Agility training

Laurelin

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Sounds like everyone is doing great!

Sadly our big USDAA trial isn't going to be held this summer so it looks like a trial easter weekend will be our only USDAA option till next winter. I don't know if we'll get to go but I was hoping to get Summer's P1 gamblers and jumpers this year but....

Anyways practice on Saturday went well and practice last night went really well. We did a lot of box work and some sequences with obstacles we haven't done in a while (table, tire, chute, broad jump, teeter)

Summer is blazing fast. Our boxwork went well for the most part but my first go through I did not lead out enough and we ran into some turning problems so she went off course. We fixed it and the rest went well. The obstacles went well with her too. We did start buckling down on the crate barking and ended up going less than positive with that but it's working!

Mia did well. Not spectacular but well. She's a brat though. I'm figuring her out and I think it's just that she's goddam smart to the point of annoyance.

She half asses it if I half ass it. Summer just goes bonkers at any agility so no coaching up needed. But Mia runs at the speed I run. On straightaways when I book it, she flies. If I slowly jog, she slowly jogs.

Also she anticipates way too much then gets annoyed when I do something different and seems to think I don't know wtf is going on. Examples:

- the last two sequences used the same course. Sequence 1 went jump, right side of tunnel, dogwalk. Sequence 2 went jump (same jump), LEFT side of tunnel, a-frame. Summer did this seamlessly. Mia did the first seamlessly then looked at me like I was a moron on Sequence 2 and went to the right side of the tunnel and barked at me. Like 'No, you idiot, we go over here. We've done this how many times before?' She'd just up and leave my handling to go do what we had previously done. And this was with a break in between to let other dogs run! My trainer commented that she looked tired and unmotivated but in my opinion she was walking the course because she didn't think I knew what I was doing and where I was leading her. Once we got past the tunnel, she picked up to normal pace.

- 2. She has teeter issues so my trainer was waiting for her to reward at the teeter and help it lower easier. Well, she kept just ignoring where she was supposed to go so she could get the easy cookie at the teeter. She'd do the first half dozen obstacles then beeline for the teeter once it came into sight. We had to make it where she could not get on the teeter until she went back and did her other stuff.
 

MrsBoats

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Here we go...videos from our trial this weekend!

P1 Standard Q -

[YOUTUBE]wwGR7fWoAus[/YOUTUBE]

P1 Jumpers Q -

[YOUTUBE]YKagPEy2rkk[/YOUTUBE]

Lovely "Almost" P1 Standard run -

[YOUTUBE]XMMMujQ-exg[/YOUTUBE]
 

Beanie

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Two days, back to back, of good training sessions with BOTH boys.
Maybe good things can happen after all.
 

krissy

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Wow! Awesome runs from the Rottie! Especially the jumpers! I always think it is neat when people can handle the dog without really running with them. I don't think I can ever do that (well, I might have to when I'm 50 and can't keep up with a greyhound anymore on course) because as previously noted I have to amp Kili up and I have to run HARD! My instructor specializes in handling from afar with his dog and it s SO cool to watch! Good job!
 

SaraB

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Since my husband has been ridiculously busy with work this winter, I decided to start Zip Tie's agility foundation training. I don't know if my husband will trial him, or if I'll end up having to, but either way he's been a blast to work with!

Here's a quick video of a fun little sequence that we ran last week. This is the longest sequence he's done to date and the first serpentine that he's seen. The dropped bar after the tunnel was my fault, I cue'd late. Anyways, very happy with the progress he's made!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100807519408422&l=1709187908472831395
 

SaraB

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He looks wonderful. Are you lucky enough to trial where you train?
Yes. We have trials every weekend in the winter, and then sporadically in the summer (no AC). That's why I trial so much in the winter time, much easier to trial when you don't have to lug crates and all your gear. Plus, I am the facility manager for a lot of the trials which is awesome.
 

Gypsydals

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Question for those of you who do agility. HOW do you remember the course? That is my biggest fear, I am going to screw up the order. LOL Its something I would kind of test out with Phoebe and see how she does.
 

Sekah

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Read the course map. A lot. Try to picture shapes that flow into each other rather than individual obstacles. Then walk it. A lot. Run it at the speed you're going to run your dog so you build some muscle memory.

I still struggle with remembering courses when they involve traversing the same obstacles multiple times. It gets easier. When you first get into it the courses are simple and flowy, so basically just keep running towards the obstacle in front of you.
 

Shai

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Class went well again this week. It's nice to be able to train in January. Had some seriously funky sequences in Mira's class but I think we handled them pretty well. Kim had a jolly good time weaving and was just a fun, focused goober.


Question for those of you who do agility. HOW do you remember the course? That is my biggest fear, I am going to screw up the order. LOL Its something I would kind of test out with Phoebe and see how she does.
I'm sure it's different for everyone but I remember sequences, shapes. Other than the first walk through, I never even see the numbers. I get a basic feel for the overall shape of the course, then how I want to handle particular sequences/curve changes within.
 

Laurelin

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Sometimes you just run the wrong course lol. It happens. My standard run in the November intramural with Summer was awesome. When I was leaving the judge commented 'great run but you ran the wrong course'.

Whoops.
 

SaraB

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Question for those of you who do agility. HOW do you remember the course? That is my biggest fear, I am going to screw up the order. LOL Its something I would kind of test out with Phoebe and see how she does.
Break it into patterns. IE 180's, 270's, pinwheels, serpentines, lines, etc. I don't see them as individual obstacles, but as combinations.

Also, practice makes perfect. Just like how you have to learn handling by repetition, you have to learn to remember courses through repetition. I used to be the absolute worst for it (ask my boss!), but as time has gone on, I am so much better. It's brain exercise. :D
 

Shai

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I'm pretty sure if you saw the facility, you'd understand why everyone trials there. It's so huge and pretty!
Oh I don't doubt its awesomeness :). Just not used to the idea of always being able to trial at the same place, or having trials every weekend, much less both! Bonus for getting to train there too. That'd be amazing.
 

Laurelin

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Oh I don't doubt its awesomeness :). Just not used to the idea of always being able to trial at the same place. Bonus for getting to train there too. That'd be amazing.
Yeah that'd make Mia's trialling issues so much easier.

Anyways, I like agility BECAUSE there's so much that handlers have to learn/remember. Makes it a challenge and fun for both the dog and the handler.
 

Beanie

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Question for those of you who do agility. HOW do you remember the course? That is my biggest fear, I am going to screw up the order. LOL Its something I would kind of test out with Phoebe and see how she does.
For me it's muscle memory and not stressing about it too much. I know some people walk the course the entire allotted time they get to walk it (for AKC it's usually eight minutes.) I walk it maybe five times. If there's a tricky part of the course, I work just that part until I've decided on how to handle it, then go back and walk the whole thing to see how it all feels together. Then I get off the course. If I keep walking it, I start obsessing, and it gets bad. Most times I am only on the course for maybe three minutes.
Most trials I don't even look at the map. I grab one for my collection (I keep them so I can work stuff in the backyard) but then I just stash it away for keeping without looking.

But yeah, forgetting the course happens to EVERYBODY, LOL. I've seen videos of people at nationals and stuff sending the dog to the wrong jump or wrong end of the tunnel or whatever, and you can usually see in their face they realize they've just done something wrong. Whoops. It happens!
 

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