If you live anywhere near Newberry, Florida in Alachua County, you’ve got to check out my friend Tere’s home away from home for your pet when you’re away from home. It’s called “Dancin Dogs Boarding and Day Care” and it’s tucked away on 6 beautiful acres between downtown Newberry and Jonesville.

What sets Dancin Dogs apart from other boarding kennels is that the dogs actually get to accompany Tere and Rick around the facility as they go about their day to day duties of taking care of the animals. Even though there is a kennel on site that the dogs can be housed in if they so choose, you will usually find them following Tere and Rick around instead.

Tere and Rick love dogs and you can tell by the way they care for the ones they personally own. Leo, in the picture here, is their Catahoula Leopard Hound. He’s a big boy but very loving and fun. He’s getting used to all the other dogs being around, he really doesn’t mind sharing Tere and Rick with guests of Dancin Dogs.

They also offer doggie daycare and pet sitting where Tere will come out to your home and care for your pets when you are away from home.

Visit the Dancin Dogs website for more info if you want a safe and fun place for your pet the next time you go out of town.

Recently, I stumbled across a great website for Jack Russell Terriers owners called  Jack Russell Lover. The owner of the website, Tom McSherry, has kindly written a very informative article about JRT’s and how they have the traits needed for a great agility dog. Please take a moment to visit his website and enjoy the article below!

Jack Russell Terriers and Agility Training

Have you got an active,intelligent dog with a strong work drive…then you must have a Jack Russell Terrier. Many JRT traits, such as being good at jumping and running, make for an excellent agility competitor.

Dog agility is a team sport in which you guide your dog through a timed obstacle course of jumps,tunnels,weave poles and other obstacles using hand signals,voice- control and body language. Because JRTs were bred as hunting dogs, they typically approach obstacles with enthusiasm, bravery, strength, and determination. JRTs are high energy dogs and agility training can provide them with the physical exertion that they crave and help them stay calm. Your JRT must be at least a year of age to begin entering competitions.

If you are just starting out with agility training your JRT would be in:
Novice: There are 13-15 obstacles on a predetermined course.The focus of the class is in performing the obstacles with a minimum amount of errors and in a timely manner.
Open: for dogs and handlers who have competed in Novice and have now qualified to advance to this next step. There are 16-18 obstacles.The course and the degree of difficulty increases.The Open class also requires significantly more handling skills than in Novice.
Excellent: For the dog and handler who have completed Open level. There are 18-20 obstacles. The focus is to provide the opportunity for dogs and handlers to demonstrate their superior skills in moving quickly and efficiently with close communication and teamwork through a challenging agility course.

One potential road-block is that a lively dog such as a Jack Russell might be challenging to command at times. In agility competitions, dogs run off lead, with the exception being competitions through the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America. Also, handlers are not allowed to touch their dog or use food or toys as incentives, so a dog must be well-trained. Your JRT should do obedience training before you consider doing agility training with them. You want your JRT to be able to “Sit,”Heel,”"Down,” and “Come” when called. Only after that will you be ready to consider doing agility.

 

My sister sent me a link to this Useful Dog Tricks video and I just had to share. Stick around after it’s over because the trainers list the types of techniques and tools they used to train Jessie, the featured dog. I just need to point out that yes, Jessie is a Jack Russell terrier. Just sayin’.

Summer is a great time for agility dogs since they can be outside training and having fun at competitions. But you need to be aware of some hazards that warm weather can bring to your canine.

The first time I realized this when Ruby was a puppy and I took her out for a long walk around 11am. It turns out that this is the worst time of day to take her out because she is unusually sensitive to humidity and can be at risk for heat stroke. So whenever we go out, I try to do it in early morning hours when it’s still a little bit cool outside.If you think your dog might need to cool off a bit during training or just when they’re outside to long, you might want to  have a doggie drencher on hand. I know that whenever we get home from a walk, Ruby likes to lay down on our cool ceramic tile to get back to her normal temperature.

Other hazards you need to watch out for include:

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And now for something completely different…I don’t know about you but sometimes my dog talks to me! Especially when there’s no one else around. It’s kinda weird and I thought I was the only one until I saw this video…

It’s lol-worthy.

Want to save money on Dog Agility Equipment? Affordable Agility is having a Back to School sale right now. Here’s a list of some of the items they have on sale:

You can save over 10% on their Travel Jump Set, Weave Poles 6 piece set, and Weave Pole Wire Training Guides.

You can also save money on their bigger items, like the Mini A-Frame and Contact Trainer.

You can see exactly what’s on sale by clicking here.

By the way, I just talked to my contact over at Affordable Agility and they told me that the sale would only be going on for a week. So, if you’re really interested in saving some money, head on over to see what’s on sale before you miss out.

Most agility dogs and their trainers will tell you that the weave pole obstacle training is a lot harder than it looks. You and your dog will need to invest a lot of  practice and hard work to go through the weave pole obstacle fast enough to win the competition.  To be the best at this fun but challenging obstacle, agility dog trainers will recommend having a set of weave poles at home so you can practice for a few minutes every day.

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Buying dog treats in the store is a lot more convenient than making them yourself. But have you ever looked at the ingredients in commercial dog foods and treats?  Do you know where those ingredients actually come from?
As an example, let’s look at “meat by-products,” a common ingredient in many commercial dog foods and dog treats.  It is defined as the “non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals”. It can include, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially defatted low temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs.  Not particularly appetizing, but it gets even better.

Pet food companies are not required to tell where they get their meat by-products.  They can be obtained from any source, so there is a question of quality.  Any animal can be used, including “4D animals,” which means dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter.  Animals euthanized at shelters can be (and are) used in pet foods and treats.  It can also include cancerous tissue, decomposing tissue, and pus.

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Agility dog training can get very hot in the summer and that’s why we recommend the use of water obstacles as one tip to keeping your dog cool in practice or competition. Dogs are susceptible to overheating because they don’t sweat like humans do. The best way to keep your dog  cool is to

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Agility dogs need to be trained in the basics of dog obedience before you can take them to a trial or competition. The following article gives some good advice on whether rewards and reprimands will develop your agility dog into an obedient contender for agility dog greatness.

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