Agility Level 1 Class 5

We went early again to our agility class on Wednesday night. Mom had a chute plan for me. She brought a target and some small pieces of strawberry (my current favorite treat!). Earlier in the day she put a strawberry on the target and sent me through our chute - I flew straight through as I was very keen on getting that berry I knew was waiting for me. So when we got to the real chute, mom rolled it up first and sent me through the barrel part and I did it right away for that delicious strawberry! Then she put all of the chute material out on the floor, loaded up the target, put me in a wait and held up the chute a little off the floor so I could see the other end. When she called me, I went through! Yea! We did it about three or four times and I ran through every time! Success! (Next week we'll try dropping it as I run through). We also did a little weave practice so that I could try the weave poles at our club. (I can't do them during the class because those pups are all using wires.)



When class started we worked on the broad jump. The first time mom let me try as it was and I walked over it. So she asked the instructor if we could put a bar jump over the broad jump ( we got this great idea from Diana at http://4dogcraziness.blogspot.com/ so thank you to her!) (BTW I have no idea how to put links in here the correct way; if I did, you would be able to just click on "Diana" and it would take you to her blog!) Any way it worked like a charm! We jumped a couple times and then removed the bar jump and I still jumped the broad jump! Then we practiced the a-frame and it was set up a little steeper than before. I ran right up and over it. On the way down, I kind of slide and can't stop to do 2o2o, so mom is just going to have me wait at the bottom on the ground. (We are considering changing all of our contacts to running contacts any way, we'll see..) And then it was time for the chute during the class. Mom and I went last and loaded up the target just like in practice. Mom held the chute up a little for me and I went through it again! Hurray for small steps forward!

The rest of the class was rather uneventful. It was really hot in the building again even with fans going. But mom wet me down before we went in and that seemed to help some.

Last night was our last advanced obedience class with Deb. Too bad that we had to miss two of the seven classes. I think this really hurt us because we placed last out of 5 dogs in the mock competition! I did great on the one-minute sit/stay and the three-minute down/stay ( as a matter of fact all 5 dogs were perfect - no one got up!), and I did a great stand/stay and a fairly respectable recall (could've been a better front). What mom and I really need to work on is our heeling - on and off-leash. Mom is the first to admit that she has never worked on this seriously enough with me. I was slow to sit when she stopped (but I did eventually sit), and I lag behind her, and sometimes I sniff the floor! It was a little disappointing. Oh well. If we ever want to compete for real and get my CD, we'll have to get to work! I tell mom if there are strawberries involved then I'm in!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky