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Will try a set point again tomorrow assuming the storms that are forecasted don’t come early. It’s been close to 90 here the last few days so I’m all for a storm to cool things off! I think she might be indignant if Dean helped her stay so we’ll see how it goes with me moving first and then releasing. You can see in the sprinting how she lifts her head as she is closing in on the toy so I think that is probably the issue here.
Did the alternating chase games with them this morning. (and discovered I own 7 soft but edged frizzers that roll- 1 is twice the size of Lift’s head so we worked with the other 6). Rolled for Kaladin twice and he actually brought them almost all the way back. Then swapped and rolled for her and she charged after it and ran back with it and spit it out a few feet away. Color me shocked! Did one more and she ran back with it but mouthed it a lot before spitting it out so we called it quits and let her run around with Kaladin (frizzer in her mouth).
This was after I did a 2×2 session where she did her very first (and a few more) reps of 4 straight poles together!!!! Will post video on my FB page later tonight (have a Classic swag bag stuffing party with committee this evening). The interesting thing is that she was bonkers and jumping and spinning at the start and the first time I sent her to the poles which she normally isn’t even when I do this after we come back from our walk. I had to do some back and forth to get her brains back in her head and then we did a few reps with the poles slightly separated and I put them together and she nailed it.
Set Point – 5/12/25
Video starts with the 3.75ft distance and then goes to 4ft distance. Sat her up closer. She’s jumping with her head up and not striding into the middle of the set point distance which often seems to be her tendency with set points vs other grids where she gets more motion moving into them. Used the lotus fur tug for all of them. She might be putting her head up because I move, but earlier experience is that she powers in less if I’m completely stationary or she’s going to a PT or a dish. I might try my make-shift spider set point (with poles slanting off the jump into the V) to see what she does with that. We did a few last Fall.
Will have to try the alternating chase games with Kaladin. He’ll be a good sport as long as he gets to chase some too. Of course he may not return super fast either but I’m sure the dogs will have fun.
Sure hope I do see you in August. Pinged Dawn who now says she’s working on the schedule in early June and asked my opinion again on whether I had session preferences. She seems to be leaning towards full day sessions… I told her I didn’t think Lift had enough brains for a full day seminar and maybe the young dog sessions could be half days.
See you in the chat on Thursday.
LOL! Well Lift’s hooman is a tad on the busy side! I have noticed in the last several weeks that she seems to be happier and more settled with a bit more working and less downtime than what she needed say 6 months ago. Not included in the long list is the Midwest Cup in June since she’s staying at home for that one. I was a little tempted to put her into SS Challenge there but then decided that was rushing things for no good reason. I’ll get my jollies running her in SS Challenge at our Midwest Classic instead.
I am undecided on whether I should keep her in classes more than the initial Friday SS Challenge at the Classic since my best reward for her in an NFC would be to do a super short sequence and head out for a party (with or without tossing the toy). But she will be there all 3 days and will probably be easier to live with in the scoring room if she does get to play some in the ring. (and luckily I have 2 scoring helpers plus a fabulous trial committee so I will have time to focus on her and Kaladin even though we have over 1100 runs!). Actually what I could do for Snooker or Jumping is to declare NFC and go in without a toy but have a friend ready to toss it as a surprise right and then hustle out of there to our leash and a party.
Yes – will need to see how she does with outdoor heat. Last summer when training it didnt’ seem to affect her, but who knows if that’s changed. I do think she is more “heat-resistant” than Mr “I like to be a Slug when not working” Kaladin. (seriously – Demi’s nickname is Sloth and his is Slug which we mean in the most loving way….)
Weaves are coming along nicely but we only just got to the 2 sets straight a few feet apart. Also done the first find em (set of 2 by the tunnel) and a few channel sessions where I start doing crazier things.
