just finished the NAVLE, meaning if I mananged to pass, and manage to pass my next rotations, I'll be licensed in June. However, the past six months have wreaked havok on most everything elese in my life, including dogs and dog training.
Griff missed the last two agility trials due to me not getting myself in gear in time to get him enrolled, and we've had to miss alot of class as well due to my hellish schedule. however, there's overall been deterioration of my dogs' manners lately and I need to tighten up and increase overall obedience training. It's hard with one old man who can barely sit comfortably on command anymore, and one ten year old who thnks she's nine months, and one aussie who if he doesn't get excessive work becomes a terror....
time for a new training approach. I long for some method that is more fair to the dog than traditional trainers but is more stringent than positive only methods..wish I knew of a good balanced trainer that can help me get the results I want.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
tunnel zoomies
I want to trial!
Next one isn't until mid-June, and I don't know if I can go as it will be in the middle of my small animal med rotation.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Trial three (aka, snooker fail)
So third trial this weekend. First trial away from home court. The venue had two rings running simultaneously, one for standard runs (two per level), the other for games.
First run was jackpot. Really nice course. We needed 32 points for level 1, we got 49. Amazingly we missed 1st by one point. Some overachieving border collie got 50 points. Griff was on, on, on, focused, ready to roll. No hesitation due to the new location, no sniffing or dawdling at all.
By the time our next run(s) came up, both snooker and standard were on our level. I had walked both courses, but totally fudged the snooker course as I really didn't have a good plan. I ended up planning to start where my instructor started, which was the first mistake. Then we had to walk standard, and it was basically stand around and try to predict which ring would get to us first. As it happened, it was snooker.
I have heard about the two second snooker course, and ours was not over that fast, but basically 10 seconds and 4 points later, we were whistled off. After the first red jump, he took a tunnel instead of the aframe, which would have been fine except I didn't have a good plan to deal with it. Then, on the second red jump, I screwed him up and he back jumped it. Whistle and out!
I was pretty frustrated. He had already far exceeded my expectations by staying with me and rocking the jackpot course, but I totally could have predicted and done better had I not gotten flustered and messed him up. We then had to immediately go run standard, and I almost pulled him from the run. Good thing I didn't, as it was his best run of the day and earned him a first and Q.
The last two runs both had minor bobbles. The second standard course he went into the wrong end of a really tight tunnel, which earned us 5 faults. The wildcard run he backjumped again!!! so we got 5 faults from that as well, but both runs Q'd. He's now finished his level two standard title and we are one stupid snooker Q away from his entire level 1 title.
So, overall, not nearly as clean as my first two trials, but way better than it could have been. My main concerns are 1. backjumping, 2. he seemed to be a bit distracted at the end because he was tired, and 3. obstacle discriminations. I really need to be happy about how it went tho, as I wasn't even sure he'd stay in the ring with me.
Now I want to start competing in another venue because there isn't another CPE trial until July close enough for me to run it....I've apparently been bitten by the bug! I also wish I could find a second class or another practice facility so we can work somewhere new.
(And I want another agility dog ;))
Snooker. I hates you.
First run was jackpot. Really nice course. We needed 32 points for level 1, we got 49. Amazingly we missed 1st by one point. Some overachieving border collie got 50 points. Griff was on, on, on, focused, ready to roll. No hesitation due to the new location, no sniffing or dawdling at all.
By the time our next run(s) came up, both snooker and standard were on our level. I had walked both courses, but totally fudged the snooker course as I really didn't have a good plan. I ended up planning to start where my instructor started, which was the first mistake. Then we had to walk standard, and it was basically stand around and try to predict which ring would get to us first. As it happened, it was snooker.
I have heard about the two second snooker course, and ours was not over that fast, but basically 10 seconds and 4 points later, we were whistled off. After the first red jump, he took a tunnel instead of the aframe, which would have been fine except I didn't have a good plan to deal with it. Then, on the second red jump, I screwed him up and he back jumped it. Whistle and out!
I was pretty frustrated. He had already far exceeded my expectations by staying with me and rocking the jackpot course, but I totally could have predicted and done better had I not gotten flustered and messed him up. We then had to immediately go run standard, and I almost pulled him from the run. Good thing I didn't, as it was his best run of the day and earned him a first and Q.
The last two runs both had minor bobbles. The second standard course he went into the wrong end of a really tight tunnel, which earned us 5 faults. The wildcard run he backjumped again!!! so we got 5 faults from that as well, but both runs Q'd. He's now finished his level two standard title and we are one stupid snooker Q away from his entire level 1 title.
So, overall, not nearly as clean as my first two trials, but way better than it could have been. My main concerns are 1. backjumping, 2. he seemed to be a bit distracted at the end because he was tired, and 3. obstacle discriminations. I really need to be happy about how it went tho, as I wasn't even sure he'd stay in the ring with me.
