Happy Versatile Bull Terriers
I decided to breed Iris this year, and just returned in mid May from breeding her. Breeding involves a lot of planning and work, and that’s before you even do a breeding. Evaluating My Bitch First, you evaluate the bitch, make sure she passes all the recommended health tests (in my breed, this includes a … Read moreBull Terrier Breeding Journey
Dog Emergency! Last Friday, my husband woke me up. “Something’s wrong with Marley!” he yelled. Marley, who sleeps in a different bedroom at night, was whining and struggling in her crate. When I got there she was upside down, had her blanket completely wrapped around one leg and was weaving her head back and forth. … Read moreMy Dog-Friend Lifeline
Livi and I were pleased to receive the 2018 Versatility Award from the Bull Terrier Club of Metro Detroit. Points are awarded for dogs that get out and do performance events during the year. Livi just squeaked ahead of Billy Ford and his housemate, Lola to win this year. Lovely trophy, and nice certificates are … Read moreA Versatile Bull Terrier!
Livi and I headed up to Flint for another Match at the Companion Dog Training facility last weekend. The driving was harrowing at times, proving once again I am a Crazy Dog Person.This time, we tried the Advanced course off lead, which included several Master and Excellent signs. When I pointed this out, they added … Read moreRally Advanced Match #2
Bull Terrier Club of St Louis Shows Amy and I headed out this morning for St Louis, traveling through Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and finally Missouri. We arrived at our hotel about 2:15 local time, then moved on to the show site. Amy showed well, but ran into some tough competition, going 2nd in her … Read moreDog Show Weekend
Iris and I finished up our first nosework class last week. We trained with Venita Bentley, CNWI using the K9 Nosework method, where dogs search for food in different locations for the first 12 weeks. I’ve been told that Bull Terriers will be the star of their nosework classes, and I can’t really say that … Read moreFinishing up Nosework #1
One of the biggest dog events in Southeastern Michigan happened last weekend. Billed the Michigan Winter Dog Classic, it includes all breed shows hosted by the Livonia Kennel Club and Oakland County Kennel Club, Obedience and Rally Obedience trials, Agility trials, Barn Hunt trials, a flyball tournament, CGC and Trick Dog testing, dock diving, a … Read moreWinter Dog Classic
Livi finished her Rally Intermediate title in November and we are working toward her Rally Advanced title, which is the first level of Rally where the entire performance is off-lead. At this point, we’d gone off-lead once in class before the Christmas/New Year’s holiday break. I decided to try an Advanced level match and drove … Read moreMatch First: Off-Lead Rally
I took Amy to a Novice Barn Hunt training session with Coach Karli in Howell, and was pleased to find out she was very good at finding rats and importantly, not paying much attention to the the decoy rat litter tubes hidden on the barn hunt course. She gave the litter tubes the same kind … Read moreAmy finds the rat!
Livi recently finished her Rally Intermediate title, and I plan to pursue a Rally Advanced title with her next, which means we have to do a really scary thing – go OFF LEAD int he ring. The stations are nearly identical to those in Rally Intermediate, so the challenge will be keeping her attention as … Read moreTraining Master Plan