Agility training

Sekah

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As I've mentioned a few times in this thread, I've had ongoing weave issues with Cohen recently. If you'd told me that I'd have any issues with the obstacle a year ago I wouldn't have believed you - Cohen was fast and reliable 100% of the time. We took a break from agility, only doing some performance shows where Cohen needed to weave only 6 poles, and in the middle of a performance you can't really do much about it if your dog flubs part of the course.

Now that I'm taking lessons again, I've been repeatedly seeing Cohen pop out at the 10th pole, especially if there's a jump or tunnel looming ahead. It seems to be a muscle memory thing, tied to high levels of excitement.

Anyways, last night Cohen didn't pop out of the weaves once! And I was really pushing her. I took to rewarding right after the obstacle instead of pushing forward like I normally do. It gives me confidence for the trial I'm signed up for this Sunday.

What doesn't give me confidence is that Cohen is dropping bars constantly. Someone remarked last night that she had a lazy back end and was constantly knocking bars with her rear toes. So we have another project to tackle once we get her weaves reliable again. One thing at a time...

I'm just going to take the courses smoothly and carefully this weekend, and will try to run just for the love of running instead of worrying about Qs and see how we do. It's been a long time since I've trialed.
 

SaraB

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Some baby dog teeter work with Zinga!! We are working on building drive and speed on the teeter. I had her on the rubber coated ones at work yesterday and I have to say, she's much quick on those ones. I'll have to get a video next time we work. Anyways, this is from last week, I've seen a ton of improvement since then, she gets nice and low now, isn't so springy and much more driven.

[YOUTUBE]FOzhD7xYhMs[/YOUTUBE]
 

SaraB

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What doesn't give me confidence is that Cohen is dropping bars constantly. Someone remarked last night that she had a lazy back end and was constantly knocking bars with her rear toes. So we have another project to tackle once we get her weaves reliable again. One thing at a time...

I'm just going to take the courses smoothly and carefully this weekend, and will try to run just for the love of running instead of worrying about Qs and see how we do. It's been a long time since I've trialed.
If it's not one thing, it's another!! Glad to hear you have your weaves figured out, or are at least on the right track.

Good luck this weekend, keep us updated. :D
 

Beanie

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[YOUTUBE]zKdJNxOCPsM[/YOUTUBE]

I don't have a name for weaves yet. Should I name them? It's not really 100% the performance I want yet...
 

Laurelin

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Today was one of those days where nothing went our way. Urghldakljreoihfend

Hopefully tomorrow goes better. I freaking need a back yard so I can practice more often.
 

Laurelin

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Summer had 2 full weeks off of any training. I wanted to wait till I got her vet workup and got the ok for it. Well, she was back with a vengeance today! Girl was CRAZY. lol And she did fabulous with the heat.

It was 83 according to my car while we were practicing. It's WAY too early in the year for this!

Mia was... odd. Yesterday she was really off and today she started the same way. But about halfway through she clicked finally. I don't know if it is the heat or what but she was just not in drive at all. Very odd for her. But she turned it on for the second half of class just fine. Left me puzzled.
 

DJEtzel

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Recon did pretty awesome on some serpentines and 2o2o work after my agility classes yesterday, so I took him out to the park today to work on 2o2o more with teeter work and weaves. He is doing so awesome. He has chained 6 weaves now and is no longer scared shitless of the teeter and will move over it pretty confidently! Yay!
 

Sekah

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If it's not one thing, it's another!! Glad to hear you have your weaves figured out, or are at least on the right track.

Good luck this weekend, keep us updated. :D
If it's not one thing it's another! We had a lot of fun this weekend, and I was thrilled to get out again. Basic rundown was that we went 0 for 4, which is a shame. But I'm very pleased with most of our runs.

First run was gamblers, and we missed the final gamble because Cohen didn't stick her a-frame landing and as a result I couldn't push her out over the correct jump. No biggie - wish I would have thought to give her an extra cue to hold it. Otherwise she was fast and happy, got the minis no problem, etc.

Second run was standard, and it was a really nice course. Cohen popped out once at the 10th bar of the weaves - unsurprising - but otherwise ran really nicely. Our NQ came from a refusal at the bottom of the a-frame where Cohen must have spun when I called her away from the mouth of the tunnel which sat a foot away from the correct obstacle.

Third run (standard) started to get messy. Again we had a bit of trouble with the weaves and had to send her back through again. We knocked a bar where I thought we'd knock a bar - on a tight corner with a couple of off-course options.

Last run was just messy. It was a jumpers. Cohen was tired and was knocking bars, was a bit too high and was just making up her own course as she went along.

Oh, and she's decided she no longer has a start line stay. Back to impulse control games for us!

Lots of fun getting out this weekend, and I'm hoping I can get out to another soon.
 

BostonBanker

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Anybody have any trials coming up soon?
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We are doing one of our two yearly AKC trials this weekend. It isn't normally a venue I compete in, but it is 20 minutes from my house, and in a super indoor soccer field with artificial turf. It is Meg's favorite place ever to run, and the site of her infamous leap OVER the table. She's doing Excellent for the first time ever, and Gusto is obviously in Novice. Assuming that 1) Meg measures correctly (I can't stand that not all AKC judges can do official measurements. I'm going to be getting this dog measured until the day she retires) and 2) Gusto stays sound.

Then the next weekend, I'm driving 3 hours for one day of the first outdoor USDAA trial. Mostly to see what Gusto does outdoors!
 

adojrts

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Depends whether Mira keeps her hormones in check for a couple more weeks...hang in there girly...please don't come in early...!
We were suppose to be this weekend, 2nd one back after Who was bred/whelped.

But yesterday she came in lame, recovered quickly and appears to be fine today but I wont risk it, so I pulled her. I have no idea what she did, no evidence of anything but I will play it safe and give her some rest with mild off leash exercise for the next week or so and see how she is. Of course if I see it again, I'll take her to the vet.
 

SaraB

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Crossing fingers that Gusto stays sound and that Mira's uterus stays in check for a little bit longer!

We have AKC this Sunday and USDAA next Sunday. Trying to be a good employee and not take too many Saturdays off for dog stuff, so we are just entering Sundays for a bit.
 

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