Agility training

That is one thing that I adore about this city/area, SO MANY DOG THINGS! There is always something going on. Eventually Siri and I will get to play too!

You make me want to move there.

There are events that happen minutes from our apartment all year long, which is just crazy! Two facilities within 10 minutes, another within 15!

That's just right by our apartment! The twin cities is just jam packed with dog stuff, it's kind of awesome!

Almost makes it worth the whole, extra-long frozen water season, thing.

I'm hoping to make it to MN this year again. Just depends on a couple other trips, puppies, etc. It's been a year and a half since my last visit, yeesh.

After two decades of remembering horse show courses and dressage tests, my head wraps around agility courses pretty easily. The one thing I can't do is use course maps - spatial relations are really hard for me, and while it doesn't confuse me to look at the map, it also doesn't really help me. But I can walk a course 3 times and be good. At Cynosport (as well as most big national comps), the course walks were all first thing in the morning. So you'd go walk two or three courses between 7 am and 8 am, and might not run until mid to late afternoon. I did usually take one last look at the map before that!

Hey, we trial at All Dogs all the time! I don't think I recognize you though; I think I'd remember such a fast Rottie! He looks wonderful.

At regionals and nationals here they open all the rings for an hour for walking in the am and then right before you compete in that event they give you the standard 10 minute walk before. I honestly really like it

In training I rarely use numbers to follow a sequence, so that helps to remember where to go.

Like Sara, I break courses down into sequences and then put it all together. When competing, after I have walked and ran during the walk through, I step aside, close my eyes and run it in my mind. Then I shadow handle it with my imaginary dog with my eyes closed. Probably looks weird but it works for me. I know if I can't visualize it, then I will have trouble

I also have to be precise. If I am over tired or it is the end of the day and I am being lackadaisical by following the herd during the walk though, that spells trouble lol. Nothing worse than being part of the walk of the wildebeest (what I call everyone walking a course following each other and doing the same thing

Hahahahah! I hate the herd. I always cut to the end of the course or walk the dog's line first to avoid the herd.

I try to let everybody get started ahead of me and let the herd thin out before I start walking. I'm not a fan of being all clustered up like that, it kind of triggers some claustrophobia stuff. =P It's also super awkward when you're part of the herd and EVERYBODY is walking it the same way, and then you're over here walking it differently. And everybody is looking at you like "that is totally the wrong thing to do you freak." Yes well. Thank you for your opinion on how to handle my dog that you've never even met. I appreciate that.

LOL! I doubt they are thinking that. They probably are wondering if that would work better for their dog too.

Siri and I are working on a lot of distance work right now. Problem is that it's super cold out, and I live in a one bedroom apartment.

Solution? HALLWAY TRAINING! It still isn't ideal, but it's better than the other options I have, so we'll take it (at least until someone asks us to stop).

I had planned on asking my instructor to take some video at our private yesterday, but I forgot. Maybe next time...

So I read the first section of this, had to answer a call, but was thinking "I bet Lauren is doing distance stuff in the hallway" and could totally picture it. Sure enough, I come back and finish reading it and that's what you did!

I can't wait until you guys are trialing!! Hurry up. I want to cheer that little dog on.

If I am trying to figure out a handling option, I will often step aside and watch someone I know walk it, that has a similar style to me and my dog or if they are an excellent handler and/or instructor etc. If I haven't already spoken to them and discussed the course or tricky spot, I watch them. Hoping they are walking an option that I hadn't considered and get that 'aw!!! that might work for us

Darn straight! Because there has to be SOME kind of upside to apartment living :lol-sign:

I can't wait to trial either, but I have a feeling it will be a while. I know most people who have baby dogs start trialing around 2ish...I don't think that will be the case for us. Siri is a rockstar, but me...well...I need some work :rofl1: Yesterday at our lesson I managed to step on BOTH of her back feet, at the same time. I felt SO bad Fortunately she's a resilient little sh!t and just turned around and hit the tug like nothing happened.

But someday we will be out there!!

Hahahaha, I can totally picture that too. You guys kind of got a late start too. But I bet you catch on faster than you think you will!

Lol I almost crashed into my little one too yesterday so don't feel bad! We fixed it the second time with a blind cross and that worked MUCH better. I need to start trying more blind crosses because Lo really took to them. (As opposed to rear crosses which are still a headache)

We did get a very late start. I'm hoping that even if we can't play standard games, maybe we can at least play some handling games like NADAC Hoopers or Tunnelers when she's mentally ready. We haven't even started anything with weaves, and for contacts we are still working with a 2o2o board, which has been a challenge because TERRIER BRAIN SAYS NO TO STOPPING! Well, she does stop, it's just about 2 feet after the board has ended and then she dances herself backwards until she hits the board with her back feet

Well at least I'm not the only one She's just so stinkin' fast and I'm trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be and sometimes she is where she's supposed to be faster than when I think she will be there!

Last night this lab/beagle mix slammed into her owner's feet twice, sending him flying (almost into the a-frame). She's just so crazy fast, and he's a novice handler who can't cue things fast enough, and they just collided. Twice. She popped right back up, but I think her owner will be sore today. She's the type of dog who an experienced agility person would love, but who's a lot of dog for a newbie. I'm glad Watson runs at more or less a speed I can keep up with.

If Siri got a late start then poor us over here...

First trial: Age 9! Woohoo.