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Hi Tracy,
Oh my goodness, you were spot on with your feedback. Just ran the course again with Hero and we got it right the first time with no hiccups! Thank you so much for all your help. I will keep practicing connection and I will hear you in my head telling me to stay connected with the dog the entire run. I think my fitness could defo use a boost now!
I can go back and do all the agility courses I missed. I figured it would be better to get feedback on the jumping as some of the agility obstacles still need work with both dogs. Especially the dw and seesaw, and my startline wait! Having said that, Hero’s weaves have improved enormously! NZDAC is in jeopardy due to Covid. We should hear in a couple of weeks if it is on or not. Either way, I am very proud of the work I have done with the pyrs and will continue to train like we are going to a huge event!
I’ll probably see you in another course soon no doubt, and hopefully when the world goes back to travel mode we will see you in person!!
Cheers Lucinda
Hi Tracy,
Trying to squeeze in one more round before the course ends!
I renumbered the jumping course to JC3. I thought I had a really good plan but nothing seems to go to plan. There were different things going on with both dogs. Some lost connection and unintentional obstacles or ends of obstacles.
Hero went first. He had a really good entry to the weaves and is good at staying in now. I could not get him to turn the right way towards 4 coming out. He looped the other way and took a short cut back through the weaves. He did most of the course pretty well. I lost it 14-15. I saw on the first try he didn’t take 15 but instead faked me out and cut the inside. I kept running til the end. When I had another go he did the same thing. I am not sure how to make him go to the backside for 15 while I need to get further up to cue the tunnel.
With Ru I had trouble getting her to stay in the weaves. She was anticipating me moving away. Consequently I had to almost run the length of the weaves which made it bloody hard to set up the backside at 7 and I lost connection and she went behind my back to jump the wrong side of 7. Again I got caught at 15 and I tried to keep running and follow her yelling tunnel thinking she would take the nearest end. But nope, she went all the way down the other end lol. When I had another go and I did the cross at 15 I was still too far behind and even though she took the tunnel I started yelling jump way too late and she curled in to find me heaving and puffing way back near the tunnel lol.
I was so hoping I would get this course in 1 run!!!
L.
Hi Tracy,
I had one more crack with each dog at running course 2.
With Ruse I wanted to try the different ending and the start with a blind cross to 3 as suggested. It worked pretty nicely. I had to call really hard off 14 so that Ruse didn’t take that off course tunnel again. I might have over done it as she came into me and had to push back out for 16. I tried to open up for the push to 17 and not crowd the wing so that she could see it and take the backside. I managed to hang on, just lol.
Hero did a great job too. Still had difficulty with the threadle slice on 4, my timing must still be bad there. But he is super honest and gave the course his best shot. I really wanted to get both dogs moving across my feet at 13 so tried to decel and get low handling motion. I am not sure I was great at showing the decel for 16 but he seemed to get the idea of which way to turn anyway.
L.
Hi Tracy,
We attempted Jumping Course 2 today. I had a few bobbles with Ruse. I found the last part difficult to run in the right direction and stay connected. I lost her to an off course tunnel, like way off course……as in the tunnel wasn’t even in the course lol.
I also had trouble sending to the backside of 17. Ruse thought I meant weaves. I think maybe my arm was too swingy and my feet pointed that way? I actually did a take two and turned her the other way which worked, and I tried really hard to stay connected. I lost her at the final jump where she tried to take the backside! I don’t know how I communicated that but I guess maybe I just stopped fighting and connection because I thought she had it?
Hero did a really nice job of the course. The threadle on 4 was hard for him as he blew past it “going fast”. I broke it down and rewarded for coming in and taking the jump at a slower pace. He’s a quick study because he got it the next time round. After I finished the course with him I went back and did just the opening sequence with the threadle and he got it again. I realised I have to slow down but also be up on the bar.
L
Hi Tracy,
It was a beautiful day today. Really uncharacteristic for this time of year. I even put my shorts on!
I think the shorts scared the dogs cos we didn’t do that well at the jumping course lol. I did a walk through thinking I would push to the back side on 6, to go for the tunnel at 7. But when I got the dog out I got a fright as she jumped towards me over 5 and then I went for the emergency threadle wrap, which she failed. I kept going though and the rest of the course was ok but I could definitely have been looking at the dog more. When I played the video back I think she jumped towards me over 5 because I was a long way to the right of 5, I didn’t run the correct line, I was miles away from 4-5.
