SonicCanines, Crystal River, FL (2026)

06/11/2026

😴 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗥 - 𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗣!!

We hope that as agility handlers we are track conditioning, strength training, jumping skills, recovery days and nutrition, but very few of us track one of the biggest contributors to performance: 𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗘𝗣!! And I do not mean resting or hanging out or lying beside the ring watching dogs run. I mean ACTUAL sleep.

I learned this lesson years ago with my young dog Prime. As a puppy, she would hit a point where she simply needed a nap, especially after eating. I quickly discovered that if I wanted quality learning sessions, training needed to happen BEFORE meals, not after because after she ate, her brain was done. She needed a NAP. At first I thought she needed more activity but finally it dawned on me that she really needed more sleep. That's when I started to research more about how much sleep our performance dogs actually need.

Research shows that dogs are 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀, meaning they naturally sleep in multiple bouts throughout the day and night. Unlike most adult humans, we sleep in one primary block at night (monophasic sleep). Sleep plays an important role for dogs in learning, memory consolidation, recovery, emotional regulation, and nervous system restoration.

Think about elite human athletes. Imagine taking a sprinter, weightlifter, or Olympic gymnast and repeatedly cutting their sleep short. Would they still train? For sure. Would they perform at their best? Probably not. Eventually focus drops. Recovery slows.
Decision-making suffers. Frustration increases. Dogs are no different. Now think about a typical agility weekend: Travel, Crating, Noise, People, Dogs, Multiple runs and Environmental stimulation.

Many dogs finish the day physically tired. But they may also be carrying a significant sleep debt. And that can show up as reduced focus, Increased arousal, slower recovery, poor decision making etc.

We just need to remember that recovery doesn't happen when your dog is watching the world it happens when your dog is sleeping.

👇 How many hours do you think your competition dog actually sleeps each day?

06/07/2026

🏆 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

One of the exercises I continue to use with both my young dogs AND my seasoned competition dogs is jump extension work.
Many people think once a dog is jumping, the job is done. It really isn't.

Jumping is a skill. And like any skill, it needs to be developed, maintained, and refined.

Extension grids help dogs learn:

✅ Stride regulation
✅ Body awareness
✅ Efficient takeoff and landing points
✅ Confidence and commitment
✅ Better understanding of their own movement

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆!!!
✅ Better jumping skills help reduce the risk of injury.

When dogs learn to organize their bodies efficiently, they place less unnecessary stress on joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Good jumping mechanics don't just improve performance, they help support long-term soundness.

For young dogs, these exercises help build proper mechanics and awareness from the beginning. For experienced dogs, they help maintain technique, fitness, and consistency. Even my older competition dogs continue to benefit from this type of work.

What often surprises people is that jump training isn't really about teaching a dog to clear a bar. It's about teaching the dog how to use their body efficiently, safely, and confidently.

This is just one of many jump grids I use with my students. The goal isn't simply to jump higher or faster. The goal is better movement, better understanding, and a healthier, more resilient agility dog.

🎥 Here's a look at one of our extension exercises in action.

Many thanks to Keith & Lynnea R Landers for all their help with this training session.

06/05/2026

🏃‍♀️ 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗢𝗚𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗢𝗡

One of the most overlooked skills in dog training is the release cue and how important it really is. Most people think of a release cue as simply a way to tell the dog, "You can move now." But when trained correctly, it becomes so much more than that!!

A well-trained release cue creates anticipation. The dog learns that holding position is not the end of the game, it's actually the beginning of something exciting. The reward, toy, obstacle, food, chase, or opportunity is coming but only after the release cue.

Think about a sprinter in the starting blocks. I know a little bit about this because I competed in the 100 meter sprint during my school years and was fortunate to be pretty good at it.

I can still remember standing in the blocks waiting for the start. My heart rate would climb, my focus would narrow, and my anticipation would build. But interestingly, what created the biggest surge of excitement wasn't the race itself. It was the gun. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗨𝗡 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗲.

