Cross Country Skiing with Papillons

Structure and Performance Dogs - What is a Soundness?

What is a "sound" dog? rufflyspeaking.net Take a look at the article on the link above for a really nice look at the basics of evaluating sound structure in dogs.  Balanced structure is really important if you want a dog that can run fast and turn and jump efficiently for years. Badly built dogs will break down in just a few years of work and will have problems running and jumping. The early part of this article is a little difficult to understand, but the point comes through in the pictures at the end. Once you get a feel for deceiphering structure, it will blow you away how much correlation there is between the fastest, best moving performance dogs and those who just can't do. My only point of difference with the article is the photo of the chihuahua rescue. The angles are balanced, but I would want to see a little more angulation (especially in front) to absorb the shock of landing and allow the shoulder and arm to fully extend. The pointer below is fantastic. http://rufflyspeaking.net/what-is-a-sound-dog/

Nominated for 2014 Dog Writers Association of America Award!

Just heard that an article I wrote for the USDAA is among the top 3 nominees in the category,Online Article - Behavior and Training for the Dog Writers of America awards. 

Winners will be announced at a banquet hosted at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York in February. 

The article is one of three nominated in the category of Online Articles: Behavior and Training

Here's a link to the article: "Canicross: The New Secret Sauce of Dog Agility Training."

Part 2:  Training, Safety Considerations, recommended breeds, introduction to other dog powered sports