My recent train of thought

After last weekend, I’ve spent a lot of time reviewing videos not only of Devon, but also elite handlers and their baby dogs. Repeatedly I’ve been reminded that baby dogs are just that – they are babies. They have moments of brilliance and moments that resemble a train wreck. It’s been nearly 5 years since I’ve had an agility dog at this stage, and quite frankly I’ve forgotten what it’s like.

I want to say publicly how VERY GRATEFUL I am for the emails I’ve received this week saying how great Devon looks in agility. I really needed to hear that because it made me go back and review her runs and pull out all the brilliant moments and stack them up. It didn’t take me too long to agree – she looks fantastic! She has some incredible skills for a girl who wasn’t even doing a full-sized teeter 5 months ago (and was still having fear issues with it).

These thoughts led me to examining what I want to focus on in each training session; what skills are solid and what skills do we need to improve. Further, I’ve been thinking a lot this week about out long-term and short-term goals and prioritizing them. For instance, I told Linda at HY-BAR that my obedience goal with Devon this year was earning her CD. Linda’s response was earning Devon’s CD is very doable; BUT since we want some nice scores (and we believe she’s capable of them), we don’t want to rush her.

Then along comes yesterday’s post on Susan Garrett’s Dog Training Blog. Susan may have written this for one of her students, but the One who looks after me was whispering in her ear that I needed this post right now, too. I need to remember that sometimes you’re Winning When You Lose and Losing When You Win. I could have held Devon’s contacts longer last weekend, and I had a start line issue, too. So, because my goal for Devon is a MACH, we’re going to settle in and focus on all her basic skills now. I can’t wait for tonight’s agility class!

Deep thoughts

Agile Gold has been following Susan Garrett’s Dog Training Blog. Many here in central Indiana follow Susan’s methods. Starting my agility career in central Ohio, I have primarily followed Linda Mecklenburg’s methods, and I’m not as familiar with Susan’s methods. I find I am really enjoying Susan’s blog, especially her unique perspective on life. Recently, she had two posts that were quite good and a little off the subject of training: “Lesson’s in Life’s Processes… get the Kleenex” and “Continuing with Life’s Processes.” As Connor turns 9 years old and Reece is nearing 12 years old with a failing body, these two posts spoke to me. They were a good guide to how older dogs impact our lives and how they intertwine with our younger dogs.

Most of all I want to thank Susan for posting this quote from Rev. Billy Graham: “I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there in Heaven, I believe he’ll be there.” Many of us who train dogs that become very important to us and who are also Christians struggle with the concept that “dogs don’t have souls and therefore can’t be in heaven.” I appreciate Susan finding this nugget of wisdom from a great theologian and sharing it with the dog community. It has confirmed my beliefs that my home in heaven will contain a bed big enough for all my dogs to sleep in every night! Here’s hoping that all the dog hair magically disappears, too!

Happy Birthday Connor!

Connor turned 9 years old on Sunday. I can still remember when he was a tiny 7-week-old puppy; he completely stole my heart the day I brought him home. Reece could not understand what he was doing the first weekend – he slept! I just know Reece thought I bought a defective puppy (after he decided to acknowledge him). Reece would stand over the sleeping Connor and just stare at him, then look back at me asking me what he was doing and why he wasn’t awake and playing.

As Connor got a little older (and more fun), Reece would “accidently” (and completely on purpose) wake him up from a nap by hitting a ball at him. After about a half a dozen times of being rudely awakened by a ball bouncing off his nose, Connor sat up and snarled at Reece (as only a puppy can do) and promptly laid back down and went back to sleep. Reece looked at me as if to say, “Why did he do that? It was an accident!” But Reece also never disturbed Connor again.

Connor has also been the great teacher of puppies. He played with Ian when no one else in the household would (but now firmly agrees with everyone else that Ian could go any time). He softened up to Devon almost instantly since she was a Golden, just like him. He’s trained Devon to lead the pack after Reece turned it over to him in 2005. Now with his retirement from competition and Devon’s take over of the pack, Connor is working hard to maintain his importance.  He still reigns on the daybed and the corner of my bed every night. He makes sure to never miss a meal or something that could hit the floor in the kitchen.

