Could there be such a thing, where a dog and handler team are tackling too many dog sports at once? “Blasphemy”, cries the owners of versatility breeds, “Our dogs are by design meant to play all the things!” While that may well be true, there is something to be said about HOW one goes about partaking in all the dog sport world has to offer. For instance, which is the better approach: to dabble a little bit in everything or to be proficient, competent, and successful in a few things? “…” And there is the rub. What we all must keep in mind is that our dogs are not machines, computers, or robots ..read more

One thing about adding a new new puppy or dog to your household is suddenly the world is full of opportunities! So many dog sports, so little time! It is important to know who your puppy or dog truly is and take their vote into account when choosing the dog sports the two of you will play together. How to Choose When diving into which dog sports you and your pup will tackle, you want to break this down into the sports you ultimately want to do with your pup and those you can start working on right now. Essentially, create long- and short-term goals. Let’s try to flush this out a bit more with ..read more

The most heartbreaking aspect of sharing our lives with dogs is having to say goodbye to them. The final act of advocacy and love is a horrendous burden for us to bear, but a necessary one nonetheless. Facing Truth and Reality Our dogs never live long enough. Whether they are lucky enough to make it to their golden ages, or are robbed of a full life due to illness or injury or accident, they will always leave us sooner than we wish. This is an ugly truth of dog ownership that we all must face and come to terms with. When you are in the final stretch of the journey with your dog, all of the mo ..read more

That's right. Your bundle of furry joy can get overtired and cranky. What do dogs do when they need a nap? Destroy stuff. Nip. Bark. Jump up. Zoom around. Act as though they are possessed. It runs the gambit. Your job is to preempt overtired-doggie-meltdowns and have a relaxation regiment in place for them. We will walk you through how to do just that in this blog post. Routines Are Your Friends Dogs crave predictability, schedules and routines. Look at your schedule and figure out a few key things: ​When does your dog wake up in the morning to start the day? When do they eat their meals? Wh ..read more

If you are doing agility, you have to trial...right? Maybe you're training in competition obedience. Clearly that is to perfect skills that will be useful in obtaining titles, why else would you be doing it? Barn Hunt, disc dog, rally, treibball...these are all dog sports and therefore you MUST be getting ready to compete in that given sport if you are training them with your dog. I mean that only makes sense! Or does it? Game v. Sport ​If you have ever heard or read my pontificating surrounding Scent Work, you know that I am a big proponent of identifying the Game of Scent Work and Sport of ..read more

"Trei-what?" Treibball. Urban herding. A combination of pool and soccer for dogs. However you want to describe it, Treibball is a wonderful activity that can be enjoyed by dogs of all ages, breeds and sizes and hits on all the goal points of any dog sport: 1. is mentally engaging, 2. provides physical exercise, 3. furthers the training prowess of the handler and 4. is fun! Treibball: Mentally Engaging ​"I don't get it...don't the dogs just push balls around? What's so special about that?!" Treibball is a LOT more than simply pushing a ball around. It is working on physical proprioception (kno ..read more

"Why would I teach my dog tricks?!" "Tricks are silly, I am more interested in doing serious dog training." These were common responses I would receive from clients when I would talk about adding trick training to their training program. They soon came to realize that not only are tricks important, they had been training tricks all along and just didn't know it. ​We oftentimes think of tricks as some cutesy thing our dog does. They sit pretty, spin or something like that. Throw away behaviors we whip out to impress family and friends, but otherwise not all that useful. This outlook on tricks ..read more

We are extremely fortunate to have a plethora of dog sports to choose from when we are looking for a game to play with our dogs. But not all dog sports are suitable for all dogs. Let's discuss how you can better decide which dog sport would be a better fit for your own individual dog. ​"Here we go again...what are you talking about NOW, Santos?" Dog sports are a wonderful thing. Truly. They allow dogs to play fun games with their owners, perfecting a variety of different skills and oftentimes tap into various instincts and even breed-specific traits. "So, what is the problem?!" Every dog spor ..read more

I have something shocking and startling to share with you, so please have a seat. Are you situated? Are you ready? You are living with an alien. Take a minute to let that sink in. I know it can be difficult to accept, but it is true. That bundle of furry joy at your feet might as well be a little green creature from Mars. Dogs and humans are completely and utterly different, in every way. As a species, dogs and humans approach life from two vastly different perspectives: humans are forward-thinking, whereas dogs live in the moment. Humans are a verbal species, whereas dogs communicate more wi ..read more

I can already hear you saying, "What is she yapping about THIS time!", or "Oh no, is she talking about letting my dog rule my life or be the leader of my household! NEVER!" Alright, now calm down. I promise, this is a bit of advice that everyone should be open to, regardless of their opinions on dog training otherwise. Quite simply: allow your dog the opportunity to make you happy. "…Santos, that doesn't help." Let me explain. With both Dog Sport University and Scent Work University, I am tied to my computer. A lot. As in all day long, practically 7 days a week. There is always a mountain of ..read more