I have a crazy, busy, wonderful life, filled with love and learning. What can you expect to read about here? You’ll be treated to glimpses into my thought processes, training plans and videos, updates, and escapades from my babies (both 4 and 2-legged). There will no doubt be some brags, and probably at least a few rants.
I hope that you will find my words helpful, or at least entertaining. We’ll see what the future holds! For now, I’ll leave you with this quote from Neil Degrasse Tyson, which also describes my philosophy.
“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”
Lessons from a First Dog
Some of you may have noticed (or not), that I’ve not been quite as active as usual on Facebook or social media the last couple weeks. If you are reading this, I know you understand that my relationship with my dogs goes far beyond training partner (and approaches...
SPARKGILITY Weekend!
Tell me if this has ever happened to anyone else... So back several months ago, I apparently sent in entries to an agility trial. At the time, I (probably) thought, "Hey! This is MONTHS away. I'll have plenty of time to train between now and then." And then...
Horses, and donkeys, and goats… OH MY!
This weekend I had the rare opportunity to attend a clicker training for horses workshop with the talented Peggy Hogan. When I found out Peggy was coming to my state, I knew I had to make time in my schedule to come train. When I got there (sans horse), I discovered...
Rugby Update – Scent discrimination problem solving
Another example of "Real" training! And by "Real" training I mean, I started with a goal and a plan (which I thought was pretty good), but in the course of the actual session things didn't quite go according to the plan, and I had to make some training decisions on...
Junior Trainer Update: Jedi Horse Training Skills
Many have been asking for an update on the Junior Trainer. Our little Jedi has been working hard on improving mechanics and timing, and of course, practicing her skills on multiple species. A Jedi never knows what planet she might find her on, and what kind of animal...
The SECRET to Clicker Training for Duration
I spend a lot of shower time ruminating on the intricacies of teaching a behavior with duration. What a rabbit hole... so many layers. While pondering some of my past training mistakes, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz's words about behavior cycles popped into my mind and reminded me...
Rugby and Ryan in Reno
Here, I sit (ok, lie) on the last night of my week in Reno. Oh man! Last Weds, I arrived in Reno... which is harder to get to than I expected. First on the agenda was a Clicker Expo meeting, followed by 3 days of Clicker Expo itself. Then 2 MORE days of KPA...
Nerd Files – OMG! That down tho!
Cancel your Friday night plans! After reading this, you will be just like me, and want to stay home watching dog videos all night. No concert or nightclub could possibly compare to the excitement of DOG TRAINING!! Yes, it's true. I am so dorky I stay up late at...
Totally Legit Business Expense
Yes, that's right. I bought Gambit a disco ball. I'm always brainstorming, trying to find new ways to introduce distractions, keeping our training fun and challenging. When I saw this item on clearance, my first thought was dog training! You know what they say......
Rambling about Clicker Expo
At my first Clicker Expo, I was terrified and overwhelmed by the whole concept of a conference. So many new people! So many people WHOSE BOOKS WERE ON MY SHELF! ACK! Social anxiety runs rampant in the dog training world, and I am no exception. So, Gambit came with me,...
Essence of Terrier
The essence of terrier is not to be tough. It's to be tough when necessary and comfortable whenever possible. A true terrier is smart enough to know the difference. And to hire appropriate staff. Terriers are very good at getting their needs met.
Deep Thoughts: Changing my competition mindset
Are you a competitive person? I am. It's hard-wired, and not entirely a bad thing. It pushes me to work hard, to try things no one else has done before. I'm not ashamed to admit, I like winning. Winning is fun! However, That feature (plus my fear of public...