Carthage weekend

What a great weekend and what a difference getting to train on a regular basis makes. Baby-D was 2 for four getting two legs in open standard. We still didn't get any legs in Open JWW but I felt like we were almost in sync for both runs. I am gaining more confidence running a fast dog and I am getting my timing down a little better. Positive points for the weekend are: GREAT weave poles all weekend. I got speed and wonderful entries every single run. I also got crosses coming off of the poles, both a front and a rear in separate runs of course. The obstacle focus is getting a little less and we are paying a little more attention to the momma and not taking what we want to take (cause it is way more fun to make up courses). Both legs were CLEAN runs YIPEE! I did a rear on a triple and he read it like a pro. I also did a turn into the weaves which he read like a pro. Those who know me know that i severely LACK rear crossing skills and defer to fronts so it is nice to know I am getting better at them. I still need work though:) I am feeling more confident on the wide open run your ass off courses. I was severly lacking confidence on them as we don't practice that sort of thing and now I feel a little better about them. Still need work on timing, off course jumps got us on both JWW courses this weekend.



Negatives for the weekend: Well the list is getting shorter finally. My timing is off, need to learn to call him sooner and get his attention sooner. I don't want to overhandle him but maybe a few more and better timed heres or his name would be better. The creepy contacts are back. Thought we had gotten over this but it seems to rear its ugly head now and then. Lots of thoughts on this one. I have always only rewarded driving to the bottom. I have used targets and other methods to get this driving, along with shaping this behavior on a plank when he was a pup. I have heard many schools of thought from I am saying "toes" to soon or he is relying on my motion as to when to stop or it is a confidence issue to he is pushing my buttons and seeing what he can get away with. Now that the weather is nicer (i think, it did afterall dump 4 inches of snow on us last night) I can start working on influencing his striding on the a-frame. I am just going to keep sticking to my guns in trials and try to drive more from behind. I like running, have had to run by butt off with Miller so I seem to always be ahead or finding ways to get ahead. Maybe I need to do more driving from behind. We shall see. I just don't want to muddy any of my criteria. It sucked getting second on both runs because of my dang contacts but again, we are in open, placements really don't matter (other than to my ego), and what I do now in the ring will impact me and impact my quest for a some day MACH.

Here is the video of the weekend. Notice it is getting longer and I am leaving in the bad stuff as it isn't near as bad as it was. Our next show is USDAA in Mckinney so need to find out what spacing their weaves are. He is having difficulty going back and forth and I finally feel like we have our 24s down pat, so here is to hoping i don't screw him up by going back to 22s for USDAA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZqoFD4rVp0

training on a monday

I got out to the training field between rain sprinkles. I was hoping that I could do something at the field and lucky for me, the field was pretty dry. I wanted to work the weaves with something tempting at the end like a jump or tunnel so I could attempt to copy what happened in the trial. Sure enough, put a jump at the end of the weaves and he popped out every time. I had the treat and train after another jump that I had to front cross to get him over that was the correct option. I was driving to the end to get the cross, tempting him even more. I just used a "uh-oh" when he was wrong and when he did listen, he got to get his yummy cookie out of the treat and train. The weirdest thing was after a few uh-ohs, he would get to the spot where he was popping out and just stop. I had to break it down to 8 poles (my poles break into sets of 4) and work through that to get him over that. Then after he was listening to me and going the way I wanted him to, I started changing this and going over that jump that was directly ahead. Then after a few reps of going straight, we changed back to going front cross to the other jump. He did screw up a few times but started thinking and listening and doing right and we ended on a good note. I only worked on one side so tomorrow we will switch everything to the other side and see how that goes. I love it when we can replicate something that has happened in the trial and train it. I want to also set up the two jump lead out to the close end of the tunnel that we screwed up which was also a similar lead out as the jump, jump front cross teeter we had that was sloppy. All in all, it was a great training day and even ended with some weave pole games. I am hoping the weather holds out as it was suppose to rain all day today and it didn't so hoping they are wrong about the rest of the week!

