortable. After all, being a dog is hard work that requires proper rest and relaxation.
Class No. 500 - thank you for making this possible!
Eiger doing a down stay at the park with a good distraction.
Saturday morning class practicing engagement with distractions.
Tuesday night obedience class.
Tuesday night obedience class.
Tuesday night obedience class.
Saturday morning obedience class. Distraction work is a very important part of a dog's training.
It's good to do different visuals when training recalls and to make it a habit of engaging the dog in marker skills once he gets to you. This strengthens his focus and engagement.
This is a great example of an advanced training session done hands-free. For a dog accustomed to wearing a line, this gives the feel of off-leash work while still having control at any given time. Working different marker skills builds great focus and engagement.
Ness doing a long recall past the other dogs in the class. Good distraction training for all involved.
Coupe doing a blind recall with distractions.
Maverick showing off his long-distance down stay, a recall, and then a down halfway after being called.
It is never too early to begin working engagement. This is Gracie at 10 weeks old.
