Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm

In Dog Days, Jon Katz, the squire of Bedlam Farm, allows us to live our dreams of leaving the city for the country, and shares the unpredictable adventure of farm life. The border collies, the sheep, the chickens, the cat, the ram, and one surprisingly sociable steer named Elvis all contribute to the hum (and occasional roar) of Bedlam. On timeless summer days and in punishing winter storms, Katz continues his meditation on what animals can selflessly teach usand what we in turn owe to them. With good neighbors, a beautiful landscape, and tales of true love thrown in, Dog Days gives us not only marvelous animal stories but a rich portrait of the harmonious world that is Bedlam Farm.

Praise for Dog Days:

Anyone who has ever loved an animal, who owns a farm or even dreams of it, will read Dog Days with appreciation and a cathartic lump in his or her throat.
The Washington Post

Katz proves himself a Thoreau for modern times as he ponders the relationships between man and animals, humanity and nature, and the particularly smelly qualities of manure.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Katz constructs the perfect blend between self-revelation and his subtle brand of humor.
The Star-Ledger

City-dweller-turned-farmer Katz . . . returns with further adventures from his animal-filled upstate New York sheep farm. Charming.
People

The perfect summer book . . . You will not be disappointed.
The Philadelphia Inquirer

A new twist on the American dream.
The Christian Science Monitor

Thoroughly enchanting.
The Dallas Morning News
Customer Review: Loved it!
I have been a fan of Jon Katz since his Suburban Detective mysteries. I discovered one of his dog memoirs in an airport a few years ago, and since then I have collected them all, not to read all at once, but to save when I need a pick-me-up and know I will get some really fine writing. Dog Days may be my favorite of them all. (Of course, I probably feel that way about every installment right after I have read it.) I liked the "Dispatches" format, each chapter dealing with a particular topic or animal. It seems more leisurely. Jon Katz himself seems less frantic and more at ease in the skin of a country gentleman. I am absolutely astonished at the reviewers who judge Katz's decisions to put down or rehome an animal. He clearly agonizes over each decision, and he puts the animal's needs before his own. It is quite moving, really. Also his training methods are his own, and good for him. There is no one right way to train every dog, or even every dog of a given breed. I love how Katz studies the animal, analyzes the situation, and listens to the advice of people he thinks are smarter than him. Katz writes beautifully. I feel privileged to live in his life between the covers of each book.
Customer Review: /dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm
Jon Katz books are great gifts for owners of Border Collies. This sequal to The Dogs of Bedlam Farm was much appreciated.

Weave Poles can be the most challenging obstacle for you to teach and for your dog to learn. Many agility obstacles resemble natural obstacles that dogs could find out on a hike out in the woods, jumps, frames, and tunnels. Going over, under, or through things and places are natural for dogs,however, weaving the poles is not.

How do you teach an unnatural skill........with lots of patience, the right motivators for your dog, and a plan. There are many great methods to teach the weave poles. If you've gone to agility camps with several top instructors, you know that most have their own method . So, there is not one method that is the best or one method that produces the best weaving dog.

There are many methods of teaching weave poles. Some of these include, the Push-Pull method, the Angled Weave Approach, Chute Training, Two-Pole Method, Gate method, and more..........

How do you decide on which method to choose? Research each method and find out what you like about it and what you don't. What method are they teaching at your agility school? Most handlers just starting agility will teach the method being presented at their facility. If you attend a large agility school, sit in on some of the advanced classes and watch the skilled dogs weave. Ask those individuals how they taught their dog to weave. Most instructors have a preference of weave training, it may be the method they are teaching or it may not be.

Once you decide on a method, get the poles you want and then, outline a plan to train 5 minutes a day on weaves. Five minutes a day will take your dog much further than once a week in class. If you are into agility and want to progress, the weave poles are an absolute must to have at home.

Get your dog, grab his motivators, take a deep breath and go have fun for five minutes a day.

Brad Carlson is a dog trainer at Agility by Carlson. For more training details, visit our website at http://www.carlson-agility.com/

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