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Hi Tracy, we had a successful AAC trial last weekend in a dirt arena. He seemed to enjoy running on the dirt and so did I until I slipped forward and fell straight down during a fun tunnellers run. lol I have a huge bruise on my hip as I started to roll so I didn’t land on my face. Oh well, it was entertaining I am sure. No permanent damage.
Callan earned a Q and first place for both his Standard and Jumpers. His other Jumpers was good but a bar down due to my late handling. We also did a fun run in the morning which went well.
He was very sticky on his dogwalk and stopped with his feet on the ramp, not the ground. Needs more work.
He also is sometimes not running down his a frame but jumping over the contact, so we will work on that. His weaving was off, took a second attempt, and off again in class, not wanting to turn left tightly, so I had him looked at today and his lower spine and hind end are very tight so he had an adjustment and laser. We are taking a week off and will see the vet for more laser on Monday. Who knows how he strained or jammed himself up. Could be playing too roughly with my Malinois Tessa. 🤷♀️ I will continue to strengthen his core and keep stretching as we do work out every morning.
I have attached some video from the weekend. He was such a good boy with his Startline as I had a large lateral lead out in one run and he held it fine. I am feeling we are becoming a team!
Hi Tracy, we had a busy but fun weekend with a seminar on dirt and a fun trial on the turf. I included some bits of the seminar so you could see his running on the dirt compared to the baselines from last week. I think he was doing a good job of running quickly and he was trying really hard to follow my handling.
At the trial on Sunday he did a good job all day long with the fun events, barrel racing, object retrieve, send to a tunnel ( he sent from 60’ with toy distractions!), speedstakes, jww, and a standard with a dogwalk and weaves only. He held his Startlines and didn’t visit the timer or leash runner this time! lol
I didn’t get a video of his jww, which was a great run, he had the fastest time of the 20” dogs with no faults. His weaves are coming along!
In the speedstakes I sent him wide and forgot my verbal so he missed one jump but the rest was nice. I am trying to use my brake arm in my runs in classes and I think it is helping.
He slipped on the ascent on the dogwalk and it slowed him down and affected his contact, he became very sticky. He didn’t seem to hurt himself and that was our last run.
He seems to be running fast on the turf but I think he is more comfortable on the dirt. Turf is probably a bit slippery. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next zoom!
Cheers!
Debbie
Hi Tracy
Thanks so much for your analysis. You see things I never noticed. I did not see the extra small steps he was taking to keep his balance because he found it slippery.
I can definitely run to the beginning of the gamble to keep him moving as you suggested.
I see at the 1:17 mark as you said I did not give him enough of a verbal, or physical turning cue before the jump before. I did give him his verbal soft turn cue but my body overrode it. And he did take the line I showed him.
I see what you meant in third jumpers run about beginning my turning cue after 2 so he knows to collect on 3 for the turn, I was way too late as he did jump that in extension right to the tunnel! Would you suggest using a brake arm approaching 3 to help with collecting?
I agree the line after the weaves was very hard and I definitely should have rotated towards him as soon as he exited the weaves with a name call to bring him in.
This upcoming weekend we have a workshop in a dirt floor horse arena and a fun trial on turf in a familiar venue. I will get some video of both and see how they compare to the backyard running baseline.
I intend to just have a lot of fun at the trial to continue to build his confidence and support him having fun. I will run with a toy and stop and reward where appropriate. I will try hard to not make any corrections!! lol
He has done so well this week in class with his weaving! 😊 Still getting his striding on his running AFrame, decided he didn’t need to run down today, jump from the red! 🤦♀️ We worked on it. As you say, good one day, not so good the next, adolescent dog 🤷♀️. He is such a fun little boy.
Thanks!Debbie
Hi Tracy,
We had a good AAC trial on March 23 on matting in Barrie. He was well behaved and we had fun. The first run was a gamble and he got three mini gambles and the main for a Q and 122 points. He followed me well. He got a bit jumpy when we had to stop and go to start the main gamble but settled to complete it. I think I will need to give him something specific to do I when I have to stop him to walk to the gamble start. Perhaps a sit or spin then a “with me” as he really doesn’t like stopping if the run is not finished. lol
The second run was a Standard and he took an off course jump outside of a pinwheel and in the third run he also took an off course tunnel outside of a pinwheel. I really need to give him his cues earlier and add some directions as I did further on in the third jumpers run. Pinwheels are on my practice list once I can get back outside!!
