Here’s a round-up of all the Dog Agility competitions, trials and related events, all around America, in January and February of 2010.

Recently, a group of researchers decided to study whether or not the presence of a dog affects the ability of children to follow directions. Preschoolers were asked to perform basic motor skill tasks in the presence of a dog, a human, and a stuffed life-size dog manipulated by a human. The tasks were either demonstrated first or were to be performed at the same time.

Here in L.A., movie producers have the good sense to put talented dogs to work in the movies. We’re not just talking Marley & Me or Hotel for Dogs. Can you imagine As Good As It Gets without the pooch? The right droop of a tail or cock of a head is box office gold. But speaking of gold, where are the statuettes for the unsung canine movie stars?

Turns out they’re in England, home to the Third Annual Fido Awards.

In Part 1 of our new series on dog agility obstacles, we take a closer look at the weave poles.

The Zoom Room Dog Agility Training Center and exclusive sponsor West Paw Design, announce the “America’s Best Dog Trick Contest” – the first nationwide dog trick contest using only positive-reinforcement dog training methods.

Over a million pet owners in America currently have health insurance for their pets, and the numbers are rising. Clever employers understand the need to provide their employees with exceptional coverage in order to stay competitive, and providing perks to pet owners has proven to be a successful approach.

Microchips dramatically increase the return rate of dogs in animal shelters to their owners, according to the latest research.

Lure Coursing is a dog sport that recreates the pursuit of a hare by a hound. Spectators watch as a white plastic bag stands in for the hare and is yanked through a course comprised of a series of lines and pulleys. The dog – typically a Greyhound, Whippet, Basenji, Saluki, Afghan or Rhodesian Ridgeback – gives chase through the course, in hot pursuit of the zipping plastic bag. Good times.

We’ve all heard the stories about dogs who paint. There have been exhibits, sales – even whole books of the paw-smeared works of “art” made by putative Picasso pups. But finally the art world has something new to bark about. Introducing the world’s first Dog Sculptor.

When you point at something, does your dog look at where you’re pointing? Or does he look at your finger? Is responding to this visual cue an inherited genetic trait, something we humans have bred for in the domestication of dogs? Or is it more a matter of the dog’s training?

Researchers Marta Gacsi, et al. have just published a very interesting study, “Effects of selection for cooperation and attention in dogs,” in the recent issue of Behavioral and Brain Functions that sheds much light on these questions.

One of the great benefits of agility training is an increased bond between dog and owner and the development of deeper communication skills. At the Zoom Room, we every day witness this bonding between dogs of all ages and breeds and owners with no previous dog agility experience. A new research study from Italy – published this year in Behavioural Processes by Sarah Marshall-Pescini et al. – sheds new light on this phenomenon and confirms our own observations.

Our dog has an unusually long coat, so we’re used to hearing unusual questions. But last week we finally heard a new one. A stranger asked for a lock of Clyde’s hair. True, Clyde’s just finished shooting a couple of movies, but they haven’t yet been released – so this couldn’t be his first crazy stalker. Or could it? Needless to say, we asked the man what he wanted it for. His response: gophers.

On November 16, Honda will finally roll out their special Dog-Friendly edition of their Honda Element. We’ve driven our own dog around in the “non-dog-friendly” Honda Element for the past several months with some degree of success. (Pros: roomy, low to the ground for easy load-up, easy to hose down interior; Cons: the combination of windows that barely crack open and a very rumbly ride have led to more than a few bouts of upset tummy for our pup; thank goodness that one of the Pros is “easy to hose down.”)

Also known as an Allergy Alert Dog, a Peanut Dog is not a dachsund wearing a tight belt, nor the newest flavor of dog treat, but rather a highly-trained service dog that uses scent tracking to save the lives of individuals suffering from deadly peanut allergies.

Detection dogs use scent tracking to sniff cell phones in prison, working to eliminate one of the most dangerous and deadly forms of contraband.