Wed. Agility Class/Thurs. Advanced Obedience Class

I've been a busy pup the past few days! Wednesday night was our second level 1 agility class. It went really well. I did my first-ever a-frame (although it was set lower than usual). I just walked right up and over it and did my hit-it at the target on the other side. Mom was impressed but she knew I would not have a problem with it. I also did my first-ever broad jump - also no problem for me. So far we are basically getting introduced to all of the equipment and hopefully soon we'll start to do some sequences.

Thursday night was the fourth advanced obedience class with my trainer Deb. We missed the third class since mom had to work. So it had been two weeks since we had seen Deb and the other pups in the class. Last night only three of us showed up so we got lots of individual attention. We worked on off-leash heeling and attention, figure eight, sit and down stays with distractions, and get-up, get-over, get-back. I don't like the get-back part but I am good at the others. Then Deb got out a couple jumps and the tire and we did a little agility for fun. At the end of the class, we did a little work with the dumbbell - a Golden in our class is getting really good at it. He will take it, hold it, drop it, heel with it, do a recall with it....it's very inspiring. I will kind of hold it if mom puts it in my mouth but I am very good at dropping it! So guess we need to work at that. Deb thinks it's a good idea for me to get my CD title in obedience because she says all the work mom and I will do together to get that title will make us a much better team at whatever we want to do including agility. Also Deb told mom that she is too loud when we are doing agility and recalls (mom gets so excited!). She thinks that mom should save her loud excited voice for special occassions in agility - like when she really needs to get my attention. Mom is going to work on being more quiet - after all I am following her body language really well and I don't need all that yelling!

Today mom took me to our favorite park! We hadn't been there in quite awhile. After we did our usual meandering around, mom got my long line out of the car and took me out into a big grassy area and we worked on sit/stay and recalls. It was so much fun and I did a great job if I say so myself! Then mom walked around and I followed her everywhere dragging the long line behind me. Every time mom changed direction, I followed. If she ran, so did I. And if she called me, I went straight to her. It gave us both a sense of freedom and also hope for the future that some day, just maybe, I can be trusted off-leash! For now, though, the 30ft. long line is great!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky