Susan Zimmerman
A Perfect Judge for the month of March
I first met Susan when she was judging an ASCA trial in Los Angeles. She’s an easy going gal from the Midwest who loves to meet new agility people and watch them having fun on course. She has been a judge for ASCA and CPE going on 10 years. When asked if she would be the agility judge for our March trial, the answer was a swift, YES! Right now, Ohio is cold with snow on the ground. Coming to San Diego will give her a reprieve, but I hope she still brings a winter jacket.
Born in Pittsburgh, Susan grew up in Warren, Ohio. She has 4 dogs and 3 cats. As a child, Susan was a competitive swimmer. Later, she started racing sailboats with her family. They always had a dog in the house and Susan eventually got a Dalmatian. She began showing her Dalmatian in Obedience and Agility. Her dogs have done well in the competitive sports. She competes in many organizations including, but not limited to; AKC, USDAA, CPE, and ASCA.
Spencer (Dalmatian) – UD (almost), CDX, RE, AD, OA, OAJ – Over the Rainbow Bridge
Zeke (Whippet) – CDX, SC, RE, MX, MXJ, ADCH, CATCH
Connor (Whippet) – CD, RA, SC, NA, OAJ, Therapy Dog
Ripley (Dalmatian) – CD, RE, RD, RDX
Twister (Dalmatian) – RN
One of Susan’s passions is deeply rooted in the sport of Road Dog. Road Dog is not the same as taking a dog on a road trip. You need a horse, the rider, and a dog to form a team and then cover large distances. Mounted up, Susan rides up to 25 miles with her Dalmatian running alongside. The dog needs to perform 5 obedience exercises while off-leash. Her most recent accomplishment was with Ripley, who earned a Road Dog Excellent.
Susan’s philosophy on agility course design is to make them flow. She wants the dog to move from obstacle to obstacle, continuing forward motion, without the need to stop. She really likes the Pinwheel and Serpentine jump patterns.
BTW – Susan’s favorite color is blue. So what does that have to do with anything? Well, I happen to like that color too. People who like blue tend 
to enjoy the outdoors. Most days of the year, the skies in San Diego are blue. The Pacific Ocean is blue. And to top it off, most of our agility equipment is blue. How is that for the perfect storm? Either way we want Susan’s visit to San Diego and La Jolla to be an enjoyable one. We welcome her and look forward to a weekend of agility with her.
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
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Interview with Pamela Bryant-Meeks
PBM: Dan, my bad. I’ve been busy… getting my dog bred, trips to the vet…, working with an apprentice judge on course design…, a 3 day trial this weekend.
PBM: I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. I have one brother Ronnie who is younger. I grew up saying move to Texas, buy a horse and drive a corvette. I got 2 out of 3 so far!
PBM: I come from an athletic family and have played competitive sports my entire life – Softball, volleyball, cheer-leading, and gymnastics. When I was younger I was an Elite level gymnast, a balance beam specialist. I broke a few bones, which eventually lead to the end of my tumbling career. I continued to play softball well through my forties, playing semi-pro many years, and love to still today. I coached high school cheer-leading for a few years before going full time in to agility.
PBM: I grew up with Collies, adopted a cocker mix in College and eventually married Jason Meeks, who introduced me to the Australian Shepherd. It was through competitive Frisbee with my first Aussie Aggie, that I learned of agility and began competing in it as well. Frisbee became too dangerous to win, too many high flying vaults required, harsh landings, etc. so agility won over.
PBM: I currently own and operate FAST, Fort Worth Agility Sports Team. It is an agility training club. I teach 4 days of privates and 12 classes. I currently have 42 students and 54 dogs training with me.
PBM: I became a member of ASCA in 1994. I have been an active member of the Agility Committee, have served as the 2010 Nationals Agility Chairman, and belong to several ASCA Affiliates – ASC of Texas, Heart of Texas ASC, TNTASC, and ZIA ASC. I also belong to two non-ASCA Affiliates who host ASCA trials, FAST and TWANG/Den Tex.