Baby-D evolution

Another two days of trialing behind us and alot to work on but alot to be proud of. Baby-D had three classes on saturday and two on sunday. We started out with Open FAST and a very fun send that involved a panel jump to one end of a curved tunnel and then back over the panel jump the opposite way. I opted to try and get all the points and really push him to see where we were at. I had a wrap on a triple planned and a threadle from the tire to a jump tunnel sequence. I also had him coming out of the send at full force back to the weaves. I am proud to say that other than a little bit of a wide wrap from the triple, he executed the course wonderfully with fast contacts (teeter and a-frame) and got all 80 points BUT was coming out of the tunnel when the buzzer sounded so had to take 4 points off to get to the finish jump. Oh well, it was a blue, it was a fun fast run and I was SUPER pleased. He hit those weaves like a pro and I was so proud of him. Then came jumpers. I am not sure what happened in jumpers but as they say, the wheels fell off. He didn't read my cue to take part of the jump in front of me and opted to jump behind me and take the wrong end of the tunnel and then proceed to take the wrong end of the tunnel again. Got him back on course, got going and coming off a straight line of jumps to a turn back, said "turn" and he ran past the jump and then turned. He opted to take the tunnel yet again when it was time to weave, but got him back, rear crossed as he was entering the poles and finished with a front to the last jump. While the majority of the run was a train wreck, I am very proud of his weaves yet again. Third run was standard and boy was he smoking. Apparently the wheels got put back on:) I was running as hard as my little legs could to keep up with him. We started off great and had a pin wheel which started out going straight at the weaves. The weaves were calling his name, which honestly, I am happy with him wanting them, so I didn't care that he passed the jump he was suppose to take looking at them. Got him back, did get a back jump but still okay one R and one W, still good to go. Was headed up the dog walk and there was the big curved tunnel around the entry to the dog walk. I tried the shape the line so that the dog walk made more sense but I must have shaped it wrong as he said, yeah, tunnel is right mom. Oh well, there goes the Q but finished great with a nice collection into the weaves poles with me front crossing to the end. Overall other than that silly jumpers run, I was very happy with him listening and responding to the cues. He was still a bit obstacle focused but it is becoming less and less, well, except for maybe jumpers:)

Sunday didn't have fast but he was in the crate from 7 until 1 waiting to run. I got him out several times and just played with him running and tugging and also some warm up jump stuff. We had standard first this time and he started out in bit in obstacle focus, focusing on the table, which was not the correct next obstacle which made our front cross a little sloppy. Next was teeter and then a straight line two jumps to the chute and then back to the dog walk. So far so good, great contacts on both the teeter and the dog walk. Then we had an interesting line involving a jump, through a box that had sides consisting of another jump and a-frame to the double. Boy did he ever look at the a-frame but was a good boy although a bit wide so I had to turn him back to the table. Still clean so having to choke down the oh shits. Jump to the a-frame with a super contact, jump tunnel weaves with me front crossing him out of the tunnel into the weaves. NAILED the entry, but hearin lies the problem. There was a panel jump at the end of the weaves which he was NOT suppose to take but it was calling his name something powerful so about weave pole 9 or so he decided he couldn't hold back, he had to go take it and he did. No biggie, just one W, still okay, got him back redid the weaves and the little joker did it again. I had one more chance to redo but what if he did it wrong again? Three obstacles from the end we did the walk of shame. What a great run to end in him having to leave the course:( He knows his job, didn't have to say anything to him and I think it worked because in jumpers, he nailed his entry and stayed in the poles, even with me running ahead of him. GOOD BOY!!!! Jumpers again was an off course issue but it is just a timing issue that I have to get over. It is so me, I am use to a dog reading my body language and just doing instead of me constantly having to be verbal so I just have to learn to be more verbal till he gets it. You can hear me on the video tape say "here, here" WAY too late. The funny thing was, he got his turn this time beautifully and we were heading to the end and I said "here" to pull him a little and he came all the way to my hand which left out two jumps. I was proud, I said "here" and he came "here" which is what I wanted and I got it. GOOD BOY! I finished the course and was so happy with him for being so responsive on that course. The off course was so my fault that I didn't even care about it. Overall, other than being a little miffed at him for taking that jump and not staying in the poles, I was very happy with how well he did. I am starting to see more maturity and starting to see him put together a total run. I still wish we could train more wide open run , run, run, turn but I can always set that up in my field. Of course it is raining today so probably no training today and it is suppose to rain all week pretty much so hope it dries out a smidge so I can set up the poles with a wrong course jump at the end to practice. That is totally a training issue and I can build more value in staying in the poles versus taking the jump. We have another show this weekend which will be the last one for the month of march but hoping to do at least one day of NADAC and lots of training/class before Mckinney. Deuce gets to see Heidi and I can't wait for her to see how well her baby is doing!

