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Obedience World Championsip 2013 + Disc dog World Cup : 17-19 May World Dog Show 2013 in Hungary
Flyball: 23-25 august European Flyball Championship 2013 in Belgium
Agility: 30 May International All Breeds Cup 2013
Agility Germany: 20 april SV OG Twisteden in Kevelaer-Twisteden
IPO Germany : 14 april Frühjahrsprüfung 2013 SV OG Twisteden in Kevelaer-Twisteden
INTERVIEW with Sofía García (World Agility Open Argentina Team Manager)
canicross Netherlands : 2-3 february 44th MASTBOS CROSS Breda
sleddog Finland: 15 february 1st round of the Scandinavian Open Championship 2013
interview with Jean-Philippe Pontier
Results Agility Switzerland: 5-6 january ATO Champion Dogs, Kaiseraugst
Agility Croatia: 26 janaury 1st round Pedigree Cup ,Zagreb
Agility Austria: 19-20 jannuary 3rd round of the 4.Tattendorfer Winterhallencup 2012/2013
This month the interview with a dog trainer is with a fantastic trainer from Belgium . A clicker "master" trainer for dogs and horses . He with his wife is the owner of the Tanaina Lik'a , a combination between, vet, dogtrainers, fysiotherapist center... Read the interview below and you will know more about him and his way of life...
Geert and the warm up questions...
Your favorite actor?
Steve McQueen, Glenn Close
What was the last thing you ate and drank?
French fries with a tipical Belgian meatgoulash
What profession would you not like to do?
The one that doesn't give me any challenge
Well, never mind .Though I like to do these type of questions . Let's move to something more serious …
Could you tell our readers a little about yourself
I live toghetter with my lovely wife Helena Potfajova in Wuustwezel a small town in the nord of Belgium near Antwerp. We are very lucky to live in the countryside so we have space to keep al our dogs and horse close to us. I am 44 years old and freetime dogtrainer. Even we lived in a big city as Antwerp as we were children, we always had animals from cats to hamsters, fish to birds. We travelled alot around Europe and had a countryhouse were we spent al our summers toghetter with our grandparents. This gave me an open mind to confront myself with problems, this was very important later to work, play and help dogs.
How starts your way down this road, there was someone that has motivated you? Tell us about your beginning
My beginning with dogs starts with a dog called Jacky, a Scottish Collie, We lived still in the city. He was found on the street during a storm when he was 3 months old. My parents were on hollyday and didn't know anyhting about it. The evening they arrived at home it was a complete surprise,we had at that moment already 2 cats, 3 hamsters an aquarium and birds in the appartment. But it worked well out with Jacky. The day I started to work I went to live in our countryhouse with him and later in our own appartment in a small village Brecht, were we have now the vet./fysio practise. I speak here about 26 years ago, so the only way to train a dog in that time was with force. But I was raised in a way to respect life. So I was always in conflict with myself. I moved in that period to Italy. Because of my job in the furniture industry there I travelled to the USA and learned to know the clicker. This opened all doors to training a dog and later horses. In a way a slept again in the night without thinking if my dog was happy or crying silently in his bench because he did not understand why his partner was pulling on him. Unfortunatly I had to leave Jacky with my parents in Belgium, but everytime he heard me in the hall he was freeking out, even sometimes there were long times that we did not saw eachother. This was my motivation to take the street of clickertraining and positive rewarding. He was happy to see me again and not afraid.
You and Helena are the owners of the Tanaina Lik'a ,that isn't a normal veterinary practice and not a dog school. Tell us more about this project.
Tanaina Lik'a comes from a small indian tribe in Alaska and it means 'people of the dogs'. Tanaina was also a horse that Helena knew when she was little. So the name was picked. What we try to create is an idea, a filosophy, a way of life. What we noticed over the years is that there is alot of times no comunication between, vets, dogtrainers, fysiotherapist. We try to combine these things within Tanaina Lik'a.
You notice it immediatly when you enter at the practise or rehabilitaion room. Lot's of colours, friendly atmosphere. Not a tipical white and grey, get your vaccinplace. Owners and animals need to feel good and relaxed. Helena got some time ago a nice compliment of a customer that discribes good the feeling. 'A place and persons with just that little extra that changes your mind'. Towards dog training we are trying to get a field for training dogs, but regulations are very tight and difficult. At this moment we go at the peoples home or in a hall near Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands. This year will use to expand more the fysiotherapy as Helena started to follow a course of accupuncture for dogs and horses at the Chi Institute in Madrid (Spain). Also we hope to place finally a watertredmill. What we want to achieve is that people look at there animals not as animals but as partners in life with the respect it brings with it. Latest part is that we are settign up a projekt toghetter with people from Switserland to teach children on how to behave towards dogs.
The most common reason for which people come to you ?
