6.26.2007

Advanced Beginner Agility, week 1, new group

last night was not our best class.

I'm not sure if it was the size of the class - about 6 or 7 dogs - or if the later start time (8p), or a combination of both... about half way thru the class, she just lost all enthusiasm and copped a 'well, if i HAVE to do it, i will, but i really don't want to" attitude. She was much more interested in the new dachshund and the golden/poodle mix (he looked more like a puli). Or, maybe it was past her normal bedtime and she IS a creature of habit!

she did ace her weave poles - from both sides - and her teeter. she just did not want to do her tunnels or the table.

i guess we all have off days and last night was ours. we still had fun.

6.22.2007

Week 8, Advanced Beginner Agility

Last night was our last remedial work on the teeter... we took away the 8" table! The first time, well, I didn't know a dog's eyes could get so BIG! That xtra 8" drop was pretty scary, but she did it 3x in a row with lots of jackpots. Later, during class, we did it 2 more times and she nailed it... of course, I will continue to jackpot her each time we do it and make it her favorite!

we did a "Jumpers course" last night... no contact obstacles, just jumps, tunnels and weaves. She did very well on the first course - our homework on 'get out' and 'go' showed - so did our homework on weaves. Our 2 biggest problems continue to be our rear cross, in which she spins it the wrong direction and the square oxer, that she continues to drop poles.

She was a pooped puppy by the end of class.

Starting tonight, the GLKC is having open night - free ring rents! You bet we'll be there!

New group starts next Monday @ 8p for another 8 weeks...

6.12.2007

Tweener week

well, we worked out last night in lieu of this Thursday. We have our monthly meeting this week instead of class.
Since she did so well on the teeter last week, I wanted to work on it again to 'keep it in her head'.
I made the right decision.
We warmed up and then did the a-frame, some weaves and the dog walk, concentrating on our contact zones. I put the 8" table under the start of the teeter (that's where we left off last week) and 'jack-potted' her (that's a handful of treats) each time we did it. At first (I swear) she held her breadth at the 'hit-it' point (right after the pivot), but she did hit her contact and released off of it very well. We ran the teeter about 3-4 times, then a few other obstacles, then the teeter another 3-4, then took a break. We repeated that 2 more times w/in an hour. The last time, since she was showing a remarkable gain in confidence, I decided to incorporate the teeter into a small course. We did tunnel to dog walk, to tire, to chute, to table in a down-stay. I led out from the table to the teeter. She hit that teeter at 175mph, hit her pivot and finished on her contact with a sit. I have never, ever seen her run so fast and stop so quickly.
Dang!

6.08.2007

week 7

it was soooo hot yesterday! we just did a lot of short exercises last night w/a lot of breaks and drank a lot of water...
we did more contact work and teeter... we're down to the low table to start and riding it down... she was a bit more scared, since it was a MUCH larger drop, but she did it fine a few times in a row... not confident, but you could tell she put a bunch of thought into it... next week is our meeting, so no class... Alicia and i will rent the ring on monday to practice on our own - just to keep it in her head. Our homework is to work on our 'go' which means to go jump out ahead of me, our 'get out' which means to move laterally away from me over a jump and learning 'right' from 'left'.

6.01.2007

week 6

class was great, as usual... we started on the teeter from the low table to the ground and she did not like it... she started jumping off it again... :( so, we went back to 2 tables; from the large one down to the small one... we encouraged her to stay on... Carrie thinks that if Waste' runs it and it drops right after the pivot, that kinda freaks her out... so we are teaching her to "hit it" which means to stop right after the pivot and ride it down, then release her. That worked better b4 and so we'll go back to that. we finished by dropping the small table and going from big table to the ground. Next week we'll start w/that and move down to the small table.

Christie set up another course for us... there are 3 levels of courses for the AKC: novice, open and excellent. Last week we did a novice course... this week, just to test us, she set up an excellent course... this includes what is fondly referred to 'city driving' and 'country driving'. City driving is a bundle of obstacles very close in proximity w/lots of tight turns and country driving is running like hell to keep up with her! Since she has a great 'wait' (that is where I leave her and 'lead out' over the first few jumps), I decided to lead out past the third jump - a gamble for a novice dog, but, as long as I can keep her eye, I thought she'd do it. She did, but then I directed her towards the broad jump as the 4th, instead of the vertical... oops! I was so worried about the first 3, that I blundered the 4th... LOL. So, we started back up at the vertical to the A frame, nailed the contact and made her wait there while I lead out over the tire and the next 'bundle'. This was the tire forwards to a vertical, hard right and jump towards me over another vertical, another hard right and out over an oxer to the tunnel. Coming out of the tunnel, I did a front cross and sent her over the dog walk and another 'wait' on that contact. After that I lead out over the broad jump, a hard right turn over another vertical and slowed down for our entrance into the weaves. Out of the weaves forward to a vertical, a hard left, skip the teeter and on thru the shoot and forward over the final vertical. Damn, I was a bit winded by the end!!

Then we split up and worked on the tire combination. She keeps pulling a pole over the oxer... guess we need to work on more spread fences!

After the class some wanted to run the course a second time... this included Carrie... she asked if she could run Waste'... it was fun to watch her run for someone else... I also got both courses on video... hopefully will get them posted to the blog.

Culver Academies 2007

Beginner Agility 2

sheepherding 101

The last day of our first Agility class

Basketball herding

Susanne's bday party

New Year's Party 2007

My visit to Florida, Fall 2006

Feast of the Hunter's Moon 2006 - early Saturday morning

Mist on the Wabash River, Feast of the Hunter's Moon 2006

Massed Bands Part 1

Massed Bands Part 2

KohKohMah 2006

Theatiki 2006