Here is the link to my best of video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IxVaVRgdLQ

going mental

This blog is going to be quick because I need to clean the house and the van before we leave for Wichita. Barb and I are heading up for two days of agility and I am excited. Was planning on working today but didn't have much to do and a ton to do here so opted to take a day off and just get stuff done. Had class last night again FINALLY thanks to mother nature gracing us with some decent weather. I don't know what is wrong with me but I really mentally struggled with some of the exercises. I am not sure what is going on with me lately (no i am not preggers) but my mental game is really starting to corrode. I am slowly loosing confidence in myself and I am not sure why. I am having a really hard time with left and right, always have and probably always will. I am sure a big part of this is that Miller has baby sat my ass for so long and now I am actually having to handle and do it correctly but not sure. I need to really delve deep and see what is going on. I don't like feeling helpless or getting frustrated at myself. Deuce is very sensitive to this and thinks I am mad at him but i am mad at ME. Why can't i get through some things? Don't get me wrong, I love being pushed but at one point last night I just had to respectfully say I just didn't feel comfortable moving on as I didn't feel like I had successful gotten through what we had just done. I love that Lori listens to us and let me feel comfortable with what I was working on before moving on. It is nice to feel supported yet pushed at the right time. I know what we are working on is pretty hard and the chances of us seeing alot of this in the ring is slim but it does make us better handlers. I will be very interested to see how Deuce does this weekend. He is entered in three classes tomorrow and two on sunday. He had been training very well, hitting some very hard weave entries and staying in, even if I work lateral distance to get some cross or a threadle in. I am very happy with how he has trained so let's see if I can get that in the ring!!!!!

Seminar weekend

My goal for deuce is to get to as many seminars as I can possibly afford while he is young and we are in full training mode. I enjoy getting him in different situations to see how he will handle it, especially because he does seem to be having a slight stress issue. The more rewarding we can make training and agility, the better and the more situations we can do it in, the better.

Saturday morning dawned way to early, with all the dogs thinking we were getting up to go to a show. They had predicted that we might get a wintry mix but in Wamego, it wasn't doing a darn thing so Deuce and I headed out. The road actually seemed wet once we got to Topeka, which I thought was a good sign, even if the temps were way below freezing. As long as the water is on the road, we are okay right? WRONG! The water hitting my windshield, that i mistakenly thought was coming from the road and other cars was actually coming from the sky and even thought it wasn't freezing on my windshield, it was everywhere else. In a way, I am glad I didn't know till I was almost there and there were wrecks every few feet. It really didn't hit me till I had to pull off and pee and I almost busted my ass walking from the car to the convenience store. Lori called to check on me and that was when I went into full fledged panic. I think the last 20 minutes lasted almost an hour and I crept about 10 mph the whole way. Then my stupid GPS took me to the wrong address and I had a break down in the parking lot of where ever it took me. Luckily, we were only a right turn away but my nerves were FRAZZLED! Luckily, everyone that attempted to come came, even if some of us were late. Other than the parking lot of ice (aptly named the parking lot of doom), got in and got started.