The approach towards human and dog/horse I think. For me it is fundamental to understand the owner and dog and their combination. For me the dog never has the problem alone it is the result of the combination of his life toghetter with us. I stay calm, relaxed, observe and most of all I listen to both of them. Then I try to give the people the correct attidute towards the animal. Being clear that nothing can change fast that it can take along time before it works. But with good will and enthousiasme it will work.
What training techniques do you use when training your dogs?
Even I am addicted towards the clicker, sometimes you cannot us it. It is important that you as trainer can find a method that is good for the owner and dog. They have to feel comfortable within their training system. It is up to me to find it and train them in this. Of course always based on rewarding good behavior. It is based on mutual respect not ‘I am the pack leader’ idea. Dogs have been breed over generations from a worker towards a social partner. Still there are some breeds that are near their origin but also there is the social training important. Mutual respect I would say. You trust me I trust you. You help me I help you. Not you DO as I tell you. No this will not work even a lot of people and dog trainers see it this way. We give our dogs the possibility to make mistakes so that they can learn from it and perform the good behavior for wich they get rewarded. They get the possibility to think and decide what’s best. It is like this the dogs we train (or our students) are happy to do things and they perform it by themselves even without asking because they know out of experience that there will be a reward. With some other trainers the dog does the behavior otherwise he gets punished.
What are the achievements you are most proud of?
To see people and dogs working/living toghetter again and understanding each other. Getting 'lost' dogs back were they belong even it is in a shelter with agressive dogs.
What do you think to those that have dogs only as working objects and they build their carrer on them ?
I have nothing against it. Dogs always have been breed to work or to perform for us humans since thousends of years. What for me is important is that the dog is then also treated in this way. You keep him healthy, give him freetime, treed him as your partner in your work/hobby and not as an replaceble object when he doesn't do the job anymore. Sometimes I think that topsportdogs are treated better then alot of home-garden and kitchen dogs. Let me clear one thing and that is that I am absolute against genetic breeding for shows, it brought already to much sufference into certain dogbreeds. This must stop.
What are your views regarding Cesar Millan and his dog training techniques?
Mmmmm, this is not easy to answer. I would say that everybody is free to teach people and dogs in the way they think it is the good way, but this doesn’t mean you can pull or kick your dog to show him how it is done. Mr. Milan works only with aggression/repression against any kind of behavior. He is great in show with good looks and his famous Colgate smile. I retrained dogs that if he would use his methods with these dogs, there would be uncontrollable aggression from the dog out. Strangling on a leach to hope that he would not bite you is wishful thinking. The ‘pack leader’ theory is old and gone. Besides his training, which on a stage and show are looking very revealing, it is as old as a dinosaurus and therefor ready to extinct. At his shows we laugh with our daily problems we have at home with our four legged partners. It is normal that dogs stay behind a human being on a walk if they know that if they try to pass they get kicked. Our dogs go free in the field, everywhere are they, but we yell one time STOP and they all lay down at the place where they are even in the mud and dirt. But you can see at them that they are happy with it as they know the faster they lay down, they get as reward a big run al together. In the meantime people, cyclers, cars can pass them. This is what I call control over ‘the pack’ :) . In the end I think that Mr. Milan will change his trainningtechniques with time. When people at home notice that there is nobody or descend dog trainer that uses the ‘back kick’ between legs to get a dog under control, he will stop to. Or at least I hope. The biggest surprise for me is also that National Geographic supports these ideas. But yeah money you know.
What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
My major strength I think is that I stay calm in any situation. My biggest weakness is my wilfulness, ones I believe in something nothing can change my mind.
What are your goals and aspirations for the future?
That I can raise my son to become a person with respect for all what lives and make Helena happy.
Who or what had the greatest influence on your life?
Who: For sure my grandparents. I will always remember there stories about the wars they lived in, what it brought. It gave me a base for my own vision on the world and how to deal with people.
What: I don't think anything as I am not a materialistic person. Or maybe the small things in life with big meanings like a kiss in the morning from Helena, makes my day.
The favorite toys of your dogs?
Myself
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Do you have anything else you would like to add?
I hope from the bottom from my heart that people with or without dogs start to understand each other better. If we want to change the world we have to start it at home.
visit: www.tanainalika.be
This month you will discover a special interview...something different from the others interview...An interview with a Microsoft Excel “master“ Charles Shultz. Chuck is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer and the author of the Rally Obedience course map design program . An excel program that will be used for Rally-O judges for designing the courses. He's from the USA and he's involved in Obedience , tracking and Rally Obedience .Read this special interview :D
Can you introduce yourself and tell a little bit about your background?
I live in central New Jersey, USA. I've owned Labrador Retrievers since 1990, when I started Obedience training. I began Tracking in 2003 and have been breeding since 2005. I've titled my Labs in Tracking, Obedience and Rally in both the USA and Canada. I have Engineering degrees from Penn State and Stanford Universities and I am a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD).
