Twenty Inches, Tight Turns, and Turning Up the Clarity Pre-novice agility with Layla this week felt good. Same dog, same game… clearer picture. Twenty Inches, No Big Deal We continued jumping 20 inches, which is Layla’s competition height, and she handled it like it belongs to her. No stress, no hesitation. Just confident, thoughtful jumping built on strong foundations and smart reinforcement. Wrap It Like You Mean It We worked tight turns using a cone set inside the jump wing.

20 inches, tight wraps, and a dog who’s figuring it OUT. 💥 Layla is jumping full height, learning to turn tighter, and building confident contacts and weave entries. When the picture is clear, the game gets fast, fun, and really, really good. #BlueBlur #LaylaLearns #Appetitive #Agility

Twenty Inches and Feeling Bold: Pre-Novice With Layla Pre-novice agility with Layla this week came with a big moment: 20-inch jumps. And she handled it like it was just another Monday. Confident, capable, and ready to play. Up Goes the Bar We raised the jumps, and Layla rose right with them. No hesitation, no drama. Just thoughtful, committed jumping. That kind of confidence does not come from pushing.

20 inches and feeling bold. 💥 Layla tackled higher jumps, smooth post turns, and flowing blind crosses. When the picture is clear, the game gets fast and FUN. Pre-novice agility is clicking! #BlueBlur #Appetitive #Agility #LaylaLearns

Run One Way, Dog Goes the Other: The Joy of Lateral Sends I'm learning you don't have to be able to run fast to play agility. Instead, teach clarity so your dog understands the job, and your handling line becomes efficient. At our latest Young Dog Workshop with Jody Lolich, Layla and I worked on a skill that feels a little like magic when it clicks. Lateral sends. Send your dog to an obstacle while you move in the opposite direction.

Today’s agility challenge: Layla goes one way... I run the other. Lateral sends, soft turn cues, and independence drills from our young dog workshop with Jody Lolich. The goal is bold obstacle commitment and confident teamwork. #BlueBlur #Agility #Appetitive #LaylaLearns

When the Nose Really Starts Doing the Discriminating Beginner Nosework, scent physics, and why Layla ignored a box full of toys like a professional. Beginner Nosework is where the training wheels start coming off. Well, sometimes. Food pairing helped build the hunt early on. But now the real test begins: does the dog value the odor itself? This week’s searches gave Layla plenty of opportunities to answer that question—and she answered with her nose.

This week in Beginner Nosework: Layla searched rooms, containers, and an exterior area—mostly odor only, less food pairing. She even ignored boxes full of tempting toys to focus on birch, anise, and clove. Turns out the nose really does know. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #TeamLayla #LaylaLearns #Appetitive

Jumping, Weaving, and Wiggly Shrubs: Layla’s Agility Adventures Continue In our fifth agility lesson, Layla and I focused this week on short series of table, jumps and tunnel. We also played jump wraps, weaves, and the teeter. Our two exercises for homework this week: First: Play jumping over a single standard. Start by standing in at the jump and tossing cookies to get her to drive over the jump, alternating sides.

This week: agility drills + desensitizing using play. Layla’s learning jumps, tunnels, weaves, and teeter. 🐾 #AgilityDog #TrainingInProgress #LaylaLearns #Rplus #Rescue