Agility, Rally, Weight Pull, Nosework, Freestyle, and Flyball - Oh My!

Early Sunday morning we drove back from the beach and straight to the shelter where we adopted Athena from.  As much as Athena would have loved to romp in the sand some more, there was no way that we were missing the shelter's sports demo day!  Not only did we have the chance to try out agility, rally, weight pull, nosework, freestyle, and clicker training, but Athena was also a part of the flyball demo with our team the Flying Underdogs.

Amidst the rain, dogs and their owners flocked to the shelter to try their hand at all of sports.  We were especially excited to participate in the sport's demo day because it was held at the shelter where Athena was adopted from.  It was an extra special day for us because we met so many shelter volunteers who remembered Athena and were able to see how far she has come in the last year.  Although Athena didn't get to demo too many of her flyball skills, she was able to try out a variety of other dog sports that we've always been curious about like...

Rally is on our list of sports that we'd like to try out this year.  Well, we can now officially mark it off of our list because Athena gave it a go on Sunday!  After learning how to walk the course, Athena and I gave it a try and she did surprisingly well.  She was able to heel at my side and stop at each cone for directions which included sits, downs, turns, and stays.

After rally, we had the chance to try out...

Ohhhh, agility!  One of the sports that I've always lusted over and never thought that Athena would excel at due to her fear of pretty much everything.  Although agility is also on our list of sports to try out in 2013, we have always thought that Athena might be too nervous to attempt some of the equipment.  Well, at the sport's demo day we were able to try it out and guess what?  Athena was GREAT!  She even went through the tunnel multiple times; something we never thought that she would step foot in.  Because the agility trial went so well, we are now seriously considering starting a foundations class in the very near future!

Then we tried out...

When we approached the weight pull booth, I was sure that Athena was not going to be very happy about trying on the big bulky weight pull harness.  However, once she was fitted with the harness, she walked right by my side with only a few glances back to see what was hanging off of her bum.  Once some wight was added to the back of the harness, Athena went to work pulling!

During the demo we also tried out canine freestyle (doggie dancing!) which unfortunately we didn't get pictures of, but Athena thought we were totally bonkers when the music turned on and we started giving her commands.  We learned that Athena has some work to do if she ever wants to be a professional dancer!  There was also a clicker training booth where Athena started working on a 'hold' command using a clicker.  The demo also features nosework, but seeing as we've already done two nosework demos in the past, we skipped the line and spent more time at the other demos.

Of course the main attraction for us at the demo day was flyball!  Tons of dogs and their handlers signed up to give flyball a try and many of them had great potential.  I also baked special grain-free treats to hand out at our booth and I can't wait to share the recipe with you tomorrow!

Athena spent most of her flyball demo time waiting in her crate as it rained!

Homemade Flyball Speed Boost Bones!  A.K.A. Grain-Free Bacon Treats

Overall, the sport's demo day at Clackamas County Dog Services was a total blast!  Our list of activities that we want to enroll Athena in is getting quite long and I'm thinking that not all of them will even fit into 2013.  But, we do know that sports will definitely be a part of Athena's life and training for years to come because she has shown us that she's quite the athlete.

Have you ever tried a dog sport with your dog?

DIY Muffin Tin and Plastic Egg Nosework Game

I promise you that this is the last post for a while that has any hint of Easter in it!  If you follow us on Facebook, then you may have seen our video of Athena playing a new nosework game last week.

Much like the ever popular muffin tin and tennis ball game, we came up with a nosework game using a muffin tin and plastic eggs.  We don't play the muffin tin game with tennis balls because Athena is a bit too ball obsessed for that, so this is a great alternative.

Here's what you need to play:

• A standard sized muffin tin (check your local thrift store for a good deal on these!)
• 12 large plastic Easter egg bottoms (you can use the tops or bottoms, but we found that the bottoms make the game a bit more difficult)
• Tasty treats and/or kibble!

How to play:

1. Fill each muffin cup with kibble and treats.  You can use as little or as much as you'd like depending on if you're feeding your dog a meal with the game, or simply offering them an "afternoon snack."  I did this step in front of Athena so that she knew what she would be working for.
2. Cover each muffin cup with the bottom of a plastic egg.  The large sized plastic eggs fit perfectly snug inside the muffin cups.
3. Place the muffin tin on the floor and release your dog to "find it!"

Athena LOVES to play this game because she LOVES to sniff!  It's a great mental workout for her and allows us a bit of a break during the day if Athena is begging for something to do.  When Athena's done with the game, she's definitely ready for an afternoon nap!