Question on the channels – if I am serpentining across the front, fading laterally, or doing other things, should she be following that handling once she exits vs carrying on to the Pet Tutor? Like should I not trigger PT and reward from my hand instead? I can’t remember that detail when I was training Kaladin.Hasn’t been on an a-frame yet since we’re only just getting to pairing the squishy mat with a low DW (as in I need to get mine out of the shed now that the grass is looking more established). We did the start of the Shape Up RDW foundations last fall, but then got busy leading up to the Open and then winter. Picked it back up when I was doing ring rentals and she’s looking good on the flatwork with tunnel & jump discriminations and turns off the mat. I’m running Kaladin through it too since his RDW is a bit shaky at times and Lift is by far the better student at it. But – contacts will be a priority this summer since I really don’t want to go through another winter of “well – didn’t get that trained when I was able to work in my yard”. So no USDAA Steeplechase just yet!
I think I also need to go way back for the teeter. It was coming along nicely last fall and she’s still great at the bang game, but she’s more hesitant at mountain climber which was solid last fall.Quad Cities – I thought I was on the friends & Family early notification list for your end of May seminar there but then Dawn forgot to tell me about it. Luckily the August dates are probably going to fit better in my schedule anyways. As of 3 or so weeks ago she was “working on the schedule” and asked for my input (I requested a novice session on Sat). And said she was planning on rolling out pre-reg in the middle of May so it’s on my calendar to ping her tomorrow. (last time around I was too polite and didn’t check in more and then totally missed it)
Frizzer rolling – yes! She is doing much better chasing in our yard. Total flop when I tried it at Fusion yesterday – wouldn’t even chase it the first time. If Kaladin is there, she loves to chase her frizz and grab it and then jump on him with it in her mouth. He’ll keep retrieving to me but she prefers to accost him and she mostly ignores me. The change lately is that she will tug with me for a bit with it as we are wrapping up and she will cue into me the first time I toss it for her.
Set point distance was 3.75ft (ish). Slightly less than 4ft. The 12in jump did surprise her but it was like her 2nd ever 12in jump. We’ve done more grid work at 10in. I’ll try it again with the distance but set up closer to the first jump and see how it goes. Are you thinking she needs a slightly long distance between jumps as the height goes up?
Focus Forward & toy experiments – 5/8-10/25
Warning – long and rambling post ahead!We’ve been playing around with various games when I’m not doing a million & one things for the upcoming Midwest Classic (closes on Monday so lots of last minute movement with scratches and the waitlist)
We had a very successful short session of focus forward to a furry tug (not lotus fur tug) in family room. Focused on the toy, sent to it, picked it up. Even came back with the toy. No leaping lizard. (she’s also been quite good with short tricks/toys sessions in the last month)
Tried another short session the next day in the basement training room with a jump and she channeled her inner kangaroo in protest of a non lotus toy around agility equipment. I think I’ll try back in the family room with a jump standard off to the side and see what happens
Moved into the back yard with a jump & the lotus fur tug – nailed it since she was expecting (and got) food in the toy.
Next day did a few set points. She’s good for 2 racoon head on a leash toy rewards before she decides the toy isn’t doing it for her (she also was chasing me and it around before we started which is why I tried it on the jump in the first place). This was (I think) her 2nd time ever of doing a 12in jump in a grid.
Also been experimenting with the soft frizzer that has edges so it can roll because recently she has started to offer to bring it back (as long as Kaladin is not around with his frizzer) and to tug with it. Used it for a few tricks in the back yard. Tried it at the Fusion ring rental this morning as a way to warm up and the leaping lizard came out again.
So – definitely still a work in progress in terms of using toys and a long way around to saying that I think we’re going to slow roll her trialing over the summer as opposed to slowly ramping it up since we’ve got a bunch of non-food box trials until the end of August. I am hesitant to do more than a run or two here and there when I don’t have a good way to reward her in the ring to balance that (other than a super short sequence and running out for a party). We do have some seminars lined up so she’ll continue to do things in public. I also think her pre-frontal cortex is still only partly functional so she needs to grow up more (plus we have weaves & contacts to train). She’ll be 2 in mid-June. Maybe she’ll decide that toys around agility are cool again as she grows up…maybe not. I am very happy with her focus in the ring with judges/leash runners/bar setters moving around, but the lizard brain can hijack her impulse control in other situations if there is unexpected movement near her.
