Sports/Fun Classes

Canine Musical Freestyle and Rally-FrEe Workshop with Shari Heino and Pat Marshall Memorial Day weekend - Saturday & Sunday, May 28 - 29, 2022 Saturday from 10 - 5, Sunday from 9 - 5 Whether you are new to Canine Musical Freestyle or already competing and looking for new ideas, this workshop is for you! * If you want to strengthen the relationship between you and your dog * If you enjoy teaching your dog tricks and new behaviors * If you are looking for an enjoyable and supportive competitor experience Shari Heino and Pat Marshall are long time Canine Freestyle and Rally-FrEe competitors (with champion level titles), trainers and judges. They each recently received the Take a Bow award from Rally-FrEe for their contributions to these sports! In addition to the items listed below, there will be an opportunity each day to work your dog as if in a live event or to video a routine! You will get the judges feedback and tips to help you and your dog get the best performance possible for your demos or competition. In the presentation sessions you will learn: * Judges perspectives * Guidelines for Canine Freestyle and Rally- FrEe * Incorporation of props * Fading physical cues * Storytelling routines * Choosing and editing music * Routine creation In the working sessions you will work on: * Human movement - traveling steps and choreography patterns * Tricks - with and without props * Rotational moves * Transitions * Precision in heel work * Backing * Side passing * Distance Cost for the workshop on Saturday and Sunday: $175 for a working spot with one dog. If you would like to bring a second dog, please contact Pat Spots are limited - sign up soon! Cost for private lessons on Monday, May 30, 2022 $75 for one hour (special discounted price for participants of the workshop) Location: Heino Ranch, 1289 Hodge, Rd., Eddy, TX 76524. On site accommodations are available on a first come, first served basis (extra charge of $20 per night) or there are hotels close by that accept dogs. Once you sign up additional information about Heino Ranch and lodging will be emailed to you. Questions? Please contact Pat at 281-550-7810 or email: trainhappyhounds@aol.com.

This 6 week class goes beyond roll over and play dead! In this class you'll learn how to teach your dog to do circus tricks that will impress your family and friends and are just plain FUN! We will start off with easy tricks (shake hands, high five, jumping through hoops, crawling on the floor, etc.) and work up to putting toys away, rolling up in a blanket and riding on skateboards - the list is endless! There will be a variety of tricks offered so it's a good class for every level of training. It's a fun class that will help you and your dog learn to work together on cool tricks that you can show off anywhere - who knows, maybe you'll end up in our new show!

"Rally-FrEe is a unique sport combining trick behaviors of Canine Musical Freestyle with the structure and format of Rally-Obedience. It emphasizes the precise execution of fundamental freestyle and obedience skills while encouraging creative and novel behaviors on a Rally-Obedience style course. Rally-FrEe encourages the use of positive-reinforcement training methods that strengthen teamwork and fosters a reciprocal learning process between dog and handler." Come and join us for this fun learning experience!

This 6 week class is geared to helping you and your dog learn to run agility together with confidence, accuracy, and joy! We will be working on fast weaves while teaching your dog the correct way to enter the polls every time. We will also be working on getting fabulous stops on contact equipment and introduce your dog to turning left and right (at a distance) and going on to the next obstacle. It is a good course for newcomers, for retraining dogs who have a problem and for dogs who are already competing but may have a weakness in any element of agility skills. We will build desire and confidence and accuracy in your dog at a pace that works for him, so there will be no need to rush any one element of the process. The goal of agility should be teamwork between you and your dog and, of course, to have FUN!

Ever watched the dogs on TV competing in agility and thought it looked like a lot of fun? It is! This 6-week course is your chance to get started in this fun dog sport that builds teamwork between you and your dog. Teach your dog how to clear jumps, run through tunnels and go over dog walks and A-frames. Classes geared towards fun, but will also give you a strong foundation if you get hooked and decide to compete!

This 6-week course builds on the skills you and your dog learned in the beginner agility class. In this class you and your dog will learn to work together off leash and start sequencing obstacles. We'll also play games to work on focus and attention!

