Canine Training Classes

4 Puppies and an adult

Well it is now August and we are ready to get back to training and classes.
In fact Classes start the week of August 22 and as usual our obedience classes will be held on Monday and Tuesday evenings and all agility classes will be on Wednesday and Thursday evenings...  As always we have added a new class, this time it is an introduction to agility entitled "Obedience for Agility". This is a new approach to agility as we will be covering all the foundation skills you need to be successful.  All canine performance events start with some form of obedience, whether it is confirmation, herding or agility there some form of obedience involved and we hope to cover all those bases.  Remember there is a 7 dog limit in each class so don't delay....

Session 4 2016 Class Schedule
For Obedience Classes

Monday August 22

6:30 pm Manners 101

8:00 pm Manners 101

Tuesday August 23

6:30 pm Manners 101

8:00 pm Manners 101

8:00 pm Obedience for Agility New Class

Manners 101
Our basic manners course focuses on making your pet a well mannered companion. The course concentrates on walking on lead, sit, down, stay and come on recall. We also address those normal pet problems like barking, digging and jumping. Need help with house breaking or counter surfing we can help. Want your pet to be a perfect neighbor? “Manners 101” is the place to start. Children must be 14 years or older. This is a class for puppies and adult dogs 6 week course $85.00 7 Dog Limit

Obedience for Agility

Everyone wants to jump into agility as soon as they have completed the Manners 101 class. but it it takes more than a fast dog that jumps high. In obedience for agility we will teach you the fundamental skills you will need in agility to be successful.  We start with the true obedience skills and then demonstrate how we expand and apply them into the agility dog. From sit stays, to sends, to wraps and lateral movement.  This is the place to start if agility is in your future. Children must be 14 years or older.  Dogs will be off leash and must be under control at all times.       Prerequisite Manners 101 with a strong stay and recall 6 week course $85.00 7 Dog Limit

CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT BIGTIMESKENNEL.COM FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND THE APPLICATION BLANK ON THE TRAINING PAGE 

OR CALL THE OFFICE FOR HELP 937-885-3427 SHOULD YOU NOT GET A REAL PERSON LEAVE A PHONE NUMBER AND AN EMAIL ADDRESS AND STATE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR CLASS. wE WILL GET RIGHT BACK TO YOU...

Update on White Tipped Tail

Update on White Tipped Tail

 

An update to the cat named White Tipped Tail story... Maureen has captured her friend and he (she thinks it is a boy) spent the night in a cat condo.. She has felt terrible all night as she believes she betrayed his trust.. But today will be a better day as she has already contacted the vet and he will be feliine leukemia tested first and if negative will be neutered and updated his shots.. Her long term plan is to try and let him join the Morty and Oscar show, but if that does not work let him return to his outdoor world... feed him every night but let him come and go as he pleases... she feels he is young so anything is possible... I do hope things work out for him... Pictures to follow of our new addition...

A Cat Named White Tipped Tail

Maureen and a cat named White Tipped Tail

Maureen has been stalking this cat for a couple of months now.. I was coming late at night at first (1/2 in the am) she would leave food out for it but eventually the racoons found the feast and would clean the bowl before the cat got to it.. Result we trapped and disposed of a few racoons. But being racoon they kept on coming and broughts friends. that forced Maureen watch the food and chase the racoons away when they would come, but they got smart and would not leave.. Maureen vs Racoons they won.. So on to the next plan put food out at 6 pick up food at dusk.. Finally the cat figured it out but did not come regularly.. Well that is now resolved this is a picture with the cat hanging out with Maureen... I will post more later.. She has now earned the title Crazy Cat Lady

 

And a little Video

 

 

Gem City Trial May 5

THE TRIAL

I spent the early morning at the Gem City Agility Trial  watching 2 of our students... Colleen and Cooper , Ruth and Ponto... Both did really well qualifying in the excellent jumper class... Wanted to stay for the day both chores are calling... 

The course How would you run it??

Colleen and Cooper

Ruth and Ponto

Different Strokes

Different Strokes

For Different Folks 

Practicing all the time can sometime lead to a lot of boredom, so our advance class instructor Ron Trainer likes to fill in at times with a longer more difficult short course to keep things interesting and keep the group focused...

 

Remember our focus here at Big Times is that agility is made up of a series of challenges which we counter with a series of specific skills.. Thus we have a tendency to teach and practice SKILLS.. Which at times can become frustrating and boring...

