Cadbury, Sparrow, Merlin, Swift and Me
One of the most prestigious agility events of the year, and one of the main qualifiers for Crufts, KCI is an event that attracts people from across the globe. This year was my second time at the show, though I was only running Sparrow on this occasion and concentrating on the Novice Cup qualifier. What's... Continue Reading →
Day 1 - Beachside! Going to a Beachside show is rather like coming home to a group of old friends. It's both fun and comfortable running, which is what I needed after a difficult week with Merlin. I was only running Sparrow, but she kept me busy and we had a great time testing our... Continue Reading →
Summer is here and for the Jackson gang that means regular trips to the beach where it is cooler by the ocean to walk. It also means plenty of swimming. I encourage swimming in my dogs for fitness and conditioning. Exercising in water, while still strenuous, does not involve weight bearing on joints or spine,... Continue Reading →
Sparrow has come a long way since we started training her running dogwalk using a piece of carpet. She is now running a full dogwalk and we are incorporating distance, speed and other obstacles. She still has a lot to learn and a lot to proof, but already she is faster and more confident, which... Continue Reading →
Shaping is a method of training using a clicker. Instead of luring or showing the dog how to do something, the behaviour is developed through clicking and rewarding desirable movements. The handler gives no verbal cues and the dog is effectively leading the trick training. To make things more interesting there are two types of... Continue Reading →
Cadbury and the Twitcher. A walk in the park is never boring with Cadbury around!
One thing you quickly learn when running a fast dog is that you are often behind them and in the wrong place! (Well, I am anyway!) Being able to rear cross or 'scoop' them over a jump or obstacle is essential. But it is something I have been struggling to train Sparrow. Part of the... Continue Reading →
...you find tennis balls in random places. Dogs and tennis balls, like strawberries and cream, such a perfect combination (and look I made a Wimbledon connection too!). Don't ask me how it happened, but centuries of domestication seem to have turned the average wolf descendant into a ball obsessed loon. I figure if you throw... Continue Reading →
Team Jackson 