Best Friend

Outside the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri, stands a statue dedicated to a Foxhound named Old Drum - commemorating a famous trial held there in 1870. Old Drum was shot and killed when he wandered onto the neighboring farm. His owner’s only recourse was to sue the neighbor.

A young attorney – George Vest, who later became a United States Senator – was retained by the owner. Senator Vest’s closing argument at the trial was just 400 words, eloquently in support of the value of a dog and included this thought:

“The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. He is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens."

Shortly after he spoke, the jury found for his client and awarded him the maximum allowable damages of $50 – which was a lot of money back then. In addition, Vest’s speech established the phrase “man’s best friend is his dog.”

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More on Dynamic Stretching

Clarification on dynamic stretching:

Standing high fives: dog is standing (four paws on the ground) and giving you a high five.

Sitting wave: dog waves 3-5 times in a row before putting his paw down.

Toe-kicks: same as standing high fives, but while you're standing facing the dog, you lift your foot about dog's elbow height so dog has to shift weight forward and reach forward to touch your foot with its paw. Switch feet and continue. It's ok if your dog starts to take a step forward to adjust for the weight shift, you can just take a step back.

Figure 8 through legs: make sure you change directions. Many don't believe me but a direction change is required.

Circle work: large enough circles to get your dog into and maintain a trot. Change of direction is required.

Walking backwards: when dog is going backwards make sure it's in a straight line.

Robin Pelletier

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WARM UPS - Dogs Are Side Dominant

Dog's are side dominate, so I recommend all activities (heel work included) to be practiced from both sides and in both directions. Please, not too much flak from the obedience experts out there. I'm looking at this from a rehab, fixed a lot of dog necks and shoulders, perspective. Robin Pelletier www.poodlesinmotion.com

Pride

I'm really not proud of my results. I'm only proud of my dogs. I think they are the smartest, cutest, and funniest dogs in the world and I make sure they know that, I make sure they know that I'm their biggest fan.

From: Sylvia Trkman

Agility Warm Up

There just isn't enough warm-up happening in agility! Especially dynamic stretching.

Many get confused with the stuff that goes on while you're waiting your turn to run as being a warm-up. That stuff, IMO, is to rev, ready, and focus your dog.

I also see good intentions happening on the first day of a multi-day trial, but the energy usually fades by day three which is when your dog needs it the most.

Warm muscles can keep a slip from turning into an injury.

Five minutes of trotting is the minimum warm-up to do.

Dynamic stretching routine:
- Standing high fives
- Sitting waves
- Toe-kicks
- Figure 8 through legs
- Circle work
- Walking backwards, etc .

Multiple reps of each AFTER the 5 minutes of trotting.

The practice jump is not a dynamic stretch its a ballistic event. Ballistic events require dynamic stretching. So if you warm your dog up and then do the practice jump to get your dog's "head in the game" great, but it can't replace a dynamic stretching routine.

A dynamic stretching routine consists of activities that increase the body's temperature and increase blood flow to the muscles so they can be ready at a moments notice. A good dynamic stretching routine uses movement patterns that require muscles group activation, muscle groups that will be used during the trial, but activities that don't replicate the actual activity you're going to do in the trial. You want to save the "bang" for the competition, don't waste it on the warm-up.

Robin Pelletier
www.poodlesinmotion.com