When the Nose Really Starts Doing the Discriminating Beginner Nosework, scent physics, and why Layla ignored a box full of toys like a professional. Beginner Nosework is where the training wheels start coming off. Well, sometimes. Food pairing helped build the hunt early on. But now the real test begins: does the dog value the odor itself? This week’s searches gave Layla plenty of opportunities to answer that question—and she answered with her nose.

This week in Beginner Nosework: Layla searched rooms, containers, and an exterior area—mostly odor only, less food pairing. She even ignored boxes full of tempting toys to focus on birch, anise, and clove. Turns out the nose really does know. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #TeamLayla #LaylaLearns #Appetitive

Small Jumps, Big Milestones: Pre-Novice With Layla Agility with Layla is feeling like real teamwork. Each session brings small wins, clearer communication, and a dog who is understanding the game. Weaves: Entry First, Then Drive Layla is doing a fantastic job finding her weave entries and driving independently through the poles. Once she commits to the entry, it helps when I run just slightly ahead of her. My motion encourages her forward focus while she finishes the job on her own.

Layla met a new milestone today. 💙Confident weave entries, improving contacts, A-frame practice, and her first time jumping 18 inches! We're building clarity, confidence, and a dog who loves the game. She’s figuring it out, and it’s so fun to see. #BlueBlur #Appetitive #TeamLayla #Agility

The Paycheck Lives in the Smell Why nosework dogs get paid exactly where the odor is. Beginner Nosework has a rule that matters: Always reward at source. Not after your dog walks away.Not when they look up at you.Right where the odor lives while their nose is consistent and still at source. If we want the odor to matter, the reward must happen exactly where the odor is.

A rule of nosework? Pay at source. 🐽
This week: Red Light/Green Light nose holds, fading food pairing (without killing the hunt), vehicle + room searches, and a surprisingly sticky hide recipe. Layla’s learning that the paycheck lives in the nose hold at source. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #TeamLayla

Say It Like You Mean It: Alert, Finish, and the Art of the Still Nose Hold Beginner Nosework is where searching meets sport. It’s communicating clearly, finding odor, reinforcing precisely, and preparing for the trial environment while maintaining the joy of the hunt. This week’s focus?Two small words with big responsibility: Alert.Finish. 🎯 “Alert” Isn’t Drama. It’s Data. In a trial setting, when your dog commits to source with a clear nose hold, you call…

When do you call “Alert” in Nosework? 🦮
This week we focused on trial-ready skills: a clear still nose hold, Red Light/Green Light precision, rewarding at source, and the path to confidence and excellent trial strategy. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #TeamLayla

Clarity Is Kind: Pre-Novice With Layla This week we touched all the pieces that matter: weaves, jumps, tunnels, A-frame work, and those ever-important 2o2o contacts. And through it all, the theme was clarity. Weaves: Commitment First The weaves are starting to feel owned. Layla is driving in with more confidence and staying in because the criteria are clear. Entry matters. Rhythm matters. My job is to support the line and then lead the way.

Pre-novice with Layla = clarity, confidence, and a whole lot of heart. 💙 We’re building brave weaves, thoughtful lines, powerful A-frame practice, and rock-solid 2o2o contacts. When I’m clear, she shines. Come see our laboratory at work! #BlueBlur #Appetitive #TeamLayla #AgilityDog

Pre-Novice Confidence Building Layla is growing up in pre-novice agility, and it shows. This week we played sequences packed with rear crosses, front crosses, and blind crosses. One highlight is her growing understanding of her rear cross verbal, “Switch!” Rear Crosses A rear cross means I change sides behind Layla as she takes off for a jump. The magic only works if the verbal comes first.

“Switch!” actually means something now. Confident weaves, coherent crosses, and stride-building grid homework. Pre-novice agility is about clarity, power, and smart lines. Layla is growing up and it shows. #BlueBlur #Agility #Appetitive #TeamLayla #SportDog

Building Bold Sends and Big Confidence Playing agility with a young dog means building brilliant understanding. At our recent Young Dog Workshop with Jody Lolich, Layla and I focused on clarity, confidence, and forward drive. The goal is to teach her what the words mean and make the obstacles irresistibly fun. Hunt the Jump Our homework is to play a version of Vito’s game to sharpen Layla’s understanding that “hup” means go out and seek the jump.