Tell as about your start in Rally Obedience
Back in 2002, I got my first Rally title. I thought the concept was great-a very interesting variation on what we already were doing in Obedience. At my first Rally trial (offered by the APDT here in the U.S.), the map I was handed by the judge was just horrible. Hand-drawn and barely readable. As I went to more trials, the maps improved. But right away, I knew that this had to change. Not only was it unfair to make the competitors try to read illegible course maps, but there was no way a judge could look at their map and be sure they didn't miss a rule about course set-up.
From where comes the idea of creating Rally-O courses map in Excel?
I had done a lot of work with Microsoft Excel, so around 2003, I put together an Excel program that did a pretty good job at creating course maps, along with score sheets. It used the AKC 2001 rules and signs. It even created VRML files that would allow someone to take a "virtual walkthrough" of their course. Then 2005 came along and the AKC changed some of the signs and rules. At that point, I got emails from people asking me if I was going to update Excel to work with the new signs. And the same thing happened in 2008. When it happened again in of 2012, I knew I had to fix the whole mess. Each time the rules or signs changed, it was too much work to update and test the program. Plus, I was only able to program one registry/one set of rules at a time. A couple of other people created Windows programs for building AKC rally courses and they ran into exactly the same problems. Others used Microsoft WORD or PowerPoint, which was fine for drawing the course map, but it couldn't automatically create a list of signs.
So at the beginning of 2012, I wrote down the data elements I thought were needed by the Excel program to understand a set of Rally rules and signs. I had worked with XML files - they allow you to organize and store data-and I knew they would be the right approach to solving this problem. So, I created a file format - I call them Rally Rule Set, or RRS files - and I documented that at www.sinisterlabs.com/rally_rule_set_definitions.html . I then set out to create an RRS file for the AKC 2012 rules. Right now, there are a handful of RRS files, located on www.sinisterlabs.com/rally_o_resources.php along with the signs for those registries and Excel files. With the help of some others, we've got signs for a few more registries and I'll soon be working on RRS files for those.
And the beauty of this approach is that just about any programming language supports XML. That means that anybody can build a course design program using these RRS files. Programs are needed for the Mac and for mobile devices like the iPad and Android. I am making the RRS files available to anyone who wants to build with them. I also created an XML format for saving a course that's been created. If each of these programs adhere to that standard, then it would be possible to create a course on a PC and email it to a Mac or an Android, or whatever. That's where we need to be.
What state is this development in?
I've never trained in agility, but I "think" the Excel program could be made to create agility courses, too. The signs would be much different than in Rally, but since the program can read in any set of signs, that shouldn't be a problem.
Meanwhile, the Excel program is not quite done yet. There are a few more features to add and plenty of software bugs to find. Even so, it should be possible to build AKC 2012 courses right now. Right now, there are only English-speaking registries involved. But, I'd like to recruit all registries that offer Rally, so I've been thinking about how to make the text that you see on the worksheets and the pop-up forms change to another language. I can do that with a web form. Allow someone to enter translated text, press a few buttons, then your Excel course builder works in your language. Something like that will take a while, but it certainly is a possibility.
what I must do If I want to use this program?
Anyone who is interested in this topic can join our Yahoo list at pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Rally-Course-Design-Excel/ .
If you are an official at a registry, a judge, an instructor or even a competitor and you'd like to help create a version of this Excel program that works with your set of rules and signs, you probably want to join this group, There, we also talk about features we'd like to see in the program and problems we find in the programming or the RRS files. It's an English-speaking list and it would help if your registry has a rule book in English.
What's your vision of Rally-0?
Here's my vision of Rally in the not-so-distant future:
I show up to a Rally trial and I set up my chair and supplies, then I crate my Labrador Retriever. I sit down and pull out my mobile device - a full-sized, touch-screen tablet. I press a buton to check in with the stewards, then I watch an early class for a while. A half hour before my walk-through, my device tells me that my track map is available. So, I bring that up and I start looking it over. I might play a slide show of all the signs. I might look up an exercise description or maybe a rule. Then, I decide to watch an avatar and his dog walk through this course. That clarifies how to do a couple of the exercises, so my Lab and I go off to practice.
As we stand outside the ring waiting for our turn to go in, the steward scans my ID pin (something that replaced arm bands a while back) and the microchip in my dog. As I enter the ring, the jump heights are automatically adjusted for my dog. I see the judge is using a similar hand-held mobile device to score the event. We make our run and the score appears on the big screen above us. I don't see it, but all of this info-our score and our IDs- are sent to the registry, who verifies that this qualifying run completes our title. When it comes time to pin the class, titles are presented right along with the placement ribbons and other prizes.
visit:
http://www.chuckles.net
http://www.gullwinglabradors.com
http://www.sinisterlabs.com
This month the PRO that I have interviewed is an amazing trainer and handler from Slovakia , now she lives in Belgium. Helena Potfajova is an animal physiotherapist and with Geert (the husband) they have the Tanaina Lika , a vet. practise and fysiotherapy ,specialised in sportdogs and horses . Helena dog sport carrer starts in the year 2000 . Today after 12 years she the winner of the Crufts Large International 2012 .At the Crufts 2012 she also finished 9th at the International Freestyle championship. In her sport carrer she was present many times at the Agility World Championships , European Open and many more high level competition. A very powerful person.