PBM: I owned the first Rescue dog to finish the year ranked #1 in merit standings. That same dog currently has the most ATCH’s ever obtained by an ASCA Aussie. Libby was also one of a handful of Aussies to have 5 different championships (ATCH, ADCH, MACH, NATCH, and U-ACH)
PBM: I have been judging since 1996, when I became an ASCA and NADAC Judge. I love judging dogs – watching them work and seeing how excited they are to run. I like seeing the various handling styles for different regions, and how handlers think. I also like seeing different parts of the country. I could do without the hassle at the airports, but judging in the mountains or next to the ocean is fun.
PBM: While I have no signature styles I know of, I really like serpentines and ”un-common” discriminations, such as between dog walk and teeter, etc. The chute is my favorite obstacle. I enjoy seeing the dogs exit the chute. Many dogs come boing’n out, or doing something really fun at the end.
PBM: ASCA in Texas is somewhat different from other parts of the country. We hardly have any trials outdoors, yet we train outdoors on grass. During warmer times of the year, June – October, we do 2 to 3 trials indoors with air conditioning. Otherwise, we do no shows. We travel many hours to attend local (in our own state) shows. Texas is its own country, ya know?
PBM: If we’re talking ribbons, my favorite color is green! For everything else my favorite color is red merle!
PBM: Because Dan makes me laugh. Ahhhh…
PBM: Ya’ll have great weather, aus-some volunteers, enjoy agility and have grand-dogs in CA.
PBM: I see ASCA agility to be like the days of old. The courses would be fast and flowing. All the Australian Shepherds would still be tail-less. There would be no sense of rushing. Everyone would stay until the bitter end of the day, cheering for each and every run. Awards would be presented at the end of the day and everyone would be there to celebrate all accomplishments good or bad.
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
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On Sabbatical
We went on a long road trip to the ASCA Nationals in West Bend, WI. Our “sabbatical” was great. We traveled through Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
We found out that it was tarantula mating season while camping in Texas. We traded with a Pawnee Native American in Oklahoma, Mr. Knife-Chief. He saw us coming a mile away and we departed with just a few nickels in a our pocket (-: We crossed the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and saw the St. Louis Arch. We stopped in Chicago and let the dogs swim in Lake Michigan. We had a Vienna Hot Dog and Italian Beef Sandwich from Portillos. My wife would have eaten my portion had I not stopped her in the act (-: Flickr Slide Show
On the return we traveled through Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. It was an absolute unforgettable experience. We drove almost 5000 miles. It was exhausting, but fun.
We competed for 6 days straight. The weather fluctuated between rain, wind, sun, warm, cold, lightening – Surprisingly, the dogs held up very well. It helps when their reward was leftovers from the Texas Road House Restaurant – steak, chicken, sweet potato – yum yum! It must have worked. They earned high awards and placements. Our training was key to their performance.
ASCA Finals Courses – Click on the image to enlarge!
 ASCA Finals Gamblers / Jumpers |
 ASCA Finals Regular Round 1&2 |
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
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We Run
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agility as well as conformation and obedience.
on a summer’s day. They do it to run. They do it to have fun. Winning is important too, but if they don’t then it only means they need to train harder.
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
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Rain Policy
- If it rains, and PDT cancels classes: We will contact you via email, to cancel classes, at the latest, before noon on the day of. You may then attend another class or receive credit towards a future class.
- If it rains, and PDT holds classes: We will not contact you. We have already begun setting up the field. Classes are optional, meaning; you may choose to participate or you may opt out of attending class. There is no penalty, but you need to call or text to (619) 838-8238. You may then attend another class or receive credit towards a future class.
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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Triggered Response
Reflex is defined as …an involuntary response to a stimulus (dictionary.com). Like when we blink our eyes, whether to hydrate them or in reaction to a threat, it happens without much thought. If you had to think about blinking, you’re too late. In fact, it is so hard not to blink that we have to make a concerted effort to keep our eyes open. Remember the staring game we played as kids? Who could stare at the other person the longest without blinking? The guys play a rougher version of that game by trying not to blink when your buddy pretended to punch you in the face. Our eyes are triggered to blink by a perceived threat to our face. It is nearly impossible not to blink.