With Hero, I kept losing him in the first tunnel lol. I am not sure how. I really had to call to get him to go to weaves. And because I had run Ruse with the threadle, I ran him that way too and at that speed he didn’t understand the threadle wrap yet.
I should have re-walked the course and tried the push to back side of 6, but when you are in it you can’t see what you are doing wrong lol.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Yeah that makes sense re turning my feet an shoulders to the bar to get the slice. I tried that out with Hero today as well and he really read that. I should have videoed tho because on the slice he was throwing himself at the bar and I wonder if I didn’t give him enough space. I will try and capture tomorrow.
Today I did sequence 2 with Ruse. I had a bobble that I didn’t expect from her. I took a second to regain composure and carry on the run. I did run it a second time to see if I could.
I ran sequence 3 with Hero, so no practice with the other dog first 😉 Hero was dog of the day. My walk through and my run almost match. I was so proud of him. I tried to stay connected the entire time. It felt like so long waiting for him to come out of the final tunnel!
L.
Thanks Tracy,
I thought both dogs did well and wondered if Hero just needed a little more support. I am trying really hard to stay connected. I want it to be natural by the time we hit nationals. I watched a video of a pro yesterday and the whole time she was looking at the dog, I don’t know how she navigated the course!!
Do you know what I am doing wrong on my video above with skills with Ruse? I am having trouble showing her threadle wrap vs threadle slice. I know it will be body position but when I watch it back I can’t think how to make it more obvious.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Today I had a go at seq 1 with both dogs.
I walked the same path for both:
I made a few mistakes with Hero that would have been eliminations so I did start again. Maybe I just wasn’t connecting well? He wasn’t reading the push on 3 and would either take the jump from the front side or take the off course 8. Ruse didn’t seem to have this trouble. I ran the course the way I walked it, then I ran it with a blind on 6. I like the path from 5-6 in the first attempt better, because it was a faster exit and approach to 7.
With Ruse I ran the same course first. She had no issue with 2-3. I then ran with a FC between 6-7 which was better than the blind I think.
L.
Hi Tracy,
I started on games package 5 today with skills for Ruse. At the beginning it was good, but I am regularly confusing her with the threadle wrap (dig dig) vs threadle slice (in in). Is this my body position? With the wrap I try to hold my threadle arm low and still so she can see it and I face forward. For the slice I try to face my body to the bar. Is this right?
L.
Hi Tracy,
Keep bugging me! I will get this.
Here is today’s jumping course 3. I tried to run the final walk through the way I would run the dog. I don’t think my actual runs were too far off this time.
Here is Hero’s overlay:
Here is Ruse’s overlay:
L.
Hi Tracy,
Ok, I clearly had a brain farct last night. Not only can I not read a course map but also I seem to be dyslexic with left and right lol. Also I clearly need more practice, so today I wanted to show you Hero. I swear connection is the most difficult part of agility. If I can do this by NZDAC I might have a chance.
I re-numbered and re-walked the course a couple of times. I decided on a backside blind at 2 and the rest of the course is how I ran it yesterday.
Here is the overlay:
L.
Hey Tracy!
I was able to re-number the jumping course and have another go tonight. I started with Ruse. I walked the course and was torn what to do 10-11. I walked a FC, BC and threadle wrap. When I ran the course I went for the FC as it felt the best. She did not read my position 1-3, so I had to start again after she came around 2. Also she had to deviate around me to get the tunnel at 17 because I didn’t move off her line and get my head around to make connection.
Here is the overlay:
I did run with Hero also, I made heaps of mistakes and talked to the camera a bit but when I finished the bloody camera wasn’t even on lol.
Hero jumped very long on 8, and so wide he missed coming back in for 9. With him I did the BC 10-11 and that was a much better choice than FC I did with Ruse which felt awkward. He wasn’t very independent and pulled off 13 and 14. I started over and ran looking behind like you said. I made much better connection and found I didn’t actually have to rush as I had heaps of time. So this pretty much confirmed your advice from yesterday. I only wish I could show you!
