This week we introduced a new speed-based ranking, the All-Decade Power 70. In this podcast, we discuss this ranking and the trends we see in agility over the past 10 years.
You Will Learn
How the All-Decade Ranking was created.
Why there are 70 ranked dogs instead of 60.
Why we think so many of the ranked dogs are from the last few years.
In this episode, Director of Westminster Companion Events joins Sarah and Esteban to talk about the upcoming Masters Championship at Westminster, including important changes for both competitors and viewers.
You Will Learn
What upgrades Westminster has made for competitors.
How you can view the preliminary rounds on livestream.
Which network the Finals will be broadcast on tape delay.
Who the judges are for this year. How the prize pool will be distributed.
Why Meet the Breeds will not take place in conjunction with agility this year.
Fix and Go at Westminster
After the podcast, we received confirmation from Paul Campanella, Director of Agility for the Westminster Kennel Club, that Fix and Go WILL be allowed during the Preliminary rounds at the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. However, FNG runs are scored as an E, and an E in a preliminary round disqualifies the team for the finals. Fix and Go will NOT be permitted during the Finals.
In this episode, Denise Fenzi returns to the podcast to talk about the common strategies that we use to help our dogs cope with distractions and anxiety-provoking situations in agility.
You Will Learn
the relationship between a dog’s emotional state and agility performance
Dr. Amy Cook joins Sarah and Esteban to talk about noise sensitivity in agility dogs. Dr. Cook earned her PhD in Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley and has been training dogs and dog trainers for 25 years. Part 2 of 2.
You Will Learn
Why agility dogs can be very sensitive to noises.
Common noises that often cause problems for agility dogs.
How to implement the solution to noise issues.
What type of conditioning you need to fix the problem.
How to “prehab” rather than “rehab” your agility dog.
Dr. Amy Cook joins Sarah and Esteban to talk about noise sensitivity in agility dogs. Dr. Cook earned her PhD in Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley and has been training dogs and dog trainers for 25 years. Part 1 of 2.
You Will Learn
Why agility dogs can be very sensitive to noises.
Common noises that often cause problems for agility dogs.
How to implement the solution to noise issues.
What type of conditioning you need to fix the problem.
How to “prehab” rather than “rehab” your agility dog.
In this episode, Jennifer, Sarah and Esteban talk about success in the sport of dog agility: how do we define it and how do our perceptions of success influence our training and trialing?
You Will Learn
The difference between traditional and non-traditional definitions of success in agility.
Members of the Aces High Flyball Team that won Crufts join Sarah and Esteban to talk about breeding, raising, training, and competing with their dogs in the great sport of flyball.
You Will Learn
Traits that make great flyball dogs.
Why Whippets are gaining popularity as sport dogs.
Why flyball competitors value tugging.
How social media increased visibility for flyball around the world.
In this episode, AKC Director of Agility Carrie DeYoung stops by to talk about the AKC’s newest marquee event–the AKC Agility Premier Cup Presented by EEM.
In this episode, Jennifer and Sarah address the differences between training a skill that encourages a thoughtful response from the dog and training a skill in a higher drive state.
You Will Learn
Why you need to recognize whether you are encouraging a thoughtful response or a more action-oriented response.
How to bridge the gap between thinking and action.
How to manipulate food to increase your dog’s drive for the reward.
How to manipulate toys to decrease your dog’s drive for the reward.
In this podcast, Jennifer and Esteban interview Perry DeWitt, the Masters Agility Champion from this year’s Masters Agility Championship at Westminster.
You Will Learn
All about border collie Verb.
How Perry uses a strict visualization routine in agility.
Why Perry’s agility career was possibly delayed by 5 years.
The top 10 dogs registered in the AKC in 2017 and why it matters to dog agility.
In this episode, Greg Fontaine shares how he has worked with the AKC to experiment with course design strategies aimed at providing better spacing for large dogs.
You Will Learn
What Greg was trying to achieve with his designs.
Two different course design strategies Greg used to provide additional yardage between jumps for large dogs.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban discuss the concept of proofing, pointing out common misconceptions and explaining exactly how you should use proofing in your agility training.
In this podcast, Director of Agility for the American Kennel Club Carrie DeYoung joins Sarah and Esteban to talk about the upcoming AKC Invitational, which will be held December 14-16, 2018 in Orlando, Florida.
You Will Learn
Why many agility organizers outside of the United States are interested in the Invitational.
In this episode, Sarah and Jennifer outline four international championship events and explain how they differ in format, jump height, and governing organizations.
You Will Learn
Which international organizations are associated with which championship event.
Which USA organization controls the team selection for which championship event.
The differences in jump heights between the various events.
Which championship event does not allow mixed breed dogs.
In this podcast, Sarah and Esteban talk with Leslie Eide, DVM about structuring your agility training in a way that gives you peak performance at a specific event.
You Will Learn
How to plan your time off from agility.
How to taper for an event.
How to design a training plan for the entire year.
In this podcast, Sarah and Esteban chat with Jessica Ajoux. Jessica and her border collie Fame(US) won the overall Masters Champion at this past weekend’s Masters Agility Championship at Westminster held in New York City.
You Will Learn
Why you should consider competing at Westminster at least once.
Jennifer Crank and Sarah Baker join Esteban to share their thoughts on the upcoming Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. They also give some advice to dog agility newcomers and discuss being “results oriented” versus “process oriented” in your approach to the sport.
In February 2015, Raphael was watching the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster on TV with his rescue dog Ringo and decided, in that moment, that he wanted to be there. In June of 2015, he began training in agility. And now, in February of 2018, he will compete at Westminster. Listen to their remarkable story!
