Well there are some very clever people out there. I notice this morning there are still orders coming in for the ebook “Phase One of Excellence in Weave Pole Training”, even though I said it would no longer be available after the new DVD was released. So I went to our website and I can not see it there anywhere but somehow people are finding it and ordering it. My guess is that I overworked my web-dude with the ebook and now the new dvd (and another project I just loaded on him) and rather than taking off the ebook he has just hid it on the site. I would try the old link and see if it still works. However I imagine it is going to go soon enough.
The exciting thing is that you CAN order the new DVD, however it will not be shipped out until Friday so please don’t email me wondering where it is for at least a week after that:). Looking at the orders coming in today, I notice how much tax the poor people of Ontario have to pay on this DVD and I really think it is crappy.
So I was thinking it would be nice if I gave everyone from Ontario that ordered the new DVD a free gift of some sort. And then I realized all of you people overseas are also paying a wack of money for shipping, so I thought, wow, I should include all of you in on the free gift as well. Then I thought, hey those Americans have been loyal supporters of Say Yes for a really long time so I can’t leave them out or the rest of Canada. So here is my plan, I am going to make sure everyone that orders the new DVD Susan Garrett’s 2×2 Weave Pole Training, 12 Poles in 12 Days from our website, is going to get a free gift from me. I don’t know exactly what I am going to do, but I will do something. I will keep you posted in blogs to come when I iron out the details with my overworked web dude:).
I thought I would elaborate a bit on one of the points I made about how the skills that make a great family pet lay down the foundation for a phenomenal agility dog. Take walking on a loose leash for example. Today there is an increasing popularity for agility dogs to be lead around by a harness, rather than a collar. Why, because it makes it easier on the dog that wants to pull on leash (pulling on a flat collar can be damaging to a dog trachea so a harness is healthier).
It makes me wonder though, why not just train the dog not to pull on leash? Take a look at what a puppy or young dog learns when he pulls you on a leash? He is learning that your body is something to be ignored. When you stop he should dig in harder to keep moving away from you. Not only does this create frustration for both dog and handler, as far as being a good family pet, but it also teaches the dog your body motion is meaningless.
Does this mean all top agility dogs do not pull on leash when walking? Aaaaah no, not at all. It does mean that once you have allowed a puppy to learn the lesson of ignoring your body in his every day life with you, you are going to have to have him un-learn it for the purpose of agility (wow that last sentence was really something special wasn’t it?) I avoid all of that unnecessary extra work for myself by teaching my puppies, as soon as I get them home, to not pull on leash! I appreciate a family pet that is responsive to my body as she walks on leash and coincidently, I also appreciate my agility dog that responds to my body language as something important (for tight turns amoung other things) on the agility field. So think about other ‘family pet’ traits that will pay dividends for you in the agility arena, there actually are a lot of them when you stop to think about it!
Today I am grateful for my web dude Bill. He is getting gun shy when he sees the word “idea” on my subject line but yet he still responds to all of my wacky requests.
Hi,
I really need some help – I’m living out in Kuwait where dog’s are seen as less than desirable and due to this my husband and I have surrogated and since adopted a 1 year (ish) old Doberman cross German Shepard.
It’s a long story but We have time for him but not necessarily the expertise. He has been treated very badly in the past and we can provide him with a good home.
We’ve been using ‘ItsYerChoice’ and ‘chasing game’ to train him to come and not jump up. In ten days his improvement has been amazing.
My main problem is that he pulls so much on the leash – I am using a harness because when we tried to use the halti head collar he poo’d inside and was very very scared. It’s actually that bad that he can jolt me, pull my shoulder out of the socket (I do have pre-existing conditions) and tweak my neck. It’s a struggle for me to actually take him out on the walks he needs.
I don’t know what to do and there are no teachers or classes here (that I can find) unless we send him off for an ‘intensive training experience’ where we won’t be involved. For me I would like to know how to train him myself and understand the reasoning behind it.
I really hope that you can get back to me – we are waiting for you next online course in the Spring!
Thank you 🙂 Cam (and Dexter the DoberShep)
Hi everybody! I’m wondering if you’re like me who likes this blog and Susan’s web dude’s neat stuff, is your dog sitting next to you, stretched out with a little sigh: “Um, aren’t you finished yet ? It’s starting to get dark out and I thought we were gonna go outside…”
Is the 2×2 dvd in NTSC or PAL?
I also really appreciate the multimedia blog entries. What’s next? Holograms?
Cant wait to receive my DVD and now I’m getting a free gift, even more excited, even though I know it wont come til the New Year as I’m over here in COLD England!! Have a great Xmas and New Year.
I love the you tube clips of you doing stuff with your dogs!!!! Great source of info. Thanks
Okay that one made me laugh out loud!
Well, I’m using the harness just because my dogs DON’T pull the leash… Because with the harness the leash will not get stuck around the dogs feet. I have small dogs and with the loose leash it will entangle if they wear collars. But with a harness where the leash is on their backs it’s much easier to walk them.
(Sorry for my poor english, it’s not my mothertounge…)