What If...

I always have trouble deciding what course to set up.  Sometimes the multiple things that I need to practice aren't always easy to all get on one course.

This is the course I set up this morning.  First I ran the white circles.  My objective was to work tunnel discriminations, fast approaches to teeters, a rear cross to the dog walk, and fast lines to the AF.

The course wasn't too bad.  The largest handling challenge 7-8-9, just because of the change of leads for the dog.  The largest challenge for the dog was the line to the teeter.  My dogs have been flying off lately and this truly challenged them.  It allowed me also to continue my speed while they had to stay.

Being a lazy course builder I always like to get multiple uses out of a course.  Here are all the possible ways you can change sections of the course (take the black number instead of the while).  It changes the challenge and the cue combinations.

For instance, 13 through 21 (with the black 20), how would you get there?  Or do you have backside distance skills?  If you have a 2o2o AF, not too bad.  If you have a running AF you have to cut the line 14-15-16, does your dog have an independent teeter?

I love a challenge while still having to RUN!

Revisionist History

For some reason I think of my brother when I say that term.  Probably because we had many conversations based on that.  Both of us incensed that school text books would be written with anything other than the "truth".

Well, I am in the middle of a project with Tangle.  I decided to see how methodical I could get with my teaching, how dedicated to every detail I would be, and video the whole journey.  At periodic intervals I would put together an edited video of our progress so that I could look back and see what changes there were.

So tonight I was reviewing our video from a couple of days ago and was thinking about how well that session went.  So, I decided to look back on all 7 milestone videos and see if I still thought there was progress or not.  I was thinking that we had made some strides, I was thinking that I started at a certain place in the instruction.

!! Revisionist History !!

So the "truth" according to the video is mostly that I had wiped out of my brain some of the experimentation that I did at the beginning.  Glad I had video, it is good to remember that I was gathering data in the first session or two to see where the skills were.  Made me appreciate exactly how unskilled certain things were compared to a month later.  Made me feel silly that I remembered things differently :)  (we all do, we are human, need to allow myself to be that eh?)

So glad that I am keeping a video diary of sorts with this project.  Keeps my revisionist history to a minimum, remember the techniques that did or did not work, and helps me visualize the progress we are making.

Video is King!!

What I love about dog training

Dogs, they are so honest!  I love that about them!

I am working on independence with my two boys!  They both need more of it, but in different ways.

Split has drive coming out every pore of his body, however in certain conditions he feels compelled to watch me, ask for permission, need reassurance that he is doing the right thing.  (Yes, I am sure I created that somewhere along the way.)

Tangle just needs the independence that comes with maturity.

This morning I figured I would use a toy (flying squirrel) at the end of a line of obstacles so they would drive to it.  I am figuring piece of cake, they already know how to fetch.  They "target" the toy.  All three of my dogs go CRAZY for fetch.  Up until this morning I would have said it is there most favorite thing on the planet.

Also, on the side, I have their breakfast.  They are no strangers to working for their food.

I line up Split on the line of obstacles, put the toy at the end, he looks at the toy, I release him.  He does the obstacles and POUNCES on the toy and then looks up at me.  Won't bring back the toy, just keeps pouncing on it.  Baffled by this, I step back and think about it.

Split is correct.  I taught him as a young dog to target the toy.  Run out, pounce on the mouse pad in that case, and I would throw him the food.  All the elements of THAT game were present so that must be the game we were playing.  He assessed the situation exactly how I would want him to.

My dogs never fail to help me remember to look at the world from someone else's eyes.

Split

Split is back!

It occurred to me today that this weekend will be Split's first 2 day (almost all the runs) trial since 2/2011 when he was diagnosed with arthritis and an iliopsoas pull.  The doctors nor PT people were hopeful that he would ever be able to do agility again.  They just didn't think that he could come back strong enough.

It was really hard to come to terms with that news!

I set my mind on getting him rehab'ed with the goal that he would keep jogging with us and doing some "puppy" agility in the back yard for the rest of his life.  He needed to know that he was not forgotten or any less of a member in our house.

I think that this mind set was perfect for today's outcome!  I never envisioned that he would be as strong as he is today.

It wasn't until about 8 months ago that I realized that he really recovered well.  So I set my sights on getting him retrained and seeing were he could go.

While Split was injured but before I really realized it he began to develop some bad habits--mostly popping weave poles and wide turns.  Much like someone who has been limping for years, getting the problem fixed, you have to re-train the body/mind to stop compensating for a problem that no longer exists.

So, I believe that we have the weave pole issue much improved, his turns are much tighter for the most part, his AF has been converted to running, he has stopped (mostly) running a muck on course out of happiness and we are beginning to be a better team again.

He won't ever have a full trial schedule again, but really that is fine, I just want him healthy and happy. 

So, we will see what this weekend brings.  I don't care if we cue, I don't care if we place, I really don't care if he becomes a little too enthusiastic on course.  All I care about is that we can run together again and when the end of the day comes he still feels good and pain free.

I am happy to be running Split again and with a very conservative approach, hopefully we can continue for a long while!

Style points count!

They say in agility is doesn't matter how ugly the run was, it is still a cue.  That is true to a point.

I have witnessed several situations over the past month that have really made me *think* about this and believe even more deeply that style does matter.  I am actually not talking about the run itself, I am talking about how you conduct yourself and your attitude and the gratitude/grace with which we lead our lives in every moment.