A response with that kind of predictability can be a two edged sword. It is sometimes important to duck and get out of the way when something is coming at you, fast. On the other hand, ducking may result in the loss of visual perception and focus. During this year’s football playoffs, the defense of the NY Jets put pressure the NE Patriots’ quarterback, Tom Brady. He took some hard hits and was sacked repeatedly. Brady, who has one of the most accurate throwing arms in football, succumbed to the pressure. His passing accuracy dropped off and he threw one right into the hands of the opposing team. In slow motion, the play analysis showed Brady flinching before throwing the football. The response of flinching, no matter how hard he tried to focus, had been conditioned by the repeated defensive attacks. It was nearly involuntary. He had to protect himself and the football.
Dogs have many hardwired responses. The most affluent one is chasing things that move. My 3 year old Australian Shepherd, Bug surprised me by catching a morning dove, in flight, as it fluttered away and then eating it. The time it took her to snatch the frantic bird out of the air was less than one second. If I could have stopped her, I would have. After all, I like birds and she’s good at the ”leave it” command. It happened so fast that I could only say, ”Huh”. I did not even try use the command ”give” nor pry it out of her mouth, for it was too late. Bug had taken a quantum leap from a raw diet to a live diet. As a result, I now have to take special care that the same fate does not befall my neighbor’s small, pet parrot.
Pursuing objects that move is a canine hardwired, triggered response and two things come to mind:
- Conditioning valuable, cued, responses, to be as reliable as a reflex.
- Using toys as rewards in the form things to hunt – prey drive.
1. Reliable as a reflex - How nice is it to have our dog come when called? How valuable is it to have an agility start-line stay, coupled with an explosive release from position on cue? I posture that these behaviors and many others can be conditioned to a level where they are nearly as predictable as a reflex. The only difference between the hardwired response and the conditioned one is that the conditioned one needs to be taught and then continually maintained in training. While Mother Nature has genetically engineered the hardwired version, the conditioned one is facilitated by repetition, in a variety of different settings and distraction levels. For quick recalls, our dog’s head needs to turn immediately toward us. I want them to do a dead run back to me. To get that kind of action, there needs to be motivation.
2. Using Toy Rewards - Our dogs’ deliberate action is enhanced by the value of the motivator. A toy in the form of animal prey like a moving squirrel tail, or in Bug’s case, feathers a flapping, will bring out the embedded prey drive for many dogs. When you discover what your dog is motivated by, you can use it to nurture the behaviors you want. Access to these highly valued toys and rewards should not be given freely. Our dogs must first do something, however small, before grabbing hold and performing the deadly shake and subsequent tug-o-war.
Tug-o-war becomes a great reward for teaching behaviors, but some precautions need to be mentioned. The following is an abridgment with, additions to tug-o-war rules by Ian Dunbar. To play tug-of-war safely, follow these rules (it also applies to anyone playing tug-o-war with your dog).
- You should be the one to initiate a game.
- Always be in control.
- Only play if you can get your dog to release the tug toy.
- Have them release often during play.
- Mix in short training sessions, having your dog sit, down, stay, jump, etc. then restart the game as a reward.
- If your dog makes tooth contact with your skin, instead of the tug toy, stop playing for 30 seconds before re-initiation.
- Throwing the toy, having them bring it back to you, then tug can prevent tooth contact with your skin.
In conclusion, your dog’s response can become virtually as reliable as a reflex, like blinking your eyes is. I have witnessed it. Through good training practices, using motivational techniques, your cues can become triggers that produce an immediate action by your dog. Those cues are not restricted to verbal prompts, but also include body positions and other movements like what we do in dog agility. Train well, be consistent, have fun!
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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Agility Practice Group
I think everyone should belong to an agility practice group. It’s fun to work on the details of your agility performance with your friends and peers. Even your all-knowing agility instructor benefits from an occasional constructive comment.
That’s what my students Terry and Bob did for me today. I wanted them to watch my posture when I ran my dog. I’ve seen myself on video and it is clear that I need work on my body’s straightness. Terry and Bob provided immediate feedback. Bob said, “You have a large dog, so there is no need to slouch”. I like that because I can remember it. It will become a mantra “I will not slouch with my large dog”.
