Featured Articles
Here are links to the featured articles I’ve written over the past years. They cover subjects in which I’m particularly interested or feel are important for other trainers/handlers. I hope you find them useful.
Agility Jump Height Calculator
31 Oct 2016 - Lately there have been a lot of discussions about jump heights due to the USDAA adjusting some of their jump heights . That got me…Dispel the Dementors
02 Mar 2016 - Today's Dog Agility Blog Action Day on the subject of "FUN" got me thinking about what makes training and trialing agility fun for me. For…Moving Towards Mastery: 14 Layouts to Challenge Your Handling
16 Feb 2016 - As I mentioned in my previous article: "Move Obstacles to Challenge Your Handling" , you can take any sequence and move the jumps (along…Moving Towards Mastery: Move Obstacles to Challenge Your Handling
28 Jan 2016 - In this second in a series of articles I'll show you another way to improve the quality of your training; even in a small space with a few…More Thoughts on Goals and Success
04 Jun 2014 - Five years ago I wrote an article on goals and success and I'm revisiting the subject on today's Dog Agility Action Day on Success along…My Dog is Stutter Stepping, Hesitating, or Weave Popping
07 Apr 2014 - In seminars I sometimes come across handlers who say that about their dog or I observe it on course. I'm not talking about the occasional…Puppy Agility: Connection Comes First
05 Mar 2014 - Many performance dog owners want to start "working on agility skills" immediately with their new puppies. Some have the goal of having that…Remembering Courses and Conquering Missed Walk Throughs
04 Dec 2013 - Just a few weeks ago I arrived at a local USDAA trial thinking we wouldn't be running for at least an hour and as I walked in to the…Aging in Agility - Choosing Retirement?
04 Sep 2013 - I always thought that our dogs' age would determine when they should retire from agility. I figured, like any sport and any aging athlete…Let's Open Source Dog Agility!
05 Jun 2013 - For today's Dog Agility Blogger Action Day on Improving Dog Agility Organizations I'm proposing that adopting Open Source Software…What's International? International Two Jump Drills
06 Mar 2013 - You don't need a lot of equipment to train yourself and your dog to master the "International" handling challenges that are coming to USDAA…Seventy Two Backyard Courses!
05 Dec 2012 - For today's Dog Agility Bloggers' event on the subject of Backyard Training I put together seventy two training sequences that should…Ban Dangerous Steel Jumps Now!
28 Nov 2012 - There is no reason to use dangerous steel jumps anymore! Period. There are just too many opportunities for injury. Eye injuries and…Handling With Intensity
06 Jun 2012 - For today's Dog Agility Blog Action Day on the subject of "Attitude" I've written about the attitude I strive for when handling on course…Back Side of Jump Handling Combinations - Video
27 Mar 2012 - After giving my International Flair! Seminar I thought I'd put together a diagram showing the handling combinations possible for Pushing…If I Knew Then... Proactive Handling
07 Mar 2012 - For today's Dog Agility Blog Event Day : "If I knew then what I know now" I want to share the most important agility handling concept I…Some Two Jump Drills - With Flyer Video
27 Feb 2012 - Years ago when I posted my One Jump Drills article I got requests for Two Jump exercises. Well now that I'm starting to work on ground…Jump Wrap Handling Tips
31 Jan 2012 - Here are some tips about jump wraps for my Mini Seminar: It's a Wrap! - Fast & Tight Jump Wraps . There are five main methods for…Turning Dogs out of a Curved Tunnel - Diane Carson's NC Regional Relay Course - With Video
04 Oct 2011 - Diane Carson's Team Relay course at the 2011 USDAA North Central Regionals had a challenge that many teams couldn't solve. It was all due…Make Volunteering Easy!
28 Jun 2011 - Lately there has been a lot of discussion on the Clean Run Email list about volunteering to work at agility trials. Rather than discuss…My Agility Handling and Training Philosophy
27 Feb 2011 - While preparing for my agility handling seminars I've been trying to "codify" my thoughts on handling and training. When I give a seminar I…Wrapping the Last Weave Pole - With Video
30 Aug 2010 - When the dog exits the weaves and the next obstacle is on the same side of the weaves as the entrance the dog needs to wrap around the final…Agility Right from the Start Seminar - Eva Bertilsson & Emelie Johnson Vegh
19 Apr 2010 - I've mentioned before that I'd like to improve at using a clicker as part of agility training; and I just attended a seminar that really…Stuart Mah's 30 Second Drills - With Video
13 Feb 2010 - When Stuart Mah was at For Your Canine in Chicago last year, students who went to his seminar were telling me about a 30 second drill he…Pushing on the Last Pole
08 Mar 2009 - When there are an even number of weave poles the dog always exits the weaves on the side of the weaves opposite of the side on which they…Jackpot Rewards
05 Sep 2008 - The term "jackpot" usually refers to giving a dog a really big reward, often a large number of treats, all at once. Most trainers focus on…"Run the Dog You Brought" and "Run the Dog Not the Course"
04 Dec 2006 - I am very much still training Meeker for the agility game. I've noticed times when I use handling with him that he doesn't fully…Simple Neck, Shoulder, and Back Stretches
14 Nov 2004 - We try to stretch our dogs before and after Agility and Flyball practices, trials, and tournaments. I briefly discussed Handler Stretching…