I went out to FAAD today and practiced some of what we did in class since I didn’t feel like we were terribly successful Wednesday night. It was a good practice and I got some great stuff out of it. Today’s practice was a really tough weave entry and for the most part Vega just doesn’t collect enough to get the entry. She’s pretty much full out as fast as possible. We’ll be practicing this a lot at home.
Katrina stopped in to say Hi. She showed me how she would do it with Ice and then did it with Vega. There’s some of me trying the sequence as well.
The main reason I put up the video (besides horrifying myself with it) is that it is such perfect evidence of how bad my form is when I’m running. It’s especially obvious since Katrina runs exactly the same sequence. When I first watched it I was immediately struck by how smooth her handling is. It definitely emphasizes how rough mine is.
I never bend my directing arm. I always have it straight out and as stiff as a board (almost like I’m working huge distance). The trailing arm is swinging around out to the side of me (I’m sure for balance). I don’t pump with that off arm, I swing! It’s such a weird and awkward way to run. I clearly have something to work on that’s just me. With the video I have a much better idea of what I’m doing wrong and what it should look like. More work…
On a positive note check out how nice Ice’s and Vega’s weaves are. The have completely different form but are both so fast. They are both such great dogs.
We had a bunch of company last week and so I didn’t have much time to train. Katrina was on vacation so we didn’t have class and we got to babysit some of her furry kids while she was gone. There were 11 here total! It was fun. We played a lot. Fred especially had a great time with them all.
Guess what I'm holding?
Merlin, Vega, Ice, Rip, Rush
It’s amazing how empty and quiet the house is now that they’ve all gone home. I definitely have an appreciation for how much work it is to take care of that many dogs now too. Kudos to you, Katrina. Here’s just a few of the pictures I took.
The sequences we have been doing this week have been very challenging for Vega and I. I’ve spent 2 hours now trying to draw them and I give up.
In one of last night’s sequences I was supposed to do 3 jumps, FC, 3 jumps, FC, 3 jumps, FC, 2 jump out. The idea was for me to learn how to remember courses by learning patterns. I absolutely didn’t get there at all. I couldn’t even get the first FC done. It didn’t have a thing to do with Vega either. I must have tried to get through that course at least a dozen times and never really did though I got close to the end. I was trying to decide on the way home why I had no idea what I was doing up there and the only think I can really remember about that course was that I did’t think I was going to get to jump 6. I think I was so busy worrying about it that I didn’t think about anything else. When it was my turn I couldn’t get there (cause I screwed up the cross so badly) and had absolutely no idea what to do when I fnally did get there. Even after watching someone else do it I was so focused on the wrong thing, whatever it was, that I still had no idea how to do what was before or after it.
So I analyze a sequence up to where I’m sure we will lose it and then if I don’t I have no idea where to go from there. I’m not sure what to do with this but I guess at least I know.
The other sequences we did we were a little more successful when Vega remembered I was out there with her.
I haven’t written in quite a while. Lately it just seems like I have a lot to do and I go through these phases where I’m all on fire about agility. That’s usually when I blog. Either way, I need to get back to it because it keeps me on track.
We’ve been having some pretty amazing classes lately. I’ve really been enjoying them. The sequences have been fabulous and the skills we’re trying to learn have been challenging for me and Vega. We are the least proficient in the class but are having fun trying. I hear that Vega is a lot of dog for a green handler and I know I spend way more time than I should wondering how I’m going to keep up or how I’m going to get there than a good handler should. I guess I should be concentrating on how I’m going to get her there.
Additionally, my timing is off. I’m late all the time. I’m either not there or I forget to cue Vega when I am. I also don’t have a grip on how much support she needs when we are running. We’re trying to get distance but it seems like sometimes she just goes and sometimes I peel off too early and she’s right there. I’m not terribly concerned because every week it seems to get a little better and I’m sure it’ll come together the more we practice and get used to each other.
I’m continuously floored by how fast Vega is… it’s really like she’s getting faster too (or maybe I’m getting slower!). Collection is a real challenge for her. She loves to just go and not slow down. She is doing better about checking in with me though.
I’m going to take the camcorder out to FAAD this weekend and play with that same sequence we did in class Wednesday night. It was fun and really challenging for me. I need the practice running and it’ll be fun to see a tape of her run since I really haven’t.
I’m very grateful for my instructor. I can’t imagine how dfficult it would be to try to fgure it all out her amazing insight and eye for detail. I’m so impressed at people who can be competitive in this sport without weekly instruction. Hats off too you all.
I really like the people in my class too. They are all fabulous handlers, inspiring to watch and fabulous to just hang out with. I’m pretty lucky.
