This book provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for training your dog to master each agility obstacle with safety, fun, and competitive excellence in mind. It Includes important principles for building a happy and successful working relationship with your dog, as well as a solid foundation for all of your agility training. The focus is placed upon setting high standards from the start so that no retraining will be necessary later down the road.

Whether your dog is young or old, large or small, pedigreed or mixed breed, Agility is a sport you and your dog can enjoy together. Agility Training makes clear all aspects of this, the world's fastest growing and most versatile dog sport. Whatever your interest, whether purely casual or highly competitive, you will find the instructional methods and helpful hints meaningful for your goals. Agility Training tells readers how to get started in the sport, work on their own, attend classes, earn titles and organize a competition or practice event. Chapters describe training for all levels of Agility, from beginners through an advanced curriculum. A special feature provides detailed construction plans as well as a list of materials for all obstacles. A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

TEACHING THE DOG TO THINK is Kimberly Davis' engaging memoir about her crash introduction to the sport of dog agility-with its jumps, tunnels, balance beams and weave poles. An award-winning poet and blogger, Davis vividly describes her frustrations trying to get her dog to "mind." We then watch as her first steely-eyed agility coach shames her into giving up choke collars and scruff shakes in favor of the "positive" training methods used by agility instructors. Davis' breezy, often humorous account shows how these new techniques allow her to communicate with the "alien" mind of a dog. Also how they transform her unruly yearling collie, Willow, into a loyal, hardworking teammate. Davis ultimately carries the lessons she has mastered in dog training class into other areas of her life, particularly into parenting and teaching creative writing. In the end, this memoir becomes a soul-searching exploration of how to get others to do what we want without bullying or cruelty-by using our heads and forcing ourselves to be a little smarter. A subtly subversive book about dealing responsibly with those less powerful than ourselves, Teaching The Dog To Think speaks not only to dog lovers, but also to anyone who has ever felt helpless, angry, or frustrated as a parent, teacher or pet owner. "You MUST read this book if you have children or pets, and want to change their behavior without coercion "--Richard McManus, Founder and President, The Fluency Factory "An interesting story of how switching to clicker training vastly improved one agility fan's dog and also changed her own approach to family life."--Karen Pryor, author of Don't Shoot the Dog and Reaching the Animal Mind "A wonderful entry point for anyone learning about these important new methods for teaching skills and enhancing creativity."--Catherine S. Mayes, Independent Autism Advocate and Autism Project Advocate, Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Do you long for a dog that will soar accurately and enthusiastically through the most challenging agility course, while working at great distances? If so, you have come to the right place. This book will show you how to train your joined-at-the-hip Velcro dog to both enjoy and excel at working away from you. The ability to handle your dog at a distance is a tremendous asset if not a necessity in all types of agility courses. Through the methods detailed in this book you can: Attain a competitive advantage through the enormous flexibility you will gain in choosing a winning handling strategy; Take a shorter path than your dog by working at a lateral distance, thus allowing you to take full advantage of your dog s fastest speed instead of being limited by yours; Acquire tools to enable you to smoothly handle courses with handler restrictions, long straight-aways, and layering challenges; Ace courses that specifically require distance skills, such as Gamblers and FAST; Enjoy the exhilarating feeling of ultimate teamwork as you and your canine partner master-fully negotiate the course together, yet independently.

Safe as well as spectacular jumping is a key component of many dog sports. Combine the agility know-how of Julie Daniels (Enjoying Dog Agility #DTA111) and the conditioning expertise of veterinarian Christine Zink and you get a ""must-have"" book for your training library.

Beyond Obedience is a revolutionary new training program for you and your dog from one of our country's foremost animal advocates and holistic practitioners. The idea that your canine companion is a fully emotional being and acutely sensitive to your changing feelings and moods is the foundation of April Frost's original and highly effective training program. One of the most difficult aspects of training your dog is communicating your intentions clearly. Beyond Obedience is the first book that works on the way you communicate with your dog, providing you with the necessary tools to truly understand how your dog's mind works and, therefore, how you can create an effective and mutually satisfying relationship. Drawing on her extensive experiences as an animal behaviorist, Frost teaches you that training your dog should not be a tedious chore limited to exerting physical and psychological control over an animal's drives, but instead an enriching and spiritually fulfilling experience--gratifying for both human and animal. Frost discusses such essential concepts as mutual respect, unconditional love, mental and emotional discipline, and your expectations and priorities. She shows you how the insights gained from working with your dog can have positive, far-ranging effects on many areas of your life. Beyond Obedience revolutionizes dog training by addressing the spiritual, physical, and psychological needs of dogs and people, teaching them to communicate effectively through powerful techniques, including visualization and energy work, and offering them valuable insight into the emotional bonds that enrich the lives of animals and their companions. Guidelines Dogs are born knowing how to bark, bite, dig, chew, chase, jump up on one another, eliminate when they need to, and snarl when they feel threatened. It is a challenge to get a dog to suppress or modify his instincts in order to make human existence more pleasant. If the dog reverts, you need to remember that these acts are not malicious; the dog is simply doing the best he can with information he has been given about living with and behaving in a socially acceptable way toward a totally different species. Dogs can learn whatever you can find a way to teach them, so long as it is within their physical capability to perform. Dogs, like humans, take the path of least resistance; they do only what works well and easily to satisfy their needs and desires. If it is a self-rewarding move, they will repeat and escalate the behavior, whether that behavior is in harmony or conflict with your wishes. Every dog has its own point of motivation, a trigger that will evoke a response and awaken its desire to respond to its human.

