Why do we need to develop ourselves for agility?

November 28th Mark Laker sports psychology
January 9th - Sprint Training
January 15th - Trevor Wiggins Performance Nerves
February 20th - Performance Nerves follow up
February 27th - Mark Laker Sports psychology

Well here at DD HQ we have been concentrating hard on ourselves - sometimes you need to sit back and take a long look at yourself and your life and decide is it all as you want it to be? I have to say that on the whole I am happy with myself and my business, customers and certainly my home and my friends, family and boyfriend however there is always room for improvement. So here is my Winter improvement programme, this is for me, my customers and others who join us and I am pleased to say is has started off well. Thankyou to all who made today enjoyable :) xx

(If you havent already booked these some are full but we are operating a waiting list and some still have limited space-do join us :))

Bengally Cat

Well Devon Dogs HQ has its very own Bengal cat, I have always loved breedy type cats as they just seem to be really full of personality, just wild in lots of ways! Anyway here he is, our new Bengal cat, given to us as he was a bit of a monkey, he seems to be fitting in here just fine. Other pics are of the house - it is just a gorgeous place to live and I am so proud of it :)

Today has been a lovely day, productive, thoughtful and all in all enjoyable, life is for living, thankyou to those who made today enjoyable!

What makes you a good student?

Popi is just fabulous - for a nearly 8 year old bitch I think she looks like a very 'yummy mummy' :) On a different note see below :)

Today I read something really interesting by Susan Garrett, she wrote:

"Many years ago I wrote an article for a very popular Dog Agility Magazine. The article entitled "On Being A Good Student" was a popular one, I received many emails and positive comments about it.

Today I decided it would be worthwhile to share the concepts of how to be a good student  once again. So I sat down in a quiet room and thought about all of the students I have had over the years. Certainly there are those that have stood out for one reason or another. 

First there are the great students. The sponges, the ones that can't get enough information. The ones that seem to improve right before my eyes and in no time at all, are amazing dog trainers in their own right.

On the other end of the spectrum are those students that stand out because they were a pain in my a**. The ones that I may have only taught for one day but they left an impression on me many years later. I recognize as an educator we can learn from everyone. Those that are a challenge give me insight into what holds people back from learning and what holds me back from reaching people with my message.

And there are the students that I really thought would be brilliant but ended up falling short. What held them back?"

Well it really made me think that on the whole I am so grateful for all of the amazing people I teach, I feel honoured and privileged most of the time to be working with many 'great,' students, thankyou all, you know who you are xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You know you love training when...

This morning I have had torrential rain and yet still feel that the training I have done was not only worthwhile but really enjoyable. Played some great games with a new BC that is staying with us and really enjoyed watching the learning process. WOW! I love to see creative thinkers and dogs that can problem solve and yet practice their instinctive behaviours. I then trained a gorgeous young Gunran pup and it really inspires me when I work with people that just so want to learn - fabulous morning - then trained my guys - JOB DONE! Even in the rain life is good especially here at Bowerlands - it is really special here.

Above are a couple of puppy pics - growing by the minute! We are looking for Devongem D names - so far we have Devongem Dante as a definate and Devongem did it again :)

Lauren

How time flies

Its so funny, I have been sat here all evening with Dave Munnings and Dan Shaw and the lovely Mathew Rouse,eating a very naughty take out and watching the puppies grow by the second. I watch in amazement at how they grow - they are just awesome.

However it reminded me of Reef, I picked him from Sandra Adams first named DARLEYFALLS litter and he has had a massive impact on me as an owner, dog lover and trainer. I just adore this dog - so here is to REEF, this is before I knew what he would be, I adored him for being just Reef, even if the noisiest pup I have ever had. Thankyou to Sandra for letting me have him and thankyou to Reef for being such a gorgeous dog to work with! Here is baby Reef - at this age it was all hopes and dreams - its now reality :) :) Thankyou Reef x

Learning and developing as a trainer and handler

As a trainer and a dog handler and fanatic I do love to see clever dog training! People do not give dogs choices, allow dogs to think and choose for themselves and make correct and appropriate learning decisions and actually learning time! For me dog training is not just an art but a science - there is huge amounts of clever reading and learning that can be done about how dogs learn! Contact training for me is well thought out, independently executed and an enjoyable experience from the first moment the dog performs and attempts the behaviour! I am really proud of lil Tiki - this is her first DW at Newhall in the outdoor school - thanx to Gary for filming and am so pleased with how she looks particularly with a group environment and distractions as well the fact it is a send ahead dog walk and she is a dog that naturally works well on recall as she has vey little eye stalk behaviours - no luring and no baiting just clever choices :)

Puppies at Devongem :)

There are puppies at our Devongem home Bowerlands - Popi x Reef both fab dogs and really hope the pups will be great too! Popi has the most loving nature with them and tends to every squeak and Reef is a typical man! (Actually he loves the puppies but is not in with them as gets just slightly obsessed:) We are more than happy after two weeks to have all of our lovely customers in to see them for a cuddle and socialisation session, so do come for a visit to Bowerlands.

