Books and websites needed!

[PaddyPaws]

Hi

 

I am in need of books and/or websites to find inspiration as to what to teach my dogs next! I am looking for some slightly more advanced books/sites though. I have many books but most are half-three quarters full of how to teach the basics like sit/stay/down and various training methods - My dogs are past that!

 

My jack russell (who I train) has got his kennel club bronze and silver obedience awards, and his general obedience is very good - he is currently attending a class which does a bit of heelwork to music, a bit of agility and a bit of further obedience, to see which route we take next. My BC x springer (who my mum trains) is in the same class, having also got her bronze and silver awards. Mini agility is certainly something I will be trying with my JR and the BC when she is older and also heelwork to music (which is posing a problem because we need to be able to display some kind of tricks/moves before we can start training for the display team!)

 

Any help/suggestions/ideas gratefully received!

 

Amanda, Paddy (JR), and Molly (BC x springer)

[Root Beer]

You might be interested in Morgan Spector's Clicker Training for Obedience. This book goes very in-depth and well beyond training the basic basics.

 

Also, if you are interested in Heelwork to Music, Kay Laurence's Clicker Dances with Dogs is excellent. Again, she goes into depth well beyond the basics. I'm using some of her stuff to train moves for Speedy for intermediate Freestyle. You would definitely get instructions for teaching tricks suitable for Heelwork to Music in this book. It's very pricey - $30.00 for a very thin volume - but it's jam packed with information and well worth the price.

 

Even if you don't clicker train, you can substitute your marker word/reward for that part.

[Alaska]

Check out this website:

 

Learning About Dogs

 

This is Kay Laurence's website. I see Root Beer has already mentioned Kay. Kay's magazine "Teaching Dogs" comes highly recommended.

 

Another site that might interest you is Sue Ailsby's Training Levels:

 

Training Levels

 

I would class both of these as for people who have the basics of obedience and clicker training down and want to try to take it farther.

 

You could also search dogwise for book/video ideas: www.dogwise.com

[PaddyPaws]

Thanks for the suggestions! I do clicker train, and its allowed me to improve my JR's whole attitude and behaviour ten fold, but even still, anything can be adapted to use a clicker! I'll check out the suggestions and can no doubt come up with a few impressive moves! I do find his size a problem for some things! The BC x springer is easy, shes a nice, workable size, but a 10" JR when you are 6' yourself can be a bit tricky!

 

Thanks again,

 

Amanda

[ClickMeBC]

Agility FAQ has abundant information, info I consider useful when starting out in Agility. The General Page you may not be as interested in, but the pages cover everything from distance work to contacts to puppy training, etc. I haven't gone through it all and I often modify their methods to fit my criteria, but whatever you're comfortable with and seems to work for your dogs should have you progressing well.

 

I'd also reccomend visiting the following:

 

Clean Run

 

United States Dog Agility Association

 

North American Dog Agility Council

 

Canine Performance Events

 

As for books, I reccomend Shaping Success, by Susan Garrett, and Jumping from A to Z, by M. Christine Zink. Also, Clean Run Magazine.