Dog training VS handler training

This is a subject I wanted to touch for a while now... We always hear about "training the dog" or "the dog's fitness" BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HANDLER'S FITNESS!!! I always have been involved in sports from an early age, from Alpine skiing, horse riding to triathlon for the GB team and I have learned that OUR fitness is as important as the animal's fitness. We see a lot of fast dogs in agility but the fitness of the handler is no way near as good as the dog's... It's a great shame, a real disadvantage for the dog and shows a lack of respect for the dog's efforts from the handler....

I may just have pugs but my Pancho and Pepito would kick butts in the 100m against people like Hussein Bolt!!! this is why I take my own fitness seriously.

My fitness regime includes running, cycling, fitness and streching.
I go twice a week for a run with Pancho and Pepito (both with their harnesses) for about 20 minutes and we include "5 to 6 sprints of 30 seconds" or we run as fast as possible to the top of every hills we can find. It's also a great way to practice your cues like "wait, ok, left, right, etc..." and my boys really enjoy running together, we are all winners!!
Please don't take your fitness for granted, you are not helping your dog and you will find agility more fun and more rewarding if you can keep up with your dog.

Training weekend

This weekend, I created this course to include speed and quick controlled changes of directions, and I can tell you it's exactly what we got!!!! Both Pancho and I were out of breath at the end and really enjoyed our agility and my club mates too... Pepito was much faster that usual too, he is such a good boy that one.

Sunday we did the same course but made it easier with number 9 straight on and also number 14 (the other way round), we just wanted to have fun.

Baby Wilson is doing good, full of life and a happy little pug. On wednesday we are going to see the specialist for a check up. On the picture, he is with his pug family, they are all looking after him the best they can :)

Bacterial Keratitis

Wilson has had an operation after a small ucleration of his right eye. The ucleration wasn't the problem but a bacteria called "KERATITIS" who started to eat the collagen inside his eye. The bacteria only entered the first layer of the cornea Saturday night but by Monday it entered the last layer and perforated the eye so an operation to remove the bacteria and reconstruction of the cornea was a must. Below is a quick articule about it...

"Corneal indentations and depressions are indicative of deeper stromal ulcerations. These ulcerations are often associated with bacterial infections (bacterial keratitis). Clinical signs of bacterial keratitis include corneal edema, corneal stromal cell infiltration, corneal melting, and the loss of corneal stroma (see picture). Scrapings of the infected area should be cytologically examined and submitted for culture and sensitivity testing. These serious infections usually require referral to an ophthalmologist, and hospitalization for hourly antibiotic and antiprotease treatment. Antibiotics and other drugs are delivered via the tear film since the cornea lacks a blood supply. Therapeutic drug concentrations are difficult to sustain in dogs with their high tear film turnover rate."

"Most dogs with bacterial keratitis are brachycephalic, and about half will show decreased tear production (15 mm/min). Many brachycephalic dogs are lagophthalmic and so poorly replenish the tear film by blinking. In these breeds, medial canthal trichiasis and distichia can both cause ulceration and inoculate bacteria within the tear film. Dogs with decreased tear production do not effectively remove and lyse bacteria from the corneal surface. In these cases, bacterial access to the corneal epithelium is also increased."

Wilson has dry eyes due to the lack of tear glands from birth, even with the addition of a lubricant gel twice a day, it wasn't enough to help the eye to fight the bacteria. Next week we are going to see the specialist to see if the bacteria was removed 100%. If the infection has done more damage the last thing will be to remove the eye completely but we are not at the stage and we are all hopeful for a good results.

Back to work

This weekend, we started to train again after a 2 week break... On the first course, we worked on: the starts, different entrances to the slalum (including rear crosses) and all around the course, I used some front crosses and rear crosses. With Pancho, we had a great time outhere!! Pepito was a rocket in the slalum and also had a blast...

This second course doesn't look like much but jumps 4 to 5 could be a problem, my boys did great, no hesitations and at full speed too!!

This weekend was very enjoyable and we had a great time too. The weather did help with a beautiful sunshine and 20 degres.

My champions

Our agility year for 2011 is now over and in an month time we will be starting the new season. My Pancho was brillant with 19 podiums "8 first place, 9 second place and 2 third place" including over all winner of the Baleares championships and the national championships in the class mini/midi. We also had the greatest honor to represente España at the World Agility Open in May this year with a 7th place at one of our runs. Can't ask for more, "I'm so proud of you my Panpan"




Pepito also did me proud with 5 podiums "2 second place and 3 third place" as well as finishing second behind Pancho at the Baleares championships. Pepito is my little champion.

Now we are going to take some time off to recharge our batteries and do... nothing at all!!!!
December is going to be a busy month with 1 agility seminare with Dawn Weaver, a seminare with Turid Rugaas about "The emotional life of dogs" and on the 17th and 18th our first competition for 2012.

PUGS RULE

Wilson hydrtherapy part 2

Today was Wilson's last intensive hydrotherapy session. We are going to work at home with the excercises that you will see on the video and we will only go to the center for the pool training. I hope you will enjoy that video and more important that it can help you if your dog has a problem with displacia...