Our Advanced agility class is for dogs (and owners) who have learned the basics and are ready to run! It is an on-going class that works in 4-week blocks. In this class we set up sequences that you'll see at agility trials plus full courses. The class alternates between standard courses and the games that are played at CPE agility events (http://www.k9cpe.com/). It is a lot of fun and a great way to work as a team with your dog whether you plan to compete or just want to have FUN!

A 6-week course that is designed to develop your dog's natural scenting abilities by using their desire to hunt and their love of toys, food and exercise. It's a great way for your dog to have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy. This game can be played by dogs of all ages and training levels. It's great for shy and fearful dogs because it helps them gain confidence. It's also good for dogs that are reactive to other dogs because only one dog is worked at a time. Nose work is based on the skills used by bomb and drug detection dogs and allows your dog to do what he loves most - hunt!

This 6-week course builds on the hunting foundation developed in the Introduction to Nose Work class. In this class your dog will be introduced to new search challenges which include vehicles and exterior searches. Higher level of environmental distractions are introduced with vehicle and exterior searches, keeping the challenge of the hunt always exciting for you and your dog. We will also introduce more difficult interior hides and new locations. Boxes may or may not be used and your dog will learn to search the entire environment even if boxes aren't present. We will continue to reward with food at this level so that the dog still gets self rewarded along with being rewarded by you for finding the hide. This class will help you continue to develop your handler skills in leash management, understand your dogs hunting style and the effect of the ever changing environment on a search.

This 6-week class introduces the basic skills needed for Treibball. Treibball (pronounced Try-ball) is a new dog sport that started in Germany a few years ago. It's a great way to work on off leash obedience and distance work using herding cues, but the dogs are herding exercise balls instead of sheep! Just the thing for our urban dogs :). Since it's so new there are not any competitions in Texas yet (I'm the first one in our area to offer Treibball classes!!), but in the meantime it's a great way to exercise your dog and work on impulse control at the same time. Herding dogs do seem to catch on quickly, but it's a great game for any dog who enjoys toys and working! Please visit the American Treibball Association website for more details about the game: http://www.americantreibballassociation.org/

This 6-week class builds on the basic skills learned in the Introduction to Treibball class. We will continue to work on ball skills while increasing distance. Treibball is a great way to work on off leash obedience and distance work using herding cues, but the dogs are herding exercise balls instead of sheep! Just the thing for our urban dogs :). It's a great way to exercise your dog and work on impulse control at the same time. Herding dogs do seem to catch on quickly, but it's a great game for any dog who enjoys toys and working!

Are you looking for some FUN things to do with your dog this summer while improving focus, attention and manners? If so, please check out our Summer Camp! We have offered this class the past few summers and it's been a huge success. Summertime can be pretty hectic with vacations and everything else going on so this class offers a different format. It is a six week class that meets once a week, BUT it is spread out over eight weeks - YOU can choose any six classes to attend! Each week we will work on good behavior (walking nicely on leash, self control, etc.) and we'll introduce some of the sports and other classes that are taught here - including cool things like "helping paws" tricks to get those puppies working for you (picking objects up and giving them to you, etc.). We will also work outside and learn some of the agility obstacles along with practicing good behavior outside on walks. In addition, you will learn some Rally and Rally FrEe signs (find out more about Rally FrEe at: http://www.rallyfree.com/), and have one session where we introduce Nose Work to the dogs. Nose Work is a new dog sport that is catching on all over the country! Find out more about this fun sport at: http://www.k9nosework.com/home.html . Summer Camp is a lot of fun and a great chance to try some different dog sports and keep your dog's mind active :).

Are you looking for a fun weekend away with your dog and friends? We're planning a Tricks workshop in Eddy, TX on December 11 - 12!  Starting on Saturday morning at 10 am we'll work on all kinds of fun tricks AND you'll be able to earn AKC trick titles as we go along.  We'll continue with more tricks on Sunday morning and also offer the Canine Good Citizen test for anyone who is interested.  On Saturday night we'll have an evening of fun and entertainment for people and their dogs!  If you're not close by, there is room for people to stay in the party center (bunk house with beds, $20 per night) or we can recommend dog friendly hotels close by (please email for information). Sunday afternoon starting at 1 pm we'll have a Christmas party with lots of games, food and pictures with the Grinch :).  Workshop is limited to 10 dogs so please sign up soon if you'd like to join us.  Feel free to email me with questions!