That sound was the signal that all the waiting, preparation, and anticipation could finally be converted into action. The longer I held my position and focused on the upcoming release, the more energy and motivation I felt building inside me. Dogs are no different.

When we teach duration and then consistently release the dog to something they value, we create a powerful emotional state:
➡️ Anticipation
➡️ Expectation
➡️ Drive
➡️ Motivation
In fact, many dogs become more motivated by the anticipation of the reward than by the reward itself.

This is why a great Start Line Stay isn't about restraint. It's about creating a dog that is eagerly waiting for the opportunity to perform. When done correctly the release cue becomes a predictor of all good things.

💡 A release cue isn't just permission to move. It's a motivation-building tool.

Have you noticed your dog's excitement increase as your release cue became more reliable? I'd love to hear your experiences below. 👇🐾

06/03/2026

🎰💰𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗜𝘀 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀: 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝘀 🐾 🐕

One of the most important concepts in behavioral science is something called 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘄.

“𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴”

In simple terms: Dogs tend to choose behaviors that have paid off the most in the past.

Not the behavior we want and not the behavior we wish they would do. It is actually the behavior that has the strongest history of reinforcement. In other words, if a dog learns that ignoring a "come" command results in better treats elsewhere (like sniffing the grass), it will choose the sniffing behavior. Other examples we might see are:

- Your dog breaks a stay and runs to another dog, it's because that behavior has paid well in the past.

- Your dog blasts off at the start line, ignores cues, or becomes obsessed with obstacles, those behaviors have likely developed a strong reinforcement history too.

This is why dog training is about much more than simply rewarding good behavior, it’s about creating training situations where the behaviors you want are easy to reinforce and the behaviors you don't want are less likely to be reinforced. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙥, 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨.

As trainers, our job is not just to deliver rewards, our job is to carefully arrange the picture so that the dog can make the choice we want and then reinforce that choice consistently. And over time, dogs become extremely efficient at choosing the behaviors that have earned them the most value. So the next time your dog makes a choice you don't like, ask yourself this question:

"𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵?"

Because dogs are not being stubborn. They're simply following the reinforcement history we've helped create. And that's exactly why thoughtful training setups are so important.

My 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 and it is specifically designed to build reinforcement value for engagement, focus, impulse control, and working with the handler so that those behaviors become the dog's preferred choice long before we ask for agility skills. There is still time to join us!

06/01/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬!!

Everyone talks about building FOCUS & ENGAGEMENT, speed, drive, intensity, and enthusiasm. And yes those things are important!!!

However, very few people talk about BUILDING RECOVERY. Recovery isn't just physical, it is mental, emotion and neurological. What is am trying to teach my dogs is:

✅ Calming down after excitement
✅ Re-engaging after making a mistake
✅ Returning to thinking after being distracted.
✅ Shifting from high arousal back into a learning state

Those skills matter just as much as speed. In fact, without recovery, all that excitement can become a liability. A dog that stays revved up all the time often struggles to process information, make good decisions, and learn efficiently. Over time, constant over-arousal can lead to frustration, loss of focus, and a dog that feels like they're always operating in the red zone.

Recovery matters for the body too. Many young dogs are pushed into too much too soon and often with long training sessions and repetitive work without enough time to recover and adapt.

Too much physical stress without enough time to recover and adapt. Just like human athletes, young dogs don't get stronger during the work itself. They get stronger during the recovery that follows. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, coordination, balance, and body awareness all need time to develop. When we ignore recovery and keep piling on more work, we increase the risk of compensation patterns, chronic soreness, overuse injuries, and physical breakdown later on.

A dog that can recover is a dog that can learn and that means progress. And a dog that can physically and mentally recover is a dog that can enjoy a long, healthy agility career.

Foundation isn't just about building drive. It's about building the ability to come back from that drive.