Connor is the perfect English gentleman, and I’m so fortunate to still have him in my life. Happy birthday Connor!

More analysis of this weekend’s trial

I’ve been thinking a lot about Devon’s runs this weekend. I have the same problem as most dog trainers: I focus on the negative instead of the positive. Unfortunately our biggest negative came at the end of Devon’s last course of the weekend, so it stuck with me longer.

Devon had nice runs on Saturday, but she had exceptional runs on Sunday. Devon was confident and fast and focused. She hung onto that table performance on Sunday when most dogs would have fallen off. My work in class on building that confidence really paid off this weekend. In only her third weekend of trialing in both Standard and JWW, she’s really shaking off the “baby dog” stuff and showing me glimpses of a great agility dog.

Every skill is coming together, and I need to continue to work them. I need to hold her contacts longer. I need to do minimal lead outs in competition to maintain confidence. I need to work crosses off contacts, like front crosses and pushes. Her skills at jumping are quite good. The front cross after the slice of the jump between the table and teeter in Sunday’s Standard run was really lovely. And the rear at the end of Saturday’s jumpers run was equally impressive. And her teeter, which was an issue for so long, is strong and confident. You would never know she had an issue.

I’ve decided I’m going to stop “fixing” the weaves in competition, as long as Devon drives to them and works them. Devon’s two perfect weave runs this weekend tell me she can get them (and those were the two hardest entrances). In her second failed weave attempt in Standard on Sunday, she did work the last three poles with speed. I should have accepted that and had a big party.

I’m remembering the lessons Connor taught me about how obsessing on one issue can sour a dog on the whole game and create career-long issues. Instead, I’m going to continue to develop the speed and confidence Devon showed me this weekend, instead of shutting her down and stressing the weaves in competition. 

Better than green ribbons

On Saturday, Devon and I didn't earn any green ribbons at our agility trial, but she did something very special off the course. After Devon's first run, we headed out of the ring back to my chair for her jackpots. But before we reached my chair, Devon slid to a stop and sat at the feet of a disabled man who had been watching the trial most of the day. This is remarkable for Devon, because usually when she spies someone she wants to "greet" at an agility trial, she'll put her front feet right in the their lap before I can blink. But Devon is truly Lily's daughter, the therapy dog. As in other cases, she knew instinctively this time she was to sit quietly at his feet. He petted her and talked to her and laid his head against hers, and she responded by looking at him adoringly. He told me she was his new friend and she was a wonderful dog. And she did all this instead of getting her treats after her run!

 

As we were warming up for her second run, our new friend reached for her and wanted to see her again. I asked if he could hold her "after run cookies" and told him we'd come right to see him when we were done in the ring. He was all smiles after our run and Devon enjoyed the time spent with him and her post-run cookies. This time he hugged her and told her she was a very good dog. And she even earned me a thank you hug! 

 

So this weekend, my little therapy dog made me a pretty proud mom -- who cares about those green ribbons, anyway!

Devon's agility weekend at Lafayette

Devon and I had moments of utter brilliance, and then we had ... well, moments. Sunday's runs were definitively better than Saturday, quite possibly because of the massage this morning. She was very sore in the rear and mid-back. Susan was able to work all this out, and after a massage and a long nap, she really ready to run!

Saturday, Novice JWW

We didn't "need" this leg, as Devon finished her NAJ at a trial a couple of weeks ago. I'm keeping her in Novice because I feel her weave entries need to be more solid, and I'd rather work on entries with 6 poles than 12 poles. I was anxious to see how our clicking en traces over the last couple of weeks worked ... well, this weave performance didn't show we'd done any work! 

The first three jumps into the weaves were fantastic. The weaves were not good, and she never did weave all 6, but she finally got her entrance. We had a collision after a front cross when she wagged at a steward, but then we got it back together. The ending was incredible, with me taking a big risk for that rear cross over the jump and turn away from me over another jump. I walked it with two front crosses, but decided on the rear because it was a skill we would need, and what better time to practice?

Saturday Novice Standard

Once again, this run had moments of utter brilliance and complete lunacy. The run to the chute was lovely. She started with a tunnel (something new) and nailed her A frame contact. However, out of the chute, she went around the panel. Ok, I can turn her around, and she went around it again! Now my little stressed girl wants to do something right, and there's a dogwalk (one of her favorites) in front of her. So we go up and over the dogwalk. Yeah, we're brilliant, and back around to where we were (and I made her take the panel on principle). 

