Blazing Paws, LLC

06/13/2026

A lot of handlers underestimate what's actually happening in a good foundation session with a young dog.

It's not just about teaching obstacles. It's about teaching the dog how to play with you, how to commit, how to work through a sequence and stay engaged even when the reward isn't instant.

All the stuff that looks effortless at trials from the teams you admire — it was built in sessions exactly like this one.

If you're in the early stages with a young dog and wondering whether the backyard work is actually going to translate, we wrote something that might help: https://hubs.li/Q04j9w850

06/12/2026

Rear Cross Training Sequencing

Here's a sequence for practicing Rear Cross (on jump 3). 💚

Rear Cross is a very useful technique if you are often behind the dog, but even with dogs who are a bit slower and prefer not to pass the handler, we recommend teaching it as it builds confidence and forward focus.

The grey circles can be cones or wings for example, just to start off with some momentum.

Learn more about Rear Cross, including the 7 elements, teaching, troubleshooting and sequencing, here: https://hubs.li/Q04kLV6N0

06/05/2026

Exactly

06/04/2026

If you've ever driven home from a trial thinking "he's so good at home, why does it fall apart in the ring" — this blog is for you.

It's one of the most common things handlers run into with young dogs, and it almost never means what people think it means. The dog isn't distracted, unfocused, or not ready. There's usually just a gap in how the training was structured, and it's very fixable once you know what to look for.

We broke it down in a new blog post — what's actually happening, why the trial environment makes it worse, and what to do about it practically. Worth a read if this sounds familiar.

https://hubs.li/Q04j9FVr0

05/30/2026

Great for dogs who are in the early stages of their agility career.

Are you or your dog new to AKC agility? If your dog does NOT have an AKC agility title, you can sign up for our ACT Test and earn one! Saturday, June 6th with everyone's favorite judge, Lisa Bates.https://premierdogsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/PDS-June-2026-ACT-All-Premium.pdf

05/25/2026

Always do what’s best for the dog.

**Disclaimer: Since this post has gone international i think its important that readers understand that this is worded for those competing in Australia. Where we can't go to worlds and where we still see those 5 jump leadouts to a tunnel threadle 🫠.

I was not intending this post to be seen by those competing at a much higher level. We compete for a dogs lifetime at the same comps against the same dogs weekend after weekend, then we go to nationals and compete against the same dogs again 😂

Never should a dog enter the ring uncontrolled, this is not about holding onto the dog and then running for your life. This is about the fact that one team does not have to have the same aspirations as another 🫶**

Startlines in dog Agility can almost feel like a badge of honour. A dog that confidently plants themselves at the line, waits, and lets you get into position before exploding into work can look incredibly polished. But like many things in training, there are positives and negatives — and there isn’t one "right" answer for every team.

The positives of a strong startline are obvious. It can give handlers time to get into position, create a smoother opening sequence, help build focus, and give the dog a clear understanding that work starts when released. For some teams it becomes a valuable routine — "this is our cue that we're about to play Agility."

But there can also be downsides.

Some dogs become so focused on holding criteria that they lose drive and intensity. Others can start to see the startline as pressure rather than excitement. Some dogs become stressed if the handler leaves, creep forward because they feel conflicted, or lose confidence because the emphasis shifts from "go have fun" to "don't make a mistake."

And sometimes… you may actively choose not to have one.

If you have a dog that thrives on motion and excitement, asking for stillness might actually take away from what makes them great. If your dog struggles with frustration, stopping them at the start may build more tension than value. If your goal is to create a flowing, connected performance rather than distance at the beginning, a running start might suit your team better.

Maybe your dog performs better when you start together. Maybe they need your support. Maybe they are more confident when movement starts immediately.

A startline isn't a measure of training quality. A dog blasting off without one isn't "untrained", and a dog with a beautiful wait isn't automatically more skilled.

The best choice is the one that serves the dog standing in front of you — not the one that simply looks the most impressive.