It's here - 31 Day Training Challenge - Day 1

Are you ready???  Set???

TRAIN!!!

What did you to today to start?

I will post my training session on my personal blog ..
ohshih-tzu.blogspot.com

I will say, my dogs all had fun!  Hope you had a great day!!!

Oh, and today in the mail, I received a copy of the Premium List for the National Specialty (conformation, obedience, and rally obedience.)  If you aren't on the mailing list, you can find it online on the Rau Dog Shows site.

If you're looking for a description of the training challenge, visit this blog post: March 2013 Training Challenge.

A Shih Tzu Training Challenge for March

While we wait for the arrival of spring (which can't get here soon enough), I've been trying to figure out ways in which my dogs can "practice" agility at home.  We do have some space in the basement, but it takes some dedication on my part to actually take them down there and work.  It doesn't have to take a large portion of my day, but every little bit helps.  It just takes some motivation ...

That's where my idea started.

What if I challenged myself to practice with my dogs EVERY DAY?  For a MONTH? Could I do it???

Could you???

CHALLENGE:

• Practice with your dog every day for the entire month of March.  (Remember, practice sessions don't have to take a lot of time to be effective!)  Practice whatever you need to work on - agility, obedience, rally obedience, manners ... just practice something!
• Write about the practice session (and/or take a picture) and post to your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  You can also write about your session on the ShowMeTzuMagic Yahoogroup.
• Comment on the daily post on this blog on what you worked on and the link to your blog post or Instagram (if you have one.)

Who's in?!?! 

Let's get our Shih Tzu up and moving!

Getting Started in Agility with your Shih Tzu

Training your Shih Tzu to run in agility is exciting and fun.  With some patience, creativity and a good sense of humor you can train your Shih Tzu to be able to run like the "big dogs" in the sport of dog agility.

First, make sure that your dog is physically sound - a visit with your vet (better still, a chiropractic vet or a vet that specializes in canine sports) is a good place to start.  Also make sure that your dog is not overweight and is properly groomed (hair between the foot pads trimmed, nails trimmed, and hair out of the eyes - either trimmed or pulled back with bands.)

Next, some obedience training is helpful.  Dogs need to be under control when they run agility - the commands sit, down, stay and come will be invaluable tools.  If you've never taken an obedience class with your dog, look for a local dog training club.  They will most likely be staffed by volunteer club members who have a passion for dog training.

Your local dog training club may also offer agility classes.  If they don't, they will be able to guide to a facility which does.  Be aware that many clubs have requirments for taking agility classes.  Dogs should not start training for agility until their growth plates have closed; many trainers recommend waiting a year or longer before serious agility training, especially with jumping and weaving. 

Don't rush!  Training takes time - enjoy the process.

Want to get connected with other Shih Tzu agility handlers?  See this post: ShowMeTzuMagic.

Photo by Nieder Arts Photography

New Year Resolutions / Goals & AKC Rule Changes

Happy New Year!  Hope you are enjoying a great start to 2013!

So far, I bought new (healthy!) food and have my breakfast and lunch packed for work tomorrow.  The dogs have a food dehydrator in the mail (thanks, Amazon!) and will feast on homemade treats this year.  One of my resolutions goals is to eat healthier.  (Resolutions never work out, so let's call them goals instead.)

We are keeping busy with several trials in the next couple of months, so training will be at the top of our to do list as well.

As of today, there are a couple of changes to note in AKC agility.  One change is the name of the Excellent B classes - they are now known as Masters classes.   Additionally, as of today, AKC allows lateral moves from regular agility classes to preferred.  This means, if your dog is running in Masters in regular classes, you can now do a one time move to Masters preferred, without having to start over at the Novice level.  The points and Q's don't move over and moves from Preferred to Regular are not allowed.

What are your resolutions / goals for yourself and your dogs?