Do you know what a behavior chain is? All agility competitors should understand this concept. If this is unfamiliar to you, this will change your understanding of how dogs learn. Let's get started! What is a behavior chain? A behavior chain is an event in which units of behavior occur in sequences and are linked [...]

Dan and I are packing our bags and preparing for departure. Next week, we head to Perry, Georgia to compete against 1,300 dog and handler teams in the 2024 American Kennel Club National Agility Championship! I'm running Ska, my six-year-old English Springer Spaniel, and Dan is running Anthem, his nine-year-old Shetland Sheepdog. This is the [...]

Here at Crossbones Dog Academy, I work with a lot of dogs that are relieving themselves in the house. Housebreaking seems to be one of those things that either goes smoothly or is really troublesome. A lot of it depends on how your dog was raised, both before and after you acquired him. Photo [...]

At Crossbones, we have an unusual item on our group class "required equipment" list: an edible chew or enrichment toy. After many years of teaching group classes (Katherine started back in 2007!), we realized it's difficult for owners to manage their dogs and listen to the instructor at the same time. To set everyone up [...]

Are you brand new to the sport of dog agility? Do you live near Providence, Rhode Island? Great! You're in the right place.  I’m Katherine Ostiguy, the co-owner and head trainer at Crossbones Dog Academy. I have competed in and coached the sport of dog agility for over fifteen years. I teach agility classes for [...]

Coming when called is a behavior that dog owners almost always desire. A great recall means the difference between participating in a lot of fun activities – such as romps on the beach, playing at the dog park, hiking off-leash in the woods, competing in dog sports – and sitting on the sidelines. We get asked [...]