🐾 𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

We focus on building not just excitement and speed, but focus, engagement, body awareness, emotional regulation, recovery, and the foundational skills that support long-term success in agility 💙

05/30/2026

🚧𝟱 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝘁

I absolutely understand how appealing it is for those of us that do agility and want to start sequencing as soon as possible with our pups or young dogs. After all sequencing feels like "real agility” and that can feel quite addicting.

However, what I have learned over the years is that rushing into sequences before having a solid foundation is probably the fastest way to create confusion, frustration, and holes that show up later in training and competition. Worse yet, it can create a dog that is dysregulated. Some dogs respond by becoming frantic, over-aroused, and unable to think. Others simply shut down and disengage. Neither is the foundation we want for future performance.

So here are some signs that tell me my dog is NOT ready to sequence yet. If it do not have these fundamental behaviors then sequencing is likely going to be messy:

✅ 1. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆
If your dog cannot pause, wait for information, and respond to a release cue, adding more obstacles won't fix it.

✅ 2. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
New environments, toys, people, dogs, smells etc. if focus falls apart the moment the picture changes, sequencing often becomes a game of chasing your dog around the field.

✅ 3. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀
Before we ask dogs to perform multiple obstacles in a row, they should understand simple concepts like:

• Go On
• Tunnel
• Left/Right Directionals
• Wraps, Backsides, Threadles

Without these building blocks, every sequence becomes a guessing game.

✅ 4. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿-𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱
Many young dogs learn to blast forward looking for equipment. That may look exciting until you need to give information. A dog that cannot disengage from obstacles and reconnect with the handler will eventually struggle with more advanced skills.

✅ 5. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
This one usually surprises people. Speed is not the only goal here. The ability to THINK while moving at speed is the goal. A dog that is frantic, zooming, barking, spinning, or unable to recover after excitement is telling us they may need more foundation before adding complexity.

The dogs that appear to progress the fastest are often the dogs whose handlers spent the most time building foundations.
Build the skills first. The sequences will come much easier later.

👇 Which of these do you think is the most commonly overlooked foundation skill?

🚀 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝟭𝟮-𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭

Registration link is in the comments.

05/29/2026

MASTER/ISC Coursework
May 28, 2026

Really enjoyed this Mater/ISC Coursework that I designed for my students yesterday. Had me running hard with Peak as well :)

05/29/2026

🔥𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Everyone gets excited about tunnels, jumps, and contacts but before we worry about equipment, we should be asking a different question:

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞, 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗘, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡?

The strongest agility dogs are not built on obstacles, they are actually built on a solid foundations. So here are 10 skills I want to see developing (NOT perfect but having some good understanding) before equipment becomes a major focus:

✅ 1. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Your puppy chooses to interact with you even when the environment is interesting.
✅ 2. 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Can they stay connected when life is happening around them?
✅ 3. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀: A clear way for your puppy to communicate that they are "ready to work".
✅ 4. 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲: Does your puppy understand that working with you leads to great things?
✅ 5. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹: Coming when called isn't just a safety skill, it's an agility skill as well.
✅ 6. 𝗕𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Learning where their feet are and how their body moves through space.
✅ 7. 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Can your puppy hold a position for a few seconds, stay engaged, or maintain a behavior without immediately breaking criteria? Duration builds patience, understanding, and self-control.
✅ 8. 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗲𝘀: Does your puppy clearly understand when a behavior is finished? A release cue creates clarity and prevents anticipation.
✅ 9. 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹: Does your puppy understand when a cue applies and when it doesn't? This is one of the most important skills for creating thoughtful, reliable agility dogs.
✅ 10. 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿: Mistakes happen. Can your puppy re-engage and keep working after distractions, excitement, or errors?

A puppy that can engage, focus, understand release cues, work with some duration, and respond under stimulus control will learn equipment quickly.

HOWEVER, a puppy that only learns equipment often struggles when distractions, excitement, pressure, or competition enter the picture.

