Run Your Tail Off Agility

02/13/2025

I was just saying the other day, "I can't make my dog do it. I have to make him want to do it." Then I came across this lovely post!! Don't forget, you are the conduit to your dog's training. It's up to you how they learn to do something!

"Stress for dogs, often comes from the teacher, not the task.
For some dogs, the resentment for the phase of work that was forced upon them, stays with them and could have been avoided if the handler had changed their approach. For example, if you make a new concept difficult, even inadvertently, such as, having expectations of how quickly your dog should learn, how proficient he should be, the wrong set-up or if you try to force behavior, it could be that you are creating the stress that your dog then associates with that task."

One of the most powerful steps you can take as a trainer is to change your mindset from,
‘How can I get my dog to do it’ to
‘How can I get my dog to Want to do it’—

Stress for dogs, often comes from the teacher, not the task.
For some dogs, the resentment for the phase of work that was forced upon them, stays with them and could have been avoided if the handler had changed their approach.
For example, if you make a new concept difficult, even inadvertently, such as,
having expectations of how quickly your dog should learn, how proficient he should be, the wrong set-up
or if you try to force behavior, it could be that you are creating the stress that your dog then associates with that task.
—At the onset of training, it’s extremely important to differentiate, is the training issue one you can change VS. is it a genetic predisposition, that you can improve and manage but not organically alter.

Trying to force a dog to ‘push through’ an issue that stems from their genetics (ie too much eye, inherently wide, inherently fearful etc) is almost always to the detriment of the dog.
Instead, this is when you need knowledge and experience to help your dog or the self awareness to seek help from an expert.

Just like people, dogs can get bored when you do the same thing too often,
frustrated when it’s too arduous or disheartened when too often being told ‘you’re wrong’.

Instead of trying to accelerate your dogs training timeline, focus on your consistency, development and improvement as a teacher.
It's your continuous effort to adjust to your dogs response and body language that will help your dog become the best he can be.
Handlers sometimes find themselves waiting...for the day when they, win the competition, succeed at “X” , are acknowledged by their peers, or other.
Don’t let the pursuit of tomorrow diminish the joy of today, for you or your dog.
macraeway.com

12/15/2024

The Snooker 51 Club was huge! So many great runs. We had to break out the second Fickle Flamingo of Fate.

12/15/2024

It’s day 3 of the Grinchmas holiday CPE agility trial. It may be cold and rainy outside, but inside the dogs are running hot and the RYTO team is keeping things humming along.

12/14/2024

No Q? No problem. At RYTO you can still win the cutest ribbons in agility — perfectly Grinch themed for this Merry Grinchmas CPE agility trial.

12/14/2024

How do we stay ahead of schedule? Amazing course builders, that’s how.

12/13/2024

The RYTO CPE Agility holiday trial has begun. We do take day-of entries so if you have a CPE number and want to join the fun, c’mon down to Radda's K9 Campus.

12/11/2024

If someone stole your Christmas, I feel bad for you son... but

THERE IS STILL TIME LEFT to join the RYTO CPE Agility Holiday Trial this weekend at Radda's K9 Campus in Talking Rock, GA! We are still taking entries until Thursday night and will be taking Day of Show entries as well! Please note that if you want to play Day of Show, you will need to have a CPE ID Number, so sign up now at https://cpe.dog/members/ if you have not done so yet!

We will have a number of holiday fun events going on and we even have yummy striped holiday-themed CANDY CANE C-ATCH bars!! If you're up for a title, you won't want to miss these!!

You can find the premium for our trial here:https://cpe.dog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AG12132024GARunYourTailOffAgility.pdf

09/14/2024

Special bars aren’t only for Champions here at RYTO! We have the cutest Level bars for those of us moving along our agility journey — like our very own Beau & Arrow Images. Congratulations on moving on up!!

09/14/2024

Where has the time gone!? Can you believe that it’s RYTO’s official 2-year CPE agility trial anniversary? Thank you to everyone who continues to make CPE the most fun and enjoyable day at agility evahhhh. We couldn’t do it without you and look forward to December when we’ll do it all again!

08/09/2024

Such important thoughts on training!! More great insights from MacRae Sheepdogs!!

Becoming a better trainer and handler is often separated by the details.
Many trainers work towards the same goals using different methods. When the situation is difficult or a dog is under adversity, the quality of your work and the attitude of your dog, reveals the effectiveness of your process.

