Canine camp tests dog agility

BANGOR – I recently attended a day camp called Canine Camp at Carden Kennels with my English Springer Spaniel puppy, Daisy.

At this camp, about 21 kids brought their dogs and trained them to do agility, an event in which dogs quickly leap over jumps, run through tunnels and hop through tires.

Kids without dogs were able to work with borrowed dogs from the counselors. We also did dog-related crafts such as preparing Pupsicles – frozen treats made of banana, juice and yogurt – and making dog toys.

One day, a vet came to speak to us on pet care, and another time, a groomer from Carden Kennels taught us how to groom our dogs. Daisy was not too happy when I tried to brush her that evening. Another day, two Native Americans came to talk about the importance of dogs in their culture.

What amazed me was the huge variety of dogs that came to the camp. Sizes ranged from a Great Dane to a miniature poodle. Some dogs were obedient and calm; others, like Daisy, who was 51/2 months old at the time, had not been trained as much.

The majority of the dogs were Labrador and golden retrievers, but several other breeds of dog, as well as a few mixed breeds, were at the camp. Daisy was the youngest dog there, and probably the most energetic as well.

Each day at camp began when we gathered in a big room. We were assigned a crate to keep our dog in when we were eating lunch, doing a craft or busy with some other activity. We took our dogs, along with clickers and tons of dog treats, out to fields nearby where there was agility equipment. We learned about agility and taught our dogs to do the different obstacles.

The first thing we learned was how to use the clickers we were given. We were told to click the clicker, then feed our dog a treat. We did this several times so our dogs would learn that a click meant a treat.

Throughout the week, when our dogs were doing something we liked, we would click the clicker and give them a treat so they would get rewarded for behaving well. This was easy for Daisy and me, for we had worked on clicker training before. Soon we were ready to do agility.

We started teaching our dogs to go over the jumps on command. I led Daisy to the jump and said, “Over,” as she hopped over it, then I rewarded her. Through the week we also taught our dogs to climb onto a low table, jump through a tire and run through a tunnel – which Daisy did not like.

After a morning of agility, we put our dogs in their crates. Daisy was determined not to go in her crate. I found myself wishing I had four hands as I attempted to shove my squirming puppy into the crate, struggling to unclip the leash from her collar and slam the door shut before she had a chance to dart out again.

Lunches were provided every day, and we ate outside unless it was raining. We did crafts after lunch – my favorite was decorating a felt mat with paint. When lunch and crafts were finished, we did more agility until our parents came to pick us up. Sometimes we had training practice indoors or did dog relay races.

On the final day of our camp, our parents came for a barbecue and dog show. One by one, we took our dogs through the agility course. People were surprised when they were told that Daisy was only 5 1/2 months old.

Canine Camp was a wonderful experience. Daisy and I can’t wait to go back next year.

Charlotte Zelz is in the fifth grade at Mary Snow School in Bangor.