A Different Dog Sport

Last weekend found this member of FiDo out in the open fields trying something different...tracking!  My friend Patti learned the sport of tracking back east before she moved to Arizona and has been most willing to teach several of us how to work with our dogs.  Patti has titled Springer Spaniels in AKC tracking tests and has also worked with search and rescue dogs. She currently has an advanced tracker, Lily, and a dachsund puppy named Heidi who is just learning. 

Patti and her 9 month old Dachsund follow the scent to the glove.

It is very natural for the dogs to follow a scent...it is not so natural for us as handlers to trust that our dog is following the scent.  However, crucial to this partner ship is teaching the dog to initially keep it's nose to the ground...the dog that keeps it's nose to the ground is easier to follow because it is obvious to the handler that the dog is working.  When we start out training, we use treats placed along the track and we start with very short distances.  There is a "jackpot" reward at the end of the track...a leather article (glove) filled with very yummy treats.  The dog learns that the found article is what the handler desires, and since the article now has a jackpot reward associated with it, the dog learns to "indicate" the article...either picks it up, barks, or in some cases sit (you can train the behavior that you would like in seperate exercises).
It is very rewarding to watch your dog use it's natural instinct and to work in tandem with your dog to achieve the goal...the coolest thing ever for me personally was when my dog caught a turn for the first time.  When you first start out, you teach your dog straight tracks.  Then as they get better you add a turn (we use 90 degree turns at the beginning...there is a reason for this).  My dog was following the track when all of a sudden she lifted her head and was walking around with her head up.  What the heck?  Patti told me to wait and watch.  Gypsy was actually "air scenting" at that point because she had "lost" the track.  In time her nose led her back to the changed direction of the track.  It was just so cool! 
Patti and her husband Kevin are members of the Arizona White Mountain Kennel Club up here in the White Mountains.  I'm so grateful that she is so willing to share her knowledge and abilities with other like minded dog lovers!

Wags and Kisses are in the air!

February, Valentine's Day, and FiDo has found a wonderful event to attend this month.  It is the Wags and Kisses Flyball Tournament in Gilbert at Crossroads Park this weekend, Jan 19 and 20th, hosted by the Blazin' K9s.  FiDo members Michelle and Debbie will be helping out Blazin' K9s with the scoring this weekend.  Blazin' K9s is a young flyball team,  based in Chandler and this is their second annual tournament.  This year there are 25 teams entered! 

What is flyball, you may ask?  It is a relay race between two teams of four dogs each.  They race each other over a set of four jumps to a box that releases a tennis ball that the dogs have to catch before returning with the tennis ball back to their owners.  There is a lot of excitement, a lot of barking, a lot of fast dogs, and a whole lot of fun!  Come on by, cheer the teams on, check out the raffles, volunteer to help.  Oh yea...and the dog barking the loudest...that will be FiDo's very own Gypsy running on the Blazin K9s team Kiss This!

More information on the Wags And Kisses Tournament, Blazin' K9s team, and flyball in general can be found on their website Blazin' K9s.

Sled Dog Races in the White Mountains of Arizona

This past weekend found Fido and his friends up at the Sunrise Ski area where there was still snow to be found...and the dogs were running!  Yep.  Sled dog races.  We had no idea that this dog sport could be so fun!  So many things we learned as we watched the teams compete this weekend:

First of all, sled dog racing is definitely a family affair.  It takes more than one person to get the dogs hooked up and to bring the teams out to the start.  Depending on the size of the team, mom, dad, sons, daughters all had a hand in gettting the dogs to the start.  Additionally, young mushers can compete in a junior musher division where they compete against other young mushers. 
Another thing we learned was that any breed of dog can participate...all that's needed is a willingness to run and the fitness and training to pull the sled with a person on it.  The fastest team we saw this weekend was made up of hound mixes.  These dogs were eager to run and didn't seem to tire!  There were, of course the huskies and malamutes, but the team that really turned heads was the team with the 2 beautiful white Samoyeds.  These dogs, it turned out, are show dogs...meaning they show in the breed ring...but they were here at the races to prove that they were more than a couple pretty faces.  These 2 dogs ran their very first novice course and completed it in style!
The races are run in heats.  The teams don't all start together at the start line.  I imagine because the teams and harnesses could conceivably get all tangled if someone got off to a rough start.  The teams come up to the start line one at a time, a count down is started, and the team is off and running.  The next team comes up within a certain time frame and the routine is repeated.  And so on until all the teams are running.  The heat is completed when the last team crosses the finish line.  Depending on the level or division that is running, the course is measured in miles and each team is timed.  The team with the fastest time wins the heat. 