L.
Good evening Tracy,
I was finally able to have a go at Jumping Course 1 which I set up. The weather and late nights at work are not helping my training!!
Here is my course walk and first run with Hero. I had to make some adjustments:
Here is Ruse’s run. I didn’t re-walk the course because I pretty much run them the same way. Ruse is more experienced but Hero is faster I think:
Here is Ruse’s overlay with my original course walk. I am a bit speedy on the course walk:
This is a really cool exercise and is helping me understand what options to choose. I did a bit of a trial at the end of Ruse’s run to see if she could do the threadle wrap instead of the blind to backside on 13. She did it no problem. I know that would usually put you behind, but it didn’t matter because I wanted her to turn tight out of the tunnel to get 18 anyway. Also going into 17 I made sure when I walked that I measured 2m from the tunnel entrance so I knew when to give her the right turn out of the tunnel command. I was pretty pleased with her turn!
L.
Hi Tracy,
Winter kicked back into gear today with torrential rain most of the day and then it snowed. We were supposed to go to a Ribbon Trial but we opted not to go in the rain and then they cancelled after the first couple of classes anyway so that was a good call. No training for us today either.
Yes I agree, both my pyrs jump 500 mm and that seems high, but Ruse used to jump 575 mm! She is way more comfortable and is able to at least be competitive at 500. I have been practicing in this course at 380 mm, so from now on I will do full height.
Hero is doing a great job, he tries really hard and never gives up. Thanks for your feedback here. I think connection is the hardest thing for me as I always want to turn my head to see where I am going. Spatial awareness is not my forte lol. That moment of disconnect is enough to lose them everytime. I will definitely enjoy setting up the courses next and practicing the walkthroughs with a more logical approach as explained in your video.
At the show last weekend Hero had a Jumping round that would have been close to a placing, but instead ended in elimination at the second to last obstacle. It felt wild and hairy, but only because I had to run so fast. He broke his start and that made me put a FC 4-5 where I was going to do a blind, and he was super wide at 4 because of that since the cross was way late. I didn’t make my blind between the last two jumps before the tunnel. I did an ugly rear cross which I have never been good at timing wise. He didn’t read what I was doing at all and ploughed into the Long Jump instead of turning to the tunnel to finish. I was a little bit disappointed in myself, but I hung out too much at the second to last tunnel to make sure he went in because it was a little offset.
Thanks so much for the feedback on Ruse. Yes her breaking the startline definitely contributed to the wide turn at 3. She was 5th by quite a long way and I definitely want to learn to chop time off. 1st-4th as follows: 34.840, 35.130, 38.520, 38.980 Ruse 5th 39.010. We do get some bypass obstacles a bit and usually if I hoof it and disconnect she does whatever she likes behind my back. It would have been interesting to see what she did if I had run a straight line leaving her at the second to last jump and calling her name.
L.
Hi Tracy,
We are back! Super busy time and haven’t been able to get as much done as I would like. I started on Games package 4 today, straight into the sequences. I have done the walk through followed by running the course once with Hero. It was teaming with rain on the walk through then 10 minutes later sunshine. In case you were wondering if it was done on the same day or not, it was, just 10 minutes apart.
The walk through was ok, but I kept on forgetting where I wanted to turn on 9-10. Also I walked a couple of options 4-5, but the blind just made more sense.
Here is my first run with Hero. I ran him at full height because I figured it made sense for this particular exercise:
Here is my attempt at an overlay. I think I ran a bit too fast with my invisible dog although when I had the real dog in play I still didn’t think I had any time to spare.
I do think it will be beneficial for me to go through the skill sets with Ruse. I had a course at the weekend where I had to pull her through two jumps and I nearly lost her. I also slowed down to connect and pull her. We were 5th. It wasn’t the only thing I needed to improve lol. I literally couldn’t run as fast enough down the back straight. Instead of doing a blind on the flat after the righthand corner tunnel, I ended up taking a shortcut between some jumps to meet her coming out of the tunnel and pull her around the jump. The other thing that was really bothersome all weekend is Ruse breaking her start. I really need to get stuck into that startline program as it put me on the back foot and most of my mistakes were very early in the courses because she didn’t give me the time to get to where I needed to be.
L.