Read this superb interview!
Helena and the warm up questions...
Do you smoke ?
no
Have you ever tried Kiteboarding?
no
What do you think : Is there a time limit on fortune cookie predictions?
Everybody is responsible for his own fortune. Some cookie prediction should not be something that mess it up.
The Interview...
Could you tell our readers a little about yourself
I come from Slovakia, now I live already 4 years in Belgium. I work as a sport vet and animal physiotherapist. We live together with 9 dogs, but not all of them are active in agility sport. We have 5 border collies, 1 mixbreed, 2 smooth fox terriers and 1 golden retriever.
Tell me a little bit about your start in dog sports?
It started very innocent with buying a border collie. He needed to be busy, I was interested in agility sport, and slowly my interest grew over to addiction, I took another dog, and than one more, and one more... Of course they all needed to by busy and I could not stop sporting with them. I also never thought about to do so, there is nothing so nice as a tired dog sleeping in front of the fireplace.
Do you remember your first agility competition?
Ooh yes, it was in the summer 2001. Fortunately I had a great dog to run with, my great Benny. He was than just 15 months old, of course we did not win, but later on I did participate on many AWCs and other big events with him. He was active in sport until his 10, now he is retired and enjoying being old.
At the 2012 CRUFTS you won the Agility International Championship with Eggoray and finished 9th in the International Freestyle championship with DJ Te Pito O Te Henua . What's the first thing that comes to your mind thinking about this event?
It went so smoothly. I was in good mood, dogs were relaxed and listening, there was nothing that could bring me out of my balance. Easy bussines, nothing to worry about. This is it, this is what you need, if you want to win.
The most beautiful and the worst competition ever made ?
The one that I will never forget is the AWC 2005 in Spain, I was than alone there to represent Slovakia. The atmosphere was so great, unforgetable. I think this gave me a big push in my sport carrier.
And the worst one? Did not happen yet. My nightmare is that my dog will get serious injured on the course.
Who was behind you at the beginning?
My parents of course. They have bought our first dog, they helped me to feed him, they were bringing me to the trainings and supported me on the competitions.
Who is behind you nowadays?
Absolutely my husband Geert. Thanks to him I started to train the dogs in much more possitive way than I did before. He teached me how to use clicker in the training and also to be patient ant take it easy if something is not going good in the training. He supports me in the trainings and on the competitions.
You are competitive in agility and dog dance and both in high level competition . How much time you devote to training during the week?
Describe your typical training day?
I don´t train with my dogs that much as people would think. With Egor I spend maybe 2 times 30 minutes in te whole week on the agility course, sometimes even not that, depends how busy I´m at work. With DJ in dog dance it is even less. Important is to keep the dogs fit and relaxed and to create a trusful relationship with them.
My typical training day doesn´t exist. Becouse of my job, I never know what I will have to face that day and how much free time I will have. Every morning I take a good walk with the dogs and then we see what the day brings.
In what does you have focused more in training during the 2011, in what does you have given more importance?
I was mostly focused on growing up my new puppy, the doughter of our Egorray. With himself it was mostly condition and muscle training and on the course just repetition of the basics, as 2011 was for him the first season to run after his cruciate ligament injury.
You are active in dog sports for over 10 years , how much has changed your way of view during the competitions from the early years to nowadays?
Of course I made lot of experience during these years. I actively worked with about 12 dogs of all ages and breeds, I followed lots of workshops and trainings, I gave hours and hours of lessons and seminars. I learned how to comunicate with dogs, how to read their mind, how to teach them new things and how to keep them motivated and concentrated. Now, more I know about dog behaviour and dog training, more I realise how much I still don´t know... What I try to do is to craete comfortabe surrounding for he dogs, respect their needs and understand their wills, Create a trustful relationship so we can go through the life together.
Plans for the future?
I have some dreams and ideas, but as we don´t know what tomorrow brings, my only real plan is to be happy and make people arround me at least as happy as I am.
Do you think that a good pair of running shoes can do a bit of difference during a run?
Your shoes are very important when you are running. If they don´t fit, if they are to heavy, if they slip over the groud, you cannot move smoothly, you cannot concentrate on your handling, you cannot give good signals to the dog and your run is a disaster. Unfortunately, most of the handlers blame the dog of making faults, instead of stepping into a good shoe shop and spending money on something worthy.
Tell us on what is based your workout / agility training.Does it changes before a big event ?
There is only one good workout, doesn´t matter if it is a big or small event or training. Concentration, conseqence, clear signals to the dog and having good fun.
Are you superstitious? Have you ever try something like a beg / conjure before a race?
On the course I trust only myself and my dog.
