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This is where she takes class, months later she’s even more confident there! I think I may be component at trials too. I’m not concerned about qualifying but I do want to make sure she’s having the best possible time out there- FUN! 2 weeks ago in class my instructor made a comment to us about Kelsie “turning it up a notch” 🙂 I love being her teammate, it makes me feel good running her and seeing her enjoying herself! I believe she totally felt that coming from me as well that night! 🙂
Hi Bobbie! You mention doing this in the same area each time. How critical is that? We are headed to the Cluster today until Sunday. Should we wait until we get home to start this exercise or can I try it in the hotel? 🙂 Kelsie is not competing only my other dog. 🙂 Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this! Question- say you have a foodie like my Kelsie, how does this not create anxiety (rather than relaxation) when she is anticipating when the next cookie is coming? Thanks!
Hi Bobbie! Thank you 🙂
Last winter I took several Fenzi courses. Denise was the instructor for two: Relationship Building Thru Play & Engagement. The third class was Ring Confidence with Laura Waudby. What I learned/gained from the classes- Play class, Kelsie and I learned how to break out of our shells and have fun & be silly! Engagement training was a huge game changer for us! I learned all about acclimation & teaching Kelsie to push ME to work, not forcing her to work with me thru bribery. There are 5 steps to engagement training, we got thru step 4 with the class. It takes time and every dog is different, it can not be rushed. Prior to Kelsie’s first time in the ring, I worked acclimation & engagement training for 8 months. Taking her to ring rentals in barns, with mats, Lowes, parks, store fronts, tons of busy, smelly places. Prior to her enrolling in agility class in May I acclimated her to that ring space for about a month – weekends. I always allow her acclimation time no matter where we are – class and trials. When we first started this venture, it would take Kelsie up to 20 minutes before all the sniffing was out and SHE was ready to work. Now, depending on where I am, anywhere from a few minutes to less than 5! Once Kelsie is acclimated, I have a dog that is ready to work 100%, it truly is a fascinating progression. Didn’t believe it until I saw it!I have another lab that I currently compete with, so whenever we are at trials, I work Kelsie’s acclimation, whether or not she is entered. Kelsie has only run in 3 trials Sept (one JWW run) Oct (2 Jww runs) and Nov (2 JWW runs) Our routine at trials: When the ring is course building, I bring her out & let her acclimate (sniff) along the ringside, when she gives me the sign to work, I either do some heeling, tricks and/or head to the practice jump if I can. Then I bring her back to her crate and try to bring her out only a few dogs ahead, allowing her to sniff but I also ask for her engagement this time. Still figuring out this part too, nothing goes exactly as planned and timed so we have to learn to deal with that as well. I keep connection with her the entire time as we enter the ring, some hand touches and her setup is weaving between my legs- that’s her “start button” with me. I should also add what we took away from the ring confidence class that I do incorporate into our ‘entering the ring routine”. I call it our ring party. I ask Kelsie if she’s ready to go in the ring, she says yes by pawing the gate and once we cross that threshold it’s a party, tricks, praise, happy body language. I do this at class every time. When I taught her this, we took it on the road, I brought ring gates & “door” so it looked like the entrance to the ring. First I let her acclimate & then when she was ready we entered the “ring” and had a party sometimes with cookies, sometimes with toy, sometimes I asked her to “work”. I hope this makes sense 🙂
This trial routine seems to work, but I have stepped back on her acclimation (in different places) since her first trial, not on purpose really just got wrapped up in running her at trials 🙁 I feel like she still needs this and may for a long time before I take for granted her ring behavior and that’s ok I’m back on track! This past weekend, 2 min at the library and 3 min at the fairgrounds and she was ready to work! Kelsie is a nerd, she likes to be right & likes to know she’s right- lots of cookies make her happy! 🙂 I can not push her and I won’t, she’s not that dog. With that said I withdrew her from a couple upcoming trials. I felt she was telling me we need to regroup. What happens outside the ring is way more important, skills she’s got 🙂
For most trials my dogs are crated inside & covered. If the venue allows it I will crate from the car.(so far only Skyline in Middletown, barn) Both my girls are good in their crates, they rest.
I don’t have any videos of Kelsie in class ( I can try for next week, no class this week we are going to the Cluster) With the exception of a threadle lesson last week, I only have some clips from the ring confidence class which was back in June. Not sure if they will be helpful or not. I’ll post them anyway. Let me know if you want me to try for a class video. We are inside now, in a small space, not a full size ring that we use when the weather is nice 🙂
This video is after I have already acclimated her the area….
