Agility training

[Laurelin]

Well, I started classes with Mia first and then told the trainer Summer was my 'good dog'. And now I look like a liar.

They keep telling me how Summer is such a mess. I think my trainer is in love with her though. She's started talking about how they might need to get a papillon.

Oh dogs...

[BostonBanker]

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...stoDogwalk.mp4

A very brief glance at the elusive Gusto in action. It was the first time he'd seen a dog walk in the month or so, and he was so good my trainer whipped out her phone. I'm very grateful he's got a reliable stop - he's going to smoke me on course!

I sent in his entry for his first USDAA Intro trial in 4 weeks. I'm still on the fence about entering him in his planned first "real" trial in December. I want the same confidence on the teeter that I'm getting on the dog walk, and I just don't have enough time on the equipment to develop it. I've got scheduled practice time twice a week starting the first week of November, and entries aren't due until mid November, so I suppose I will see how the first few practices go and decide from there.

We've got a seminar next weekend the I'm super excited about; the handling stuff is really starting to come along for both of us, and I want more!

[Shai]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...stoDogwalk.mp4

A very brief glance at the elusive Gusto in action. It was the first time he'd seen a dog walk in the month or so, and he was so good my trainer whipped out her phone. I'm very grateful he's got a reliable stop - he's going to smoke me on course!

I sent in his entry for his first USDAA Intro trial in 4 weeks. I'm still on the fence about entering him in his planned first "real" trial in December. I want the same confidence on the teeter that I'm getting on the dog walk, and I just don't have enough time on the equipment to develop it. I've got scheduled practice time twice a week starting the first week of November, and entries aren't due until mid November, so I suppose I will see how the first few practices go and decide from there.

We've got a seminar next weekend the I'm super excited about; the handling stuff is really starting to come along for both of us, and I want more!

Hurray Gusto!

You *are* going to get his intro trial on vid, right? Right?

[BostonBanker]

You *are* going to get his intro trial on vid, right? Right?

Without a doubt!

Whether that video will ever see the light of day is a different story

[Shai]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

Without a doubt!

Whether that video will ever see the light of day is a different story

I really need to find the video from Kim's very first agility trial. Which was also my very first agility trial. If I can find it to post then no one will ever hesitate to post any agility video ever again lol. Problem is it's 2 hard drives ago which doesn't bode well at all :/

ETA: I found a JWW run from our first AKC trial but can't find anything from the CPE trial that came before that...which was the more uhh entertaining one lol. The AKC one is just kind of wince-worthy because my handling is awful, but lacks the superzoomies of the CPE one lol

[BostonBanker]

My first trial was CPE as well. My friend was supposed to go with me and help me out, but she got sick at the last minute, so it was me and a rulebook. I thought the point of Jackpot was to get the *exact* required number of points in the opening, so I got that, then stood there staring at the judge for 15 seconds waiting for the whistle. Brilliant.

I figure one of three things is going to happen with Gusto. Either a) The training will stick and he will be fantastic with maybe some stupid baby moments. b) He's going to go into disconnected sniffing mode, and I'm going to cry. c) He's going to think of something to do that nobody has ever thought of doing before. This is the dog who has successfully done a 2on2off on a jump.

If options a or c happen, you will get to see video. If b happens, I'm moving to Armenia and taking up chicken farming. Or whatever they do there.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

My first trial was CPE as well. My friend was supposed to go with me and help me out, but she got sick at the last minute, so it was me and a rulebook. I thought the point of Jackpot was to get the *exact* required number of points in the opening, so I got that, then stood there staring at the judge for 15 seconds waiting for the whistle. Brilliant.

I figure one of three things is going to happen with Gusto. Either a) The training will stick and he will be fantastic with maybe some stupid baby moments. b) He's going to go into disconnected sniffing mode, and I'm going to cry. c) He's going to think of something to do that nobody has ever thought of doing before. This is the dog who has successfully done a 2on2off on a jump.

If options a or c happen, you will get to see video. If b happens, I'm moving to Armenia and taking up chicken farming. Or whatever they do there.

Hey I hear ya. Kim has been all three. She's the dog who, while a poorly-timed chute straightener was straightening the chute, zipped off course and ran backwards up the chute. Brilliant lol. Most of my more entertaining trialing moments are with Kim though tbh. She's also the dog who announced I was pushing her too far too fast in rally (yeah rally but for some reason my silly little brain didn't register that mebe 6 runs a day two days in a row at our second trial ever (rally was pre-agility) would be ummm unfair expectations) by picking up a sign, looking at me, and chucking the thing across the ring.

Lesson learned. I apologized to both Kim and the judge and departed lol.

I hear Armenia is nice btw

Besides, first trials don't count. No matter what the scorecard says as long as he learns he can have fun with you and do agility in a trial environment, it doesn't matter what else happens.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Shai

he had to zoom a circle before bounding through them again lol.

