Religion, politics, dogs - want to start a (potentially heated) discussion at your next friendly gathering? Bring up any one of those three topics and you are almost guaranteed to get a rise out of someone!   

The rights and wrongs of responsible dog ownership can vary greatly, depending on who you ask and what beliefs that they carry towards dogs in general.
Ask a dog trainer...They will tell you the most responsible thing you can do as a dog owner is to train your dog.  
Ask a dog rescuer......They will tell you the most responsible thing you can do as a dog owner is to spay and neuter your dog.
Ask someone in the pet health industry...They will tell you the most responsible thing you can do as a dog owner is to routinely vaccinate your pet.
Ask an animal control officer...They will tell you the most responsible thing you can do as a dog owner is to be sure your pet is microchipped and wearing up to date identification.   
Ask an exercise enthusiast...They will tell you the most responsible thing you can do as a dog owner is to be sure your dog is walked/run/exercised daily.
These examples are just to name a few!  While they are all wonderful suggestions, they aren't the end all be all of good dog ownership.  
Other hot topics include:

• to crate or not to crate
• appropriate diet
• breeders 
• training methods 
• potty pads and potty training
• etc

Your opinion can differ greatly from those around you, and you can still be a wonderful and responsible dog owner.  So many of us forget this, and we fail to see that despite our differences, we all have one thing in common - our undeniable love for our dogs.  

What's the most responsible thing you can do as a pet owner?  Educate yourself!  Be an advocate for your dog, and make him or her the pet you can enjoy as a family member for the next 10+ years.  You may not agree wholeheartedly with the opinions of your friends, but that's ok - do what's right for you and your pup - there are MANY right ways to be a responsible dog owner.  While I may not have all the answers - I know there are some great resources out there to help guide me in my decisions for my four legged family members.
Why should you train your dog?
Should you spay or neuter your dog?
What about vaccinations?
How should you identify your dog?
How important is daily exercise?
Crate training?
What's the best diet for your pet?
What about responsible breeders?
Training methods?
Potty training?

Fearful dogs hold a special place in my heart - whether their fear comes from weak genetics, lack of early socialization, neglect, or abuse they all live a similar life.  The vast majority of shy and/or fearful dogs are not this way because of a bad experience, or an abusive past - dogs as a species are predisposed to be suspicious of new and unfamiliar things - more often than not it's their genetics combined with their early socializtion (or lack there of).  While the world, to a dog, can be full of new and sometimes scary things, some things can be a lot scarier than others.  Some of the most common things that dogs are afraid of include: 

• Unfamiliar people (men more often than women - especially larger men with deeper voices)
• People with odd silhouettes (carrying bags, wearing hats, etc.)
• People who charge, or approach quickly head on
• Hands reaching over the tops of their heads
• Young children who move quickly or erratically 
• People who themselves are afraid of dogs

Understanding Dog Body Language
I am a firm believer that training is a two way street.  THE BEST thing you can do for your fearful dog is to understand what he is trying to tell you, be his advocate, and his support system.  This illustration by Lili Chin, of Doggie Drawings, shows some great examples of dog body language:

Prevention
While some dogs are more predisposed to being fearful than others, a bit of prevention can go a long way.  Enroll your puppy in a group puppy class for early handling and socialization.  Dr. Sophia Yin has some wonderful suggestions and a great Puppy Socialization Checklist to help with this.  

What Not to Do
Whatever you do, don't force your fearful dog into social situations.  You want them to feel safe, not threatened - and forcing them to be somewhere scary will only increase their amount of fear and anxiety.

When training your shy and/or fearful dog, it's important to be sure that all training methods are positive and force free.  Avoid using fear or aversives, or devices such as pinch or shock collars.  

What to Do
Fist and foremost - make it safe.  Not just for your dog, but for yourself, and those around you.  By making things safe you are setting your dog up for success, but you are helping to change his emotional state and how he feels about a particular scary situation.  Making your home environment safe can include using tools such as a crate, baby gates, head halters, and even a muzzle - your goal is to make things safe by physically preventing your dog from coming into contact with unfamiliar people or situations unless you are prepared to work through the issue.  Outside of the home environment you can make sure you avoid scary situations - when out for a walk avoid crowded areas, like parks and city streets.  If walking near your home, you can always cross the street to build distance between your dog and an approaching person.

Once you have made things safe, the next step is to figure out exactly what it is that scares your dog, and elicits his fear behavior.  Sometimes these things can be very general, other times they can be pretty specific.  It's important to know exactly what it is that your dog is afraid of - we like to call these "triggers" - once you know your fearful dog's triggers, you can structure a training program and begin to work on them specifically.  You can even separate these triggers and work on them one at a time.  

