She's a Hoot

I have been busy and forgot proper introductions!  Not because she is forgettable, but probably because I have been laughing so hard since I got her, it has been hard to focus on anything else.

We have added a new addition to the family.  Hoot!  And she is living up to her name.

Hoot is an amazing pup.  She has a rock solid personality, smart as a whip, is game for anything, and never met a person she didn't know.  She embraces everything in life with the same enthusiasm and zest.

I am expecting and hoping that Hoot and I travel a slightly different path than I have with my other dogs.  Yes, she will do agility, but I also expect to start herding with her. 

Since it will be a while until she begins anything agility related and I have things to say about her too, she has her own blog.

She's a Hoot

Welcome to the pack Ms. Hoot, Hoot-a-licious, Hoot-a-vicious.

Rocky Mountain Regionals

Overall I was pleased with our results from RM Regionals.  We ended up with the Byes and Bling, how could I complain?
 
Tangle was the only one that I ran in Regional tournaments this year.  Tip is pretty much retired, Split could have run but I didn't enter him this time.  He only got to run titling classes.

This was one of those trials where there were magnificent things that happened in addition to winning Byes and Bling.

I can't even tell you how proud I am with Tangle's AFrame for one.  He ran 11 AFs this weekend and only missed one.  Also we had many deep hits.  Just thrilled!!  He only dropped one bar this weekend, bars are not a problem for us, but noteworthy for sure.  Also, I felt that his speed was improving.

In Regional GP round 2 he would have placed third if not for a teeter fault (guess what is on our training list) and in Steeple Chase Regional Round 2 he would have placed second but he knocked a bar (those silly two bar hillbilly spreads).  Proud of him for making it to round 2 in both Steeplechase and Grand Prix!!

Split had many moments of brilliance as well.  Q in Gamblers and Snooker--yeah Split.  He made all three of his running DWs.  Performed each of his teeters like a champ, and downed on the table.  All of which has been challenges.  Loved that what we have been training is improving in trials!!

Reverse Spin

I have been watching a fair number of agility videos on YouTube lately.  Reverse spins are getting very popular.  I like them in the right situation.  Saves my knees and can give the dog more information about what is next in certain situations.

I compared two scenarios that are getting common for reverse spins (RS).

I set up a course to play with this concept some and then watched the video.  Most times I learn way more from the video then I do from actually running a sequence.

Here is the video of my session:




#1 with Tangle, he had a nice turn and understood where he needed to go.  I want a tight turn and I want to take off in the direction I am facing.  Standing still, and with my position into my dog tells them to collect.

#2 - The distance between the jumps is about 18 feet, standard for a trial. I don't want a tight turn, just a turn and I certainly don't want any collection since it isn't needed and I want a fast time.  In this situation I got a tighter turn than what is required and I felt like I was behind.

Here is a Coach's Eye comparison.  The RS is slower than the forward motion.




Split #2 - Split demonstrated nicely that he thought a tight turn was coming and to get the correct jump I had to correct his path.  He was correct, the RS for him is asking for a tighter turn.  Also, it is not giving any indication that we are going to continue motion forward, it told him a very opposite story.  If I continue to do RS's in this situation I believe that I would dilute my turning cues with Split.  Something I have fought hard to get :)



When I am walking a course I look at the course as a series of (dog's) lines.  I want to cue as much of a line as possible and give the dog as much advanced information about where we are going.  In the  case of using a reverse spin to go out to the far jump I am not giving them much information.  I believe there are better handling choices.

5 Strides!

Split and I have been working on a running dog walk for the past several months.  When it got up to full height he decided to start giving me 6 strides and collecting at the end.  I am sure that he knows to hit the yellow and this was his insurance policy.  I also think that it was influenced by teaching him the Rachel Sanders box method on the AFrame.

Silvia Trkman was worried that it wouldn't hold up in a trial when he was uber excited.  So, she encouraged me to see if I could get 5 strides out of him.

So, we lowered the DW, put a carpet on the end and set everything up to get extension out of him.  Super speedy entrances and exits, I was running ahead of him, etc...

A week of running like that, clicking when I got extension and not really worrying if he didn't hit the contact zone (which was covered with carpet).  I would jackpot however if he did hit it.

Finally!  I got 5 strides out of him.  This is his session from today, carpet is faded, not quiet full height.

There is one rep where I think something surprised him and he collecting on the top, but other than that, we have progress.  Huge progress!!

A Great Running Contact Day!

I have been struggling with how to get Split to have 4 strides (5 hits) on the dog walk.  He seems to want to collect at the end and that gives him 5 strides.  Yes, he hits the yellow nicely, but we worry that it isn't maintainable once the trial excitement hits.  I have my theories as to why he is collecting, but don't really know.

So, most inspirational moments in life happen, one thought vocalized, lead to another thought, that lead to the "inspiration".  Tell Split where he is going when he is over the first apex of the dog walk.



You can visit my channel on YouTube if you want to see what he was doing.

So, just for good measure I ran him again this afternoon.  BEAUTIFUL!

Pushing my luck, as I always do, I decided to see what Tangle was going to do today.

Here is his running AF.  I have been working on USDAA height trying to get deeper hits.  FINALLY!  Yep, my golden day.  Really nice hits.



I should go buy a lottery ticket!!

Having The Guts To Change!

There is a ton of conversation about One Mind Dogs, both pro and con.  I guess the way that I look at it, they provide me more tools in my toolbox.  I have enough experience to recognize when something is conflicting with my handling style, and keep what enhances it.  I try on a lot of things to see what fits or doesn't.

OMD in principal is nothing different, but the details underneath the covers are what makes all the difference in the world.  It is not about the fancy moves.  Key details are where you look, and when you look.

I have had a ton of fun this week!  I took the OMD Course 2 and immersed myself in learning and challenging myself in the way I was running my dogs.  Really living with the details of this course, analyzing why things worked or why they didn't work.  Watching video of the experts running the course.

If I had not watched their video of how they ran this course, I never would have run it this way.  I never would have thought to put blinds where they did.  Best of all, I saw it could be done and it gave me the motivation and guts to do it!

Here is Tangle running the course.

To run the course this way took no extra training for Tangle.  But for me, it took the commitment to always be ahead which was no easy task on this course.  For Split, there was just a bit of coaching to come in to me, but really it was about me having better control of his head (more than I need to with Tangle).  Once again, once I get trained, my dogs are going to be fantastic!  :)

Here is my practice session with Split.  I guess I post this to show some of the challenges on this course.  Split is a great dog, but doesn't have the mileage and detail in the foundation that Tangle had.



Look forward to challenging myself more!

Agility Dog Champion (ADCH) Tangle

We did it.  We didn't stress it.  We made it.  He is only three.  I am impressed!

My good consistent boy Tangle got his Agility Dog Champion this weekend.  This boy amazes me how much he is able to accomplish in such a short time.  Perhaps he did agility in a past life?

Me, Tangle and Lyn Sigman