Which is the favorite toy for your dogs?
All our dogs play with everything what you say it´s a good toy.
Before the end , do you have any advice for a beginner at his first competition?
I would say "dont´t be nervous", but I know he would be anyway. So, just enjoy it, thats why you do this amazing sport. Not to bite of your nails, but to have fun, so go for it!
visit www.tanainalika.be
all the photos are a courtesy of Helena Potfajova
videos
Agility - International - Large Dog Winner - Final - Crufts 2012
by OfficialCrufts
Crufts 2012 Helena Potfajova pour la Slovaquie
by pincemaille67
This month , I have published a special interview from overseas. The Interview with a pro from Canada , The incredibly talented Jessica Martin. Jessica is the only Canadian to have won the FCI World Championship . She did it in the 2012 in Germany with her young dog "Dice". Jessica’s agility career began at the age of 13. She has many years of experience training dogs of all breeds , she promotes positive and motivational methods of training which are fun for both the dogs and their handlers. She has trained under the finest trainers Including Adrian Rooyakkers, Susan Garrett, Greg and Laura Derrett Derrett. Jessica Martin is the owner and instructor of Agile Dog Training located in Erin, Ontario.
I think is enough to understand with who we are dealing with ... just read this extraordinary interview :)
Jessica and the warm up questions...
What music can you not leave home when you go to a competition ?
I always bring a variety of music to a competition ranging from upbeat pop music to hard rock and metal. I use my music to help keep me focused and intense when I am walking a course at a large competition. I also change my music depending on which of my dogs I am running since they all have their own running style.
What is the job that you wanted to do as a child ?
As a child, I always wanted to be a horseback riding instructor. I was involved with horses from a very young age but when I started training my first dog for agility, I found that I didn't have enough time to do both. I chose to continue training my dog, which has lead me to my current career in dog agility.
Something that makes you angry ?
I don't like when people are not fair to their dogs and expect them to perform perfectly without putting in the time and training. We aren't always perfect and we can't expect our dogs to be all the time. It's the teamwork that is most important to determine if you have a good agility run.
Ok , better to forget and pass to something more serious
Could you tell our readers a little about yourself
My journey into dog sports began 11 years ago whenI bought my first dog at the age of 13 and joined a club that trained obedience and agility. I quickly developed a love for training and agility which lead me to try and improve my skills. At the age of 18 I made it onto the Canadian world team for the first time and got to compete at the FCI World Championships. Teaching agility is now my full time business. I teach lessons at my own facility in Ontario, Canada and travel all over the world to present seminars. Here are my current dogs and some of their accomplishments:
Mikki (11 yr oldshetland sheepdog): 2 time National Champion, 3 time World Team Member
Kash (9 yr oldNova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever) National Champion, World Team Member
Dice: (6 yr old Shetland Sheepdog): 2010 FCI Gold Medalist, 2011 WAO Gold Medalist, 3 time World Team Member
Heist: (9 month old border collie puppy)
To learn more about my dogs and their accomplishments visit their pages on my webiste at www.agiledogtraining.com
At the beginning of your career in agility, who was beside you, who gave you the initial input,your mentor, if there was .Who is beside you nowadays?
My main mentor and training partner for my entire agility career has been Adrian Rooyakkers. He began as my agility instructor when I first started in agility and has since become a close friend and training partner that continues to push me to the next levels in my training. Over the years he has helped me develop my competitive spirit that has helped me be successful in high pressure events. Susan Garrett and Greg Derrett have also helped me to develop my handling and dog training skills over the years. My parents have been very supportive over the years and although they have no dog training experience, they drove me to competitions and training practices always making sure I had the oppourtunity to do my best.
Tell me a little bit about your start in dog sports?
When my parents agreed to let me get my first dog, they insisted that I take him to obedience training so he learned to be well behaved. I started in obedience initially but soon found that my true passion lay in agility training. I found it much more exciting to train my dog to perform agility obstacles. I had no experience training a dog and was very young to be training my own dog for agility but I was dedicated and it paid off in the end.
Do you remember your first agility competition?
I attended my first agility competition when my first dog was 18 months old (minimum age in Canada). A group of people from my club was attending the competition and told me I should enter my dog as well. We didn't run clean on any of the runs and I was still unsure of the rules but we had a good time and I continued to enter competitions after that and got better with more experience.
Dice is very young and has started winning immediately, there seems to be something special between you and Dice , Isn't it?
Dice is a very special dog to me and runs every agility run because she loves to work with me rather than loving agility. She is usually found sleeping before her run and is always calm until she goes in the ring. Most people see her in agility as the fast, driven agility dog that always tries as hard as she can, but she is actually a very sensitive dog that has had to work through many fear and shut down issues. Dice has taught me patience and how to adapt my training to the individual dog. I ignored people when they told me that she was a shut down dog because I knew that she had the potential to be great. When we enter the ring at the World Championships I always tell her that I'll run if she does and she always gives me everything she has. I am very grateful for the lessons she has taught me.
