There’s one question I can’t shake these days. “How do I give folks the best possible value in their gear?” North America is re-opening, and now that we’ve detoxed from dog sports withdrawal, the opportunities for participation are starting to present themselves again. That brings me to what kept me up at night for a couple of months. How do I make sure every leash will go the extra mile? Competition leashes are, after all, only used in competition and that makes them a non-essential item. And yet, I understand how important it is to celebrate the accomplishments of being

It’s been 3 years of trees, sheep, and other drugs.  When I found out baby River was available, I was eager to meet her. I knew my next pup would be a Border Collie. I also knew how fascinated I was with Silvia Trkman’s Bi, her naughty girl who threw her for a loop with all kinds of training challenges.  When I met baby River I knew she was a challenge, and also, that she had to be mine. Aloof, affectionate, and always looking for the shortcut to getting some cookies, I was mesmerized by her perspective on life. So

Retrieving to hand is a fundamental skill for sports dogs. When a dog executes a retrieve to hand, she runs after the toy (whether it be thrown or static), picks it up and holds it in her mouth and returns to the handler. When the dog reaches the handler, she will push the toy into the palm of her human’s hand. This action initiates play with the handler. Play might take the form of tugging, throwing the toy again, opening the toy to reveal food, or unformalized forms of silliness. There are huge advantages to a retrieve to hand –