Bold sends. A frames in progress. Elementary K Turns. Layla is learning that “hup” means hunt the jump and forward is fabulous. We are building clarity, confidence, and a whole lot of joy. Thank you Jody Lolich! Doing it til we GET IT RIGHT. #BlueBlur #FromShelterDogToSportDog #Appetitive #TeamLayla

From Snack to Scent: When Odor Gets the Promotion Beginner Nosework and the art of fading the food without fading the hunt. Intro class built the hunt. Food and odor were paired so clearly, so consistently, that Layla learned one essential truth: searching pays. Now? The training wheels start to come off. And this is where good nosework handling really matters. 🍗 First, We Build the Hunter Pairing essential oil odor with food builds drive, clarity, and commitment.

Odor becomes the paycheck! ✨
This week in beginner nosework, we’re fading food pairing and testing true scent understanding. Plus: happy exits, clear reinforcement mechanics, and building a rock-solid nose hold. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #TeamLayla #Appetitive

S Is for Serpentine and Slightly Smarter Handling Pre-novice agility this week is brought to you by the letter S. It was all about the Serpentine, also known as the S-Line. Three jumps in a row. Two lead changes. One flowing S-shaped path. Simple on paper. Sneaky in real life. The Shape of the Line In a classic serpentine, the dog changes leads over each jump as they curve through the line.

Serpentines, smooth weaves, and one surprise spin on the teeter. The S-lines sailed, the poles were satisfactory, and my rear cross briefly turned into interpretive dance. Pre-novice agility with Layla is equal parts skill-building and shenanigans. #BlueBlur #Agility #Appetitive #TeamLayla

Sniff Happens Outdoors: Potty. Wind. Plan. Repeat. How Layla graduated Intro Nosework and learned that odor pays. Exterior nosework is where the science begins. Wind, vehicles, variables; and your dog’s nose. This week in Intro to Nosework, Layla played exterior vehicle searches for the first time. And like all good exterior searches, it came down to three non-negotiables: Potty. Wind. Plan. 🚽 Potty First (Yes. Every Time.)

Exterior nosework 101: ☔️ Potty. 🌬 Wind. 🗺 Plan.
Plus first vehicle searches, fading food pairing, and Layla graduating from Intro! This week’s class was all about building real odor commitment and clean search mechanics. #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Appetitive #NoseWork

Jumps and Side Changes: Pre-Novice Agility Brain Day Pre-novice agility class this week was brought to you by JUMPS. So many jumps. Add in tunnels, the tire, weaves, and contacts, and suddenly my brain and body were both getting a workout. Walk the Course, Find the Side Changes One of the best pearls from class came before we ever ran. When you walk a course, remember it by where your side changes happen.

So many jumps, so many side changes, and a big pearl: motion talks louder than words. Layla and I are learning to read each other better so she can adjust her line when the course asks. Sometimes messy, others thoughtful, and always fun. #BlueBlur #Agility #TeamLayla #Appetitive

New Odor, No Micromanagement: Layla Learning to Trust Her Nose Intro to Nosework class, night four, and things got deliciously real. This was laying serious foundations: odor, commitment, independence, and handler mechanics that support the dog driven search. Odor Happens First (Food Just Makes the Point) Tonight Layla met her first four target odors: birch, anise, cypress, and clove. Each scent was carefully paired with inaccessible food inside a container or vessel.

Teaching a clear nose hold in nosework: Four scents, container + room searches, Red Light/Green Light game, and handler mechanics that support independent searching. This week’s class was all about pairing odor and trusting the nose. #BlueBlur #NoseWork #Rplus #Appetitive #TeamLayla

Walking on Sunshine in Pre Novice Agility Fast, Focused, and Fully Committed Pre-novice agility class felt extra good this week, partly because the weather finally cooperated and partly because Layla showed up ready to play play play. She did a stellar job getting into and staying in the weaves, even blasting out of a tunnel at full speed. I threw in a front cross before one weave entry and barely got out of her way in time.

