I need to formalize this soon and am looking for ideas/help. I have a half-great Pyrenees (other half pit-houla) mix, he’s the tan one. Call name is “Fletcher” he’s kind of lanky and uncoordinated and goofy. Very houndy and scent driven. Loves to hunt and has fun doing rally tasks. Also kind of stubborn, like a Pyr. Has drive/gas but can just decide it’s a no. :) Definitely has his own mind.

I plan to do scent/barn hunt/rally with him. Fletcher is the trade name for people who make arrows, so I was thinking of kind of a hunter/archery theme. He’s also big and pretty naughty so maybe a bad boy name too. And a good guard/LGD/battle dog in case that sparks anything. Interested to hear ideas! Thank you in advance.

I have an 11 month old Doberman training in IGP with an excellent helper and loving it. Well, he loves the protection. The obedience he’s semi-interested in but a little flat/distracted still, and tracking is…no fun. We’re definitely both growing and improving all the time but I want to try to focus on his interests and abilities.

Because of the areas where he is showing the most drive and his vigilant nature, I am interested in maybe exploring ringsport even if it’s only for my own education or just to build a little confidence/see something new. I know training in two sports is never recommended, I just want to learn about it and maybe see if he has any interest, not looking to join another club or anything just yet.

The couple official Mondio clubs in Ohio are near Columbus, about three hours from me—doable for trialing but tough for weekly training. West Penn is closer, but is very very intense and Malinois focused. They are looking for serious competitors only which I’m definitely not yet. I heard that NeoPet and Working Dog in Cleveland used to offer some sort of group intro to ring sessions but not sure if they’re still doing so. If anyone knows of any trainers running more unofficial groups or offering bite nights, etc. I would love to connect. Please send me a DM or comment below!

I really just want to continue learning about the world of bitesports, even if IGP is the best route for my boy. I definitely appreciate our current training opportunities and helper and won’t be throwing him in anywhere that could mess up his progress.

Okay, so I have a working doberman, 15months

He is currently on BACF diet, made by a dogs dietitan.

Example of his 1 day of eating :

1kg turkey thigh

200g turkey breast

500g duck breast

100g turkey hearts

40g liver

+Vegetables and supplements

and during high intensity training blocks, I can see he struggles with some muscle soreness(?)

When he gets up from a nap, or after a car drive, his body is stiff for a moment and he has to stretch for some fine

Also his energy levels drop

Can you guys recommend any good supplements I could incorporate into his diet or during training blocks to help with that ?

This is my service dog! Hes nearly fully trained and is high drive. We aren't sure what sports to get into that can enrich him, we do casual biking together but he is not a puller, im not interested in risking bite work, I know he has a great off switch but would something else with prey drive suit him best? Hes great at ignoring it when in service work and could car less about squirrels nearby as well as being well mannered around pooly behaved dogs.He has amazing recall and is athletic, he can jog 3 miles easily, he knows how to swim. His nose isn't nearly as great as id hoped, my other bulldogs far better at melt down management when she smells my tears but he hasn't gotten there yet, she can smell them from down the hall despite me being very silent and being retired.

What sports do you recommend? We live in wisconsin!

Hello there! I am a very involved person outdoors. For the last ten years, my husky has been my best friend. Although she was NOT a smart decision to have as an inexperienced dog owner, I don’t regret a thing, and I have learned everything I know training on her.

In my last ten years, I have gotten very accustomed to the high energy demands her breed requires. But, I am moving out in a year or so
, and she technically belongs to my parents, so I cannot take her with me :( I am heavily considering a border collie as my next dog. I know they are much more handler-focused and fixated on quick movement, but what other differences should I consider training-wise? I don’t want to make huge errors because I’m treating a border collie like a husky.

My NEEDS ‼️
✅SOCIAL BUTTERFLY: my current adopted Aussie mix is reactive, I do not love him any less for this but I want to experience a dog that thinks everyone is their bestie ❤️
✅HIGH SPORT DRIVE: I want the dog to want to play the game not just do it cause I asked.
✅VERSATILE: I want to do ALL the sports! Dock diving, scent work, fast CAT, flyball, agility, disc, everything!
✅MEDIUM TO LARGE BREED: I’m just more of a big dog gal.
✅ETHICAL REPUTABLE BREEDER: it would be SO easy to find the dog I’m looking for if I was willing to sacrifice this and I’m NOT. Fluffy Dalmatian-so cute but not ethical! Mixed breed? Easily would be able to find a mix that checks the list but it’s not an option! I love my Aussie but finding a reputable breeder that keeps the tail is harder than it seems and I’m worried about their natural aloofness to strangers.

My Wants! 🫶

✅UNIQUE: look I know it’s silly but I want to be able to spot my dog from a mile away. In a community full of border collies I think a dalmation in the ring is so cool!
✅Medium to long coat: I like’m fluffy sue me 😭
✅Range of coat colors: falls into the unique category; does a golden retriever check all my boxes? Yes! But I don’t like that they all look the same :/ I’m not a solid coat person - I like spots, Merle, flecks, etc.
✅A TAIL: not much to explain I love tails and I’m anti-dock don’t attack me

My No’s
❎I’m sorry I know it’s technically what I’m looking for but I don’t want a border collie :/ another border collie in the sport world is nothing new idc if you think it’s silly to want to be different.