On another note had a FAB training session yesterday with a great local club - really enjoy working with this club, they are just ACE! And today I have run a course at home with some excellent people and their 'Youngsters for Sport.' An inspirational day and feels very much time well spent :) XX

Thankyou to everyone for making this all soooo positive - your attitudes are amazing and with so many new ideas to work with I can barely contain myself :)

Lauren xx

Winter Training Plans

If you haven't already seen on the website we have lots of new days coming up - exciting times! We have some space on the following courses if you have not already booked -

* Skills day 24th October - Jump skills in the am, followed by the EVER popular walk the course, followed by a send ahead and distance workshop!

* Stretcholt - we have new stretcholt dates - please look at these - this is a great habitat to work in and always makes both handler and dog think hard. Course walking, running and analysis for competitive dogs only!

* Awesome Handling - an excellent day of handling and analysis with a farmhouse lunch provided!

* Performance Nerves - a day looking at improving your mental game

* Sprint Training - a day of energy, improving technique and style and generally learning about your sprint style - farmhouse lunch included!

* Tuesday morning course running workshops - These really are such fun, great course running, analysis and looking at handling style and technique.

* February Mark Laker sports psychology and Handling Training

* Karen Laker weave, contact and young dogs sequencing workshops

We also have coming up -

Guest Trainer Days at other clubs so look out for these
Improving relationships with your dogs
Awesome Contacts
K9 Massage workshop

All for the new year so watch this space......

Please email Carole@devondogs.co.uk or text Lauren for more information or see the website!

Hope you have your Winter Training Plan -

Lauren and all at www.devondogs.co.uk
Below is a picture of Clover x Reef pup Five - 16weeks old
Popi x Reef pups are due any day time now - fingers crossed

Mark and Karen Laker Training

Well the weekend started with a tour around the farm, the Lakers are interested in the farm for lots of reasons - watch this space :) All I heard was "ah," and "lovely" and "a laundry room?" We then had a fab dinner and far too much wine, well they both insisted so who am i to refuse ??;)

The training on the Sunday was great for me and really reaffirmed for me that DD is on the right track and are getting a lot of things right. Mark posted on his blog too, he said,

"It was good to see everyone again and note the progress made since last time. I must say Devon Dogs have had a good season."

I really like the fact that they are successful with the same handling system and yet human nature will always dictate that we sometimes have a different take on things.

Below is Shadow aka Shadow Man. He has had a very good G1 season - he has progressed from G1 to G3 and we are really proud of both him and Karen. Karen also has a gorgeous new tri boy pup from the Reef x Clover litter so watch this space :)

Oh how we love foundation....

So Winter is fast approaching and I love the fact that we have great people coming to train with us every Saturday and Sunday from now until the end of March to try to improve individual skills, develop knowledge and continue to generally improve and get better! I am also continually suprised with the lesson requests we have - Virginia Harry from the AGILITY VOICE is coming to stay with us in a few weeks and is also asking for foundation so I really am pleased that we have such a breadth of knowledge in this area. I also am really pleased with the numbers od new enquiries we are having, only this week I have had three new lesson enquiries for G6 and 7 handlers so am pleased we are helping this niche too :) Happy days.


We are really enjoying the YD sequencing and the new block of foundation is going really well too - some great people and great future pupstars! I think they are all going to be fab - with such dedicated owners how can they not be?

Winter Training plans

Here is Lyla on the A frame - for me this photo shows a very different dog to the one we started out with almost two years ago re agility. Her photo shows drive, intensity and focus - definately something we want to increase in our agility dogs.

We have some great workshops coming up to increase and boost your winter training plan challenges. Awesome Handling, Course Analysis (all with a farm house kitchen style lunch) Youngsters for Sport, Contact and weave workshops and Skills day with walk the course, sprint training days, Dave M training, Mark Laker and Karen laker various sessions and go the distance send ahead workshops! Some of these are full and operating waiting lists but we can have spectators, others have space so book early to avoid dissapointment.

Hope to see you all soon,

Lauren 

Finally....

Ok so I LOVE this place :)

Today has been a very surreal day - I really cant believe we are finally here! To reassure all of my million customers look above I have a very adequate King sixe bed AND my own en suite in my little studio annexe of the house! Matt and I LOVE it - it is just sooooo us!

The dogs are just loving it here, I walked them at about 6ish and they really couldnt believe that a miracle fairy (more often known as Fern) had deposited agility equipment ready for the course analysis on Sunday in the school - wow - the place is officially too cool!

I am off to have a glass of well deserved red wine and may even open the bubbly that a very kind customer has given me - thankyou all for your lovely cards, chocs and moving in gifts you are all too kind and supportive! You have really been so good to me over the last year - I promise to try my hardest to help you all :)

Lauren and Team DD (Carole is currently making bread with her Kitchen aid whilst drinking a glass of wine and looking at a recipe for a Victoria Sandwich/Carrot Cake for Sundays course - oooh the fun - I really am looking forward to it! Any special requests please put them in now as she is really getting quite good at this domestic goddess thing :))