Another puppy camp has been put to bed. What fun! It was all I thought it would be and more. Fun puppies and great students, I mean they really embraced the program. More energy by the last day on Sunday, then even the first day Friday!
Seems that puppy camp keeps 
evolving away from strictly an agility camp and moved towards a foundation to a prep for sports and life. I like it. I like what it has become. Skills camp (which starts Thursday) will pick up where Puppy Camp leaves off with a lot more focus on contacts, weaves etc.
Puppy camp gets the life skills in order which makes the agility skill training so very much easier. I am talking about things like building drive, a relationship and a recall. I have kept in the what I feel is the important agility foundation skills for puppies; jump grids, target training, table work. Mixed in a bunch of body awareness exercises for flexibility, core strength and balance but kept the focus on developing a kick ass relationship between puppy and owner.
It keeps coming back to the same old song, foundation, foundation, foundation!
Today I am grateful for a day off. I know it has been a great camp when, the next day I feel the need to just have some quiet time to re-charge!
When will you be offering another puppy camp? I would love to take mine to one…
Thanks, Polly, I’m going print out your comment and put it up on the wall !
Trudie – keep at it – I was in the same position when I got my pup and now he has been in the ring a year with some great achievements……. let’s just say others are finding us very sexy now!
I wish that I were closer!!
I agree and thank you SO much for all the foundation DVD’s that you put out. Stingray is now 15 months and his relationship, drive and willingness to work is all due to those many small steps we take in the beginning. Too bad I can’t make it in person to a puppy camp!
Teaching things like one jump and 2 x 2’s is so frustrating when I see people whose dogs can’t offer behaviour, nor retrieve a toy, nor drive to reinforcement… let alone a sit in front of a jump and a small leadout. those IMO are the things that reflect everyday life with recalls and good stays adn release words.. And your program helps to get all those things rock-solid.
With four dogs even recalling off the veranda one by one and then giving them an okay to get into the truck, (about 40 feet away) one at a time, is my startline, contacts and general self control learned in your videos. It would be a nightmare with 4 Kelpies going at 90 K all trying to get in the truck at the same time in my driveway beside a busy street!!
I am a HUGE fan of foundation!!!!!!!
Thank you for all you do Susan!
Kathy
Thanks so much for the “same old song” encouragement.
It’s just what I need. I was just at a competition where there were a lot of very good teams doing a lot of very impressive and sexy stuff. We were eliminated in two runs, when I forgot to clearly determine my position after a front cross, and my body language sent my dog to a wrong obstacle. Also, I haven’t proofed my weaves enough, my dog popped out upon coming face to face with the spectators. As for weave entry, I forgot your advice to be vigilant in competition, hence, a refusal on left-hand entry that I was hoping (except hope is not enough!) would be perfect.
Rather than feel too humiliated, I got out a recipe card and made a list of five points to bear in mind next time, on the flip side I’ve put the corresponding “key words”. dare I let you know how this technique works out for me…
I’ve just recently gratefully discovered Susan Salo’s gridwork and Rachel Sanders running A-frames grid. We are patiently working on these. I might add I’m alone with my DVDs because no one else in my club is interested (– let’s say, it looks very unsexy indeed).
Thanks for the valuable “foundation” encouragement.