WR ARCH Topbrass Rye With A Splash

JH, WCX, CD, CDX-H  

                

 ...earns another SH leg!

  Rye earned her third AKC Senior Hunter pass on June 5 at the Hudson Highland HRA test. Rye ran a great test and finished the day with a round of applause from the gallery on her water blind. Many thanks to judges Mary Beth Corsini and Scott Shafer for a great test and a great day!

Wednesday Workshops in Andover

Need a little extra help with heeling and proofing of obedience exercises?  Wednesday Workshops will be held every other Wednesday from 10 - 11 am in Andover, beginning Sept. 14 and are strictly limited to six working teams. Each workshop will cover two obedience exercises, heeling and attention.

Friday Classes in Andover

Two daytime classes have been added to the schedule.  Beginning Friday November 11, Attention Games & Heeling will meet at 10 am and Novice Ring Prep (both AKC and CDSP) will meet at 11 am in Andover. 

Obedience Run-Thrus

Wednesday August 3, 10 am - Novice

Wednesday August 10, 10 am - Open

Andover location

Blue Ribbon Blue Ribbons!

Maureen McEntee & Jenna (pictured here)

first place Nov. B, first place Nov. C,

two HIT, new CDSP CD-C title 

Mary Meila & Indy  - first place Open C, CDSP obedience

Bobbie Wood & Emmy  - first place APDT Rally 1B

Pat Sarles and Zeke  - first place AKC Beginner Novice B

Sandi Ver Sprill & Fly - first place APDT Rally 2B & 3B

Blue Ribbon Orange Ribbons!

Hank Hahn and Oriana - AKC JH pass

Eva Smith & Skye - AKC JH pass 

Cheryl Matthews and Grady - NAHRA Hunter Retriever pass

And our training partners, Scott Unkel & Midge and Pete Cherasia & Cole - AKC JH passes

And a red, white and blue ribbon for:

Jill Newman & Stormy, who qualified for and ran the Started stake at the NAHRA Regional Invitational.

Congratulations to all!

Teaching Big Concepts in Small Spaces

You don't need a 'technical pond' to begin to teach the concept of land/water/land marks and blinds.  A small, shallow stream wtih gently sloping banks will do very nicely.  Begin by walking your dog across the stream.  Then sit your dog on one side, walk across, turn and call your dog across. Next, with your dog at heel position, toss a bumper across the stream to the other side and send your dog for it.  Be sure to keep it close to the stream and be sure to immediately call your dog back to you.  Gradually increase the distance your dog must go to get to the stream and cross it.  Then gradually increase the distance your dog must go after crossing the stream to pick up the mark.

For blinds, begin by walkiing your dog across the stream. Teach it as a 'sight blind'.  Sit your dog on one side, walk across and place a blind pole/stake on the other side, identify the pile, walk back across the stream to your dog, turn your dog away and count to two.  Then turn back and send your dog to pick up the blind.  Gradually increase the distance your dog must travel to get to the stream and cross it and then the distance your dog must go after crossing the stream.

Do not use the same spot for the mark and the blind.  Move downstream or upstream so that each lesson is taught in a different location.