In addition to making a list of triggers, it's important to also figure out what your dog really LOVES. Food works well for most dogs - but not just any food will do; training treats should be something tasty and special that the dog will do anything for!  Don't dismay if your dog isn't a chow hound, some dogs prefer toys or opportunities to play rather than food - anything that your dog loves (food or a toy) can be used as a reward.  

Once we've identified the things our fearful dogs are scared of (triggers) as well as what our dogs love (reinforcers) we can begin counter conditioning and changing their idea about what scares them. The basis of this counter conditioning is to introduce the dog to a very low intensity trigger (something low enough that it doesn't quite elicit a fear response) and reinforce him with something very high value that he enjoys.  When working on on over coming a fear response, it's important to remember that you must control the environment in a way that the dog never encounters what he is afraid of unless you are in a position to reward him and work through his fear.  

• For example: If my dog is afraid of strangers, and when they are near he is barking, and possibly snapping at them.  I will find a distance, say 50 feet, where he can comfortably watch new people without reacting.  I will reward him over and over from 50 feet away, until he is comfortable in the presence of strangers from this distance.  

The amount of time needed is dependent on each dog as an individual.  Just remember, you are trying to create events where the reaction you desire happens over and over so that the dog gains confidence.  Don't move on until your dog is anticipating something good happening when he sees this low stimulation version of a trigger.  

The next step in training is to gradually increase the intensity of the trigger you are working on.

• So, for example, if you are still working on the fear of strangers mentioned above, once your dog is comfortable at a particular distance, you can gradually decrease the distance between the dog and strange people, rewarding at each distance, until he is comfortable even when he is nearby strangers.  You may progress from 50 feet, to 45 feet, to 40 feet, and so on until the strangers are relatively close and the dog is comfortable and no longer showing signs of fear, but instead is looking forward to the reinforcer he has begun to anticipate in the presence of the tripper.    

To sort of sum up Counter Conditioning - here's another Doggie Drawing:

While helpful, this advice should never take the place of professional help!  If you ever feel lost, or in over your head, don't hesitate to contact me, or another force free, positive trainer to help work through your dog's fear! 

Some great resources include:
BAT (Behavior Adjustment Training
The Yellow Dog Project
Fearful Dogs.com

Agility in a Nutshell

• What it is: Dogs and their handlers negotiate obstacles on a preset course in a race against the clock
  
• Prior Training: Basic Obedience, as well as the dog being able to focus, learn and perform complex behaviors in a very distracting environment.  
• Physical Demands on Dog: High
• Physical Demands on Handler: High
• Most suitable breeds: Herding breeds, various mixed breeds.  This is a very physically strenuous sport.  Dogs should be very fit and carrying no extra weight.
• Best Temperament: Happy-go-lucky, workaholics; dogs should be physically fit and active, and should be ready to play and train.  
• Training Complexity: High
• Mental Stimulation: High
• Physical Stimulation: High 
• Recreational Opportunities: Good - there are many "recreational" agility classes available.  
• Opportunities to Compete: High - there are many venues - both indoor and outdoor - and many opportunities for handler/dog teams to compete.
• Cost: High 

About the Sport
One of the most popular dog sports, in agility your dog gets to do what he or she does best - run, jump, climb, and play!  Sometimes called "Obedience in Motion", in agility a handler directs their dog through an obstacle course composed of tunnels, jumps, contact obstacles, and weave poles.  In an effort to beat the clock, teams strive to perform under a "standard course time" and without causing any "faults" (which include things such as knocking down jump bars, going around or missing an obstacle, refusing an obstacle, failing to touch a "contact zone" of an obstacle, or going over the "standard course time").
The rules for competition in the various sanctioned organizations vary slightly, as well as the types of different games offered.  Typically the "Novice" level has more lenient rules, with fewer obstacles and longer course times; with difficulty increasing as dogs progress through the levels of competition.
Agility training involves teaching team members on both ends of the leash.  The dog should be taught proper and safe obstacle performance of all agility obstacles, while the handler needs to learn how to teach their dog the obstacles, rules of various sanctioning organizations (if they plan on competing), as well as various handling skills (when and how to use both verbal and physical cues to direct the dog around the course).

History of the Sport
Agility began in the United Kingdom in 1978.  It was originally intended as a demonstration to entertain the audience at the annual Crufts Dog Show.  Although some accredit the begining of the sport to a demonstration done by the Royal Air Force Police Dog Demonstration Team, it was the Crufts demonstration that caught the eye of the public.  
By 1979 several local training clubs began offering the sport to dog owners, and by 1980 Britain's Kennel Club had established rules for competition.
During the 1980's, Agility began gaining popularity in the United States.  By the early 1990's, several organizations began to form, created rules, and began holding competitions.   

