Sumac Becomes Level 3 APDT Rally Judge I am pleased to announce that I have recently become the first Level 3 APDT Rally judge in New England. This status allows me to judge all levels of APDT Rally and help to grow this wonderful sport.
APDT Rules & Guidelines Approved The APDT Board approved of all the recommendations of the Rules and Guidelines committee. It was an honor to have been a part of this national committee reviewing the three levels of Rally. The new rules go into effect in March and are available on the Rally Yahoo group and will soon be posted on the APDT Rally website.
Travels with Sparrow Sparrow and I attended another wonderful seminar with Lo Baker. Lo offered a Puppy Agility Seminar at Riverside k9 Center in Nashua, NH. Lo is one of the top competitors in the US. Lo is a gifted handler, trainer and instructor. It is always a joy to spend time with her. Sparrow brought home several new skills. We are working on building a strong working relationship through shaping, building confidence and handling communication. We look forward to returning to work with Lo in March for her jumping seminar and in June at Bark Camp.
Haiti Search Dog Program Wag It Inc. made a $250.00 donation to Planet Dog’s Haiti Search Dog Project. This donation will become $1,000 with the matching funds offered by Planet Dog and then matched yet again by the Newman Foundation. This project will help offset the expenses of the search rescue and recovery dog teams that have traveled to Haiti.
Congratulations to Merre Bettler Merre and her German Shepard, Duff, ranked 10th in the USA in CPE Specialist division. Way to go Merre and Duff! You have come far.
Capture Media Associates Thank you to Holly Sherburne and Capture Media Associates for the new look to our E-news. We are pleased to have Holly and her new venture helping us with Wag It's expansion and online marketing efforts.
A new Agility Skills division has been added to Wag It! Games. Five classes of speed and athleticism.
What are Wag It Games? Imagine a new competitive dog sport designed around the dog/handler relationship, skill building and lots and lots of fun. You don't need to be an athlete. Your dog does not have to be an athlete. If you love working with your dog and your dog loves working/playing with you. You will love Wag It Games.
Handling Workshops with Cindy Ratner: Intermediate session will be 9 am to noon, $80.00 per workshop. Advanced/Masters 1 to 4 pm (Please contact me regarding space & level placement.) May 22 Skills and Strategy for Snooker July 24 Skills and Handling for Jackpot, Gamblers or FAST April To be determined.
Jumping Workshop April 25 & June 19, 9 am to noon Agility is comprised of more jumps than any other obstacle and the bars must stay up. Instructor Melissa Johnson will help your dog learn to jump efficiently with confidence and accuracy. Workshops will pull from a variety of expert exercises, Linda Mecklenburg, Susan Salo, Lo Baker and Susanne Clothier. More information about agility.
Positive Reinforcement training for Rally and Obedience competition with Pam Dennison July 10 & 11 *New Dates* Using quick, easy, positive methods and rewards you will learn how you can train your dog to excel in Rally and Obedience. Focus • Heeling • Retrieve • Jumping • Stays • Go Outs • Drop on Recall •Scent Discrimination. APDT Rally, AKC Rally and Obedience will be included.
About Pam Dennison: Pam Dennison is a member of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) and is a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She has written for many local, national and international magazines on a myriad of topics. Many of her books and articles have been nominated for special awards by the DWAA. Pam has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and skills to become successful competitors. http://www.positivedogs.com (Photo above by Louis B. Ruediger.)
Puppy Romp, All the basics for puppies 8 weeks to 5 months Wednesday's beginning April 14, 4:15-5:15
Dog Romp 1, The basics for dogs over 5 months old. Thursdays beginning April 8, 5:30-6:30
Dog Romp 2, Beyond the basics. Prepare for the AKC Canine Good Citizen or Therapy Dog Tests. For dogs over 6 months old. Thursdays beginning April 8, 6:45-7:45
Wag It Games Classes Wednesdays, beginning April 14, 5:45-6:45 pm
Wag It Games Seminars April 10 & 11, Wag It, June 19 & 20, Finish Forward, Saco
Wag It Games Trials May 29, 30 & 31 September 4, 5 & 6 Day 1, Agility Skills (All five classes) Day 2, Agility Skills (All five classes) Day 3, Two Trials - Shadow Skills, Independent Skills & No need for Speed Obstacle Skills
Rally O Calendar
Classes Wednesdays beginning April 14, 5:45-6:45 pm
APDT Rally Trial Schedule April 30-May 2 Premium now available on our Web site. Entries open March 15. July 17 & 18 Sanctioned. Premium will be available soon. Entries to open May 1 November 6 & 7
Rally Run Throughs April 3 9:00-10:00 workshop 10:30-12:30 Run throughs on 2 courses. The workshop content and types of courses offered will be based on participant input.
Agility Calendar
Agility Run Throughs March 27, 11:00-1:00 (4 runs on two courses) April 18, 9:00-12:00 Special Wag It Games Agility Classes Workshop & Run Throughs May 22, 11:00-1:00 (TBD)
Agility & Agility Foundation Workshops March 20, April 17 & May 15 Finish Forward, Saco
Intermediate/Advanced Agility with Melissa JohnsonMondays beginning April 5, 11:45
Please contact us if you are looking to start agility and would like a daytime class. We are considering adding an additional foundation class to our schedule
Wag It! Games Camp We are very disappointed to announce this event has been canceled. We lost the site for this event. We are looking into other sites for a future camp.
Connecting to Facebook
I am pleased to announce that I have recently become the first Level 3 APDT Rally judge in New England. This status allows me to judge all levels of APDT Rally and help to grow this wonderful sport. 