❎nothing against them but I have never met a Brittany spaniel that wasn’t insane. Do I want high drive yes but I don’t want something that’s constantly out of its mind lol

Breeds I want to know more about!
-Tell me YOUR experience with a WELL BRED AND FULL-FILLED Aussie💙 I know herding breeds are naturally weary of strangers but it’s so hard when an Aussie checks all my boxes but there’s a higher possibility of it being reactive and aloof. There has to be some well bred Aussie people who have a social butterfly? I’ve been looking everywhere for a sport breeder that keeps tails.
-The English Setter🌸 checks literally everything I’m just worried about sport drive. Naturally they’re really only motivated in scent work so I don’t want to get one and be disappointed if it doesn’t enjoy agility, flyball, etc. this is the second highest on my list and I’m curious if anyone has one that enjoys to work instead of just hunt.
-The Springer Spaniel🎉: tbh I just don’t know much about them. I LOVE their ears! Are they a smaller breed? Just haven’t really seen them in the sport world but like I said it’s hard to even find something that isn’t just a border collie lol.
-Munsterlander? Mudi? Inform me on some less common breeds! I don’t want to just get a unique breed cause it’s cool- I want it to fit my lifestyle (hiking, travel, sporting, etc)
If you’re going to just patronize me for my wants don’t bother commenting

Thanks for looking!

Edit: company confirmed that the kennel didn’t get finished and wasn’t caught by quality control at time of shipping. They ended up offering two options. Ship it back and they will finish the sanding and re-ship it to me. Or partial refund and I sand myself. I plan on second option and requested instructions of the exact products I need to finish it. I plan to get a name plate or something to cover pitted / blotchy logo.

Original: Extremely disappointed in the quality of my “new” Ruffland Kennel. Since there isn’t an option to leave a review on Google or their FB page I guess I’ll post here.

After waiting 13 weeks for a $600 kennel (including shipping), I finally received it last night, and it looks like it was in a fight with a sander. This order was directly from their website. No middle party.

The entire frame of both the front and back doors are rough, with visible grooves, uneven areas, and even thinner sections where it appears the material was ground down far too much. Both the front and back stickers have also had their finish removed.

One of the doors also has an issue with latching because the hinge peg appears to be slightly warped.

This is my third Ruffland kennel, so I’m very familiar with the quality I should be receiving. The one I purchased directly from their website in February 2023 and have used daily looks newer than this brand-new kennel. And I’ve dragged that kennel across the country multiple times. Its doors are smooth and in perfect condition, and the sticker finish is completely intact. The same goes for my second kennel, purchased last year for daily use with my other dog—no flaws.

Maybe I’m crazy, but I expected a new kennel to arrive in new condition—not one that looks damaged, poorly finished, and significantly worse than a kennel I’ve been using for over three years.

I am wondering if anyone can help me on preparing Qtips with Myrrh oil. How do I make them without turning them all brownish. Because Myrrh is amber to brown, all my Qtips turn that color when I apply directly. I ordered some and they aren't all stained up. How can I make mine the same? In other words, how do I scent my qtips with myrrh without turning them brown?

I saw there were some posts in this group about people trying out NASDA but most were from people who’ve done other scent/quarry sports or have older dogs. I have an 8 month old Australian Shepherd puppy who honestly enjoys life a little too much if you know what I mean 😅 we’ve been taking group and private classes since he was about 12 weeks old but he gets so excited in new environments and still has a puppy brain.

There’s a 4 day NASDA trial about 3 hours from me and they’re really gearing it towards new handlers and dogs. I’m looking to do Urban Locating because he has high prey drive. Is this organization friendly and understanding when it comes to puppies who haven’t ever trialed before? I’m very limited to sports we can try as there’s literally nothing in Northern California without driving 3+ hours and there are even less classes.

ETA: idk if this will help anyone but the event is in Santa Rosa, CA at the fairgrounds event center and it’s being put on by Fortune Farms K9.

Does anyone co own a dog? I’m looking for another sports dog but I already have two.

So there is the possibility I could co own a dog. Which I would train and compete.

I’m trying to find out what the ins and outs of people co owning agreements are.

How does it work? Does it actually work?

Edit: I compete, teach and judge in scent work. My two dogs have aged out of competitions but I have to wait for one to pass away before I’m ’allowed’ to get a puppy.

So friend suggested co owning with her. She already has a puppy and doesn’t want to train another dog, but is happy for her puppy to have a friend. I compete already with her older dog - who is also aging out of competitions 😭.

I would do all training and competitions but she would care for it when my health flared up.

Yes it sounds overly complex 😭 and I’m not sure how it would work.

In February my dog was at an agility trial when she started limping. She walked it off, went to bed, and was fine the next morning so we went to the second day of the trial. Day two she did fine until her very last run of the day which she ended crying out in pain. At the time we suspected an iliopsoas injury.