Here’s what’s on the Heller Sheltie calendar:
-5/18 – Fun Run at Animal Inn (outdoors fenced ring -did a seminar there once last summer but it’s basically a new environmennt for her)
-5/23-25 – MAC Midwest Classic (NFC allowed but no food reward box) – 2 SS Challenge courses on Friday – plan is to run for real but just keep going if something goes sideways. Currently entered in a la carte Pentathlon Snooker & Jumping on Sat but am thinking about scratching one of them and just doing a super short run, toss the empty lotus tug and then out for a party. (I’d leave her at home on Saturday except that I’m staying by OTR in a hotel) Sunday she has a la carte SS consolation – maybe for real, maybe short course & toss lotus tug and out
– 5/31-6/1 – MAC USDAA outdoors at animal Inn – thinking about P1 Jumpers on Sat & Sun or maybe she tags along on Sat and we run Jumpers early on Sunday? I mainly want to test how she is outdoors after the fun run and at a smaller, low-key trial.
– 6/21 – Monica Bush Seminar at Animal Inn -half day “Novice Zoom Zoom” session
– 7/5-6 – Dog Dynasty USDAA (outdoors fenced ring) – it’s a long weekend trip so she’s coming along. TBD if she runs a Jumpers class or not (will depend on how MAC USDAA went)
– 7/18-20 – Ocean Commotion Classic in CT indoors on turf (Dean and all 3 dogs coming for the trial/family visit) – Kaladin will be running 12select (hopefully to get a seeded group Invitational invite at 12s). Lift may do SS Challenge on Friday, but that’s it
– 8/8-10 – USDAA NCentral Regional at CSZ- TBD if I go for Kaladin since we’re not planning on Cynosports. She probably won’t run anything and might stay at home (depends on whether her crating manners have improved or not since it will be too hot to have her in the car a lot)
– Mid August – Hoping to do a session at your seminar at QCDC (waiting for Dawn to let me know what the schedule is as I’d like to also do 1 day at MIAC AKC ISC at CSZ for Kaladin on my way out or back. Don’t think I will put her in J1 even if she does have weaves – can’t throw the toy in AKC…)
8/23-24 – Fusion UKI – Food box again. Yay! Plan to enter some classes. Maybe this is where we debut weaves and potentially a teeter in public since I can throw a toy and use the food box.Question on the between the feet line-up, does the dog swing around to your outside (either side) and then line up between your legs from back to front? Or do they go through your legs to the back and then spin around and come forward again? If the former, I’m assuming this is distinguished from the send them behind you for a restart because you straddle your legs a bit?
Fusion UKI Trial – 5/3-4/25
Saturday
Nov Jpg NFC
She got to chill out at home in the morning. Then had a visit inside followed by a nap in the car before she had to run. I didn’t intend the extra jump after the first tunnel but misjudged how she would carry out that far (yay Girlie!) Faster after her food box snack but not sure how much was the food and how much was chasing me into the next line without needing to sit for a leadout.
Nov SS – 1rst run for realzies & a Q
Had a short debate about sitting on the startline but it worked out. The line out of the first tunnel came slightly inside the next jump but she pushed out to it easily. Hard to tell in the video but I think the turn to the left when I was cueing her check check for a wrap right had to do with how I was decelerating and perhaps pushing slightly on her line so she read it as a RC. So proud of her completely ignoring the leash runner moving at the end as we ran to our leash.
Sun 5/4
Nov SS – First E (yay for driving her line out of the tunnel when she wasn’t cued otherwise!) 2nd class of the day (she spent most of the time before it in the car since I ran Kaladin first). 2nd dog on the line after a cute little CKCS. Stefanie wanted the next dog in the ring early so I carried her in. Then the CKCS handler ran out of the steam at the end and took a while to get her and her dog over to the leash so we were waiting for a bit. I don’t have carrying her in down for our routine so I forgot to give her some time to shake if she wanted to and then completely didn’t cue the right turn out of the tunnel until after she exited driving to the finish jump. (whoops!) Well we had a nice bonus serpentine and then got back on course. The jump out of the short yellow tunnel had a rather flat angle to the approach so I drove out further to it and then almost pulled her off with a late decel. Happy that she got the tighter turn out of the same tunnel the next time! Also got the longer run to her leash!