Sunshine, speed, and twelve happy weaves. Layla blasted out of tunnels, forgave my awkward handling moment, and nailed her contacts. It was great being back in agility class after two weekends of freezing weather! #BlueBlur #Agility #Sunshine #Appetitive #Rplus #TeamLayla

Right Side, Wrong Answers, and Twelve Determined Weaves Proofing the Hard Stuff This week’s pre-novice agility homework is all about weave entries, especially proofing around-the-clock entries when Layla is on my right. Layla struggled to find her entry a few times, which tells me exactly what needs more reps and better setup. Once In, She Meant Business The good news is that once Layla committed to the weaves, she drove through all twelve poles like she had someplace important to be.

Pre-novice agility with Layla this week meant wrong answers on the right side weave entries, but twelve determined weaves once she was in. Mistakes showed us what to proof, strong finishes showed us what’s working. We keep playing, learning, and showing up together. #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Agility #R+

Pre-Novice Agility Notes: Lines, Motion, and Confidence Warming Up With Flow and Commitment Pre-novice agility class with Layla continues to be a mix of learning, laughing, and small victories that are so fun in the moment. This week we started with a flowing series that included the tire, tunnel, A-frame, s-lines, and weaves. It was one of those sequences that asks the dog to think, commit, and keep moving forward with confidence.

Pre-novice agility with Layla is all about flow and confidence. Perfection isn’t the goal. Success comes from understanding Layla's line and remembering that motion matters to her more than words. #BlueBlur #Agility #TeamLayla #Rplus #RescueDog #Appetitive #AnimalAccolades

Serpentines, Sass, and a Whole Lot of Weaves A Weekly Variety Show in Agility Form Pre-novice agility class with Layla is never just a training session. It's a weekly variety show starring one very enthusiastic dog, a bunch of tunnels and jumps, and me trying to learn. This week’s episode with our coach Beth Martin featured serpentines, tight turn cues, rear crosses, contacts, and the crowd favorite: twelve whole weave poles.

Layla’s pre-novice agility class was part training session, part comedy special. She crushed the weaves, styled the jumps, and basically made agility her weekly talk show. New blog's up, come laugh and learn with us! #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Rplus #Agility

Tunnel Courage, Contact Zen, and Weave Spice Adventures from a Semi-Private Agility Lesson There are training sessions that feel like study hall and others that feel like a sitcom with athletic stunts. This week’s semi-private lesson with Beth Martin landed squarely in the fun category. Layla arrived ready to play, ready to run, and very ready to let everyone know that tunnels are life choices. The Tunnel Commitment Ceremony…

Layla loved her semi-private agility lesson and turned tunnels, contacts, and weaves into pure fun. If you want the full story of her tiny triumphs and big opinions, the new blog post with video is live. #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Rlus #AgilityDog

Tunnel Vision and Serpentine Dreams: A Young Dog Agility Adventure Playing agility with a young dog is equal parts strategy session, comedy sketch, and tiny athletic miracle. Layla and I spent the weekend in a Young Dog Workshop with Jody Lolich, and it delivered all three in generous quantities. Here is what we learned, what we laughed through, and what we will be training next. Cracking the Code of the Verbal Tunnel Cue…

Layla and I took our agility skills for a spin in a brand new (to us!) venue and discovered tunnels, jumps, serpentines, and a few humbling handler moments. Come see what we learned in our Young Dog Workshop. Read the full adventure on the blog! #YoungDog #BlueBlur #Agility #Rplus #TeamLayla

Pre-Novice Agility: The Day I Became a Tug-Model The Stole Heard ’Round the Training Ring Pre-novice agility took a glamorous turn this week when Layla debuted her new all-in-one tug: a glorious hybrid creature made of faux fur, fleece, and pure canine zeal. Naturally, I wore it around my neck like a mink stole, because what is agility without a bit of runway energy? Apparently, accessorizing works. Layla thought my new “fashion choice” was spectacular.