In this episode, Sarah catches up with Stacey Campbell whose rescue dog Roo! became the first “Highest Scoring Mixed Breed in Trial” at the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk about three different phases with respect to the start line behavior, and common mistakes made by trainers in each phase.
You Will Learn
The most common start line mistakes that handlers make in trials, in practices, and during retraining.
The concept of ring sustainable training.
Why Esteban never rewards a dog in position at the start line.
A sneaky way to train and proof start lines in the trial environment.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk about the upcoming Masters Agility Championship at Westminster with Paul Campanella, the Director of Companion Events for the Westminster Kennel Club. They will cover new changes to the event, including the $10,000 grand prize, as well as plans for future events.
You Will Learn
Which club is older, the Westminster Kennel Club or the American Kennel Club.
Which agility clubs are eligible for the $10,000 award.
Which height the overall Masters Agility Champion will likely come from.
When entries to Westminster open and why you need to enter on the first day.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk with Silvia Trkman about her recent European Open win and how she continues to be competitive in an ever-changing sport.
You Will Learn
How your attitude toward challenges can affect your enjoyment of the sport and set you up for a career of success.
Silvia’s thoughts on course design in Europe.
What to watch for when reviewing your runs to increase your dog’s speed and reduce their confusion.
How beginners can achieve success with their very first dog.
Why is it sometimes so difficult to make changes in your handling? In this episode, Sarah and Esteban apply the concept of homeostasis to dog agility, and explain how you can “reset” your agility equilibrium.
You Will Learn
The definition of homeostasis.
How to leave jumps sooner.
A helpful tip for handlers who “body block” their dogs on down contacts.
How to get ahead while your dog is weaving.
The real secret behind Romeo and Juliet’s love affair.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk with Jennifer Crank and Sarah Baker about how they manage their time and their dog from the moment they take them out of a crate for a run to the moment they put them back in the crate after the run.
You Will Learn
When and how to get your dog ready to run.
How to structure your dog’s reinforcement schedule around each run at a trial.
Common mistakes people make before and after runs.
The big mistake people make when using food before their run.
What can you do when something works for everyone else’s dog but not your own? In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk about understanding your dog’s issues in the context of the agility spectrum.
You Will Learn
How many dogs earned a qualifying score in the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2016.
Why you shouldn’t feel like you’re the only one dealing with a specific problem in agility.
How to find help for your specific problem.
Why you should leave your poker chips at home before going to the jungle.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban explore how a minimalist approach to dog agility training can protect people from feeling overwhelmed–especially if they have a dog new to agility.
You Will Learn
Why Esteban thinks he’s an agility minimalist.
How minimalism can protect you from feeling overwhelmed with your new dog.
How to identify the essential skills and behaviors needed for the minimalist approach.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban discuss the impact that external influences can have on your agility, and how you can use them to advance your own training.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban help you memorize your courses by figuring out the dog’s line and the handler’s path and combining them with visualization.
You Will Learn
Why you should focus on your own path as well as your dog’s.
How knowing your dog’s line can reduce your memorization burden.
The 3 different views you can have during visualization.
Sarah and Esteban talk about dogs that perform better at home than at shows. Some dogs slow down at trials while other dogs run fast but consistently make mistakes on the same thing like start lines or weave poles. We share some tips for both training and trialing to help handlers work through these issues.
You Will Learn
Why some dogs run slower at shows than at home or practice.
Why you need to make your practices harder than the trial.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban apply the concept of “muscle memory” to dog agility. They talk about how it works, why it’s important, and how you can use it to your advantage.
You Will Learn
The definition of muscle memory.
How muscle memory works.
Why muscle memory can help your dog agility.
The most common way agility handlers undermine their own training.
The big problem muscle memory can create for the agility veteran.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban are joined by Livestream Finals announcer Brittany Schaezler to wrap up the 2017 AKC National Agility Championship. They talk about the dirt, the judges, the courses, the winners, and their favorite runs from the weekend!
You Will Learn
If this year’s courses were tougher than last year’s courses.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban talk with USA AKC/FCI World Team member Jennifer Crank about being a mom and competitor while managing a human child in the dog agility world.
You Will Learn
How far along in their pregnancies both Jennifer and Sarah ran agility.
How Jennifer started in the sport as a very young child.
Why it’s helpful to establish a relationship with children and their parents at trials if your dog is not good with children.
How children can help prepare your dog for big events like Westminster.
How and why unsanctioned “Cup” events are starting to appear here in the United States.
In this podcast, Sarah and Esteban talk with John Nys, the overall winner of this year’s Masters Agility Championship at Westminster about the show, the courses, the crowds, and Madison Square Garden!
You Will Learn
How border collie Trick overcame injury to win Westminster.
How the audience impacts the atmosphere of the trial.
How John managed running two dogs in the televised final.
What kind of impact Westminster is having on the sport of dog agility.
In this episode, Sarah and Esteban explore social networks in dog agility and share 3 tips for creating your very own powerful support system to get you through the tough times.
You Will Learn
Why developing your own social network in agility is important.
How to develop your personal network by casting a wide net, being proactive, and using technology.
How to approach strangers at dog shows (with a video example).
A safe, constructive way to complain/vent without offending others or being attacked.
In this podcast, Sarah and Esteban share a commonly used and free app/website for agility record keeping, including trial results and training sessions.
You Will Learn
Why you should create and use a Group in Facebook for your record keeping.
In this episode (23:39) In this podcast, Sarah and Esteban share their tips for course building in your own backyard.
You Will Learn The size of Esteban’s shoe. How to use a centerline to build your course. How much a large measuring wheel costs at Home Depot. Which spatial relationships are important to keep. How different types of jumps and bar lengths affect your course build. What elemental gold says if you’re caught trespassing.