Nov Jpg NFC
Goal here was 2 fun, fast sequences with the food reward box in the middle. The leash runner is blocking the view of her lovely RC wrap to the left to get back to the food box. Yay for Lift driving right by her to get to her Happy Hour. The 2nd sequence was just a speed circle. Happy with how she turned back with me after the tunnel and ran with me to her leash as the bar setter was getting out of her chair. While she was happy about running, I felt like she was hitting the end of her rope brain-wise (me too) so we scratched Snooker.I think I need to experiment with unclasping her martingale slip lead instead of taking it off over her head. I am wondering if she would prefer that and be more inclined to line up faster with it not messing up her ear fur. I haven’t been unclasping it because I have to then reclasp it so it’s ready for the end of the run and the reclasping can take my attention off her a split second, but maybe I should unclasp it, let her shake/move around, cue a spin and clasp it as she’s occupied with the spin. Or something like that.
Fusion Class – 4/30/25
Lift seemed quite recovered from her Sunday seminar after some naps on Monday so I brought her along to Kaladin’s class and split my time between the two of them.
I had treats in my pockets, but didn’t use them setting up or until the end of my planned mini sequences. I think this may have been her first time going over the AKC triple.
Running Snooker for realzies is tempting if I can devise a good course, but of course the nice thing about running Snkr NFC is not risking getting whistled off after 2 jumps. I like the idea of the first Jumping class on Saturday being an NFC empty hands/helper tosses a toy and we run to the NFC food box kind of run. Actually, if I’m not going to carry the toy as a marker that the reward is coming later, should I skip having someone toss the empty toy before heading to the reward box and instead just do the mini sequence and cue “happy hour” to run to the box sans tossed toy?
Oh cool screengrabs on the sprinting! I am seeing more consistent sprinting striding from her in the more open lines in sequences (especially on layers) so that’s cool. I think sometimes her head came up when she was tracking the toy. If she is just sprinting after Kaladin in the yard it stays down more…and then comes up as she gets close and is preparing to try to jump on him. Side note, we’ve been doing cavaletti (as per Dr Julia) and other exercises from Darcy Rossler and I’m seeing less pacing from her and a nicer looking trot. She’s gone for 14in to 16in spacing in the cavaletti over the last 2 months.
We had a great time at a novice half-day seminar with Teri O’Neill on Sunday. (just posted the highlights reel on FB). We had an awesome group of novice/pre-novice dogs and I thought Teri was great about having a novice-appropriate seminar. Teri was impressed with her layering skills, esp from a little dog so we had a fun chat about how cool it is to teach layering to the young dogs. We had some debates about sitting at the start at first so I moved to having her do a trick (usually a spin) and then sending to the first jump. I think part of it was she was pretty amped for her first turn. I also put her out in the car to chill between turns after the first one so that could have helped too as the morning progressed. However great focus for 3.5 turns (the last was just that speed circle at the end of the highlights video). I used treats in her lotus fur tug so I could toss the reward (and had someone toss it for us at the speed circle so we did that one with no toy in my hand) and I used cheese for rewards mid-sequence where it made sense to not stop for a while to get the treat out of the toy (like rewarding the backside wrap behind me as I kept going forward) or for tricks when lining up. Khamsin was in the ring video-ing (and moving around some) and Lift ignored her. There’s one instance (about 0:15) where I was really far ahead of her moving into the blind and she glances at Teri who is walking near me and wavers for a split second, but she locks back on me and still took the jump.
I don’t think we’ll have a group class this week which is probably not a bad thing since she worked hard at the seminar yesterday and she has a novice seminar with Stefanie Theis on Friday morning before the UKI trial at Fusion this weekend. (with Stefanie judging). She is entered in 5 classes but I put her in them so I’d have choice (and because I get a free entry!) Class choices are:
Sat (tall to small so she is the penultimate or last dog in these classes)
– B/N Jpg (3rd to last class of the day)
– B/N SS (last class of the day)
Sun (small to tall so first or 2nd dog in these)
– B/N SS (2nd class of the day)
– B/N Jpg (4th class)
– B/N Snkr (6th class)Dean is able to drop her off mid day on Sat so she can chill at home in the morning. I’d like to run at least one of the SS classes for realizes and am undecided on whether it’s better to try that on Sat or Sun. And if Sat, do I do Jpg NFC as a short warm up (maybe with toy in hand or having a friend toss in into the ring after a short sequence?)