It was really nice because most of the dogs were young so we got to work on alot of the same issues. We had several tough sequences where Lori said we had to do them one way or another and then we tried it our way and her way. Of course as usual, her way worked the best, although I did like the sequence where i did 5 front crosses in a row LOL! We all learned so much and I for one have a ton of skills to work on. I am really jealous of those who have that building for working their dogs. While it isn't huge, the footing is nice and the chance to work at any time of the day or night regardless of weather would be SO nice. We did do a very hard sequence at the end that I did see some stress from Deuce in. The funny thing was I was trying to handle a threadle out of the weaves to a 270 that we had previously done as a 270 but this time we were only doing the first part and then pulling through to do the a-frame and I as a handler wasn't getting it. He must of read my body language or something because he decided I wasn't fun anymore and he left me for a lady that was standing watching. Got him back, told him over and over how awesome he was (he had just gotten a very hard weave pole entry several times over as I tried to figure myself out) and then got through that part successfully with lots of reward. Wish we could have done more weave drills but I learned alot from what we did. Wished we could have done that whole sequence more than just once as it was the hardest one we did, but we were out of time. All in all, learned alot, got to see some awesome young dogs figure some hard stuff out, and was very proud of Deuce's weave poles as he got all of his entries. This was very close to a show as it was a new place, the dogs were super excited and barking and whining and we waiting in a semi-sort of line so the dogs I think thought we were at a show. Add in our nerves as everyone was watching each of our runs so you got that show type feeling. Other than the very end, I was proud at how deuce handled the stress of it all. Other than the last sequence where I was screwing up, didn't see any of that running past stuff unless I didn't Q it correctly. The most important part I learned from the whole seminar is that baby sitting ANYTHING does you NO favors and it is better the keep your body language consistent but maybe make the exercise easier for the dog, not baby sit it and allow your dog to lay on that crutch.

Thank goodness by the time we got done, the roads were better and we could all go home safely. Had a fun lunch with some ladies that I don't know really well but would like to and hit the road. Still took it a little easy going home. Now of course waiting for the stupid snow to melt once again so we might be able to practice some of the things we learned. We have a show this weekend so another crack at open and another crack at figuring each other out as a team. FUN!!!!! Drug a jump in the house tonight, waiting for it to thaw out a little so I can drag it upstairs and work on some little one jump work.

reflection on a week and snow AGAIN

Just when I thought we were going to get back into the groove of things, mother nature decided to trick me. After almost a full week of gorgeous temps, seeing things grow, hearing the birds chirping louder and thinking that winter was behind us, that bitch mother nature dumped 5 inches of snow and ice on us thursday. I am still here on friday, stuck in my house because the roads are solid ice right now. Hoping they can get some salt on them so I can get in and do some work today. I don't think my boss cares that I am missing because of the snow as she knows I will make it up, but I have several weekends in a row of agility so won't be able to just come in on the weekends and work. I am hoping maybe hubby will get off early and he can take me in or maybe take me into work tonight. If i could just get a couple of hours of work done, i would feel better.