You won and still winning with your dogs .Seems that you can express 100% of yourself with them , or you don't have the same harmony with all of your dogs ?
I have very close relationships with all of my dogs and spend a lot of time working with them outside of agility to build strong bonds. They learn to understand me and I learn to understand them as well. My dogs and I work as a team on and off the agility field. They each have their own distinct personalities so some of them take a little longer to connect with than others have but I just keep working on the teamwork and connection. This allows me to be able to predict my dog's behaviour on course as well as have them want to work with me instead of doing what they want.
You are the owner and trainer of the Agile Dog Training , for seminars and lessons .Tell us more about your techniques , which are the fundamentals of your agility handling.
My techniques are built on positive, reward based training methods and building confidence in the dog through teaching consistent handling. I also believe in adapting training to the individual dog and handler to find what works best for them. I am currently doing a lot of work with motivation and building confidence using what I have learned from training Dice. My training teaches the dogs how to respond correctly and confidently to the handling and trust the directions the handler is giving. I believe that a dog that is confident that you will give them the information they need on course will run harder and more accurately. Ultimately my methods work on building this trust to help the dogs and handlers work as a true team on course.
You can find out more about my ideas on training on my blog site at agiledogtraining.wordpress.com
You're having a lot of seminars . How do you feel when you see that those who have attended your seminars have used your techniques to win a competition?
I am always happy when I can help people be more successful in their training whether it is winning a competition or just creating a stronger team with their dog. I have taught many different levels of students and some of the most rewarding ones for me are the ones that had almost given up on agility and then discovered by changing their methods their dog really can be successful and enjoy it.
How much time you devote to training during the week?
Describe your typical training day?
To me training is a lifestyle, so defining an actual amount of time devoted to training is difficult. Most of my training isn't time that is set aside but rather my interactions with my dogs in my every day life. When I take my dogs for a walk I work on recalls and them knowing which side of me they should be on. When I throw a toy I make sure they are turning towards me instead of away from me. To practice handling and distance skills I often send my dogs around trees in my backyard and practice front crosses and verbal cues. I don't focus on equipment that much but rather my dogs understanding my body language and me being able to practice my timing and see how they move and turn.
What have you focused more on in training during 2011, What have you given more importance?
2011 has been a busy year for me with starting my own business and having a new puppy to train. With Dice I have mostly worked on maintaining her handling skills and working on my timing as well as watching her on video to try and really know how she moves and turns. With my puppy, I'm working on getting to know him better since he isn't as easy to connect with as some of my other dogs have been. I have been working with handling off of obstacles with him and teaching him to trust my direction since he has his own ideas about how things should be done.
Which competition remained more in your heart
2010 FCI World Championships: Gold medal win with Dice was amazing...she gave me everything she could and we managed to win Canada's first Gold medal
2011 WAO snooker run...Dice and I completed the maximum number of course points and brought home another Gold medal for Canada
2009 Canadian Nationals: Mikki won overall at the Canadian Nationals showing that at nearly 10 years old he still has it!
What are your other interests except Agility?
When not teaching or training agility (which is most of the time), I enjoy hiking, spending time outdoors and reading.
Plans for the future?
My plans for the future are to keep expanding my business and learning all I can from both my own dogs and my students dogs.
I am also very excited to be joing the faculty at Agility University to offer some interactive online courses (www.agility-u.com). I am designing my courses to provide interactive quizes, video clips, demos, and tutorials to help students learn in a fun, motivating way.
Do you think that a good pair of running shoes can do a bit of difference during a run?
When I am competing I typically wear my light weight Dita shoes which I find helps me grip on slippery footing especially when I am turning or having to slow down from sprinting. I usually try out my shoes on the surface to see how much traction I'll need before competing.
Which is the favorite toy for your dogs?
I love anything made by Crash Test Toys. They are durable and can stand up to a lot of use. I throw my toys often in training so I like using toys that are heavy enough to throw well and that my dogs can tug with.
visit www.agiledogtraining.com
all the photos are a courtesy of Jessica Martin
videos
Agility WC 2010, Agility Individual Small, Jessica Martin, CAN, World Champion
by swiss4agility
Dice Steeplechase March Royackers Trial 2009
by jessmartinagility
Agility WM 2011 in Liévin Martin Jessica CAN individual small jumping
by WChagility2010
The interview with a photographer this month is not with a professional one , but it's a person who is growing very quickly in this field. She's Svetlana Astashina native from Moskow , Russia now lives in Norway. Her last big work was at the Open European HTM & Freestyle Championships in Denmark where she stunned all with great photos . I think we will hear a lot about her in future.
Svetlana and the warm up questions...
Last time you watch TV (What)?
Last time I watched TV was yesterday, it was "Two and a half men".
Are you superstitious?
I'm not superstitious, though I don't trust black cats, no cats actually... I'm a dog fancier.