Obstacles Seen in Agility

• A-Frame
  
• Dogwalk
• Teeter-Totter
• Pause Table
• Bar Jumps (single, double, triple, winged, non-winged)
• Tire Jump
• Broad Jump
• Pipe (Open) Tunnel
• Chute (Closed) Tunnel
• Weave Poles

Sanctioning Organizations

• The American Kennel Club (AKC)
  
• The Australian Shepherd Club of American (ASCA)
• Canine Performance Events (CPE)
• Dogs on Course in North American (DOCNA)
• North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC)
• Teacup Agility (TDAA)
• United Kennel Club (UKC)
• United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA)

How to get Started
Dogs should be at least 8-10 months before beginning agility training; and even then, jumping should be kept to a minimum until growth plates have closed (this depends not only on the breed, but the individual dog).  If you are considering doing Agility with your dog, I strongly suggest talking to your vet and getting an approval to begin training.  Before enrolling in an agility class, it is important that both the dog and handler are able to work in a very distracting environment, and have mastered basic pet manners as well as a bit of basic obedience.  Helpful behaviors to know include: sit, down, stay, coming when called. and basic leash manners.

Basic Supplies Needed
Equipment is typically in class only - there are a lot of skills that can be taught and worked on at home without using obstacles.  Homemade obstacles can be constructed inexpensively, but aren't necessary.  
Equipment needed for classes typically includes:

• Flat or buckle collar
• 4-6 foot nylon or leather leash
• Treats or toys to reward the dog

Books

• Agility Right From The Start by Emelie Johnson Vegh and Eva Bertilsson
• Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
• Shaping Success by Susan Garrett
• Do It Yourself Agility Equipment by Jim Hutchins

Other Resources

• Affordable Agility Equipment - Agility Equipment 
• Agility Nerd - Agility Blog
• Clean Run LLC - One of the most comprehensive resources, they have a magazine, training articles, courses, books, videos, toys, treats, and some equipment.
  
• J and J Dog Supplies - Equipment 
• M.A.D. Agility - Equipment
• Max 200 - Equipment

Local Clubs

• Greater St. Louis Agility Club (GSLAC)

A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to be able to attend Dr. Jimi Cook's seminar on Canine Conditioning and Injury Prevention - a huge thanks to my dog club (Riverfront Working Dog Club) for hosting it.  During the seminar, Dr' Cook talked about the importance of not only conditioning your dog for work, giving them the proper warm-up and cool-down period, but also of cross training.  I've done a lot of cross training with my own personal dogs; when I was introducing Inigo to Dr. Cook for his evaluation, I highlighted some of the sports that we currently train in (IPO/Schutzhund, Agility, Dock Diving, Nosework, Barn Hunt, Flyball, Disc Dogs, Rally and Competition Obedience, and even a little bit of Weight Pull).  

While all of this seems no big deal to me, I realized that not everyone has access, or has been exposed to much more than walking their dog and basic tricks. 

Benefits of Training Your Dog
Again, to me this is sort of a given, but I forget how many people don't even think twice about training their dog.  Not simply for good manners, a little training goes a long way!  It can:

• Strengthen the bond between you and your dog.
• Create a path of clear communication between you and your dog.
• Act as both physical and mental stimulation for your dog.
• Alleviate boredom and prevent unwanted bad behaviors and habits.

Dog Sports 
More than simply basic obedience, Dog Sports are an outlet for you and your dog to enjoy each others' company, to appreciate each others' strengths, and to build up each others' weaknesses. Some of the more well known Dog Sports include:

• Agility
• Barn Hunt
• Dock Diving
• Rally Obedience
• Lure Coursing
• Flyball
• Nosework
• IPO (Schutzhund)
• Herding
• Caning Freestyle
• Weight Pull

Benefits of Cross Training Your Dog
Just like a human athlete - your dog needs to be conditioned to the sports you would like to participate in.  Contrary to popular belief, a dog sport shouldn't be selected for the purpose of getting your dog to loose weight (there are other activities for that) while dog sports are a great way to keep your dogs exercised and in good body condition, a healthy weight should be maintained prior to beginning training in a dog sport.  If you've ever followed human sports, you will notice that successful athletes, while they may strive specifically in one sport, routinely participate in various different sports.  More often than not, these different sports all require very different skill sets - we call this cross training; and like their human counterparts, canine athletes can also benefit tremendously from participating and training in varying sports.  Benefits of cross training include: 

• Strengthens the bond between you and your dog. 
• Prevention of boredom and monotony from working the same skills repetitively.
• Exercise and conditioning of all of the muscles in the body (since different sports and skills require the use of different muscles).

I realize that not everyone is lucky enough to have been given the exposure of such a wide variety if activities to enjoy with their dog - to hopefully help expand your horizons, I plan on highlighting a different dog sport each month.  Happy training!