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Lucky dog training center, tyler texas

11/24/2019

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Lucky Dog Training Center is located in Tyler, Texas, 1.5 hours east of Dallas. It's a privately owned training facility that hosts dog events and holds training classes.

Address: 
15545 County Road 1134, Tyler, TX 75709
  • What is the showing surface like? Hard packed sand. In my opinion, this is the best running surface that I've ever encountered. It's not "fluffy", but has some "give". There are no ruts or ridges, and stays packed down (with some slight ruts occuring near the weave poles) throughout the day.  There is not much room to spectate, and ringside space is limited. 
  • What is the equipment like? It's in good condition.
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This is native, east Texas ground that's just been cleared off. Some of the best footing I've ever run on.
  • What is the crating surface like? Crating is in a room adjacent to the ring. The crating room is completely enclosed and air conditioned when needed. The surface is smooth concrete.
  • How tight is crating? It depends on the size of the entry. I've been to trials that have very few dogs entered, and dogs are able to spread out. I've also been to trials that are very full, and the crating situation is very crowded. The parking lot is very close, and much of it is shaded, so crating out of the car is definitely an option.
  • What will the temperature be? The crating area is air conditioned, and kept fairly cold. On a few occasions I've brought a fan, but it's rarely needed. The ring is not climate controlled and is open at one end, so it can get very warm or stay very cold when running a course. East Texas can also get humid, which adds to the warm temps. I've never had it so hot that it was too hot to run, except in late summer.
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Crating area during a small trial
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Crating area during a large trial
  • Where are the restrooms? There is one restroom indoors in the crating area. Make sure and plan ahead, since it gets crowded before a large class runs. There is also a port-a-potty outside. 
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Indoor restroom
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Outside port-a-potty
  • Where is the dog potty area? Just outside the entrance there is a large fenced area, as well as a very large potty/exercise area that is along the back of the building. There is also a nice "walk in the woods" down the driveway. More on that later. 
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Front potty area (fenced)
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Back potty area (fenced)
  • Where will I find the secretary? Where will I find course maps? Where will I find results posted? Where will I find results and ribbons? All of these are found inside along the wall that is shared by the ring. There is a large window in the crating area to watch the ring.
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Paperwork and ribbons are along the wall to the left
  • Is there food available for sale on site? There is almost always a potluck provided by the owners of the facility. There is no charge for the food, but they do ask that exhibitors contribute a donation to cover the food costs.
  • Is there food available close by? There is a Dairy Queen about 5 minutes away.
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The table to the right is used for a potluck
  • Where is parking? How far is parking from the facility? Is there a dropoff area? Parking is in a large dirt lot directly in front of the building. It's close enough to crate out of the car. There's no need for a dropoff area.
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There is plenty of parking, much of it shaded
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Parking is very close. The building is to the right.
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TIP: There is a wooded walking path at the end of this drive, to the left, just behind the house you see. 

  • What hotels are best to stay in? I always stay at the La Quinta in the University area, and have been pleased with the hotel (it has a bar in the lobby). It's tricky to get to - you turn onto a residential street, drive past another hotel, then turn into the LQ parking lot. You can see it from the main street, but can't enter from there. There is another LQ on the loop behind Athena Greek restaurant that IS NOT recommended. 
  • Is there an RV park close by? I don't have personal experience with any. I have seen people camp in the parking area, however. 
  • Where is the closest Vet? Directions and maps are posted at the trial. 
  • Where is a good place to eat dinner? Tyler is a large university town, and has many good restaurants.
  • Where is a good place to get coffee in the morning? There is a Starbucks at E SE Loop 323, on the way from the university area LQ. It's a little tricky to see in that direction, but look for the Dairy Queen on the left.
PROS
  • Fantastic running surface.
  • Clean, cooled crating area.
  • Parking is close by.
  • Lots of grassy areas for dogs to run. 
CONS
  • Show ring isn't climate controlled.
  • Only 1 restroom that can get crowded before a run.
  • Not much spectator space.
Feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on Lucky Dog Training Center.
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Watt Arena, fort worth, Texas

6/19/2019

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Watt Arena is in the Will Rogers Complex near downtown Fort Worth. It's primarily a horse facility, but does host many dog events, including the Fort Worth Kennel Club's All Breed Dog Show. 