How you train and your success as a teacher is not only the method you employ but how you go about it, including your mindset, effort, communication skills and patience.
A dog’s ‘try’ and heart is ultimately a reflection of his desire and enjoyment.
You can often tell from a dogs attitude if his training was positive by how he reacts, especially in challenging situations; if he's happy to fulfill his commands or if he responds with sullenness or avoidance.

Dogs can be trained with many different styles and techniques.
There is a big difference though between a dog that has been trained only through drilling and a dog that has been trained intuitively.
When the work is enjoyable and the task is fully understood, it becomes your dogs idea to want to please.
When he is mentally invested and you have a connection, you get his heart and a partnership is formed❤️

macraeway.com

08/01/2024

Read this. And then read it again. So true!!

I will be processing all of the entries I received for our 2nd Anniversary CPE Agility Trial tonight!! Keep 'em coming!! Can't wait to play and celebrate our birthday/anniversary with you all!! 😄🎂

Trainers sometimes get frustrated when they don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire.
They often respond by pressing harder, hyper focusing on the specific area in which their dog is not advancing….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

They have a vision of how they want their dog to develop; a preconceived timeline of what a dog should be doing and when. If these expectations aren’t met they mistakenly convince themselves if they could improve “X”
(ie a wider outrun, squarer flank, better pace, stronger shedder etc)
all the pieces would come together.

But the key to helping dogs realize their full potential isn’t found by achieving the perceived next step,
improving a single aspect, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick.
Rather it’s found in the standard, understanding and totality of all the bits of training that comprise “the body of work”.
More specifically, it’s dependent upon the quality of the fundamentals, coupled with the right mindset.

Foundational skills are paramount and there is no embarrassment in going back to improve them; once mastered, they provide the springboard for future breakthroughs.
Focusing on these and staying in one place a bit longer gives your dog a mental break. Moreover, you reap the benefits found in the power of habits.
The repetition and routine inherent to core fundamentals develop confidence and cultivate mental fortitude.

It is a better and much less detrimental approach than pushing a young dog too hard to take the next step if he’s not ready.
While some dogs learn very quickly others need time to plateau, get a bit more experience, confidence and maturity before they’re ready for the next step.
Dogs that are slower to develop are very different from precocious dogs when they are young, however, if nurtured correctly, the two dogs can appear indistinguishable as trained dogs.

Instant results or training epiphanies are not common and the majority of the time, sudden improvement is actually a reflection of the cumulative body of work. The little nudge from a different approach that achieves quick and marked progress, probably wouldn’t have had a fraction of the effect without the supporting body of work.

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accept him for who he is—
As you help him through what he finds difficult, keep in mind
every dog learns at a different speed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Being patient in your training empowers learning, fosters partnership and strengthens your bond.

07/27/2024

So excited to announce that the premium is OUT for our 2nd Anniversary CPE Agility Trial on Sept 14-15 at Radda's K9 Campus!! Here is a link to the premium! Hope to see you there!!

Happy 2nd Anniversary RYTO!!!

MORE DETAILS TO COME SOON!! :D

https://cpe.dog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AG09142024GARunYourTailOffAgility.pdf

07/22/2024

What an absolutely amazing potter CPE trial we had last weekend! I could not believe the amount of support we had from our growing local fan base to the seasoned CPE handlers who came from out of state to come visit us!! This was our LARGEST TRIAL EVER!! With a Hairy Potter theme and our magical judge Anthony, it was clear this would be the TRIAL OF THE YEAR!! Huge THANK YOU to Mark Anthony for joining us and making every course so fun and flowy! He did not shy away from our theme, even creating a Diagon Alley themed Jackpot! He also gave out lots of points to each House when handlers did amazing things in his ring—anywhere from Snooker Saves to Loudest Cheers! And thankfully, with Mark comes Krista and Ana, who also made the weekend a blast!

Big shout out to, as always, my right (and left) hand man, Ken Wallace; our trial committee, Joanne, Carol, and Stewart Smith; and our chief course builder, Kurtis Kemper! And extra House points to Joanne, Stewart, and Ken for indulging me in this whole crazy feat and heading up each House! And we great appreciate Katie Ball with Beau & Arrow Images for not only taking amazing photos during the trial, but also taking (and donating) these lovely candid shots which are included in this post. The galleries are ready if you didn't already order. Please check them out!! BIG thank you to all of our volunteers who kept the trial moving and our worker board FULL—even up until our last class of the day! Without you all, these trials would be impossible!