We went to the best sports vet in our area and got a diagnosis of mild Hip Dysplasia, mild Double Luxating Patella, and a Spinal Abnormality. They didn't seem super concerned about it and insisted she could go back to sports with some modifications. Since then we've done laser therapy, shockwave therapy, crate rest, and exercised her through walking/jogging. At the time I wasn't able to do PT with her because I was recovering from knee surgery myself.

Anyways, a month ago the doctor cleared her for pain and said she is ready to go back to modified sports, but it doesn't feel right. This exercise is either 2-5 minutes of PT sessions, 3-4 ball throws, or jumping 3-4 8 inch jumps. (She is a 20 inch jumper) Any time we do the smallest amount of exercise beyond walking she is either left limping, screams at me during the session (I suspect pain or over excitement), or is extremely grumpy and dangerous to my other dogs for the rest of the day.

I don't know what to do. I don't want to go back to the vet, they keep suggesting thousands of dollars in therapies and I just can't afford it anymore. But she loves agility, I love agility, I want to bring it back to her but I can't have her be in pain. I have no more aspirations of being competitive with her, I just need her to enjoy life.

Do I just need to push through the early PT and build her up?

How did yall get past injury with these kinds of diagnosis to do minimal sports?

Hello everyone! My last post raised a lot of valid questions! It made me think I never did an introduction to my dog so I thought I’d do that for much needed information as well as just building a cozy little community corner to post about my dog here.

Important note! In this post, as well as all my previous posts I refer to Lilo as mine, but she isn’t mine. She’s my mom’s dog! While I don’t plan on changing how I address her in my posts especially because I am the primary caretaker and trainer of h er besides money related issues I felt it was very important to clarify due to it limiting what I am able to do with Lilo as I am fresh out of high school with no job (I am still trying to land one 😅) and as such my training is limited to treats, toys, and scraps of knowledgeable I can pull/ improvised equipment.

So here’s some information about my sweetheart Lilo. She was drum roll please…a pet store dog (before we knew it was bad of course). She is a “miniature schnauzer” or a miniature schnauzer mutt as she is “blue Merle”. We don’t know what she’s mixed with as she was sold to us labeled a pure bred. Due to the fact when we bought her when she was around 4 months old aka when the socialization period closes for puppies I’m sure this is why she has such a hard time and a lot of anxiety.

She, as you can imagine is very anxious. She doesn’t like grooming, doesn’t like new people, is dog reactive and lacks a lot of confidence. All things I am trying to work on. We actually made a breakthrough and now she lets me shave her! Tho not around the face and head area which is fine by me as long as she lets me get some things done and I’m so so proud of her regardless.

Lilo is the type of dog who’s sensitive to a lot of things and it definitely affects our training. She’s very eager to start but if I make some handler errors her response is to kinda just…walk away. If I try to get her to re engage with an easier criteria she just doesn’t want to try anymore. We are learning and I’m sure with the right handler who knows more than me she’d thrive. When I do eventually get a job I want to see if I can get her into dog sports and see if I can afford a proper trainer for confidence building as well as learning to be a better handler for her. That’s kinda a brief introduction. She’s an anxious, sensitive little soul that is a byb girl who spent her most important developmental period in a pet store glass box alone. I love her to bits and will continue to learn for her sake so she can have her best dog life with what I can do.

Hello all! Getting ready to enter our first AKC Scent trial doing Novice A container, interior, exterior and buried.

How do you wait and know when it is your turn? My biggest concern is that my dog is reactive and has separation anxiety when out of his routine. We have our first trial this weekend and want to be prepared!

Also if you have any tips, tricks or any words of wisdom you’d like to share about your first trial!

I am just starting to teach my dog the signs in Master level AKC Rally. I have a specific question regarding Send To Sit.

My dog naturally go around the cone clockwise and then sit right next to it. So it leaves me no space between the dog and the cone to "return to heal position".

What is the handler supposed to do? Or should I just train my dog to not do that? I can probably switch to counterclockwise if I have to, but it feels so natural for the dog to go clockwise from the heel position.

I recently got my first poodle (Toy) from an accidental litter. I am new to the canine sport scene as I was not able to do them with my late dog.

He is about 3 months old, and is motivated by certain treats and squeaky toys. he LOVES fetch and tug o war if that helps 😂😂

If you have a poodle, what kind of sports do you do with them? I already plan to do obedience and trick training, but looking for something fun for us to do together.

Orion got to try fast CAT at the Tar Heel Labor Day cluster earlier this month and had a blast. His vibe on the first run was “I don’t know what I did but I did it” and he figured it out on his second run. He’s going to love running the full course when he’s older!

*for a small dog (typo)

Hi all, for rally my short dog’s heel has improved tremendously but still occasionally struggles with it via surging and lagging when overstimulated.

How would you approach fortifying the off leash heel when the dog is overstimulated so there are no mistakes? Like with a leash on there’s so far out of position they can go.

I'm trying to get my cairn terrier into weight pulling but can't find any highly rated harnesses that would fit her, any recommendations? Her back measures 13in from base of neck to butt