Our agility group worked on some cool stuff. It was a nice sunny day. We met early – 8AM. After letting our dogs run off leash at the park, getting their heebie-jeebies out, we quickly set up some fun agility drills. Remember, you can work on whatever you want. I wanted to work on weave pole entrances. Terry wanted to work on serpentines. Bob just wanted to spend quality time with his dog. See the agility courses below.
Start your own agility practice group. Have the group participants each bring a piece of equipment. Meet at a local park, early enough as not bother the other patrons with off leash dogs. Keep your drills short. Your dogs will stay focused. Have a portable crate to keep them secure while you socialize and talk about each others’ performance. Observe and have something to say when asked upon. Relax – It’s only dog agility training (-:
Practice Group Courses
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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CPE Snooker
Please see my article – CPE Snooker
Liven up your weekend. CPE agility games are fun and fast paced. They demand special skills like working at a distance, obstacle discriminations, and the ability to think on your feet. There are six games >
- Fun Games – Fullhouse and Jumpers
- Strategy Games – Snooker and Jackpot
- Handling Games – Colors and Wildcard
Snooker is a game of strategy. Its name come from the billiard game of snooker where different colored balls have point values. Likewise, the agility game of snooker has point values. Instead of balls we use agility obstacles. An agility snooker course has flags or cones indicating that obstacle’s point value. The point values are 1 – 7.
| Red | Yellow | Green | Brown | Blue | Pink | Black |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Fairly easy to understand. I like to split CPE Snooker into 3 parts; the Opening, Closing and Finish. In reverse order >
- Finish – The snooker course ends when your dog places at least one paw on the table obstacle. That stops the clock which gives you a course time. No matter what happens on the course, always finish on the table.
- Closing – In the closing you simply take the obstacles labeled 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in that order.
- Opening – is a little more complex. Read on! (snooker article)
December 2010 is CPE Games Training Month.
Performance Dog Training will be holding classes emphasizing these games.
December 1 and 2 – Wildcard
December 8 and 9 – Jackpot
December 15 and 16 – Snooker
Contact us to participate in this unique learning experience.
Have Fun!
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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CPE Jackpot
Please see my article - CPE Jackpot
Liven up your weekend. CPE agility games are fun and fast paced. They demand special skills like working at a distance, obstacle discriminations, and the ability to think on your feet. There are six games >
- Fun Games – Fullhouse and Jumpers
- Strategy Games – Snooker and Jackpot
- Handling Games – Colors and Wildcard
Jackpot is a game of strategy where we plan our own course in the first part or “opening”, and then perform a distance challenge, or “gamble”, in the second part. Except for the gamble, the obstacles are not numbered as a Standard course. Instead, they have point values. We are free to blaze our own trail, to perform the obstacles we want, while gathering opening points. A qualifying score is earned by acquiring the minimum points (article) and then successfully completing the gamble. If we do that, we’ve hit the jackpot.
December 2010 is CPE Games Training Month. Performance Dog Training will be holding classes emphasizing these games.
December 1 and 2 – Wildcard
December 8 and 9 – Jackpot
December 15 and 16 – Snooker
Contact us to participate in this unique learning experience.
Have Fun!
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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CPE Wildcard
Please see my article – CPE Wildcard
Liven up your weekend. CPE agility games are short and fast paced. They demand special skills like working distance and obstacle discrimination. There are six games >
- Fun Games– Fullhouse and Jumpers
- Strategy Games – Snooker and Jackpot
- Handling Games– Colors and Wildcard
December 2010 is CPE Games Training Month. Performance Dog Training will be holding classes emphasizing these games.
December 1 and 2 – Wildcard
December 8 and 9 – Jackpot
December 15 and 16 – Snooker
Contact us to participate in this unique learning experience.
Have Fun!
Dan Roy – Performance Dog Training
SF SPCA CTC (San Francisco SPCA Certified Trainer and Counselor)
CPDT-KA (Certified Pet Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed)
info@performancedogtraining.com • 619.838.8238
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