We Like: Smartwool Socks

Smartwool socks are the best socks ever.  Seriously.  If I could replace all of the socks in my sock drawer, I would buy nothing but Smartwools!  There is nothing worse than having bad socks.  One reason I love Smartwools is because they are thermo-regulating--they keep your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  There are many different styles of Smartwools designed for everything from skiing to running.  For agility the best socks are the PhD Running socks.  They are ankle length and super lightweight.  The PhDs are especially made for high impact movement and do not slip down into the toe of your shoe!  All Smartwools also boast that they are blister free.  I have never gotten a blister while wearing my Smartwools--even if I'm wearing new shoes!  The only downside to Smartwools is that they are on the slightly expensive side ($12.50 for socks?!?), but I believe that they are worth every penny.

--Olivia

We Like: The Viewtainer

Do you have a toy motivated dog? Consider yourself lucky.

None of our dogs are what I would call toy motivated, although occasionally I can convince Brego to run for a squeaky ball or rabbit skin. However, for us the excitement of a toy wears off very quickly. Luckily there are several toys and throwable treat containers available. Our favorite is a Viewtainer. Viewtainers are spill-proof containers made to hold nails, screws, nuts, and other bits and pieces of construction hardware. Little did they know that agility people would get hold of their product! Super simple design makes the Viewtainer super simple to use—both ends come off which makes cleaning a snap. One end has a slit that you squeeze to open it and dispense treats. We started out by filling the Viewtainer with treats and letting the dog (Tucker is the only one who uses it) sniff it and get excited about it. Then after getting his excitement up, Emma would roll it a short distance and praise Tucker for chasing it. Little by little we worked with him until he started to pick up the Viewtainer. Once he started retrieving it reliably, it was ready to use for agility training! It is especially handy for getting his speed up on obstacles like tunnels and the weave poles.

--Olivia

We Like: weave-poles.com

No doubt the hardest obstacle to train in agility is the weave poles. Many novice dogs and handlers tremble at the mere thought of performing the weaves at a trial. I say have no fear! Even though the weaves pose a unique challenge for the dog (they are the most unnatural movement for the dog), I think that everyone should train them with a positive attitude and a "this is just a game" mentality.

Over the years I have come across multiple ways to train the weave poles, each one working in its own way. At our club, the beginners class is introduced to channel weaves with guide wires. This method, while effective for some, did not work for my Papillon, Brego. He was just too small and could easily slip under the guide wires. After some research and asking around I came across the Weave-A-Matic training method. For Weave-A-Matics the weave poles are angled in a V shape so the dog learns to either single step or bounce around each pole. I used this method to train Brego's weaves.

After we realized that Brego would be our first actively competing agility dog, we invested in some weave poles from www.weave-poles.com. They are based in Houston, TX so the shipping time to Austin was very short (a couple of days). I love weavepoles.com because there are so many different styles to choose from! I chose a set of 12 indoor/outdoor weave poles that included two six pole ground placers. With the stick-in-the-ground attachments, these poles can go anywhere. They are great for training with distractions at the dog park. There isn't enough room inside the house to set up the full set of 12 weaves, but a set of six in the hallway is good mental stimulation for a rainy day.

Recently Emma and I were introduced to Susan Garrett's 2x2 Weaves training method (a subject for a later post). I watched the DVD and was instantly hooked. Here was a way to train the weaves using the same concept as clicker training! After a trial where Brego had some trouble with the weaves (not usual for him), I knew that I wanted to retrain using Susan Garrett's method. I went to dust off the neglected set of indoor weave poles and I realized that I could break them down into 2x2's! I set them up in the living room and got to work that night.

After a week of training (as per the 2x2 DVD) Brego was back to being a weaving maniac. Now Brego receives complements on his beautiful weaves!

--Olivia

We Like: FitSugar's 4 minute Ab Workout

We like to try and keep in shape so that we can keep up with our dogs on the agility course.  One of our favorite workouts is the FitSugar 4 minute Ab workout.  It's super simple, but super effective.  Also its hard not to enjoy the video because the coach is just so darn happy!

This is really great to use after taking the dogs on a walk, and it is easy enough on your muscles that you can do it every day without worrying about fatigue.  Just be warned:  when you are doing this workout you are in perfect, vulnerable face-licking position!  Check out more of FitSugar's videos http://www.youtube.com/user/fitsugar

--Olivia

We Like: Slip Leads

When preparing for an agility trial, you suddenly find yourself in need of things that aren't needed for regular agility class.  One of these items is a slip lead.  There are a variety of slip lead styles to choose from, like the martingale.  However, I like my slip leads as simple as possible.  After all, you will be trying to wrangle it onto your dog as soon as possible after you finish a run.

Also, if you find yourself debating over what length to of lead to buy, go with the 6 ft. instead of the 4 ft.  Trust me.  Little dog owners will appreciate the extra 2 ft. because it doesn't feel like you are strangling your dog, and big dog owners will like the space that it gives the dog when you take him/her outside on potty business.

Since getting our slip leads we have found that they prove useful in many situations.  For example, if your bad, bad dog, Tod, rolls in something dead and stinky, you can simply slip the lead over his head without having to touch him.  Then it is easy to loop the handle over the fence post so that he can't run off while you bathe him.

They are also handy for impromptu car-rides.

But the best use for the slip lead is in agility class.  You just don't realize you needed one until after you use one at a trial!

--Olivia 

We Like: Biscuit Buddy

One of the handiest tools in the dog training world is the treat pouch.  There is an abundance of treat pouches available in most retail pet stores.  We started using treat pouches about 8 years ago when our first agility dog was entering the intermediate class.  We quickly discovered that the treat pouch we were using had some flaws.  First, when closed, the pouch would collapse in on itself, making it difficult to open when we needed to get a treat.  But the biggest problem was in the belt clip.  While it is extremely handy to have your dog's treats attached to your hip, it is not-so-handy to have the treat pouch fall off of your belt (or jeans pocket as the case may be).

Just this year Emma purchased a Biscuit Buddy, a lovely treat pouch that has everything you could want in a treat pouch.  The Biscuit Buddy has a rigid edge so that it doesn't collapse when it is closed, making treat retrieval easy.  It also features a number of different attachment devices so that no matter what you are wearing you can secure the treat pouch to yourself.  But my favorite feature of the Biscuit Buddy is the extra zipper pocket!  So far I haven't found a use for it, but it's so cool that it doesn't matter!  Clean Run suggests that it would be an excellent place to keep an extra poop bag handy.

--Olivia

We Like: iClicks

We love clicker training.  It is our belief that dogs should be trained using only positive reinforcement methods of training.  When starting out, we found that the box clickers sold in most pet stores were hard to depress and sometimes even got stuck.  This can be a set-back since clicker training is all about precision and timing.  What happens when you drop a box clicker?  Since the clicking mechanism is inside the box, you lose and disrupt training time trying to retrieve the clicker.  Traditional box clickers also tend to be very loud, and as we discovered when training our dog, Spryte, sometimes the click can be very scary.

Soon however, we discovered the iClick.  The iClick is a sleek little clicker that was designed by clicker training guru Karen Pryor.  It can be depressed very quickly and easily because of its raised yellow button.  We also LOVE that if you drop it, the iClick will always land in a clickable position, which makes it a particularly good tool for handicapped trainers, or those who are particularly clumsy (like me).  But the absolute best part of the iClick is the sound of the click.  It is not a jarring pop like a box clicker, instead the iClick give a nice, soft Spryte approved click. 

Please enjoy our ridiculously short video showing off the iClick:

    

--Olivia