Firstly the G1 is not a D-SLR - that may sound like nitpicking but there are crucial differences primarily in the focus system, the G1 has no mirror and therefore doesn't have the faster AF systems a DSLR has. Also there is more of a shutter delay due to the way the live image is displayed and although DSLR kit lenses tend to be optically slow both the lenses you have are both not great at letting a lot of light nor are there many options for optically faster lenses (there's just one right now in micro 4/3, the 20mm F1.7). It's not a great system for action shots although not much worse off than an entry level D-SLR - with a bit of practice and patience you should be able to get decent shots.
To help get accurate focus you need to try and focus on the object the dog is going to cross before he gets there, so if Bob is going do a jump have the focus already locked onto the obstacle before Bob gets there so that when he does, you don't need to wait for the camera to focus. It tends to be easier if you can shoot when the dog is going from side to side rather than moving towards or away from you as that makes it easier to focus as it remains constant.
As there is a slight delay from pressing the shutter button to the camera actually taking the picture, you need to time it so that you press the shutter slightly before the dog is in the position you want the picture of. This will take a bit of practice leading the camera just a bit ahead but once you get familiar with the lag it should be reasonably easy to get the timing right. Don't zoom in too close and if possible go back a bit as the camera has a high resolution sensor which means you can crop the final picture down as needed. The G1 does have a burst mode although at only 3fps it's a bit hit and miss whether it will get the shot you want, it's activated by moving the switch on the front of the mode dial round to the second position which has a sort of stacked boxes icon. In this mode instead of just pressing the shutter, you hold it down and it will take several photos in a burst.
Generally you'll probably want your shutter speed as high as possible to freeze the motion of your dog which can be tricky if there's not much light available. Also in automatic mode the camera won't boost the shutter speed particularly high as it doesn't know you need to. One way of doing this is to turn the main mode dial round to 'A' (Aperture priority) and choose the smallest F number by using the dial on the front of the grip which is F4.0 on the 45-200mm. Then open the Iso setting by pressing up on the d-pad and choosing a value - each time you double your iso speed, you double your shutter speed but you also increase the amount of noise or grain in the picture so it's a careful balance. As you change the settings, the shutter speed which is along the bottom of the display between the aperture and exposure scale will decrease or increase, if your dog is going to be moving fast you're probably going to be aiming at 1/250 or 1/500 and above.
Much of it will come with practice and a bit of luck so it's best just to fire away because as it's digital you waste nothing. I am a big fan of micro 4/3 and I'm heavily invested in the system (currently with a GF1, GH1, 7-14mm, 14-140mm and 20mm F1.7) but it can be a little tricky to consistently get good action shots, it's one of the areas where if possible I use one of my bigger cameras.
John