Now I want to start competing in another venue because there isn't another CPE trial until July close enough for me to run it....I've apparently been bitten by the bug! I also wish I could find a second class or another practice facility so we can work somewhere new.
(And I want another agility dog ;))
Snooker. I hates you.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
second trial
Saturday:
Fullhouse: Q and 2nd, 27 points. We had ten extra seconds, totally could have gotten more points, but I was cautious and sent him to the table once we finished the course I planned, or he could have gotten first.
Standard level 2: Q and 1st. Fun run, both teeter and weaves executed perfectly. This run was the best of the weekend, not a bobble. And fast! 17 obstacles in 40 seconds.
Jumpers: Q and 1st. Fast and fun run. He was on!
Sunday:
Standard level 2: Q and 1st. This run felt the worst as far as my handling went. I handled on what seemed like the most logical path for the opening, but in hindsight it pulled him directly towards the tunnel on the left when I wanted him to go into the tunnel on the right. He corrected easily and it didn't count as an off-course, but it could have been avoided if I'd handled it better. He also hesitated at his a-frame-turn-tunnel, which usually he doesn't have a problem with. We'll have to go back and work on it. Teeter perfect, weaves perfect as well.
Got some nice shots of him from the photographer, which was awesome.
I am planning on trying him at a new venue in April, just to see how he'll do. Its indoors but two rings run simultaneously, so that'll be exciting...I think he's ready.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
agility notes and whatnot
So....
1st trial-went really, really well. Griff crated well, was mellow and relaxed, friendly, focused, just in general a good boy. CPE trials seem very friendly and low-key, people were super nice when they realized it was my first trial, the judge was helpful and encouraging.
I wish I'd signed up for a game, so that I could have practiced one. I still don't get the rules of most of them, I guess it just takes seeing them a few times.
My olny complaint was his pre-start line behavior. Not even his start line behavior, which was the picture of focus. But as the dog ahead of us was running, he was getting a bit amped up. Probably wouldn't have bothered the average person, but I am so sensitive to him getting over aroused that it bothered me. I'm not sure how to address it yet...obviously I can't have food or toys within 10 feet of the ring, so I can't use a lure to keep his focus. Now that we are working with others in the ring at class, maybe getting to watch his classmates get all worked up and getting rewarded for calm behavior will help him? He was so glazed for a minute there I thought I would lose him. Luckily as soon as he reached the start line he was fine and ready to work...
Class has been a bit frustrating. We have a new dog in class, and quite frankly, she's not at the level that the rest of us are. This wouldn't be a big deal, except each of her runs takes like 15 mins, which cuts into the rest of our time. There are five dogs in the class, one of them shouldn't get 30 minutes of the run time. Frustrating.
We have a trial in March, and we're registered for jumpers, full house, as well as colors and two standard runs that are level 1. I either need to run colors and standard level 2 or move us to more games. I'm not sure what the best approach is. On the one hand, it'd be nice to see how he does on a course with weaves and a teeter, on the other, maybe not yet. It would also be cool to finish level 1, but I'm not sure I want to register for everything. It's a lot of pressure to run in all the legs we need to finish our title, then if I muck it up...Might be better to just do a level 2 colors and see how it goes...
1st trial-went really, really well. Griff crated well, was mellow and relaxed, friendly, focused, just in general a good boy. CPE trials seem very friendly and low-key, people were super nice when they realized it was my first trial, the judge was helpful and encouraging.
I wish I'd signed up for a game, so that I could have practiced one. I still don't get the rules of most of them, I guess it just takes seeing them a few times.
My olny complaint was his pre-start line behavior. Not even his start line behavior, which was the picture of focus. But as the dog ahead of us was running, he was getting a bit amped up. Probably wouldn't have bothered the average person, but I am so sensitive to him getting over aroused that it bothered me. I'm not sure how to address it yet...obviously I can't have food or toys within 10 feet of the ring, so I can't use a lure to keep his focus. Now that we are working with others in the ring at class, maybe getting to watch his classmates get all worked up and getting rewarded for calm behavior will help him? He was so glazed for a minute there I thought I would lose him. Luckily as soon as he reached the start line he was fine and ready to work...
Class has been a bit frustrating. We have a new dog in class, and quite frankly, she's not at the level that the rest of us are. This wouldn't be a big deal, except each of her runs takes like 15 mins, which cuts into the rest of our time. There are five dogs in the class, one of them shouldn't get 30 minutes of the run time. Frustrating.
We have a trial in March, and we're registered for jumpers, full house, as well as colors and two standard runs that are level 1. I either need to run colors and standard level 2 or move us to more games. I'm not sure what the best approach is. On the one hand, it'd be nice to see how he does on a course with weaves and a teeter, on the other, maybe not yet. It would also be cool to finish level 1, but I'm not sure I want to register for everything. It's a lot of pressure to run in all the legs we need to finish our title, then if I muck it up...Might be better to just do a level 2 colors and see how it goes...
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