Here's a video of Athena's first attempt at the muffin tin and plastic egg nosework game:

Of  course, if you suspect that your dog may now have as gentle of a mouth as Athena with the plastic eggs, we highly recommend you try the muffin tin and tennis ball game for some great nosework!

Check out these other brain workin' games:

Kibble Egg Hunt

Baby Pickin' and Treat Lickin' Lovers Game

DIY Kibble Egg Hunt

As if yesterday's enrichment game wasn't enough excitement for one week, today we bring you yet another DIY activity.  This one's for all the sniffers out there!  It also happens to be quite fitting for the upcoming holiday.  Introducing the Kibble Egg Hunt!

I loooooovvvveeee celebrating holidays which means that I looooooovvvvveeeee when the holiday aisles get updated at the stores.  This week I popped into Target and couldn't help but meander through the Easter section.  While I was there, I picked up two packages of large plastic eggs at $1 per pack of six for a special game to play with Athena.

Of course, I couldn't wait to play it with her until Easter, so we've already played a few "practice" rounds this week in preparation for the big hunt on Sunday.  The game is simply an egg hunt for dogs, but instead of finding chocolate (please don't poison your dog...) or money, they find FOOD!

To play this nosework game, fill up some plastic eggs with kibble, treats, or both and hide them around your yard or house.  I filled up our eggs in front of Athena so that she knew that food was inside of them.  I then put her in a down-stay and she watched me hide the eggs around the yard.  We often play a "Find It" game in the house, so Athena is released to find the kibble with the "find it" command.

The first time Athena played the game she wasn't quite sure what to do when she found an egg.  She started by nudging an egg with her nose and rolling it through the grass.  When that didn't work, she would bat the egg with her paws.  Finally, Athena gently put an egg in her mouth and popped it open.  From then on she's used this "gentle pop" technique to open all of the eggs.

Because we are able to portion how much kibble goes into the eggs, we can either use the game to feed Athena an entire meal, or simply use it as an "afternoon snack."  This game really gets Athena's nose sniffin' which means that her brain gets quite the workout.

To make the game even more challenging, I suggest having your dog wait inside the house while you hide the eggs in the yard (or if playing indoors, have your dog wait in a separate room while you hide the eggs around the house).  This will really get those sniffers workin'!

Athena gets super excited when she sees me bring out the plastic eggs for a hunt.  I plan to pick up a few more backup packages of eggs once the Easter section goes on clearance so that we can continue to play the game all year round.

**IMPORTANT: If you plan to play this game with your dog, please keep a careful eye on them during any human egg hunts.  Once they know that plastic eggs equal food for dogs, they will probably assume that ALL plastic eggs are filled with dog food.  We don't want any dogs getting ahold of the kid's stash of candy!**

Do you play "find it" games with your dogs?

Sniffing for Kibble

It was only a couple of months ago that we said goodbye to Athena's food bowl and opted to feed her meals in food dispensing toys such as the Contempo Tessa, Kong, JW Hol-ee Roller X Extreme, Kong Wobbler, StarMark Bob-a-Lot, and the Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom.

Not only have we incorporated food dispensing toys as a form of everyday mental stimulation, but we also engage Athena in many other activities that mentally exhaust her such as:

• Short at-home training sessions
• Walks around the neighborhood
• Car rides
• Trips to the pet store
• Obedience classes
• Scent games

One mentally stimulating scent game that Athena particularly enjoys is 'Find It' which we play indoors on rainy days, in the yard, and at the park.  I begin by putting Athena in a down-stay and ask her to 'wait.'  I then walk around the room (or outside) and hide pieces of kibble (and other delicious treats) in corners, under chairs, on top of short pieces of furniture, and in the grass.  Athena is released from her down-stay with the 'find it' command and she is on her way sniffing to find each piece of kibble.

'Finding' her kibble

Because this scent game requires Athena to use so much nose power, she gets a very large mental workout.  Even after she has found all of the hidden kibble, Athena will continue to sniff around the house or yard in search of any leftover food that she may have missed.  This game keeps her occupied for quite a while.  Our next step is to advance the 'Find It' game and incorporate some scent identification.

Looking for leftover kibble

We are obviously not the first to discover the many advantages of using scent games as a form of mental stimulation.  Here are some of our favorite posts and videos that give examples of different types of scent work:

Find It! from Peace, Love, & Fostering

Sara Lee Find It from Animal Farm Foundation

Nose Work Games from Center for Shelter Dogs

Muffin Tin Mind & Scent Game (YouTube Video)

Scent Games and Nose Work for Dogs (YouTube Video)

Do you play any scent games with your dog or incorporate nose work into their daily routine?  What other ways do you provide your dog with mental stimulation?