Address: 
3401 W Lancaster Ave Fort Worth, TX 76107

  • What is the showing surface like? Dirt surface, fairly well-packed. Can be "fluffy" first thing in the morning. 
  • What is the equipment like? It all depends on the club providing the equipment. It's usually in good condition. 
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The dirt along the ring hasn't been packed down yet
  • What is the crating surface like? There are two areas for crating. One is in the aisles around the arena. The surface is smooth concrete. Underneath the seating is additional crating. That surface is dirt. (I didn't get photos of that area, sorry). There is also a small crating room along the front wall, on the west side. 
  • How tight is crating? It depends on the entry. In the arena crating, it can get pretty tight. The photos below are from a trial that wasn't very full. It's usually a lot more crowded than this. Crates are along the outside wall and along the seating looking into the arena, with a fairly wide walkway between. The lower crating is not very crowded.
  • What will the temperature be? Cold. Like really cold. The first time I went, in the middle of a Texas summer, I thought being told to bring a coat was crazy. I'm glad I did, and always throw one in my bag when I show at Watt.
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East side crating area
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West side crating area
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Small crating room
  • Where is the potty area? There are a few potty areas. There is an area to the east of the arena, down a long flight of outside stairs. It's a fairly small area, but good for a quick potty before going into the ring. There is an area to the west of the arena, which has a good amount of grass and trees. It's a bit of a hike from the agility rings, accessible through a large stall area. There is also a patch of bushes to the east, across the street, that had more room than the small area at the foot of the stairs. Lastly, just outside the south lower entrance is a tiny patch of dirt just outside the back door, that is handy for a quick trip to potty before going into the ring. 
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View of potty area out the west side of the building
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Closeup of the west side potty area
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East side potty area (notice the dogs crossing from the bushes across the street to the grassy potty area)
  • Where will I find the secretary? Inside the main entrance, to the left of the concession stand, is a room that holds the secretary, judge's hospitality and sometimes a workers raffle. 
  • Where will I find course maps? To the right of the secretary's room is a table with maps and premiums. 
  • Where will I find results posted? They are posted in between the two main doors, taped to glass windows. 
  • Where will I find results and ribbons? Along the east wall, across from course maps, stickers are put on a table.
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The table where ribbons and stickers are kept. And sometimes cake.
  • Is there food available for sale on site? There is a concession stand to the left of the main entrance. Personal recommendation: their breakfast sandwiches are delicious!
  • Is there food available close by? There are other concession stands in other buildings in the complex, but they all serve the same food. There is some food about 15 minutes away, in the cultural district.
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Hot dogs, hamburgers, breakfast sandwiches, chips and drinks are sold inside the arena
  • Where is parking? Parking is in a large lot northeast of the arena.
  • How far is parking from the facility? You will need a cart to bring your gear into the arena, or drop it off then park. 
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View from the front door. You can see the cars in the lot between the buildings
  • Is there a dropoff area? Along the front entrance and east side of the building, there is parking on the street. There is also a pull-through area, under cover, along the west side, that holds about 10 vehicles.
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The main entrance
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Parking along the east side
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The pull-through area. The arena is through the doors to the left
TIP: The pull-through drop off area is in a covered stall building. When it's very hot, it's slightly cooler than the temps outside. This is where I warm Kimchi up, and potty her. 