Do you believe in weather forecast on TV?
I believe weather forecast for next day only, not longer.
Ok , never mind , It's better that we pass to the interview
Could you tell our readers a little about yourself
My name is Svetlana Astashina, I was born in Moscow and lived there till I moved to Norway 5 years ago. At university I studied English philology. Photography is my main hobby and my big passion along with dogs and travelling. I have a page on Facebook called ASTA photo (my name is too complicated for foreigners) where I share dog photos I make. Of course I have a dog myself - a wonderful golden retriever girl who is 5 years old.
You are also involved in the dog dance?
I'm involved in the dog dance only as a photographer so far. But after many beautiful dances I saw I started thinking about trying it! Just need to buy a puppy and begin training:)
Tell me a little bit about your start in dog sports photography.
When did you start getting interested in photography?
I started to get interested in photography when was a teenager, it was time of film cameras (difficult to believe now) and period of trying all types of photography. As for dog sports photography, that's quite new in my life. I love it for action, adrenalin, emotions and I'm deeply impressed how dogs always do their best and work 100%. Sport photos are also more difficult to capture, so it's a challenge too!
What equipment do you use to create your photos?
I use Canon 7D camera and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L lens. In my opinion it's a great combination for action photography:)
Why do you love photography?
First of all I love photography for making memories. The more time passes, the more precious these memories become. It's also art and a way to express oneself.
What is it you like the most about being a photographer?
Most I like to see people who are happy looking at photos I've made. Besides being a hobby photographer gives me privilege of choosing events and models I like.
What is your favorite photo that you’ve shot so far and how did you capture it?
I can't choose a favourite photo, I'm hopeless that way. I love all my models and it's always a huge problem for me to delete photos after dog events. When I come home with hundreds of pictures I make myself delete minimum half of them and only after that I start post-processing.
Tell us one of the most beautiful things that happened during a photo session .
For me it's when my model likes me so much that he or she constantly comes close to me :) to get a hug or give or kiss, or just to sit together in a pack:) It's very difficult to take photos with such dogs but I do love these moments!
Who do you listen to? Who do you accept advice from?
It happened so that I don't have friends with same interests:( I would love to share ideas, make projects, get advice... So if anybody is interested in dogs and/or photography, feel free to contact me on Facebook.
How do you know that a photo is really good?
A photo is really good if it's technically perfect and arouses feelings not leaving people indifferent. For sport photography catching the right moment is essential too.
The most beautiful photographic memories of 2010/2011?
In 2011 I was lucky to see dancing dogs first time in my life! Open European HTM & Freestyle Championships in Denmark was no doubt the most beautiful photographic memory for me. I was also impressed with local frisbee competition in Moscow.
What are your strengths?
Patience, good taste, desire to learn.
Any plans for the future?
If we talk about 2012, I'm looking forward to World Dog Show (worlddogshow.oekv.at) in Salzburg, Austria in May. In July I plan to visit agility week in Stavanger, Norway (agilityuken.no). Also would like to go to Open European HTM & Freestyle Championships 2012 (oec2012.wordpress.com) in Prague, Czech Republic in September. In general my plan is to become a professional:)
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! Do you have anything else you would like to add?
I would like to thank you for the job you are doing! It's a great idea to interview photographers. Those who are behind camera deserve some attention and praise!
visit www.facebook.com/asta.photo
all the photos are a courtesy of Svetlana Astashina
This month we will know more about Maria Brandel from Sweden. For those which are already involved in obedience this name is well known. She's a professional dog trainer and She has been at the top in FCI obedience and working trialslike searching, rescue and tracking for a long time and her young working kelpie Yllewas qualified for national championships in both tracking and
obedience when was only 2 years old. He also made the national obedienceteam. Maria won a Gold Medal at the IRO rescue World Championship held inAustria year 2000. She has also won 3 Swedish championships in searching.
Good reading :)
Maria and the warm up questions...
Favorite movie?
Crash
What sound or noise do you hate?
Jazz(but my husband says that’s because of I never have heard good jazz live)
last time you opened the fridge / why?
I opened it all the time, I’m obsessed with food! Eating, cooking or just watching it!
Ok , I think is enough , let's be more serious and begin with the interview
Could you tell our readers a little about yourself (who are you,your dogs,...)
My name is Maria Brandel( prev Hagstrom) I live in Sweden together with my husband at a little farm on the countryside. I have two working kelpies, sheep and hens. My profession is acting as a trainer and instructor with courses and clinics for obedience, search and tracking dogs in Sweden and the rest of Europe. I do a lot of competions in obedience, tracking and hearding. I have been in the national team in searching, tracking, rescue and obedience. Right now me and my dog Ylle is in the national team in obedience. 2011 Ylle was the winner of the Swedish championship in obedience!
In 2000 you won the gold medal in the World Championship for IRO RH FL A (search for missing persons 1). What happened next , regarding to this category ?