Agility tip: wearing your dog’s tug like a glamorous fur wrap is weirdly effective. 😂 Layla’s weaves agree. Blog’s got the full story! #BlueBlur #RplusForTheWin #Agility #TeamLayla

Serpentines and Second Chances: Pre-Novice Agility Week 3 Every week, Layla reminds me that growth comes in layers. This time, we worked serpentines, post turns, and front crosses, with a healthy side of contact training. It wasn’t flawless, but it was full of “aha” moments—the kind that turn good runs into great partnerships. The Serpentine Shuffle Serpentine lines are cued with both the verbal cue “hup” and your body cues showing the dog their line.

This week’s agility run with Layla wasn’t flawless—but it was full of fun moments and great teamwork. Serpentines, post turns, front crosses, and a big dose of clarity. 💫 Read the progress on Animal Accolades! 🐾 #Agility #TeamLayla #Rplus #BlueBlur

Keeping The Connection: Lessons from Pre-Novice Agility This week’s agility play reminded me of one big truth: the tunnel may be fast, but connection is what keeps the game together. The Learning Pearl As your dog explodes out of a tunnel, don’t just run and hope. Reconnect. A quick glance, a verbal cue, even a breath of acknowledgment — that’s your moment to reestablish the team. Dogs exit tunnels blind to where their handler has gone, and without that brief reconnection, they’ll make their own (sometimes brilliant, sometimes not-so-brilliant) choices.

This week’s pre-novice agility lesson with Layla was all about staying tuned in, celebrating effort, and keeping the joy flowing. Layla and I worked on timing, trust, and remembering that every “oops” is just information.
#BlueBlur #AgilityRescueDog #Rplus #TeamLayla #DogAgility

Young Dog Agility Clinic: Building Confidence in Serpentines, Discriminations, and Sequences Handling a young dog in agility is part art, part science — and all about connection. Each exercise builds independence, speed, and clarity so your dog learns to love the game as much as you do. Serpentine Lines: Encouraging Independent Commitment We kicked off the young dog handling seminar with serpentines — a classic agility skill that teaches dogs to think ahead and commit to the next obstacle without constant handler direction.

This week we played serpentines, tunnel temptations, and post turns with Jody Lolich — all about building confidence and clarity for young agility dogs. 🌀

Read how the games unfolded 👉

#BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Rplus #DogAgility #AgilityTraining

Beginner Agility 3A Week 6: Building Confidence and Clarity This week’s agility training with Layla was all about contacts, confidence for driving, and clarity for weaves. Contacts: Finding the 2o2o Sweet Spot After receiving a WHOLE lotta reinforcement for sitting on a plank in the zone of reinforcement, Layla has decided that sitting in the contact zone is her new interpretation. Creative, but not quite right! Instead, she needs clarity to drive all the way to the end of the contact and land in…

Layla’s latest agility lesson? Sitting pretty in the contact zone isn’t the same as 2o2o 🤦‍♀️. This week was all about clarity: true contacts, confident weaves, and building her drive to go-go-go! Clarity = confidence = joyful runs. 🐾 #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Rplus #AgilityDog

Beginner Agility 3A Week 4: Connection in Motion This week, Layla and I stepped up to short course sequences featuring the A-frame, jumps, tunnels, and dog walk. She flew through with confidence, and we mixed in weaves and the teeter for good measure. Her weaves are shining—success on 12 poles when split into two six-pole sets! The teeter “bang game” is also coming along, building her confidence with every rep.