  • ​What hotels are best to stay in? I'm lucky that I live about 15 minutes from this facility, so I don't need to stay at a hotel, so I don't have personal experience with them. 
  • Is there an RV park close by? I don't have personal experience with any.
  • Where is the closest Vet? Fort Worth Animal Medical Center is open 24 hours. 8329 West Freeway, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Directions and maps are posted at the trial. 
  • Where is a good place to eat dinner? The Cultural District, on 7th Street, east of University, has a good variety of restaurants.
  • Where is a good place to get coffee in the morning? On very rare occasions, the Starbucks in the complex are often, but not often. There is a Starbucks in Montgomery Plaza, about 10 minutes away.
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View from the main entrance
PROS
  • Indoor temps are cold. Nice for the dogs.
  • Clean crating areas.
  • Good running surface.
  • Can see both rings from above. 
  • Breakfast sandwiches. Yum.
CONS
  • Tough on the legs. Lots of stairs to climb to and from the rings and potty areas. 
  • Crowded crating if the trial is full.
  • Parking is $10 per day. 
Feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on Watt Arena.
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yikes - it's been a while - a new direction for the blog

6/1/2019

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Sorry for being lax in posting, but life, dogs and showing interfered. 

I've decided to use this blog to fill a need that I have personally, and can only assume that others have as well. 

Travelling to other places to trial is part of the fun of agility. Meeting new people, exploring new sights, and showing under different judges is not only enjoyable, but helps keep showing from getting stale.

But if you're anything like me, you get a little anxious about what you'll find in the new facility.


  • What is the showing surface like?
  • What is the equipment like?
  • What is the crating surface like?
  • How tight is crating?
  • What will the temperature be?
  • Where is the potty area?
  • Where will I find the secretary?
  • Where will I find course maps?
  • Where will I find results posted?
  • Where will I find results and ribbons?
  • Is there food available for sale on site?
  • Is there food available close by?
  • Where is parking?
  • Is there a dropoff area?
  • How do I get into the facility? 
  • How far is parking from the facility?
  • What hotels are best to stay in? 
  • Is there an RV park close by? 
  • Where is the closest Vet?
  • Where is a good place to eat dinner?
  • Where is a good place to get coffee in the morning?

I'll be showcasing a different facility in each post that will answer these questions. I also encourage anyone that visits these facilities to add tips you might about the facility. 
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pug nationals thoughts part 1: why do i go?

10/13/2018

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Pug Dog Club of America's National Specialty and has come and gone, and I thought I'd share my thoughts on why I attend, and my observations of what happens there.

I attended my first National in 1998. I was not a member of the Pug Dog Club of America at the time, but had been showing in AKC obedience and agility for 8 years, so I was familiar with specialties and national events.

The National was in Oakland, about 2 hours from my house, so I entered in the obedience trial with my first Pug, Rudy. Agility wasn't offered yet, but I still competed in obedience with my pug, and had just finished our CD title. I wasn't really ready for Open, but Nationals is the perfect place to "compete if you're not quite ready". 

I was one of two Open Pugs competing, and we busted every exercise but the heel free exercise and the long down. He did the drop on recall at my feet, kicked the dumbbell around with his front feet for quite some time on the retrieve on the flat, went around the jump on the way to the dumbbell on the  retrieve of the high jump, walked over every board on the broad jump, and laid down on the long sit. His heeling was good enough to quality, although I had decided long before to emphasize "utmost in willingness" at the expense of precision. He was happy, prancing and bouncy. He was not, however, precise, and lost a lot of points for crooked sits and wide turns. He also nailed the long down, as apparently all of his shenanigans wore him out, and he was content to just rest during that exercise. 

I knew he wasn't ready, so was not disappointed that we didn't qualify, but I loved showing at an event that was nothing but Pugs. There were Pug people at ringside, laughing at his antics, and oohing and ahhing when I took the leash off of him and he didn't run away. 

Three months after showing at Nationals, I lost Rudy at the age of 5 during emergency surgery, and it really hit me how showing at Nationals had little to do with qualifying, and everything to do with celebrating this funny breed, surrounded by people that felt the same way that I did. I'm so happy that one of my last memories of showing him was there, a memory makes me smile to this day.

It's not cheap to attend, I have limited vacation to use during the year, and I hate to fly. So w
hy do I attend Nationals? 

I attend because of the people.