The spectators always cheer when each team starts off...when the teams are out of sight, we all turn to idle chatter until someone will suddenly call out "Team coming in!"  Or "Here comes a team!"  Everyone turns to cheer the teams into the finish line.  At the finish line, each musher dismounts, and heads his or her team off for immediate nutrition and hydration after working so hard.

There are multiple divisions...such as 6 dog team, 4 dog team, 3 dog, etc.  And there are multiple levels and level of courses.  There was a novice course that was a mile long and basically one loop.  There were the junior mushers, and the more experienced mushers who had more turns and more miles on their courses.

Fido says that bundling up and going on up to the higher elevation was well worth it this weekend.  If you are interested in finding out more about participating in sled dog racing we found a couple websites you might want to check out.  Arizona Mountain Mushers has information about other competitions scheduled this year and the organization that sanctions sled dog races can be found at ISDRA Sled Dog Racing.  These couple links just might get you and your fido started on a whole new adventure!

Dock Diving

What a fantastic time at Wags 4 Wishes in Chandler, Az this past weekend!  Although there was much going on, with Flyball and Agility taking center stage, we spent a lot of time by the Splash Dogs pool as the weather was just Phoenix perfect!  Splash Dogs is the organization that brings it's own pool and dock to host dock diving competitions.  There are generally two events that are qualified as competitive.  One is the distance, where the dog is measured (by computer!) how far out he lands in the water.  The other event is a high jump where the height of the dog's jump is measured.  The current record that I could find reference to is 29 feet!  Wow!  This weekend the competition featured only the distance jump and we saw jumps around 17 feet from the more experienced entrants.  In between competition times, the general public was allowed the opportunity to see what their dogs could do.  It is not an easy transition for many dogs to go from perhaps jumping in the owner's pool to jumping from the platform that serves as the Splash Dogs dock which has a bit of height to it.  There is a fairly young training club in the Phoenix area for those who wish to pursue competition and many of it's members were on hand this weekend both ready to compete and ready to practice.  We found one website on the internet if you are interested in finding out more information about pursuing this dog sport.  Check out Sit Means Sit (and other dog training) if you would like to view some videos or contact someone.  FiDo says this is a FANTASTIC dog sport to become involved in!

Wags 4 Wishes

FiDo's Favorite for this weekend:
Sunny and warm is the prediction...not up here in the mountains, but down in Chandler, Az.  The Arizona Wags for Wishes is this weekend at Rawhide in Chandler Arizona (Wild Horse Pass and I-10).  This event is hosted by the dog community to benefit the Arizona Make A Wish Foundation.  Money raised from the event is donated towards the granting of at least one child's wish.  What a fantastic cause!  Come out and watch an agility trial, a flyball tournament, Splash Dogs dock diving, demonstrations in herding, canine freestyle, lure coursing, nose work, frisbee, and protection.  Bring your well behaved dogs to the event if you'd like!  There will be opportunities to participate and try your hand (or paw) at many events.  For more information visit  Wags 4 Wishes

Happy New Year and welcome to FiDo's Blog!

Snow on the ground, daytime temperatures below freezing...what's a dog to do?  Curling up by the fireplace sounds great, but with an agility trial next weekend in Tempe, dogs from the White Mountains need to stay in physical and mental shape. Heck, there's a competition or event every weekend in the Phoenix area for the next few months.  That's why FiDo loves author and blogger Susan Garrett.  She has countless games and activities to keep these dogs at their best!  Check out her blog at Susan Garrett Dog Agility.  Another option is to bundle up and get out there despite the snow!  Just be sure to check paw pads to be sure they're not too sensitive.  Kudos from FiDo to Debbie and Gypsy for practicing contacts and weaves out in the snow today! Looks like Gypsy had no issues with the cold white stuff!