I do have the option of the food reward box too but wasnt’ sure if I wanted to start off with that.
Fusion ring rental 4/18/25
Worked the same sequence as rep 1 from the class in my ring rental the next day. I clearly need to toss bigger (or heavier) treat pieces to reward her sending ahead of me to the jump wrap. One cheese piece had a really wonky bounce!
She was kinda barky at first – not sure if it was because we had had the class the day before when she usually has a day off between sequencing stuff. But the inside hand back did get a threadle slice! I’ll need to keep working on those since she prefers to push to the back than threadle to the inside.
Sprints at Fusion
Her head was up a bit as she was tracking the toy in my hand – she flattens out more when she’s just chasing Kaladin.
Sprints in the back yard
Fusion Class – 4/17/25
I kept the treats in my pocket and the lotus tug in hand since Christina set some really spread out distances and I wasn’t sure how Lift would react.Rep 1 –
We havent’ done much with a RC on a curved tunnel entrance or driving to a tunnel with me on the outside. However once she went in, my cue for a left turn was too soft and too late so she flew out of the tunnel and over the off course jump. I got a backside 2nd jump from the end instead of a wrap to the left but I think I had my shoulders opened up to past that wing. (of course these things always happen at the other end of the ring where it’s hard to see in the video
Rep 2
It’s been a while since I’ve done much with threadle slices so clearly that needs to go back on the list. However she nailed the double blind later. I cropped out some chatter with Christina where Lift was working on getting the treat out of her lotus tug.
I got both Lift & Kaladin running in the backyard, but haven’t set any jumps up to compare (or had the time to find something from last Fall)
Fusion class 4/7
We got to drop into a class last night which was her first class in the last 3 weeks. We did a 2×2 session in the yard on Sunday and earlier last week but she hasn’t done much since I got home from the Invitational. For class, I used the lotus tug with food in it and also had treats in my pocket.First turn
Took our time getting to the start as I was waiting for the BC that ran before us to leave. I didn’t have a good plan for which hand to put the toy in and as I was thinking about it, she decided that was enough dilly dallying and broke her start. Hard to tell from the angle but she shot out of the straight tunnel and turned right (away from me) towards a jump pretty far away. 2nd try I said her name and she went straight to the backside wrap. Got to practice the long jump a few times and sends to the back of the tunnel.
Second turn
Wanted to try layering but I don’t think I had enough of a run into it on the first attempt. 2nd try worked better. Tested the jump after the pink straight tunnel and got a backside slice first and then the left wrap. She cut in a bit after the curved tunnel to the long jump the first time so I tried to connect more out of the tunnel and give an earlier “go jump” but she ended up cutting behind me. Too much connection? In general the whole class felt like we were a bit rusty on the handling. At least she was pretty happy to sit on cue at the start and to run to her leash at the end.
I hope to get some running in the yard video later this week if the weather holds. And I need to see if I can find the video I did of her sprint drills inside at Fusion when she was about a month post-spay
Oh man! You may be more crazy than me! I skipped class tonight so I could finish packing.
But since you mentioned that she could do some work, I did a 2×2 session in the back yard instead (way faster than going to class even if I am spoiled by how close Fusion is). We are up to 2 sets of 2 poles together and I just went to them both at 1&7. Haven’t had a chance to do much with channels but will probably add that when I get back. Assuming we don’t get another set of snow on Sunday (right now they are in the “could be 0-50″ and anywhere in MN” phase of forecasting)RCs – I told myself to run in close to the tunnel and did try but I think I needed to go in closer so that she could easily drive ahead of me. But yay for her not turning off the jump, us getting tangled up in confusion in front of the jump, or her spinning the wrong way!
Jump after the far tunnel. I can’t hear me either but I think I had a “go” when she went in and a jump when she came out. I noticed that she got a bit close to the jump after that jump and had to do some fancy work to not crash through it but she got her front end out of the way in time.