There is nowhere else in the dog showing world where you can be around people that have as much in common with yourself as at a National Specialty. I show in agility a lot, but as much as I have that sport in common with the other exhibitors, I don't have "showing a Pug" in common with them. The challenges of a small breed that doesn't work like a sheltie. The stubborn, quirky, gluttonous, random, unpredictability of the Pug. Only at Nationals can I watch run after run in agility, or performance in rally or obedience, and say to myself, "my dog does that". Or, "my dog would totally do that". 

And it's not just in the performance rings that this commonality happens. The noises that come out of the Pug vocal cords, the commitment to keeping them cool at all costs, and the "my dog does that" thoughts happen everywhere at Nationals. 

These are people I see once a year, but fall into conversations as easily as if I'd seen them the day before. These are people I've never met, but know of, and finally can put a name to a face. These are people that are committed to our breed, and work to show them off in the best possible light. 

Each time I attend, I see people I haven't seen in years, and meet people I never knew existed. I always leave Nationals having made more friends than I started with. 

I spend the whole week talking about Pugs. And more Pugs. And still more Pugs. Training Pugs, showing Pugs, grooming Pugs, the health of Pugs. I'm surrounded by people that have knowledge about these topics, and talking to them about Pugs expands my own understanding of the breed. 

I just got back from attending my 10th National, and while I won't be able to make it next year, I will be there for the next 2 or 3, for sure. Because of the people. 

Next time: Pug Nationals Thoughts Part 2: What exactly happens there?

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come watch some pug agility

9/19/2018

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The Pug Dog Club of America's Agility Trial closes today, and will happen in two weeks. 

If you want to see Pugs showing off their agility skills, come out and watch us!

Wednesday, Oct 3, 2018
Pawsitive Partners Dog Training Center
5750 Elmwood Ct. Indianapolis, Indiana 46203
Judging starts at 8:00 and will run into the afternoon.

Last count was about 125 runs, which didn't include the last minute entries.

Hope to see you there!!
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an old friend

7/19/2018

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This old friend isn't a dog. It isn't a person. It isn't even a living, breathing thing at all. 

This old friend is a leash.

I've owned this leash for almost 20 years. A good friend had a dog supply booth, and carried this type of leash for a few years. 

I bought one to try it out, then liked it so well that I bought another. One day, the whole pile of leashes were put in the closeout bin. Another friend and I bought the whole lot. 


They are all the same martingale style, in different colors and patterns. It's soft on necks, not too thin or thick, and easy to tuck into a pocket.

It doesn't get loose when they're wearing it, but slips on and off easily. 
I've never had a stitch come out,  and I have used the heck out of them through the years. It's the perfect leash.

Each dog has their own pattern, and there have been enough different patterns that this is the first repeat. This leash, that Kimchi wears now, was worn for years by Snap, my Boxer.  

I've bought other leashes over the years, but always come back to these leashes. They're like an old friend, full of memories.

Memories of the dogs that have worn them. Memories of the friends that I've competed with. Memories of the rings I've run in. Memories of handing the leash to the leash runner as we stepped towards the line. Memories of reaching for the leash at the end of the run, hurrying to get the reward. Memories of tucking the leash away when the decision is made to retire a dog. And memories of slipping the leash over the head of my newest dog, ready to start all over again.
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Moment of truth

7/12/2018

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We've spent weeks rewarding the dogwalk. Now she gets right on it and runs over. But lots of reps throwing the toy at the end caused flyoff issues. At our last trial she got on every dogwalk, but missed every contact.

So we've spent weeks working the contact. Now she runs through the contact.

We're going to our first trial since fixing the contact. Fingers crossed that it will all come together. And if it doesn't, it will show us what we need to work on.

You don't win or lose, you win or learn.
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success

6/12/2018

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Not a Q, but that's OK.
Not a blue ribbon, but that's OK.
Not MACH points, but that's OK.

We did it. We identified the problem, we worked on a solution, we trained, we tested, we succeeded.

