A word or two or more about last weekend's PPD trial with Dave playing the part (almost too well) of the home invader.

First off, let me say that Mark Leamer puts on a spectacular event. This is the second one we've attended, and he always has a perfect venue and keeps things running smoothly and on time. I suspect he even may have some say over the weather!

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Practical Protection Dog - or PPD - is a sport developed by the aforementioned Mark Leamer that incorporates obedience, agility, and some protection work that plays out in real life scenarios. There was the ATM robbery, the home invasion and a carjacking. It was a lot of fun and definitely had an element of fear and surprise. Let me say this: it was action packed!

The obedience portion, though not as exciting, was practical and something every dog owner should be able to do. There is heeling, a sit-stay, a down-stay, a down-recall and food refusal; i.e. a stranger tries to distract your dog with treats.

The dogs also had to have some basic agility skills such as jumping a hurdle, scaling an A-frame and crossing a catwalk. Once again, attainable and practical skills for any pet owner.

I am putting some of the pictures up here, but also check our Facebook page for more. We have had a lot of interest in doing PPD training and trials here, so that is something we are hoping to make a reality in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!!

All in all, a great success and a fun weekend with new and old friends!!

The decoys with Mark and the PPD Champion Amanda

Follow Up from the PPD Trail