After year 2000 it became impossible to transfer the dog abroad to some countries because of nation legal restrictions. Thus we couldn’t participate in the championship for some years. As a consequence I focused on national search championship. After my dog named »Kogårdens Bull« I have not practice rescue competions any more.
Tell me a little bit about your start in working with dogs?
I started at the local dog club with my first dog. I became interested, trained a lot and went on all the courses were. After a while I realized that there were lots of knowledge outside the club and continued to go on courses and training camps in Sweden and Norway. Then I met, of course, many others with the same interest in training and through the years we have continued to meet at camp and workouts. So is it just continued and I still think it is incredibly fun
Do you remember your first obedience competition?
Yes of course, with a Cocker Spaniel, It really was a fun time in my dog training career. I believe it was not a public sensation but I had an 8 in one exercise, and that made my day! Today my requirements are higher, so to say. From this very first day I learned a lot from every competition and most important I learned how important it is to make the dog love the games and the competitions.
Which competition remained more in your heart?
World championship in rescue 2000 was a high light. We, the Swedish team, did not know so much about the competition routines and rules, but we caught up as time went by... The very good result was a great positive – and happy - surprise for all of us.
The Swedish Championship in obedience 2011. We had two very good runs and on the finale day the rain was showing us deep wet, but even though Ylle was totally unaffected and we received 22 points more than the second best – the best advance anyone ever had in the Swedish championship.
The Swedish championship in searching which I won the first time with my first working kelpie Kim 1996. Winning the first championship was big!
When was established your "dog school" Skogsborgs Gård HB , how It's all started?
I started to have some courses in parallel with my ordinary job and after a few years I had so many requests about courses and clinics I come to a point of decision have to proceed. At that time we bought a small farm giving the possibilities to run courses and clinics at home. And so it went on and my engagement develop in a very positive way.
How it makes you feel. How do you feel when one of your "students" wins a race or he puts in use one advice given him from you?
It’s of course very nice and gives me good experience in what works and what does not in the training. I really like to see people and their dogs develop in what they are doing!
Describe your typical training day
There is no typical training day, the training depends a lot of the season and if there are some competions in the period. My training is a mix of basictraining, details, chains and preparing for the competionenvironment. The most important everyday is to have the dog with me(in a mental way) and I want to see that the dog really likes what we are doing! I also want high quality in the training and a purpose of each exercise will lead us forward towards our goals! High quality and having fun is not a contradiction, it’s a prerequisite.
The dogs get a lot of physical exercise every day, mostly by walking and jogging in the woods were they can run free.
Which were and which are your favorite training moments?
I like all kind of dogtraining, but if I have to choose I’m very fond of basictraining and competiontraining. Basictraining creates a dog that is easily trained and the competitiontraining is collaboration between the dog and handler were both parts must do a good work for a good result.
Can you give our readers some tips that they should remember when training their dog?
Have fun and ensure that your dog has as much fun as you. Customize your training for your dogs individual circumstances. All dogs are different and you need to be expert on your dog. Listen to all advices but act according to your own conviction.
What advice would give to someone participating in their first competition?
Only one thing is important- really important! Give your dog a good experience of competition environment. For a young dog or a beginner the result is not very important but if your dog learns to love to act in front of a public- the future is very promising!
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I am focused and have a great deal of patience. I like to learn and think in new ways!
Sometimes I’m too careful and stick to the completely unnecessary details.
You are also the author of 2 books Från Valp Till Stjärna( From Puppy To Star) and Nosarbete (grazing Muzzles) . How do you feel in the role of a writer?
you have new projects in this area ?
I really like to write, it’s interesting to collect your experiences and put them down into words.
You have to think and really think about your training at a deeper level. It develops me as a trainer and as a coach!
This year I will write a book about competiontraining for the dog and the handler, one of my favourite subjects. Many people are good at training details but failure because they never learn the dog how to act in competionenvironments. This is a big and really interesting area in dogtraining.
And in a couple of weeks a film based on “from puppy to star” will be finished!
Others plans for the future?
In the beginning of mars my new puppy is ready to move to Skogsborg. It’s a working kelpie again and my old dog Ex is the father. I’m planning to film and write a lot at my blog about the development of the puppy and our training!
If you do not practice this sport what would you have done in your life
I really don’t know, probably obsessed by some other profession or hobby. Doing nothing is not me!
If you could go back in the time what would you change in your life?
Believe it or not but I can’t find anything to change, So fare I had a great life! And my years in the dogsports have been amazing; I have met nice people all over the world and have had so much fun!
What are your dogs favorite toys?
I don’t think they really care what we using for the moment, my dogs loves to play with me, whatever we use! If you ask them they probably say something else (haha)
visit www.skogsborg.net
videos
Obedience training with a lot of distractions. Vallmyra Ylle working kelpie
by skogsborghund
Ylle SM 2009
by Yllejim
the photos are a courtesy of Maria Brandel
Agility with Philipp Müller Schnick
by 