I was blown away about a month ago when a competitor who I admire (and this is probably why) was proud to be on the podium with such an esteemed group of handlers.  The attitude wasn't all about how great she is, or how great the dog is, it was about recognizing her fellow competitors as well.  She lifted others while lifting herself.  Was she proud of herself for being there?  I don't know for sure, but I am bet she was.  The statement was classy and I see that attitude from her ALWAYS.  It helps me admire her and learn from her.

Too me this speaks to the moments of competition that I love.

Style points also count outside the ring, walking the course, coming into the ring, leaving the ring, in class, or just alone on the field.

My hero's in agility are truly those people who excel at handling/training, but are also kind and gracious in every moment.  You see them in class and they lift you up, you see them at trials and they lift you up.  They live their lives by doing the right thing ALWAYS.  Being kind to both people and animals.

Some days I am far from a kind person.  But, I always try to re-center myself.  I am the most proud of myself when I am kind and lift others no matter what.

So, a reminder to myself, "Style does Matter"!

Surround yourself with only people that will lift you higher! - Oprah Winfrey

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. Booker T. Washington

Sunrise, Sunset

This shouldn't be a sad blog, it really is meant to be a recognition of the lives to two amazing dogs.  I must admit however, that a couple of tears comes to my eyes as I write this!

I competed with two of my dogs, Tip and Tangle, in USDAA's Rocky Mountain Regional a couple of  weekends ago.  We had several amazing moments with both dogs as measured by a position on a podium and then we had many, many amazing moments because I saw the best coming out in one of the dogs in moments of brilliance.

Sunrise

Tangle is 2, almost 3 years old.  Tangle is beginning to make his mark on this world.  He is an old soul who is teaching me new things about agility every day!  At almost 3 years old he has already qualified for 3 national events, competed at the national level, competed at a world team tryout.  I really believe, no matter my goal Tangle can help me accomplish it.  He is gentle, steady, level headed,  honest, fast and an awesome partner.  I have never had a dog that could compete so steadily in agility, keeping his head at such a young age.

At this Rocky Mountain Regional he was on the second place team.  Not a small accomplishment for a 2 year old.  It takes a consistent performer in 5 events.  He placed 5th in Team snooker, with about 50 dogs in his class. 

Tangle, Wick and Summit

Sunset

Tip is 9 years old.  She has definitely made her mark on this world!  She has been an amazing teacher is so many ways.  She is an awesome leader of my pack, she and I learned agility together, she taught me the importance of foundation (or the lack there of), she taught me to laugh, even in the face of "failure" and the biggest lesson, always have fun no matter the outcome!

Tip has competed in 4 venues, been to 4 national events, on the podium in several of those.  She has been of the podium for either/both/all P-Grand Prix, P-Steeplechase, and Team at three USDAA regional events.

Now I wouldn't be doing justice to Tip by not recognizing her crazy side as well.  After all, that is who she is.  She LOVES the game and I am sure she will be running it in heaven as well.  She loves it so much that sometimes she just can't help herself on course.  In many runs, she has taken so many obstacles on course without recognizing that I am standing there waiting for her to come back and work with me.  She has completed a run and started doing a second round on the same course for her 'victory lap', I can't count the number of broken startlines, and running dog walks (she has a 2o2o).  Those are the moments that taught me to appreciate watching another creature just absolutely LOVING something and it makes me smile (it didn't at first!).

So, I recognized on the way home from this USDAA Regional that this may be her last or at least the last time on the podium.  She is not showing signs of slowing down, but at 9, it is bound to happen.

Tip - 1st place PGP round 1 and 2

Thanks to both dogs for being my partner at Regionals!!

Voices of the Whos!

Improvement, that is always the name of the game isn't it?

This blogging event (Improving Agility Organizations) is our opportunity as a community to gather together to be the 'Whos' in 'Whoville' and provide feedback to agility organizations on how they are doing, what we like, and where we would like to see improvement.   If everyone uses their voice on the same day might be heard in more circles than just our own.

Horton Hears a Who (tvfirstlook.com)

I participate in several venues and all of them have great things about them and all of them have things that well...they could improve.  True about everything in life isn't it? 

If I had Kenneth Tatsch's (USDAA) ear today, the couple of things that I would say to him:

• I love USDAA.  For me it is a great balance between having challenges that are interesting to me and course that are fun for the dogs to run (running! most interests them!).
• In our area USDAA trials are mostly outdoors, fairly relaxed and casual events.  I love that!
• It would be helpful to know qualifying criteria ahead of time.  Announcing criteria for National events (Cynosport, IFCS Continental) BEFORE the qualifying period has begun is really important to me.   For me,  I have to plan in advance where I will travel in order to qualify for things.  It is not possible for me to decide at the last moment to go on the road to a trial in order to qualify.  Are they purposely biasing their events?
• Ken, you have a wonderful opportunity to get more small dogs to join USDAA.  Just give them a jump height that is fair for them.**
• At Cynosport you should consider loading results onto a website.  Large monitors just don't cut it.  It is very hard to see your results gathered around monitors with 120 of fellow competitors.  It is really fun to obsess about my dogs results relative to my competitors.  Your affecting my ability to obsess.  BTW, the monitors never scroll at the speed that you want :)

P.S.
Actually if I had to pick a favorite venue that isn't really a venue it would be AKC's world team tryouts.  The people are friendly, the courses are amazing (fun for dogs and humans), and extremely well run!