This week’s wins: strong sequences, weave success, and growing teeter confidence. 🙌 My biggest lesson? Stay connected! Read more about Layla’s Week 4 journey 👉 #BlueBlur #TeamLayla #Agility

Beginner Agility 3A Week 2: Shaping Paths and Building Confidence Layla and I continued our agility journey this week with some exciting challenges and rewarding progress. The highlight of our session was playing with a post turn over a jump into the dog walk sequence. Focus on letting Layla find her own 2o2o contact “feet” — two paws on the contact zone, two off. Never lure. Instead, give her the chance to own the behavior first, then reinforce it.

Agility is all about connection and clarity. This week, Layla and I worked on contacts, weaves, and how my body guides her path. Dive into our progress on the blog 👉 https://animalaccolades.wordpress.com/blog/ #Agility #Blue Blur #Rplus #TeamLayla

Front Crosses, Flying Starts, and Focused Fun: Beginner Agility 3A Week 1 This week, Layla and I dove into front crosses — where you change sides while your dog is in front of you. Think of it like a “front” in obedience. Always consider the dog's line to the next obstacle, so when she crosses in front, she sees the next obstacle. Front cross 💡 Pro tip: Leave your front side open so the dog sees her line of travel.

Front crosses, flying starts, and clear lines — Layla and I packed a lot into agility this week! 🐾 See the full breakdown (and training tips you can steal) at Animal Accolades blog. #BlueBlur #AgilityDog #Rplus #TeamLayla

Smooth Moves and Focus Forward In this week's installment of our agility journey, Layla and I dove into smooth sequences and maintaining focus. Smooth Sequences: Dance Like Nobody's Watching Mastering agility sequences involves fluidity and communication. While guiding Layla from jump to tunnel to A-frame, remember to keep body language smooth and consistent. Imagine you're dancing through the course, with each move flowing into the next.

Layla’s out here turning tunnels into catwalks and A-frames into runways. Smooth moves, clear cues, and start-line sass—agility week 3 brought the strut. 💃🐾 #AgilityDog #Blue Blur #TeamLayla #BeginnerAgility #DogSportStyle

Cookies, Crosses, and the Confident Teeter Layla and I had fun in Beginner Agility 3 Week 2. Establish Clear Communication Clear communication is emphasized through body language and verbal cues. Eventually I'll teach cues like "Check check check" to indicate a turn towards me, "Rye rye rye" for right turns, and "Lee lee lee" for left turns. For now, I use consistent body language and hand gestures to guide Layla's movements effectively.

Rear crosses and teeter bravery, —Layla’s agility skills are on the rise! Beginner Agility 3 Week 2 was all about clear cues, confident moves, and cookie-powered spins. 🌀🐾 #AgilityDog #BlueBlur #BorderCollie #TeamLayla #Rplus

Exploring with Layla: Beginner Agility Week 5 Highlights This week in our agility journey, Layla and I delved into a dynamic session filled with new challenges and successes. Building on our foundations, we focused on accuracy and communication. We kicked off with a series of jumps, introducing front crosses and navigating tunnels. Layla showed great focus as we tackled three sets of 2x2 weaves at a 20-degree angle. We integrated jumps and tunnels into our weave sequences, enhancing fluidity and collection.

Big week for Layla! She nailed her angled weaves, rocked her new cues (“weave,” “bang,” and “feet”), and brought her usual joy to every jump, tunnel, and teeter. Agility is connection in motion! 🐾✨ #AgilityDog #TeamLayla #Rplus #BorderCollie

Building Skills and Confidence – Beginner Agility with Layla This week in Beginner Agility 2, Layla and I dove into some exciting foundational work, all grounded in the training principles of clarity, confidence, and connection. We focused on back chaining a short sequence—starting from the table and layering in jump, tunnel, and more jumps. Back chaining builds understanding by working backward from the end of the sequence, helping Layla predict what comes next and boosting her confidence with each added obstacle.

Layla loved week 4 of Beginner Agility 2! We played front crosses, tunnels, dogwalks, A-frames, and weaves—all with tail wags and cheer. Clarity, confidence, connection… and one very proud dogmom. Thanks to Coach Beth Martin for helping us turn noodli-ness into teamwork! 💥🐾 #TeamLayla #Rplus