Next SS opportunity is Fusion UKI May 3-4. Nov SS is end of the day on Sat and 2nd class on Sun. She is entered in both plus Jpg & Snkr on Sunday. She has Stefanie’s seminar Fri AM so wanted her to only have 1 class the next day.
Yeah – long jump. She’s done it twice in class and once with me during a ring rental. And she did sail over it on the first day (after running around the jump before it!) I have one at home (an old style one but it safe enough and will give her the right idea) so I’ll plan on getting that out once the ground softens up more and I actually am OK with her jumping outside.
Jpg NFC run –
I had this brilliant plan for my mini courses and then the judge took out jump 16 and moved 15 (the one I sent her around by accident). 16 was on the way back to the jump I actually ended with. Anyways, it threw me off and I had to scramble to get a slightly different course. But it all worked out and I remember thinking that it was great she didnt’ throw a tantrum when I was in her way on the backside slice and then whoops! Around the next jump she goes. LOLI’ll plan on continuting to use the lotus tug with food in training and keep periodically asking her if she wants to actually tug with a different toy instead. THe lotus tug is a bit big for her to easily get her whole mouth over it (even the slightly smaller pink one i just got) so she tends to like to chase it but not actually do a sustained tug with it. I am picking up a custom made Tugawaycuwin racoon head tug at the Invitational. Jenna made me one without the squeaker and with a bungee handle so I can use it for NFC runs incase that is a big hit with Lift. (and I”m bringing back a coyote head for Kristin & Reacher)
Looking back at all 4 runs it is interesting to see her behavior at the start. No shake for #1 but I asked her to bark and spin and ran off the start. She had the extended shake after the release in #2 after I had hovered over her and maybe inhibited her inclination to shake after the leash came off. No need to shake for run #3 (SS on Sun) where she did her spin (even with a 2nd cue because she went the wrong direction on the first one), was fine with me coming in close to get the leash off over her head and then did her bark and sat promptly. Then Run #4 where I walked her in further, she didn’t want me to take the leash off at first so spin again then leash off and all that required the vigorous shake before the sit.
See you tomororw afternoon (probably). I have a 4:20 massage with Maxie!
OTR UKI – 3/23/25
Tall to small today so there was a bit more going on as we headed to the ring but she was still near the end so not too crazy. We had the luxury of being the first 8in dog in both classes so could amble in as the bar setters were finishing.
Nov SS
Ran earlier in the day than yesterday but not super early as there was double SS and I entered the 2nd Beg/Nov so the 4th class. Had time to walk her and Kaladin on trails near home before we had to drive up to OTR.We had the food reward box prepped and open just in case but didn’t need it. 5.5yps. They set 9 further up the line so that the RC made more sense than trying to sprint ahead of her for the BC. She had nice turns on the 2 RCs, but she is shortening her stride as I push on her line and cross behind her. She put her head up and checked her stride a bit coming out of the tunnel at the far end. Not sure if it was the light coming in or the bar setter that she noticed. No issues running past the exit gate to the last jump!
Nov Jumping
I liked her level energy level coming into the ring on this one. I’ve been asking for a spin and then removing the leash as the reward but she backed off a bit when I reached in the first time so I asked for another spin and she let me approach to remove of the leash so of course the leash got a bit caught in her fur coming off! Then she needed quite the shake to get over that. After the food box, I forgot I was going to ask for a sit before the tunnel so I almost didn’t get the BC in further up the line. I did cue a jump for the long jump but she hasn’t done very many of those and went inside it. Then my brain was still processing that so I was really late on the BC/slice and we got a little tangled up. Did better with the jump wrap today. (I was wondering if I just did too abrupt of a decel on the 2 wraps that she questioned yesterday). Anyways she ran with me to the leash bucket and shoved her head right through the loop.
With the 2nd run yesterday where she shook after the release, I remember thinking that I was hovering a bit too much at the start and not letting her have the space to shake or do anything before I asked for the sit.
I think the lotus tug as a marker for the remote reward may be losing its effectiveness. I took it out to play with her in the practice area today and even though it had a treat in it, she didn’t try to get it out until I cracked it open a tiny bit. She did play with a different toy with me outside the building when we were warming up (and was tugging pretty hard) but said no to the same toy inside the building. I have gotten her to chase and tug on a toy (non-lotus ball) a few times in the last month while training at Fusion and even for 2-3 reps of something really easy like a tunnel or a jump wrap, but she has to be in just the right mood to think that is rewarding.