Vega finally went to the vet yesterday to be spayed. I had a hard time with it. I would have loved to have one of her pups for my next agility dog. She’s just so awesome. I also just didn’t want to see her in pain. I hate that part but for the other obvious reasons I went ahead and did it.
She’s done pretty well but it’s defintely slowed her down some. Last night as soon as we got home I walked her to the backyard on her leash. She was still loopy and wobbling but she walked to the a-frame and drunkenly put a back leg in contact position and then looked at me for her reward! What a cutie.
In class this week we learned a couple of new things. One of the sequences was a pinwheel with 4 jumps. I send Vega over the 1st 2 and then draw her across my feet and then sort of do a rear cross back out. I did this badly in class. Vega, of course, did it brilliantly with Katrina. Anyway, we’ve been practicing and I’m getting better at it. We did it several times last night in both directions.
I’ve also been practicing Vega’s contacts and they are getting better. She’s not 100% yet but she is more consistent. All in all I’m still pretty happy with our progress.
I put locking washers on the weaves poles yesterday and I’m hoping that makes the less weavamatic like. We’ll try that here in a bit.
I started training with FAAD two years ago, in September of 07. I’ve been asked several times lately if I’m competing next month but I’ve only been training with Vega since October of last year. I have to remind myself occasionally that Vega and I have only been training 11 months though and she’s only 17 months old. We’re doing okay, I think, and are shooting for next spring or summer.
My camera died a while back so it wasn’t a lot of fun to post with no pictures but I’m back in business again. Vega and I have been working weaves and contacts like crazy lately. The other day I was sitting in the kitchen and looked out and Vega was just sitting in contact position just waiting for me to come outside!!! Hmmm, perhaps we work too much? She absolutely gets the position but sometimes just isn’t able to stop while running. She does 4 on the floor more often than 2o2o. Either way, she’s a good girl and we’re getting there.
Today we practiced serpentines and she did pretty well. We practiced threadles too but that’s harder. I just started rewarding her for the “in” after the first jump.
Merlin has been doing really well too. A few weeks ago he went to Grandma’s house. It’s the first time in probably a year he’s been in anyone else’s house. He’s actually not that fond of Grandma but he settled right down. He herded the kids for a while and then took a nap on Grandma’s couch! I’m pretty proud of how far he’s come. He’s a few pics just for fun.
the never-ending love story
he's such a cute little doofus
everything is a potential toy
anything Vega has is worth stealing and destroying
Think I’ve got it… “Stop” and “Go”. We spent several 2-3 minute sessions yesterday doing drills while she’s just running around playing with the ball. We’ll see if it works.
We were out practicing contacts again this evening. I’ve been working on Vegas 2o2o contacts in various ways for months. Still we have no consistency at all (less than 50%). I know she gets it but won’t stick it when there is any speed involved. She literally flies down to the bottom, sticks her front legs so hard her back end bounces off. Then she stands at the bottom of the frame looking at me like she did it. She blows the dog walk too but the angle and speed she’s at don’t freak me out the way it does on the frame.
To me a lot of this is the same issue with all her other obstacles. She really wants to do everything full blast without any restraint. Run, run, run… no think, think, think. Obviously, WE WILL get some control over that but I’ve been wondering lately if could make this particular challenge a little easier. If I change her criteria completely and start retraining could she start getting it? It worked when I couldn’t get a nose touch and Katrina suggested I change the word and retrain.
I asked Katrina what she thought and she said if I do change it then she needs to “down” at the bottom so it’s about me controlling the criteria and not Vega. Okay… makes sense to me and the boss knows best anyway. I know if I do it I’ve got to do this right if I’m going to change it because there’s no going back.
I went out at about 8pm and tried the A-frame with a “down” at the bottom and then changed her release to “go”. With 2o2o it was “contact” and “okay”. We tried this 5 times and she did it EVERY TIME!!!! Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. There are a couple of reasons I think it worked better… a while ago I started making her lie down before I throw the ball. It kills her but she does it and stays until I release her. The other reason is that she has a great “down, stay”. Her “sit, stay” is iffy and her “stand, stay” doesn’t exist.
So I guess I’m still sort of sitting on the fence cause I know 5 times in a row doesn’t mean anything (other than she couldn’t do 2o2o 5 times in a row). It can’t possibly be that easy. My other issue is that I HATE watching people yell “DOWN” at the bottom of a contact and then they don’t make their dog down. In our world down means down and we don’t fudge. So how do I turn that “down and go” into to a quick release while still getting a down? Hmmmm, more thinking. Thoughts welcome and video coming soon of both methods.
