MAIN Dog Training

05/17/2026

Today is last day to enter part 1 of this webinar!

Do not miss out on this great opportunity to learn from one of the best dog trainers out there!

We start tomorrow at 4pm Vancouver time😎 but there will be recording sent out if you are in different timezone or just busy at the time of LIVE show.

We are so excited to announce this opportunity!!

This two part virtual training session will change the way you train your dog.

Join us as Polona Bonac discusses the most important aspect of training in Dog Sports.

Register Here
https://www.maindogtraining.ca/general-1

or message us to sign up

**Both sessions will include a question and answer period and a recording will be sent to participants as a link**

05/07/2026

We are so excited to announce this opportunity!!

This two part virtual training session will change the way you train your dog.

Join us as Polona Bonac discusses the most important aspect of training in Dog Sports.

Register Here
https://www.maindogtraining.ca/general-1

or message us to sign up

**Both sessions will include a question and answer period and a recording will be sent to participants as a link**

04/08/2026

With Spitfire UKI Cup coming its time to improve our Games Skills 😎

Join us at two workshops, Snooker on April 18th or/and Gamblers April 25th.

We will cover rules and skills, make best plan for each team and get ready for attacking UKI games!

Each workshop will be 3 hours long, with max 8 teams, and price is 80$.

Enter here: https://forms.gle/UMWgu49fFv1P56Gd7

03/16/2026

MAIN is hosting a Special Edition Sport Puppy Class led by a VERY special guest instructor. We are opening this class to handlers that have previous dog sport experience with puppies 3-10 months old.
Interested in joining? Comment below or message us for more details .

03/11/2026

Who is ready for some FUN agility competition?

Join us on April 5th!
Beginner dogs in the morning, 3 runs to check your skills🤩
Advanced dogs in the afternoon to test skills on 3 international courses😎

But of course, you can run everything too 😆

One run is $12, enter 3 runs for 30$

All this will be happening at Main barn in Langley!

Enter here⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://forms.gle/i5tXc5utayWgfBB87

02/13/2026

Startline stays are an important competition skill… but they don’t have to dominate every single training rep.

In competition, we need dogs who can hold a true startline stay. That skill matters. But in training? Insisting on a formal stay every time can sometimes slow progress, muddy criteria, and quietly allow little cracks to form.

Those tiny sneaky paw shuffles…
The creeping forward…
The “I’m technically still here” inching…

Those are often the very beginnings of a broken startline, and they’re easy to accidentally reinforce when we’re juggling multiple training goals at once.

This is where stations and creative set-ups can be incredibly valuable.

Using props like a Catoboard gives the dog a clear, physical place to be. It sharpens criteria, removes grey areas, and helps dogs understand exactly what staying put means. The clarity often creates far cleaner reps than asking for a stay directly on the ground while you’re trying to train other skills.

And sometimes… you don’t need a stay at all.

If your training focus is obstacle skills, you can:

• Start the dog in motion by wrapping a cone before the first obstacle
• Use a restrained release if your dog is comfortable being handled by your Coach or classmate

Training time is valuable. If you spend large chunks of it managing startline criteria when that isn’t your main focus for the session, it can dilute the quality of everything else you’re trying to build and result in your frustration rising if your dog's startline isn't holding up when you want to be getting on with training other skills.

Strong startline stays absolutely matter, but smart trainers know when to isolate and train them… and when to simplify the picture so other skills can grow.

Clear criteria builds confident dogs. And confident dogs build reliable startlines.

02/11/2026

One of the biggest shifts that happens as handlers progress into sequencing and full course running… is that rewards often disappear until the very end.

And honestly? That’s where many dogs start to lose clarity, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Agility training isn’t just about completing a sequence. It’s about communicating with your dog while they’re learning how to complete that sequence. Rewarding within the work is one of the most powerful ways to do that.

When you reward during sequencing, you’re telling your dog:

✔️ That obstacle commitment was exactly right
✔️ That line you held was brilliant
✔️ That effort you gave right there — that’s what I want more of

Waiting until the end can sometimes blur the message. The dog may finish the sequence, but they don’t always know which part earned the reward. Was it the weave entry? The wrap? Holding a committed line at the end? Or just running to you at the finish?

Strategic rewards placed inside sequences help highlight the moments that matter most. They build understanding faster, grow confidence, and keep motivation high, especially when dogs are tackling harder skills or longer sequences.

It also changes how the dog feels about training. Instead of pushing through long stretches of work hoping they got it right, they experience success along the way.

That builds dogs who stay engaged, thoughtful, and eager to keep trying.