After he came back in and did his weaves he took the wrong side of a jump that was really set in from the weave exit, I needed a stronger name call as he exited. I didn’t want to distract him while he was weaving as he is still getting his footwork figured out, but I was late. His contacts were great all day! Very happy with them!
I am happy with the progressing of our teamwork. We have a fun trial this weekend and I will be taking a toy into the ring for rewarding him.
I did 2 baseline running videos as you talked about in our zoom and I think he is running pretty fast in trials when I compare in our backyard to a dead toy on the ground and chasing me.
Thanks!
DebbieHi Tracy
He did quite well this past weekend at the UKI trial. It was a very busy and crowded environment and it was pouring rain most of the time so it was difficult to walk a lot outside.
In our first Standard run I layered a jump as he went from tunnel to tunnel and he came in and took the jump. I need to remember to support him more at trials than I do in training. I didn’t layer the next run and he easily went tunnel to tunnel. He missed his contact and jumped off the a frame while he was looking at me. He also slipped on the teeter, very unusual for him. We did some teeters in class tonight and he seemed fine about it so no lasting effect. He entered and did most of the poles before missing one so I just continued on. We will continue to train these.
The second Jumpers run was a bit of a disaster as it didn’t start well. He left his start line to go behind him to see a female dog that had come up behind us too closely.I had to drag him back to the ring as he wouldn’t come. He did hold his start the second time but he was over aroused and so was I, lol, so our connection wasn’t great. Some parts were okay but on the whole not great. 🤷♀️
Our third Speedstakes run was much better. I asked the gate steward to keep the dog behind us back until we got started. This helped me to know that he wasn’t going to go visit. Although the leash runner picked up the leash as I was lining him up and he went to visit her but came back when I asked. Our run was great and he got 1st place and a cue.
Overall it was a good day! He handled
the very busy agility arena quite well. I managed him from his crate in the other building into the agility building and ring carefully with lots of pattern games and simple tricks to keep him focused on me as you taught us in the course. I have attached a video of our three runs.
Thanks,
Debbie
Hi Tracy,
We had a great AAC trial last weekend. He did well with the trial environment. He is impatient when waiting so I found after the first couple of runs it was better to keep him crated until closer to his run. I worked the various games and warmed him up out of his crate upstairs and in the line waiting. Much better mindset when he didn’t wait as long!
I have included the video of our 4 runs, some is hard to see because of the distance. The first run was the standard. I gave him a tunnel cue but should have given him a tunnel Threadle. I also didn’t support the pinwheel well enough, I did better in later runs! He did good weaves! Yeah! He didn’t hold his dogwalk contact so that needs work.
His 2o2o needs work in the trial situation, better in class of course. lol.
The second run, standard, he had trouble with his weaves. I tried the third time and he got frustrated but interestingly, he did 2 sets of 12 weaves in the Speedstakes later. 🤷♀️
Third video was Jumpers and fourth was the Speedstakes. Very happy with both!!
I was ready to turn the runs into NFC but I didn’t need to.
He entered and exited nicely and kept his Startline. We are having fun and coming together as a team. 😊
We have a UKI trial this weekend on Sunday in a new venue. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks!
Thanks Tracy, I will do what you suggested for weaves and contacts. I want to make sure he maintains his confidence so I will be extra careful with his contacts and weaves. We have been working on both these things in isolation in drills/training and they are coming. I will try and get some video of class work.
Cheers!
DebbieHi Tracy,
Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions. I really do need to start incorporating a brake arm in my handling as you suggested. It is something I really will need to learn to use.
I agree with your suggestion to continue on and not stop him in the trial situation to maintain the flow and keep his speed and confidence even if it is not the right line. Even in training I will try to do this as it is almost always my fault. lol. What is your opinion on missing contacts or weave entries? Do you think we should continue or stop to work on it in training sessions involving short sequence? I do separate training work on contacts and weaves of course, but should I avoid them in sequences, which I often do, but I need to include them in sequences at some point that I think he is ready.
