Should memorizing the course be hard??

I'm going to blame the heat for my non working brain tonight.

We had a pattern of two tunnels and about 8 jumps at agility class today.
I could see the pattern and mentally run the course, but when I actually had a dog beside me, I got lost Tried again and lost my way again. Missed two jumps and directed her the wrong way on top of it.

For my last attempt, I just did the first 4 obstacles and stopped before I confused my self and my dog even more.

Are there any hints to make learning to run a course easier for me ?

Did you walk the sequence several times using all your body language for muscle memory? (walking including running it as if you had a dog with you too).

Is this the first time its happened or do you find it happening a lot? If not it could have been the heat or 'just one of those days'.

I generally don't have problems remembering courses, my problem is my dog runs faster than I can think lol. And I become a spectator in my own run, therefore giving info to him much to late, which results in some lovely OC sometimes.

Having done jumpers and eventing with horses, learning agility courses was kinda easy for me...one thing I find helpful is to visualize it. The first time I walk it, I just get familiar with where everything is. Then I walk it as if I had the dog with me, visualizing the run in my mind. As ado mentioned, it also creates muscle memorization.

Then, if there are places where I might have a problem, I'll walk those sequences apart from the entire course, possibly consider other options in case the dog doesn't do what I want him to do, then rewalk the entire thing.

When I visualize the run, I'm not looking at the obstacles - (i.e. - tunnel, tire, aframe). I'm looking at the route from one to the next. I don't need to know that it''s a purple jump with blue wings, or that it's a yellow tire. I don't even need to know that it's a tunnel or a teeter. The dog knows what to do when he gets there, and my handling at each individual obstacle at that point is automatic and subconscious. I'm focusing more on the turns, the send aways, the call offs, etc. When I walk it as if I had the dog, I'm going to look at exactly what I'll be looking at while running. That might be the next obstacle, or it might be a tree in the distance.

I know a couple of people who sketch the course to helps them remember it.

CP, agreed all that helps. The sketching of the course/sequence is a very good idea, I'll have to remember that for any students that are struggling with it, just another tool in the tool box.

One thing that also helps is course/sequence building, especially at trials it gives you extra minutes to study the course without dozens of people out there.

Shadow handling the course/sequence first without your dog, then with your dog also works.

I've been pretty darn lucky that I have never gotten lost on course..What I do,,,I walk the course a couple of times,,I don't look at "numbers",,,I walk the "route" keeping in mind the route easiest for my dog as well as whatever maneuvers I need to throw in there...I then stand sideline and look at the course from a distance, I break the course up into sequences,,usually 6-8 obstacles,,then the next and so forth..

Of course it's not uncommon for 2 things to happen to me when I get to the start line,,I definately gotta pee (LOL),,and my mind goes blank! LOL..Once I start tho, it all comes back,,and I tune everything out but my dog and myself...
diane

I used to be terrified at remembering.. If we used the same small jump/tunnel sequence in different ways after a few changes I'd be lost..

Starters team last year we Q'd to then run starters standard. Was the same course reused in a different way. I re ran part of team then went uh oops.. Judge yelled out when I stopped to figure out what I did that I had Q'd team already and we had moved on

Jumpers at the AAC regionals had me scared. Twisty, same obstacles reused.. Lady who has rocked regionals and nationals helped me out and told me to break it up and say it...

Tunnel, jump tunnel, front cross
jump jump, tunnel
jump jump, jump, tunnel
front cross.. etc

Making it into small pieces helped. Few weeks later I could still say and see the course that way. We ran that one beautifully and didn't get lost. We managed our first master jumpers Q 2 weekends ago due to this strategy.. I've been avoiding M.J due to the twisting.

Part of it comes with practice.. I often walk things 2 times. 3 tops lately with a stand at te sidelines re-visualize and have it. I never used to. I used to panic about remembering.

I love the twists and turns of MJ, I especially like a course that tightens up with twists and then opens up for tons of speed, then tightens down again

Lol that first Jumpers run at Regionals almost caught me, I almost forget an entire part of it and was moving to do a FC while Petie was in the tunnel. I realized I what I was doing, slammed on the brakes and said SH*T!!!!!!! The crowd roared, while I move back into the right position to pick up my dog as he exited the tunnel. We continued on, on the right course and clean. As I finished, I figured the Judge was going to nail me for swearing in the ring but she didn't and we earned a 2nd!! That one little word almost cost me a placement at Regionals, taught me a lesson. I have never swore in the ring before and I highly doubt I will again.
Kept my mouth shut the second day too lol, and got a 4th in Jumpers.
Those Jumpers courses were tough, especially for the larger dogs, lots of dropped bars and OC's.

I now am thrilled with MJ.. and plan to run it more often. Our first attempt a month ago would have been a Q but I dropped a shoulder and Cider came to my side rather than over the jump she was heading for.. Second attempt we Qd. We have skills I didn't think we had

Jumpers at regionals had me freaked. We had the skills but being our first regionals our 1st round was a little ugly. Second round was great. But she ran off to sniff briefly, and managed to duck past a tunnel her third time through it. I hope for next year I will have learned to calm a bit more and will stress less. Calmer I get better we do.

That's awesome you figured out how to fix your position and get 2nd I can't think that fast yet, lol.

That's what has always worked for me, both with horses and dogs. I remember courses/tests in small chunks of three-five obstacles/movements. It's often easier to see a pattern that way.

LOL Talk about thinking on your feet! I was talking with a few friends one day about names for future agility dogs, and one recommended naming your dog something that sounds a lot like your most-used swear word. That way, you can swear on course and it just sounds like you are calling your dog's name!

Luckily we dont have this problem. Which works for us since it seems we tend to miss walk-thrus quite a bit.. even when in the next room! LOL.

ROFLMAO
I can see me now...
"PUCK PUCK PUCK HERE PUCK HERE PUCK OH PUCK IT..."

:hail::hail::hail::hail: You made my day, thanks, too funny!!!!!!!!!

Or Witch. Witch Tunnel! Get in there Witch. LOL