One last announcement—I am busily working on our Dogwarts School of Whizzardry Yearbook! The submissions have been so creative and the photos just absolutely the best! I can’t wait to see it altogether. I will be posting more information about the yearbook next month as it is quite a feat to put it together. 😊

And now to the BIG WINNERS—the House with the most points at the end of our trial was House Hufflepup!!! It was a close race throughout the weekend, but they dominated our costume contest taking best dressed human and dog and after our Quidditch match on Sunday, the good natured Hufflepups cemented the lead! Ambitious Slobberin was a close second, followed by the ever-courageous Gryffindog, with Ravenpaw so cleverly bringing up the rear. Thank you to all the competitors that played along, wore their House colors, and showed great sportsmanship and cheer all weekend!!

We also had so many awards given out, not only related to Hairy Potter, but also some RYTO favorites:

High Scoring House Ribbons (Collected the Most House Points)
Hufflepup Lvl 12 – Splat! and Carolynn Richardson
Hufflepup Lvl 35C – Boonie and Rachel Mayfield
Slobberin Lvl 12 – Hestia and Clarissa Ann Henderson
Slobberin Lvl 35C – Boogie and Kurtis Kemper
Gryffindog Lvl 12 – Lexie and Leslie Greene Willett
Gryffindog Lvl 35C – Jack Daniels and Stephanie Lancaster
Ravenpaw Lvl 12 – Fred and LuAnn German/Ellen Richardson
Ravenpaw Lvl 35C – Abe and Ellen Richardson

High in FullHouse Bars (Highest Combined Score Across 4 FullHouses)
Hufflepup Lvl 12 – Bubba Blu and Renee Lundberg
Hufflepup Lvl 35C – Boonie and Rachel
Slobberin Lvl 12 – Hestia and Clarissa
Slobberin Lvl 35C – Watson and Stewart Smith
Gryffindog Lvl 12 – Pan and Abby Gravlin
Gryffindog Lvl 35C – Knox and Elaine Rinicker
Ravenpaw Lvl 12 – Denim and Lisa Meehan
Ravenpaw Lvl 35C – Raven and Lisa Meehan

Snooker Sweep Dog Toy Brooms (Highest Combined Score Across 3 Snookers)
Lvl 35C – Kai and Jessie handled by Carol Greer
Lvl 12 – Bubba Blu and Renee Lundberg

Goblet of Fire High in Trial Awards
Lvl 35C - Zip and Janine T
Lvl 12 - Hestia and Clarissa

Secret Snitch Finders (Found the Hidden Snitch Each Day)
Jack Daniels and Stephanie L
Boogie and Kurtis
Willow and Stephanie P

Hairy Potter Costume Contest
Best Dog – Boonie and Rachel for their homemade Cerebus outfit!! So cute!
Best Human – Autumn (and Hayden) for her amazing Snitch costume!! Wow!!

Jackpot Your Dog Snuffle Mats (Highest Jackpot of all Levels)
Raven and Lisa Meehan
Larson and Lisa Triggs

RYTO 51 Club Medals (51 Perfect Snooker Scores)
The MOST we’ve ever awarded!!
Savvy and Daniel Jones
Watson and Stewart Smith
Reagan and Krista Anthony x2!
Boogie and Kurtis x2!
Montana and Ashley Driskell Schauber
Addi and Diane Goff
Abe and Ellen Richardson
Pan and Abby Gravlin

And a HUGE ZOOMY BROOMY CONGRATS to our Championship title winners, four of witch won our BROOM BARS!:
* CS-ATCH - Jack Daniels and Stephanie L
* C-ATCH - Larson and Lisa T
* C-ATCH - Rip and Janine T
* C-ATCH - Tony and Juile Hughes
* C-ATCH - Clam Chowdah and Gill Chapman
* CS-ATCH - Tibi and Susan Shaw

If you read through all that—we so hope you can come join us for our 2nd Year Anniversary Trial Sept 14-15 and our BIG BIG BIG Holiday Trial December 13-15!

07/14/2024

So many 51s in Snooker! And they all got to sign the purple flamingo of fate and get to sport sweet sweet 51 medals! Tag yourself!