How do you handle this?Thanks
Debbie
Hi Tracy, we had a great time at the UKI Winter Cup over the weekend. He handled the environment very well. On the Friday night we did a fun run and I did some training in the ring. There was only 1 ring running at the time. I have attached the video for that.
He was able to wait in a chute system with some excitement but stayed focused on me with our pre run routine we are working on. He held his Startline for his 3 runs even though he was sitting very close to the waiting dogs in the chute! In the first Speedstakes run I blocked his entry into the tunnel and forgot to give his tunnel cue 🤦♀️ so he took the jump, then I didn’t support his send out a bit later and he pulled off but went back when I resent him. Yay! I also got mixed up and sent him to the wrong jump at the end but he followed my cue to take the proper jump.
During the second speedstakes I called him between tunnels, which I shouldn’t have, darn handler got mixed up again!! lol He took a tunnel instead of a jump which E us, along with half of the other dogs. Lots of good moments in the video and I am so pleased with him! ❤️
I noticed I am keeping my arms too high which is sending him wide and I am forgetting to give him my verbal cues on his turns. Homework to work on. I think I will tie my arms to my waist!!!
Fun run
Speedstakes
He came to me nicely at the end of the runs even with lots of dogs and people around a wide opening for us to exit out. He tugged with a toy at his leash and we went to a pre placed tug and food pouch close by to reward him. 🤩
It was so busy with two rings and the warm up area in the middle! He was able to warm up a little on one of the jumps and stay with me even with dogs running on both sides. We have another trial coming up in a couple of weeks. AAC trial at a familiar venue. It will be much quieter. lol See you tonight at our Zoom.Thanks
DebbieHi Tracy,
Thanks for your comments about the videos. I tried to think about them yesterday at the fun match we ran. We had a great time and did very well. I carried my toy the first two barrel events so I could throw it at the finish for him but then he watched as I gave it away with his leash for the others and he received it at the end of the run.
“For the right turn at :53, you can have him approach that jump with the cues earlier and a brake arm (outside arm) so he adds a collection stride before takeoff. He was a little wide and slipped, so the brake arm can really help.”
Great advice, I need to be more aware of what my arms are doing. Also, giving him earlier cues will be so important for him as he is much faster than me! lol I need to use a brake arm more, it is something I don’t do enough.
I have included a video composed of 4 short clips from yesterday’s fun match. The one time I lost connection with him he didn’t take the jump as I was rushing and thinking ahead, connection, connection, connection!!
I also need to remember to use my verbals. In the first clip I forgot where I was going but then corrected. lol The third clip is a redo of the second where I lost connection and he didn’t take the jump. He missed his down contact in his running A frame in the last clip so that is something to work on. I also need to practice a soft turn cue from the Aframe or other pieces of equipment, other than jumps. Do you have one and if so what is it?
I was very pleased with his behaviour and Startlines all day! 😄 Interesting that he barks as running the fun barrel racing but not during agility courses.I have the UKI Cup this weekend. Only doing Speedstakes. We do have a fun run on Friday. It will be busy with two rings going! Wish us luck!
Cheers!
Debbie
Hi Tracy, we have been working on leaving the toy with the leash at the gate or on the floor near the end of the run. It is going well. I have included a video of part of a lesson from yesterday. I warmed him up before entering and the video shows a bit more on my way to start at jump 3. We were doing just a small sequence. I have the toy and treats on me during this part of the training.
He seems to be happy and enjoying his training as I am. I liked our zoom chat last night. I will definitely remember the suggestion to have a very easy day after a competition. We have the fun match on Sunday so Monday we won’t do our usual lesson.
Thanks, DebbieThanks for all your comments. I will work on deceling and cueing sooner. The second video was actually part way into the run and I ended up in a different spot at the beginning of the video than I had planned so that was awkward! We will work on the Threadle wrap “in in” cue in motion.
Yes, the Cup runs are for real, but we are going to just go with the flow and have fun, and thanks for the reminder to practice leaving the toy with my leash in class this week and next. I have done it but not for a while, always stick it behind my treat pouch. We do have a fun run the Friday before the cup to get him used to the venue and have some fun!! I have taken all your Maxpup courses as an auditor and they were so helpful!! Now to put them into play in the agility ring.