Kimchi did the dogwalk at the trial last weekend.

​First time. Every time. No hesitation. Full steam ahead. To add the success, she also did her teeter. First time. Every time. No hesitation. Full steam ahead.

I wouldn't call it "solid" quite yet. We still have work to do. We still have reinforcing to do. 

But we're on our way.
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some good old fashioned classical conditioning

5/28/2018

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Dog training primarily involves Operant Conditioning. Operant Conditioning is when behavior is controlled by consequences. Behavior occurs, reward is given. When that happens over and over, the behavior becomes a habit, and is now "learned". It requires timing, a concrete idea of what the final behavior should look like, and lots of repetitions.

Classical Conditioning on the other hand occurs when an association is created between an environment or situation, and a reward. The dog gets a reward whenever they are in a certain environment or situation, and eventually that environment or situation becomes a positive one. It requires lots of reward, and a conscious effort to reward no matter what the dog is "doing".

Kimchi has been improving in agility, slowly but surely learning the game, and getting better at reading my cues and handling.
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But while our "running" has improved, she has hit a roadblock with the teeter and dogwalk. She's always had trouble with them, not because of fear, but out of confusion. She LOVES the teeter, and drives to the end. But sometimes she would hit the "tip" point on the dogwalk, get panicked, and jump off. We suspect it's her eyesight, and her inability to "know" which obstacle she's getting on. It was always worse in new locations and on new equipment. So I decided to babysit the entry to the teeter and dogwalk, until she became more confident on those obstacles. 

The opposite happened, and she started to avoid both obstacles. She would run up to the obstacle, then run past it at the last minute. When called back, she would get right back on, and complete the obstacle just fine. It was worse on the dogwalk, but it would happen on the teeter when there were lots of bags anchoring the base underneath.
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My instructor suggested going back to "baby dog" steps, and while Kimchi was out of sight, loaded the upside of the dogwalk with visible treats on every slat and a few on the flat. Then we walked Kimchi towards the dogwalk and let her "find" it on her own. Remember, no behavior being learned, but rather an association being created. 

Being a Pug, she spotted the treats quickly, and followed the treats up and over the obstacle. We spent about 15 minutes doing nothing but letting her find treats on the upboard, over and over and over.

​By the end of the session, we couldn't keep her off the dogwalk. She broke away from me a few times, to run over and run up the board and get her treats.

A few days later I took her to another location, kept her in crate while I loaded the dogwalk, then just walked her out on the course. She made a beeline to the dogwalk immediately and ran up and over. I had the space reserved for 30 minutes, and it became 30 minutes of Kimchi running from every corner of the room to run up and over the dogwalk. I literally couldn't keep her off of it. 

Which is perfectly fine with me. If we get to the next trial and she takes off from the startline to get on the dogwalk, I will be delighted. I know, with time, she'll get back to doing her job. But for now, having her like the dogwalk, and willingly get on the board the first time, is the priority. 

Thank you to Stacy Bols for helping me figure this Pug out!!!

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pugs can hike

5/26/2018

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There's a Facebook page for hiking pugs, and it inspired me to scan some photos of my hiking pugs through the years. 
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Don't do much hiking here in Texas, but have always had hiking Pugs!
1994 with my first Pug, Rudy, in Bryce Canyon.
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1994 - Rudy at the Tetons
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Big Stick, Little Stick
1994 in Bryce Canyon with Rudy and his Boxer brother, Gunther.

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1994 - Rudy and Gunther resting after a day of hiking in Utah.
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1997 - Rudy and his Boxer Brother, Tango, in the Desolation Wilderness.
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1998 - Tango and my rescue Pug Mix, Puck, in the Desolation Wilderness.
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1999 - Levi, my second Pug, Tango and Puck on the Washington coast.
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2002 - My rescue Pug, Beth, on the California coast.

We got her a backpack to travel in, thinking she couldn't keep up (she was around 10 or 11 years old).

HA! She spent the entire day hiking in one direction, then the other, while we played in the waves with the younger dogs.

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