Baby stuff I know but it was just so funny, and I was so really surprised that she managed to understand, remember, and generalize enough to pull off a full offered weave entry with no help or shaping or anything in a totally different setting then her whirlwind quasi-introduction.

That is really neat...I love training puppies How old is Cookie? Is her owner planning to do agility? It sounds like she's a natural!

Originally Posted by Laurelin

We're having issues with her continuing on without me or going and doing whatever she feels like. Tonight I was mortified not only by the a-frame bail but also because she ran to the sidelines AGAIN in the middle of an exercise and jumped on a person AGAIN. And this time it was this very timid lady. And it wasn't her arms, it was ON HER HEAD. She jumped on the lady's head then ran back to me for a treat. Ugh... I about died. Apologized profusely. I can tell with Summer she is not just running over to say hi, she is treating it like an obstacle or behavior that I'd want. Of course I don't want that.
When she's on, she's really really amazing. She's on most the time. It's just that she gets these ideas every few runs that make me go 'wtf?'

Mia was pretty boring tonight. Good but nothing really stuck out. She's doing well though.

That is really cool about Summer! I wouldn't worry too much about the stuff she's doing when she doesn't know what you want. I think it will go away once she's more confident about her job and your more confident about directing her.

Originally Posted by BostonBanker

http://s81.photobucket.com/albums/j2...stoDogwalk.mp4

A very brief glance at the elusive Gusto in action. It was the first time he'd seen a dog walk in the month or so, and he was so good my trainer whipped out her phone. I'm very grateful he's got a reliable stop - he's going to smoke me on course!

I sent in his entry for his first USDAA Intro trial in 4 weeks.

Nice to see a Gusto video! Have fun at his first trial Can't wait to see trial video of him.

Originally Posted by Panzerotti

His contacts are coming along great!!! And I love how responsive he is with the wraps, nice!

Thanks! I'm really, really excited about his contacts. I so love running contacts. I even love training running contacts. I'm pretty sure I'm going to retrain Whim to run now. They really suit me best and always have (unfortunately, those past dogs lacked trained running contacts...but we had fun!).

Originally Posted by SaraB

Savvy is looking awesome!!!

Originally Posted by Laurelin

Savvy is such an awesome guy.

Thanks! He really is a good boy. Such a fun, enthusiastic dog to work with!

I'm going to be working him through Silvia Trkman's online Foundation class, so that should be really fun!

As for the other dogs: I just started Roust in foundation class, he's having a blast but is soooooo clumsy. It's not his fault really, it's hard to be sure footed when you're walking on stilts! I will work him through the ST class as well, he's super willing and very funny.

Whim continues to get better and better and faster. She is without a doubt the best dog I have ever had in agility. She doesn't suck to tunnels or weaves or anything. She's very reliable and very consistent...if she takes a wrong obstacle or pulls off something or whatever, it's always because that is exactly what I told her to do. Bad handler! Whim finished her AG2 title at the UBSDA show and got either 1st or 2nd on all 8 runs. She has CPE Level 3 titles now too but I admit, I have a hard time keeping track of them LOL

Jagger need one more leg for his OAP, then we'll see about future agility with him. His ETS issues make trialing at many of our local trials impossible because he does horrible on rubber matting. We supposedly will have more trials next year on artificial turf, so as along as he's still able to do 20" at 11+ I will trial him at those.

Ziggy just needs one leg for his NAJ. I may go for his Open titles but without a lot more going back to foundations, I'm not sure we will do well in Excellent. He's a really, really good dog but he so needed more foundation work then he got. And yes, one can always go back but unfortunately he has some pretty ingrained problems at this point. And he's 9 years old...as hard as that is to believe!

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Aleron

That is really neat...I love training puppies How old is Cookie? Is her owner planning to do agility? It sounds like she's a natural!

Cookie Monster is 5 months old. She'll be 7 months old when she goes home so I won't get to see any finished behaviors (or anything near a finished behavior!) but we're having fun laying a nice foundation. Her owners/breeders are planning to do agility with her but to what level I don't know. Hopefully they'll get hooked! Their real focus is field and conformation so we're working a good field/obedience foundation but I just can't resist playing the agility game and she loves it . Her aptitude is going to make it even harder to send her back home though...!

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by Shai

Cookie Monster is 5 months old. She'll be 7 months old when she goes home so I won't get to see any finished behaviors (or anything near a finished behavior!) but we're having fun laying a nice foundation. Her owners/breeders are planning to do agility with her but to what level I don't know. Hopefully they'll get hooked! Their real focus is field and conformation so we're working a good field/obedience foundation but I just can't resist playing the agility game and she loves it . Her aptitude is going to make it even harder to send her back home though...!

I was just thinking that you're going to make her really hard to give back! She sounds like a wonderful pup, hope you will keep us updated on her after she goes home