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After a depressing Winter, we stumbled into a very confused Spring. Everything is about 4 weeks late, but boy is it arriving with a punch now. Birds have gone into overtime, trees are putting on muscle and the garden is rehearsing for an upgrade jungle status. I am beginning to think migration is a mighty fine idea, but for the moment I will have to make do with occasional trips to bright lands when England is doused in grey.
I have been enjoying a regular thrill from "this time next year" anticipating our cruise in April 2014. We already have a enthusiastic sailing community signing up for the experience. Is anticipation reinforcing? Oh yes, provided the event is of the expected value. We are in danger of overbuilding the pleasure we will enjoy from the event, and sometimes pessimistically dampen that anticipation so we will not suffer disappointment. But our dog are far more optimistic - that biscuit, that chase will always be worthy of the thrill.
Update on Five Go To Sea
I had a very excited email from a lady who was reading our Five go To Sea website:
"I am getting used to all the in-your-face marketing that is selling the things I don't want. I have found my weak point - all the things I could learn on your cruise. I was getting more and more excited as I read through all the bios of the speakers. These are usually a dry list of qualifications, but when I looked at all the different things you individually are doing I really wanted to the part of that learning."
I have to admit as I read through Ken, Jesus and Alex's bios I also get a frisson of excitement. Works for me far more than shopping or new shoes! If you are looking for a quickening of your pulse - go explore:
It is the stuff we teach that tells you so much more about what we do, who we are and what our passions are for.
At The Barn
Outside the Box weekend is looming up, a chance to experience deep immersion in the Wagmore Community and enjoy the Cotswolds. I am looking forward to introducing you to three friends who have been Wagmore regulars and all run successful training businesses of their own. They will be sharing their passions and quite different experiences of building their business strengths. Lots of inspiration.
Full details
I have added an extra Clicker Trainer Super Trainer, 5 Workshop course - refreshed the curriculum for a more cyclical feel.
Coming up on 9th June is the Play Workshop, we look at lots of different types of play that bring in all types of dogs - finding their core passion to build interactive learning. If you are interested in using play for reinforcement it is critical we find the play that works for that type of dog in that type of environment.
We have the regular popular workshops for Lifeskills, Nosework and Collies, plus an extra Connection Weekend in August - probably when it will be raining again.
Autumn time I run the workshops for Teachers: Practical Weekend for puppies and adolescents Sep 7 & 8, with a following weekend Nov 9 & 10 for Adults and Repairing Connection.
Professional Leads
After being soundly mugged for my leads/leashes at the San Francisco Expo we are now stocking these for online sale.
I have been around the block a few times with purchasing dog leads. Fashions come and go, but for me good functionality out-trumps fashion. So when I find an excellent quality lead that also looks cool, feels good and is as safe as you can get, I buy them!
As is usual with niche shopping, you would rarely find them at your local pet shop - unless in this case you live local to the manufacturers in Germany.
These are often known as the European or Training Lead, with additional rings to allow for altered lengths depending on the activity. They are 2 metres or 6 foot which allows for easy Parking. Superb quality of fabric, durable, washable. Stitching is extensive, no cheap rivets, and welded metal work. These are the critical points that for me are essential when your lead is being used for your dog's safety. At the shows we see lots of very attractive leads that would complement the flashiest of outfits, but on inspection the rings are simply pushed together, rivets instead of stitched joins, or single line of stitching. I used to keep a box of broken equipment as a warning to folk and these were all the weak points. Rarely the fabric.
The range we stock is the Professional Comfort Leads which are padded. Not only for our hands but if you do need to use the lead around the dog's chest as a temporary harness there is no chaffing. The collars and harnesses are also padded. They stock 10 colours and 8 different sizes in collars, which is way beyond my stock levels.
With the Gordons I always found is difficult to get a strong collar that reduced to a small size. Their necks are quite narrow in proportion to their body weight. I have stocked an average range of collars for sale at the Barn. We also do harnesses to order. This is their export catalogue but you may need to persuade your local speciality shop to stock what you need if you are yearning for more than I can offer.
For the moment we have leads in Raspberry, Aqua and Lavender. Contact me if you cannot live without additional accessories.
Summer School with Lesley
W.A.G.M.O.R.E fun and movement class:
Walking ~ Activities ~ Games ~ Movement ~ Obstacles ~ Relationship ~ Energy
A summer evening class to
- Build and maintain a wonderful relationship and learn to communicate better with your dog.
- Learn the skills that improve and develop your dog’s balance and co-ordination
Activities include:
- Focus development - Working on making it worthwhile for your dog to pay attention to you.
- Motivation and self control: using treats and toys effectively.
- Moving together: continued connection, walking together.
- Proprioception: teaching dogs how to use their bodies effectively, improving their balance and co-ordination.
- Safe introduction to obstacle equipment: low impact equipment introduced to build confidence, aid understanding, and develop independent performance of these obstacles by your dog.
- Course Negotiation - co-ordinate your movements, body language and improve handling skills.
Limited to 6 dogs per class. Tuesday evenings, and afternoons available. £10, book four session in advance (£35). From 5 months old. Email to book your place and for more details
Enjoy a WAGMORE dog
New Travel Plans:
September 22 I shall be at the Equine Clicker Conference in North Yorkshire.
October 18-20 Glasgow contact amanda@smaarthorses.co.uk, although we will be playing with dogs, and especially a Border Collie day.
Oct 25 -27 At Tails U Win in CT, USA. My 5th visit to Lesley Nelson's great training premises. She promises me no snow this year. Contact Tails direct is you want to be included in their mailing for this event.
December 6-8, I shall return to Madrid for 3 days of seminars and workshops.
Famous Five Go Down to the Sea?
Many of you will not have enjoyed Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books as a child. But for us it was the Harry Potter of our days. The “Five” did include a dog, Timmy and “the lashings of ginger beer” was a latter day association, but if you are joining us on the Five Go To Sea cruise I will do my very best to acquire Ginger Beer for our reception!
I am thrilled with your response to our Five Go To Sea 2014 cruise - who says anticipation is not reinforcing?! This will be the Ultimate Ideas Generator for anyone in teaching animals and people. I have gathered the very best people to stimulate your creativity and deepen your understanding: Alex Kurland: generator of the click-riding and horse teaching protocols, Ken Ramirez: famed throughout the marine and zoo world for the highest quality teaching and animal management and Jesus Rosales Ruiz who can throw a rope around us all and keep our feet in touch with the academic behavioural analysis. Not only will we have three and a half days of formal topics to focus our global ideas, but also those precious chances to interact in the in-between moments. Seven Whole Days ...... mmmm, yummy.
Every Dog Goes Digital
After several journeys around the block Every Dog Every Day book and video has become digital. Despite being attracted to Kindle (I adore my Kindle for bedtime and aeroplane reading), exploring ibook, flirting with ePubs and the rest, I have landed in pdf-world. You can now download the pdf from our shop (£15) which includes unlimited viewing of the accompanying video. And I must say it looks most sexy on an iPad which must have been made just for this book!
Buy the pdf
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