Getting ready...

My life has been extra-ordinarily busy for the last few weeks. Not so much due to regular classes and privates, but because of something else. Since a long time back now, I'm gearing up for hosting two phenomenal learning opportunities back-to-back. They've been a long time in the works, but now suddenly they're here and knocking on my front door! 
Having now hosted Suzanne Clothier successfully twice, I will add that in some ways it's not that much more work to host two courses back to back, (than hosting one seminar), and in other regards it is three or four times the work!

What put a smile on my face this morning, though was the Realization that the work that started more than a year and a half ago is now coming to fruition.

The seemingly endless inbox of emails, registrations, inquiries, receipts, phone calls and admin work (which admittedly is not my favourite cup of tea) - is now about to change and turn into real human contact, dog training and connecting with people who share the same passion for dogs and training! 

Organizing a seminar does truly not happen overnight. The original letter I sent to John Rogerson, asking whether it might be a possibility to bring him to Canada to teach, was sent in October 2011. 
And here we are - June of 2013 and today he left the UK to fly out to come and teach two courses for a group of keen enthusiasts and trainers! We start on Saturday morning!

June 15-17 he will be teaching a Sold Out  "Advanced Dog Behaviour Counselling course". Then we switch locations and come into the Mountains and Banff and will experience something I am not sure we're quite ready for...Canine Crime Scene Investigation. Complete with all kinds of fun and interesting Crime Scene props, a group of participants SO enthusiastic it's just too funny. It's definitely going to be the highlight of my summer!

All 18 dog/handler spots filled in record time after announcing the course in December. A small number of 12 (only) auditors are allowed to take part side-by-side with the Canine Sleuths. 11 of those spots are taken. One final auditor spot amazingly still remains open?! Anyone?

As the courses start to take on a life of their own, I hope to be able to get a few reports in for how they progress and what is taking place. Stay tuned as I will invite some fellow course participants into guest blogging and sharing a few experiences and learning? 

One thing is for sure; all of us having the privilege to attend these courses in person, are in for a Treat and some extra-ordinary learning from a Legendary teacher! There is no doubt in my mind about that.

Wags' Puppy Drop-in for the summer of 2013

A lot of people have a hard time making a several-week long commitment for training during the summer months. People travel and go away on vacation, host guests etc etc. 
It's understandable that a long training class would be put to the side in favor of Summer, we all want to enjoy time for camping, travel and other things. 

The Great News is that for the Summer months, we're switching our schedule to meet the many needs of Summer: Wags' Puppy Foundation Skills class will operate as a Drop-in program. We'll work on basic skills, manners, answer questions, do confidence building exercises, puppy play-time, do leash work and Recall. We will incorporate themes for the summer: how do you teach your puppy to settle at your feet by the campfire? How to keep your puppy from destroying your camper van? Is it a good idea to tether your puppy outside at your campground?

Puppy Summer Program will be fun and very useful stuff to both you and your puppy!
Your puppy must be less than 20 weeks old.

You need to do nothing else than get in touch prior to the first time you would like to come - there are a few health requirements that all puppies need to meet, I want to send you info about where to come and what to bring: and I would like to know that you are coming. 

No 6-week commitment needed! 
A full list of Tuesday drop-in dates will be published to the website shortly. 

Now that's good news for all the busy-bees who love their summer freedom?! Bring your friends and come and do some drop-in training!

Puppy Class in kids drawings

I came across these drawings today. They are drawings made by my daughter Fenja - drawn probably about 3-4 years ago. I would guess she was about 6 or 7 when she made them.

I remember when she drew them and gave them to me.

Before she got so very busy with after school activities, she used to love coming along to puppy class. Sometimes we have had many puppies living in families and several kids accompany their puppies and come along to the same class - other times there have not been that many kids or none. Being a mom, and also someone who believes very strongly our puppies benefit from having people of all ages take part in the class - I love it when kids come along. So, my own kids were a staple at puppy classes for quite a while. They were great helpers in setting up for class, and sometimes there were bonus puppies that needed a Junior Handler!

Sometimes we would get `bonus puppies` show up from a rescue or shelter.
I have always encouraged the local shelter to get in touch if they have Puppies waiting to be adopted and drop in to Wags` puppy foundation skills class, at no charge. I think it benefits everyone! The puppies get a little outing with some good learning, a volunteer is likely to accompany them - and it gives that volunteer a chance to perhaps learn something new as well as get out and mingle and let the puppy meet some additional people and dogs.

Fenja`s drawings all focus beautifully on the exercises we did with the puppies. (and we still do these types of things, among many others). 

The top drawing  shows an owner working with a puppy to introduce the puppy to go through a chute. It`s just a confidence builder and something simple and fun - yet is very helpful for some more advanced exercises later on. So, dogs who have been introduced to chutes and many strange objects as puppies have a clear advantage.

The middle drawing is equally descriptive :-) It`s extremely beneficial to introduce puppies to as many different kinds of surfaces as possible and get them comfortable stepping on and confidently walking on anything and everything they might later encounter. In the illustration the puppy is practicing sits and downs on a slippery surface (can you guess what the surface is? well clearly: a snow slider toboggan!)