And let’s be honest… sequencing and coursework is hard work. Mentally and physically. Recognising those standout moments during the run shows your dog that their effort is seen and valued, not just the final result.

Reward the brilliance when it happens, not just when the sequence ends. That’s where real learning lives.

02/10/2026

One of the most overlooked, yet powerful, reinforcement strategies in agility training is the consolation prize.

Many handlers unintentionally fall into the trap of only rewarding when something is 100% perfect. The full sequence is clean. The line is flawless. Every skill is exactly as planned.

But here’s the problem…

Dogs don’t magically jump from learning a skill to performing it perfectly. They get there through layers of understanding, and those layers are built through thoughtful reinforcement along the way.

👉 The Consolation Prize Is a Teaching Tool
A consolation prize isn’t a “pity reward.” It’s strategic communication.

It tells your dog:
“You’re building the right picture. Stay on this path.”

When your dog commits to the obstacle but the turn is slightly wide…
When they hold their line but lose a touch of focus towards the end…
When they make a brilliant choice but lack full confidence…..and so on.....

Those are learning moments. And if we only reward perfection, we risk leaving dogs guessing which parts of the behaviour actually mattered.

👉 What Consolation Reinforcement Might Look Like
• A lower value food reward
• A shorter or calmer toy reward
• A quieter acknowledgement from you
• A quick reward before resetting to try again

It keeps motivation alive, supports confidence, and most importantly, it shapes behaviour progressively rather than expecting dogs to leap straight to finished skills.

👉 Then Save the Party for Perfection
When your dog truly nails a skill, full understanding, commitment, effort and accuracy. That’s when the jackpot matters. High value rewards, bigger celebration, longer play, genuine excitement.

But those jackpot moments are built through all the clever, well-timed consolation prizes that came before them.

The dogs that progress with clarity are often the ones whose handlers reward thoughtfully, not just dramatically.

Sometimes the smallest acknowledgements are the ones doing the heaviest teaching.

02/09/2026

A Body Condition Score (BCS) is a simple but powerful tool to assess whether your dog is underweight, overweight, or just right. This is especially important for dogs doing sports, as even a small extra weight can place added stress on joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This increases the risk of injury and affecting performance.

What is the Body Condition Score (BCS)?

The BCS is like a health “report card” for your dog’s body. It ranges from 1 to 9, with:

🐾 1-3 – Too Thin: Ribs and spine are easily visible, with little to no fat covering.
🐾 4-5 – Ideal: Ribs are easily felt, your dog has a defined waist, and the abdomen has a slight tuck.
🐾 6-9 – Overweight to Obese: Ribs are difficult to feel, the waist may be missing, and the abdomen may sag.

Why is BCS Important?

✅ Overall Health & Longevity: Dogs with an ideal BCS tend to live longer, healthier lives.
🥲 Prevent Health Problems: Overweight dogs are at higher risk of arthritis, joint injuries, heart disease, and diabetes. Underweight dogs may have underlying medical issues that need attention.
🐶 Sports Performance: For dogs doing agility, flyball, or other high-impact sports, excess weight adds stress to joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This can reduce endurance, slow movement, and increase the risk of injury. Maintaining an ideal BCS helps dogs move efficiently, stay agile, and enjoy their sport safely.

How to Assess Your Dog’s BCS:
⭐ Feel the Ribs: Can you feel them easily without pressing hard?
⭐ Check the Waist: Look at your dog from above — is there a noticeable waist behind the ribs?
⭐ View from the Side: Does your dog have an abdominal tuck — a slight upward curve behind the ribs?

Regularly checking your dog’s BCS is a simple, effective way to monitor their weight, optimise sports performance, and help them enjoy a long, active life.

02/07/2026

If your agility dog is struggling with over-arousal in training or competition, it’s worth asking: Where else in their life are they rehearsing this state of mind?

Over-arousal doesn’t just appear in the ring. Most dogs bring behaviours they’ve practiced in everyday life into agility, and it’s easy to mistakenly blame the sport itself for what’s really a habit reinforced outside of training.

Think about it:
😩 Do they rush the door the moment it opens?
😟 Bark at the window whenever there’s movement or sounds outside?
😱 Treat off-leash walks like it’s a full-on sprint session?
🙈 Struggle to settle?
🤯 Play continuously with another dog in the house?
🫣 Nag you for attention?
…and that’s just a few examples!

Dogs are experts at rehearsing what they do regularly, and what they rehearse they become. If over-arousal is happening in daily life, it will naturally spill over into training and competition.

The good news? Awareness is the first step. From there, thoughtful management and training can make a huge difference.

Where have you noticed your dog rehearsing over-arousal in everyday life? Share your stories below and we'd love to help!