As a friend of mine commented later, this is where Devon should have been done. I'd completely shut her down (bad, bad mom), so I expected slug girl for the rest of the course, with the hardest element to come: a 90 degree left turn into off side weaves. 

However, Devon is a very, very good girl!! As soon as she came shooting out of that tunnel, I knew I had her back. And sure enough, the rest of this run was to die for! Go ahead and rewind this clip a couple of times to admire those PERFECT weaves, then a front cross onto the teeter. What a girl! And you can hear the crowd in appreciation for those weaves. That got me several nice comments from the gallery.

Sunday Novice JWW

This is probably Devon's career best (so far) run! It was flawless with perfect weaves in sequence. She was running strong and confident. And, as a friend observed, so was I! I'll be running this one through my mind a lot tonight, too! It was first place run in just over 21 seconds. 

Sunday Novice Standard

This run had the makings of the same as her JWW run, and with a couple of issues it was an incredibly strong run. She went around the first jump, mainly because my lead out was too far for the baby dog. But once turned around, she sailed out onto the course, with a wonderfully fast, confident run. She almost slid off the table, but saved herself (you can see the dirty look she gives the end of the table to the ground). She has an auto down on the table, but because she was too close didn't do it. I didn't force the issue; the purist in me says I should have, but she did her darnedest to stay on and did. She clearly knew the more important of her jobs (to say on the table!). However, it gives me warning as I see I've let her contacts creep a little ... The only thing was the darned weave poles again! 

Weekend analysis

I have to admit being very frustrated with having to throw away two otherwise beautiful runs on those stupid weaves. I shouldn't be frustrated, but I am. I just wish I knew the magic answer to getting them to be like her two perfect runs all the time. However, after much reflection, and some very nice friends to listen to me, I'm probably expecting way too much too fast. This is only her third weekend in standard. She has absolutely lovely teeter performances after worrying for so long about that obstacle. And her weaves are coming along very well. 

I'm also leaning toward not correcting her in the weave any longer at a trial. I don't like this shut down I'm seeing. It's not helping either of us, and what I did like about her two perfect performances was how fast she was at them. I don't want to shut down that good speed in the weaves at a trial (Ian's a perfect example of that). So, I'll continue to work entries here and in class, but I think I'll just trust her at trials. 

Another perfect weekend for Ian!

Ian had another incredible weekend. He again earned a qualifying score in every class, placing 4th in both Standard and JWW on Saturday and winning the Standard class today and taking 2nd in JWW. Every run was strong and confident, but I have to say the best run, today's Standard run, wasn't on tape. 

There are times in our dogs' careers when we have magical runs. Sometimes, those are career topping runs, but for me those runs have always come at local trials. They are usually when I walk the course and see one devil of a challenge. At that point it becomes me and my dog against the course. And when your team tackles the challenge without even a monent's hestitation when that invisible bond connects you into a fluid team, it's magical. Today's standard course was that type of course. It required me to trust my dog's skills and me to be in just the right place to execute the plan perfectly -- and we both did our jobs. This course ate the big dogs up, but Ian and I were 10 seconds under time, and won the class. Even though it's not on tape, I'll replay it in my mind for a very long time.

Ian earned double Qs #39 and #40, plus 40 MACH points this weekend. Only 457 more points for his MACH2! 

Saturday's Standard Run 

182 yards, SCT 64 seconds, Ian's time 52.98 (4th place)

One comment on this run. The judge was good friend David Hirsch, who Ian has known since he was a puppy. I didn't think Ian would even notice he knew the judge, since judges are such scary things to him. Make sure you pay special attention to Ian during the sit on the table. As Dave is counting, watch Ian's head! He never even flicked an ear to Dave again, but he sure did greet him after the trial when Dave came to say hello!

Saturday's Jumpers with Weaves course

156 yards, SCT 42 seconds, Ian's time 36.16 seconds (4th place)

Sunday's JWW course

148 yards, SCT 39 seconds, Ian's time 35.88 seconds (2nd place)