Scientists, scholars, and artists consider the political significance of recent advances in the biological sciences. Popular culture in this “biological century” seems to feed on proliferating fears, anxieties, and hopes around the life sciences at a time when such basic concepts as scientific truth, race and gender identity, and the human itself are destabilized in the public eye. Tactical Biopolitics suggests that the political challenges at the intersection of life, science, and art are best addressed through a combination of artistic intervention, critical theorizing, and reflective practices. Transcending disciplinary boundaries, contributions to this volume focus on the political significance of recent advances in the biological sciences and explore the possibility of public participation in scientific discourse, drawing on research and practice in art, biology, critical theory, anthropology, and cultural studies. After framing the subject in terms of both biology and art, Tactical Biopolitics discusses such topics as race and genetics (with contributions from leading biologists Richard Lewontin and Richard Levins); feminist bioscience; the politics of scientific expertise; bioart and the public sphere (with an essay by artist Claire Pentecost); activism and public health (with an essay by Treatment Action Group co-founder Mark Harrington); biosecurity after 9/11 (with essays by artists' collective Critical Art Ensemble and anthropologist Paul Rabinow); and human-animal interaction (with a framing essay by cultural theorist Donna Haraway). Contributors Gaymon Bennett, Larry Carbone, Karen Cardozo, Gary Cass, Beatriz da Costa, Oron Catts, Gabriella Coleman, Critical Art Ensemble, Gwen D'Arcangelis, Troy Duster, Donna Haraway, Mark Harrington, Jens Hauser, Kathy High, Fatimah Jackson, Gwyneth Jones, Jonathan King, Richard Levins, Richard Lewontin, Rachel Mayeri, Sherie McDonald, Claire Pentecost, Kavita Philip, Paul Rabinow, Banu Subramanian, subRosa, Abha Sur, Samir Sur, Jacqueline Stevens, Eugene Thacker, Paul Vanouse, Ionat Zurr

Picking Your Performance Puppy is more than a book! It also contains links to videos that demonstrate how structure determines movement and performance in dogs. This book is geared towards people who want to know more about what it takes to make a great performance dog. If you are getting ready to purchase a puppy, adopt an older dog or just want to know more about the dog you have, this book will help you understand what makes a great performance dog. If you have ever wondered why some dogs excel while others struggle and why some dogs have longer careers than others, Picking Your Performance Puppy will take the mystery out structure for performance and answer those questions. Never before has the performance dog sport world had a manual like this book. Picking Your Performance Puppy goes beyond traditional "conformational thinking" about a dog's structure. In my opinion this book is a must have resource for anyone selecting a new puppy or considering the impact of playing a sport with their dog. Susan Garrett Say Yes Dog Training Inc.

Stretch your dog to a longer and healthier life Research on human athletes is changing what we know about stretching. For example, it is now recognized that aggressive stretching should only take place after muscles are warmed up and shortened from exertion. Authors Sasha and Ashley Foster have applied this latest research to dogs-many of whom compete in vigorous canine sporting events-so that you can learn how to safely and effectively stretch your dog to prevent injuries, maintain joint integrity, and improve you dog's fitness whether he is an elite canine athlete or a lap dog. Over 300 photos and diagrams demonstrate how to safely and effectively stretch each major muscle group. Teaches correct hand placement for joint stabilization and how to maintain good form. Stretching routines are presented for both large and small dogs, older dogs, and those that are involved in a variety of dog sports. Learn more about: -How to read your dog's body language and behavior while stretching him. -Techniques that keep you from injuring yourself while stretching your dog. -20 minute daily maintenance stretching routines. -Do's and don'ts when stretching, and when you need to consult with a vet. -Special considerations when stretching older dogs and small or toy dogs. What experts say about The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog: There are a lot of stretching books, videos and DVDs out there. This is the first one I've seen that definitively explains why stretching needs to be done in a relaxed, prone position with correct stabilization in order for the stretch to be effective. The descriptions of the various stretches are clearly written and anatomically correct. The photographs accurately depict what is to be done. The photographs of the incredibly handsome dogs luxuriating while being stretched are alone worth the price of the book and should be an inspiration to anyone who wants to do canine body work. All praise to the authors for a great book! Sue Ann Lesser, DVM, ACAC, CVSMT The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow guide to improving your dog's physical health through proper stretching techniques. The book provides a wealth of information and photos to get you working with your dog right away, whether it's for strengthening your dog's performance in a variety of dog sports, or helping to properly maintain your senior dog's physical health. Mychelle Blake, editor of The APDT Chronicle of the Dog The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog contains a tremendous amount of information. Knowing the science behind successful stretching will be a valuable resource for all dog owners. Understanding dog behavior as is relates to therapeutic interventions and directing the reader to engage in proper body posture will allow users of this book to continue to stretch many dogs for many years to come! Laurie M Edge-Hughes, BScPT, MAnimSt (Animal Physiotherapy), CAFCI, CCRT

This book teaches you how to sequence smoothly from one obstacle to the next, to reach your dog's highest potential for speed and accuracy. The book: helps you to develop a consistent set of cues for communicating with your dog on the agility course. As a result, your dog will understand your directives in an instant, even at the highest of speeds and the greatest of distances; Provides detailed lesson plans for Beginner, Intermediate I, and Intermediate II agility training classes.