Emotion in dog sports

Over the last year or so I've been on a journey, where so many things about what I do, how I train, and how I observe behaviour has changed, and changed for the better.

I am better with observing and marking behaviour. I now have multiple markers, and am adding more. I'm watching dog's around me and noticing things that I never used to notice. Frustrated, foaming, confused, not happy. Not all of them obviously, but quite a few!

I've pulled Evo out of the last three months of all competition, and all agility training. We've been working on his arousal, cleaning up reinforcement loops, and retraining startlines. The last few show's before I pulled him from competition he couldn't even sit on the startline let alone wait, was foaming at the mouth, and jumping up at my face in over arousal that looked like (to people watching) that he was biting me in the face.

This article has been published at a perfect time. Last week we went to club and worked on startlines, and he did his first agility jump in about three months.  Here's some video.  Tonight we did a proper training at home. Multiple agility things! I'm excited to move forward in our training plan, and start heading back to shows soon.

I cannot thank Sarah Stremming of the Cognitive Canine enough. Her courses on Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, and work she did with us in New Zealand in March has made this change happen.

Here's the full article in NZ Dog World: http://www.dogagility.org.nz/Articles/DWJun_Agility.pdf