And the final drawing below here shows all the prep work necessary to get ready to teach puppy class. It`s a big job to get ready for the little bundles!

Yup. That`s me with the purple shirt and the mop. Floors always get carefully cleaned before any puppy enters the training room. Carefully selected props and items are brought out. Here we`re obviously setting up the chutes as well as a tunnel. (I believe that to be one of Fenja`s brothers helping with the tunnel).

Before Wags` had a home base and a permanent indoor location, classes moved around quite a bit: I have taught in many different locations in Banff and Canmore. For some of that time I even lugged around my own flooring which was assembled before each class, and again disassembled after...(see the blue rubber tile in the top right: yeah, that`s what that is. This is an extremely accurate drawing!)

What treasures these drawings are. There were a few more...Maybe another day I can share the rest. 

Tommy in Black and White

Here is Tommy in Black and White. What a character. So many expressions in this Young little Guy. I love the one eyed look as he is engaged with his toy (top right). Tonight I`ll see Tommy in Puppy Foundation Skills class and we are going to work more on play: retrieve and tugging to be specific.

The owners were asked to bring two identical toys for tonight so I can show them a very cool, simple and extremely effective way of building solid retrieving skills in a dog. So many dogs learn to enjoy the `keep away` version of retrieving: with the owner going after the dog in hopes of getting the toy back...not something I recommend. 
So - we`re going to address that tonight, use two toys and get him - and the other puppies - enjoying coming right back to their people with the retrieve object. Simple, and SO much fun!

Teaching your dog to play with you using toys is simply one of the Very Best things you can do. Enough can`t be said about the benefits of human-dog play.
What you can do with great play skills is Magical. Nothing less!
So - on that note, I am heading out with my own dogs to play, tug, and retrieve!

Canine CSI: Murder Mystery in Banff

A shrill scream resonates in the dead of the night. You jump out of bed, to realize your partner is missing. As your mind feverishly races to figure what has happened, your friends surround you and convey the bad news – your partner has been kidnapped. As you grapple with your socks and grab your trusty dog’s leash you realize you have only 2 hours before your friend could be killed. Your hands tremble as you command your dog to search. Questions race through your mind… who could it be? Could it be the cannibalistic tribe that lives in the neighbouring valley? Or the strange man who accosted your car on the way to the campsite? Another scream pierces the air. Visions of the person being tortured flood your mind. Can you find the lost person before it is too late?

Have you always dreamed of becoming Sherlock Holmes? Well, dream no more, join us for this unique opportunity to work hands-on with John Rogerson: canine scenting and crime scene investigation course – it teaches you how to train a dog to find anything – drugs, explosives, even a lost person. Are you up to the challenge? Do you have it in you to become Sherlock Bones? And train a dog to become Dr. ‘Paw’son? Then take up the gauntlet and read on.

Past courses of this type have included:

• Tracking, scent detection, advanced control and problem solving
• Team and relationship building exercises in a variety of groups
• Working on almost every exercise connected to controlling and having lots of fun with your dog
• The first couple of days you and your dog receive training to become a super sleuth
• The final days participants work in a small team of dogs and handlers while attempting to solve a heinous crime using your canine detective, your powers of observation, and problem solving skills to sort out the case
• Arson, explosive, firearm, and drug detection (real weapons, accelerants, explosives and drugs are NOT used)

This is going to be an Amazing experience! What a privilege it is for Wags unlimited to be hosting this fun learning opportunity. You can find more details here.

We're booked in to do this course in Banff June 20-23, 2013 and the course sold out incredibly fast! Now it just so happens that *ONE* auditor spot has opened up as a cancellation. Some lucky person who has dreamed of getting in on a John Rogerson course will have a chance to join us...

Please Note: This course is not intended for law enforcement officers as it is a fun mystery course designed to “have some of the most fun you could ever imagine having with your dog” (quote from past course participant) as well as create new ideas for running dog training classes where there's a real purpose and end result to the training.

So what do you need to join? Do you need a degree in forensics? Be able to shoot straight or run like the wind?  Nah. What is needed is a huge amount of enthusiasm, the ability to get along with others and work in a small team, and… nerves of steel. This training course is like no other – can you handle the challenge? Yes? Then sign up today and don’t forget to bring along your thinking hat – you’ll need it!

Happy Victoria Day!

Everything feels great after a walk in the woods.

Sharing just a couple of shots from the other day with my patient and extremely cooperative models; Maggio and Pinot.

I walk around with a lot of photo inspiration these days - seeing trees, bushes, branches, and grasses as potential backdrops. Opportunities seem to be everywhere - it`s fun to be riding a massive wave of inspiration!

Bringing the camera on a dog outing brings me a lot of joy right now - and fortunately I think the dogs are really loving it, too. 

The reason I love to photograph my dogs in the woods so much is likely very very simple - it`s my `daily therapy session`- the time for me to recharge and renew and just spend time with these amazing four-legged friends of mine. 

I`ve heard a neat saying that goes  something like `there`s no problem or worry in the world that can`t be resolved from the back of a horse`and I feel a bit the same about our daily outings into nature. 

How could  Everything not feel great after one of these adventures!