I was going to have her sub in for Kaladin on Tuesday night but I think she might do better just taking the week off. Plus, I haven’t started packing yet and we leave for the Invitational on Wed AM. I saw you said you were driving home from Canada. Does that mean you’re not going to be at the Invitational?
On the Run UKI – 3/22/25
Nov Jpg
We did a nice walk on trails this morning and showed up mid morning but with plenty of time to settle in. It was small to tall today so she was 2nd in each class which is easier for her.Nov SS – In & out
She sat quickly so I figured she was ready but apparently she forgot to shake until after I released her. After walking I decided 7 to 15 was too short of a distance (14ft) and not a great angle so I added in 8 and a wrap instead.
It got cut off at the end but she ran with me to her leash and then out of the ring for her meatball.
She is entered in 2 classes tomorrow and it is tall to small so I’m expecting her to be more aroused going into the ring. SS is first and Jpg is second.
She has 2 runs each day so maybe I’ll try the in and out run as the 2nd run on the first day (assuming first run goes well). I think it may he harder for her to do that as the first run on the 2nd day.
And yes, I was thinking about what opportunities I had left before the Classic and it’s this weekend at OTR or the early May Fusion trial. (Plus her 2 seminars at Fusion)
I’m finally getting better about pausing in the leadout before releasing her and now you want me to wait a few seconds for her to process the sit cue? Geesh! (Lol)
Fusion Class – 3/18/25
Someone couldn’t make it to Kaladin’s class on Tuesday night so Lift got to drop in. Kept it easier in terms of ring crew and also had treats in my pocket, but tested whether she could keep going past her leash and a typical end of a course and she was brilliant. I did keep her in the car when I ran Kaladin and then swapped them. Lift ran last, but I had enough time between so that she got to hang out for a bit inside before it was time to get her out to warm up.Rep 1
Did more tricks on the way in which I think helped. A bit sassy, but she did sit without me needing to pull out any treats from my pocket. The first toy thrown was her new pink bungee lotus rabbit fur tug and the velcro was tight so she had to work hard to get her toy (I finally cracked it open a bit for her). I tossed cheese for her when we were working through the backside slice. I don’t think she even flicked her eyes at the leash on the ground when we ran by it at the end.
Rep 2
Did some pattern games on my shoes while I waited for the pair of Malinois to leave (married couple and they were working on some plank stuff together). I think this may have been the first time that she barked while I was leading out. Slight bobble near the end because I forgot where I was going. Her 2nd line up was nice and snappy.
In regards to the pre-run routine at Jacque’s seminar, we ended up going first so it was rushed. It probably would have been fine at Fusion but not at OTR which is less familiar to her.
She got a massage today. We might do a 2×2 session tomorrow because it’s supposed to hit the 50s. (she’s up to 2 sets together both at 1&7). Or maybe not. Then she has UKI at OTR this weekend (entered in 2 classes each day but not sure I’ll run all of them). There is a food box. Since the line up the first time into the ring has been more challenging, I am thinking that for her first run, I ask for tricks on leash as we are heading to the line, take the leash off, ask for another trick (bark or spin) and then run off the start. Then toss empty toy and cue happy hour for the food box. Run back out for a 2nd rep, ask for a sit & leadout, mini sequence, toss toy, leash and out. If the first run goes well, I may ask for a lead out right away for the 2nd run. (It will be the last run of the day and it’s small to tall so she will be first or near the beginning of it) Assuming she stays engaged, then short sequence, toss toy and out for a party. If sitting is just too hard, then I think I’ll ask for a spin, run off the start, toss toy and out.
Do you think she might be ready for an empty hands in and out run? After this weekend she has a half day seminar with Teri O’Neill in 5 weeks on April 27. Then a half day seminar with Stefanie T the next Friday and some runs at the Fusion UKI trial. 2 weekends off (maybe a fun run at Animal Inn outdoors on May 18) and then it’s Midwest Classic time May 23-25.
