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Hi Tracy….got back from Birmingham trial late yesterday. My goodness, so much learning and assessing. I’ve been doing agility for over 15 years, but because of this course, I’m feeling a bit like a “newbie.” Whew….so many opportunities for re-assessment. 🙂 First class of weekend was FAST. I like to use that class for warming up my mind and trying to get a feeling of Tessa’s readiness. I have to say, the song I chose for my visualization and walk throughs, “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts, was perfect for me. I honestly had no idea the music would be such a useful tool. LOVED IT! Before we walked into the ring, and as I was setting her up at the start line, the chorus of that song was in my head instead of the usual thoughts of impending disaster.
I believed I was mostly prepared for Tessa’s speed on the course and decided on a path that timed at 32 secs as I ran, collecting a good number of points. Because of your suggestions, I visualized a path and a doggie running much faster than I would normally anticipate. However, at the finish line of a well executed FAST course (yay!) I looked at the timer. It read 20 secs instead of the expected 30-32 secs. All this to say….I still underestimated Tessa’s actual course speed. I left a full 12 secs on the clock. I believe this underestimating has contributed to me finding myself in frequent poor course positions and cues that result in Tessa questioning my confidence. Her questioning causes head checks, knocked bars and spins.
Throughout the weekend, and with varying levels of success, I focused on the performance goal of visualizing a true picture of Tessa’s speed and developing a handling strategy to match. During my last JWW run, a lovely, flowing, Sunday “everybody goes home with a green ribbon” course, I again, found myself in unfamiliar course position after Tessa exited a tunnel much more quickly than I planned. Neither of us ever fully recovered, and we finished a quite different, lovely, flowing course than the judge designed.
I’ve written down a few training goals to bring to class this week. I’ll work on the timing of my rear crosses, visualization of realistic course speed that result in my giving Tessa early and confident cues.
We are certainly a work in progress and I’m having so much fun. Thanks for giving me a wonderful new perspective with these tools!I’m trialing this coming weekend and I’m certainly going to use your suggestions. And along with today’s lesson, I’ll mention that I’m so grateful to have a partner in the ring who challenges me to grow and learn so many new skills. This is so much fun!
Wow, that sounds like a tough incident to work through! Would you visualize the same course/run and mentally change your reaction to the distraction or would you use the “experience” to mentally prep for the next run?
We have agility ring set-ups that allow spectators (not with dogs) in between both rings. Often, those who choose to sit between the rings will offer comments and criticisms of the dog/handler running. I’ve heard some of those comments and criticisms while in the ring running my own dog. At times, I’ve allowed those voices to validate my own horribly negative self talk. I’m taking steps to change my self-talk….thanks so much!
