We met Agile Gold at Pawsitive Energy for a really fun training session on Friday. Devon was extremely distracted on the dirt. It also didn't help she had to watch her brother Ian track (Horrors!! Tracking is Devon's sport!) and then actually watch out the window of the van as Emma tracked right in front of her nose (Triple horrors!! Her best buddy is tracking and no one invited Devon to participate!!).
For Devon's first session, we set up two sets of 2x2s with the second set only slightly offset. Then I worked some very hard entrances. Devon nailed most of them, only missing the weaves when she was distracted. She bounced right back and made the entry with each mistake. Kathy and I agreed it was time to add the third set of 2x2s.
In retrospect, I probably should have off set the three sets of poles slightly on her first couple of tires. However, Devon was doing so well, I just knew 6 straight-up poles wouldn't be a problem for her. She missed the first entry but was successful every other time. She was nailing entrances at a level I've never asked Ian to do, and her right hand entry (wrapping the first pole) was stronger than her soft-side entry.
I think the best thing about this session is that Devon clearly knows her job now. As Agile Gold already commented, Devon is now developing a two-footed stride through the weaves. She's never had a stride or style of weaving before, because quite frankly she really wasn't weaving. As Gayle put it, "she isn't weaving, she's wandering!" And as usual, Gayle was right!
I am so excited that Devon is at this point. She's now taking a couple of much deserved days off from weave training to hang out in the Escape (while I work laying tracks) and be a demo dog at a tracking seminar. I can't wait to jump back into the 2x2s on Monday to finish out the protocol!
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