Anyway, enough of my whining! I have an agility seminar this weekend at a new place with new contacts and new surfaces. Sometimes new surfaces bother baby-D so looking forward to getting him on rubber mats to see how he handles it. We had great training all week using the treat and train and using the weave pole game to help him search out entries. I thought I had previously blogged about how this was going but the blog must have floated off in lost blog land because it isn't showing up on my blog dashboard. The weave pole game (as designed by lori) is super fun and we train entries on sets of four poles instead of my set of 12. We basically make up a course with these little sets of four and run it just like a course and baby-D loves it. You can make some funky angles, hard entries, straight on entries with lots of speed etc. You make it fun, more like a game, less like work and boy does he love it. I am seeing some seeking of entries and some low weaving like I know he can. He also started wrapping poles better, maybe because he doesn't have to worry about all 12 poles? Who knows at this point, I don't care what changed as long as we can hold on to this change. I also have been incorporating the treat and train in my training so he never knows when that might come into play. I have only been using the set of 12 to work the 10th pole pop out problem. I incorporate the treat in train in here as well because if he stays in, no matter what I am doing, he gets rewarded. If he doesn't, no biggie, back to the start, treat and train stays closed, no reward until you do it right. I have seen a HUGE improvement in our training this week, maybe because we are breaking things down, maybe because we are getting to train more, who knows. I was hoping to keep this trend going till we got dumped on yesterday:( I am dying to get back in the ring and see how things are now. This is the fun of baby dogs, try something, see if it works, re-evaluate and move on. I have been reading today another blogger's post of her journey through handling a novice male dog and let me tell you it has been refreshing to hear her journey and the pitfalls she has had. I have alot of people around me right now that all have baby dogs but for the most part are females with maturity out the ying yang and they are progressing so smoothly in their training/showing. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for their progress and look forward to being in excellent with them someday:) It is nice to hear and see someone (she posted videos), especially someone I consider an expert, having the same problems, battling through the same training issues. Of course they aren't exactly the same, but maturity is one of the main ones and team work in the ring is another. I love when big name people are truely honest in their blog posts about what is going on, not "my dog is perfect all the time deal with it if yours isn't because I am a big name trainer and you suck." To step inside her head and her training sessions has been fun, to see inside her world has been invaluable. I have also learned alot about ETS which is a problem a few of my friends are battling through with their dogs.

All in all, I have seen some progress this week and I hope it is a trend! I do think getting to work more than once a month is helpful:) The sun is out right now so I am praying for some snow melting and quickly. Will blog more after my seminar, that is if we don't get the wintry mix that we are suppose to get tomorrow morning. I refuse to drive to KC if it is sleeting/snowing!!!!!

hurry up spring

I had a great weekend with Baby-d! We had open practice out at all star and then I was invited to meet with some friends at an indoor arena for some practice. Ended up working with lori on some weave issues and got tons of feedback. I am looking forward to trying some the drills she suggested. I am going to only work entries on short sets of poles (mine break into sets of 4 poles) and do more straight on weaves to work lateral distance. I am also going to set courses up with broken up weave pole sets to work more funky angles and entries in flow. He of course showed us once again he is capable of hitting entries in full collection and has skills he is choosing not to show us at the shows. I also went and practiced with a group of friends on sunday. We had a four jump, jump chute set up and then an off set jump, an off course jump and a turn back to the weaves. We tried different lead out options and one I tried was to lead all the way out to jump four before releasing him. I saw he was coming full force so I said very loudly, "deuce, easy" which caused him to knock the bar he was jumping and then blow past the weave poles like they weren't there. It was the classic stress that i see in the show. The next time I did this sequence, I didn't say anything just let him read my body and he hit the weaves like a pro. Okay so I am the problem, its obvious. Now how to fix me and the me that is present at shows. This is going to be fun:) I have learned alot about how to handle with him as he is SO different than my ultra tight, ultra sensitive to my body motion miller. I am glad I have a seminar this weekend and then two weekends of shows. I have gotten in a lot more practice this last week and if it warms up a little, hope to get some in this week as well. Right now it is sunny but cold as hell. Deuce also got to do alot of playing this weekend. He got to play with Solei on saturday and then cager and stormy on sunday. He LOVES to play and with dogs with his style of play. Solei was sure to let him know when he was being a rude boy which is exactly what he needs. He was one tired puppy after all the work/play. He is my big cuddle bug so we cuddled all afternoon yesterday and all night. He has been so concerned since I have been sick and puts his head on my chest when I cough at night like he is trying to help me. I love my baby-D!!!!!