Equipment teaches agility skills. Foundations teach dogs how to learn agility skills and that's where long-term success begins.

👇 Which of these skills has been the biggest challenge for your puppy?

🔥 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭.

Over 12 week course we will be focusing on building the skills that create confident, engaged, thoughtful agility dogs before rushing into equipment and sequencing. The registration link is in the comments.

05/28/2026

🚨 𝗭𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 “𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆” 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀

One of the biggest misconceptions in agility training is thinking that zoomies automatically mean: “WOW! My dog is excited and having fun!” Sometimes that is true, however, many times in agility training and competition ZOOMIES are actually a sign that the dog’s NERVOUS SYSTEM is becoming overwhelmed by pressure, arousal, uncertainty, or environmental stress. One of my first agility dogs experienced this almost 30 years ago.

When dogs are zooming they are no longer truly THINKING but rather they are reacting and this is where handlers often accidentally make things worse. What you often see is:

❌ Handlers chasing the Dog
❌ Yelling “COME!” or “DOWN!” with frustration
❌ Repeating cues louder and louder
❌ Adding more pressure to a dog that is NOT regulated.

And the consequence is that the dog often disconnects MORE because the nervous system is already overloaded.

This is why I spend so much time teaching START BUTTON Behaviors, Focus Forward, reinforcement value for connection and focus, being thoughtful around distractions, pre-run routines and learning to recovery after excitement.

The goal is not to suppress energy or speed but rather the goal is to teach the dog HOW to regulate and reconnect because a dog that cannot regulate arousal outside the ring will often struggle even more once trial pressure enters the picture.

Many zoomies actually begin LONG before competition. They often start during training when the dog is repeatedly pushed beyond their emotional threshold without enough clear understanding of cues and behaviors, regulation, or recovery built into the process.

✨ This is one of the BIGGEST reasons foundation training matters so much.

🔥𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

We will be focusing on development a "thinking" dog that can handle the pressure in the environment.
Registration is now OPEN. See link in the comments.

05/27/2026

✅ 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

A Novice title should not be the FIRST goal. Strong foundations, emotional regulation, confidence, and understanding of behaviors should be what you need to achieve before stepping into a competition ring.

Before I enter a young agility dog in competition, these are the things I personally want to see FIRST:

✅ 𝗣𝗥𝗘-𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗖𝗞 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧

⬜ Can my dog can stay engaged around distractions
⬜ Understands a start line stay without restraint or conflict
⬜ Has clear release cue understanding
⬜ Can regulate arousal instead of living in overdrive
⬜ Can recover quickly after excitement or mistakes
⬜ Can think while moving fast
⬜ Has strong reinforcement value for working WITH the handler
⬜ Can my dog focus forward without screaming, spinning, or disconnecting
⬜ Can work in new environments without mentally falling apart
⬜ Can wait their turn calmly around other dogs and activity
⬜ Has obstacle commitment understanding
⬜ Can perform short sequences without frantic energy taking over
⬜ Has reliable recalls and re-engagement skills
⬜ Has developed great body awareness and proprioception.
⬜ Shows confidence without avoidance OR reckless over-arousal
⬜ Can reconnect after reinforcement or environmental distractions
⬜ Handler can recognize signs of stress, over-arousal, or disconnection
⬜ Handler understands that mistakes are information not failure
⬜ Dog understands agility as a conversation, not survival mode
⬜ Both dog AND handler can stay thoughtful under pressure

And perhaps one of the most important things of all:
⬜ The handler has learned patience. Not easy for us humans : )

The question should never simply be: “Can my dog do obstacles?”
The better question is: “Is my dog emotionally and mentally prepared for competition?”

THAT is what creates confidence, consistency, and longevity in the sport.

💥𝗠𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 focuses heavily on these exact concepts. Building dogs that are engaged, thoughtful, confident, and truly prepared for the future.

SonicCanines

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