 

As you will see in the following videos 2 people, 2 different ideas, 2 different skills and 2 different executions...

Which one is right.. Both..

They worked..

Is there a better way in each case sure, but these 2 handlers reacted to what they were presented with by their dog.

I guess you call that Handling..

 

Colleen and Cooper

 

 

 

Lisa and Cisco

 

 

 

 

 



AKC Nationals

Running Agility

I do not profess to be a writer but I would like to put some thoughts out there to consider.

After spending the greater part of the last 2 days watching the Agility Nationals I have come to the conclusion basics are where it is at.  From start lines stays to driving to the finish.  More dogs failed because of simple miscues from the handler. Some of the weak basics start line stays, wraps, sends and go outs.  And people forget the natural cues like movement, shoulders and eye contact.  So many stopped at jumps causing the dog to stop.  The surprising thing is the weaves were really not a problem for the better dogs but the basics were.

Here at Big Times we are are into basics, nothing fancy just the basics. We pride ourselves on looking at lots of course, pulling out the problem areas and presenting basic solutions to the problems to our students.  

If your really interested in doing agility it starts in a basic beginners class with good sit stays, come on recall and walking on leash.  Nothing fancy just basic good manners.

Not much else to say except you sure can learn a lot watching the AKC National Agility Championships.....

 Well got to get back to watching !!!!!!

Queen City Agility

March 6th I got the chance to run down to Queen City and watch 3 of our students show their stuff.. The fact that they are all at the excellent Level made it easier.. Here is Ruth and Ponto's Jumpers run.
The team is a well oiled machine and showed it Sunday.  Big Times Kennel was well represented..

Ruth and Ponto

Corgies Practice

Checking in on Team Corgie

AS everyone knows we have 2 students and 3 dogs going to the Nationals.

The Teams

Ruth Miller and Kerrie (corgie)running in the 8 inch class

Ruth Miller and Ponto (aussie) running in the 16 inch class

Becky Brinck and Maddie (corgie) running in the 4 inch Class

Practice Practice Practice

Here ron has set up a series of problems, which the teams have been working on. Generally at the end of a practice session the teams like to put the whole thing together a nd see how they do.

Ruth and Kerrie Clean Run

Becky and Maddie

A  little mishap at the weaves (handler error)

a clean run otherwise..

Practice never ends..

Practice Practice Practice

At Big Times we try to focus on individual skills and occasionally we put them together in a short course...  Here we feature a short course a contact, a sweeping weave pole entry, multiple wraps, another contact and a send to the table.  4 dogs , 4 styles 

RUTH and KERRIE

COLLEEN and COOPER

DAN and SMEDLEY

LISA and CISCO

Practice Practice Practice

Practice

Everyone likes to run courses but success comes with a lot of practice...

And a successful teeter is no exception. 

Handlers as well as the dogs do a lot of running.

We always start with the teeter as low as possible and supported with sand bags so there is no movement..

Here we are on stage 4 where we have started to raise the teeter and the dogs are working with the movement and the noise.. Most importantly we focus not only on the teeter but the 2 on 2 off contact

Becky and Zoie

Connie and Cooper

Ruth and Nemoy

Steve and Reilly

How important is motion

Motion and direction play a big role in agility... Motion and direction being natural ques over shadow just about everything else.. Donna and Sadie were having a hard time with a send..

Sadie goes around just like she was told...

Watch the motion of the handler. Donna sends the dog 

Before the jump then proceeds forward

Sadie takes the Q goes to the backside of jump and follows Mom

Same thing happens here 

 After some adjustments and a little practice

Sadie get good information and completes the task

Bad and Good

Dan and Smedley

Dan and Smedley demo a different problem..  Smedley makes the wrap but goes under the bar..  Always something as this was a problem Dan did not expect..

Patience and attention to detail the team got things going in the right direction..

The Bad

The Good

Bad and Good

Colleen and Cooper

Same problem, different dog.. Handled in the same manner now timing becomes the issue.. With Coopers size and speed the game remains the same but things happen faster..  

The Bad 

The Good

Bad and Good

Ruth and Kerrie

Things do not always go as planned but there is something to be learned no matter how things turn out..  The problem here is Ruth is running right at the entrance to the tunnel.  Kerrie like many dogs likes the tunnel..  Compare the 2 videos and see what you would change..

The Bad

The Good