Beginning intermediate agility class 4

What's this photo have to do with agility class? Nothing! Mom just thinks it's cute!

Last night was week 4 of my beginning intermediate agility class. We left the house super early in order to avoid a repeat of last week's late arrival. We got to the class building 30 minutes before. That was ok, actually, because mom and I went for a little walk, did some stretches and a few tricks. Then we got to do the aframe on our own a few times before class started. I did it but not very fast.

When class started, we reviewed what mom needs to do for a front cross, a pull, and a lead-out push. Mom knows what these moves are but thinks they are easier to do in context rather than practicing with one jump sort of in the abstract. But she really understands the purpose of each one now. We also talked about extension and collection.

Our first station last night was weave poles. The instructor really wants me to be able to weave with one wire on for the entry and one for the exit. I was still shying away from the wires, so she took a really long time to help me to be more comfortable. She pushed the wire all the way to the ground and then it didn't bother me at all. Then she gradually raised the height, and I tolerated it being there. She also says that when mom moves more confidently, I behave more confidently too. She thinks the noise in the building and the distractions make me slower and less confident and more wary about what I am doing. So private lessons wouldn't help me to overcome that. This means that we are going to need to repeat this same level class again next month. Ok, as long as it makes me more secure.

Then we went on to teeter and jumps and tunnel. I did three pretty good teeters - with 2o2o at the end. And my jumps and tunnel were fine. But by the fourth time on the teeter, I had had enough and jumped off.

After that it was contacts and dogwalk/tunnel discrimination. Well, I had never seen a tunnel under a dogwalk before. What the heck was it doing there? I didn't like it. I went slowly into the tunnel and even refused to go in - my first tunnel refusal. Mom was so proud (NOT!). So my instructor worked on getting me over that too - she moved the tunnel away a little and had mom work on getting me to do the dogwalk. We also did dogwalk, tunnel, aframe, double jump. I knocked the bar on the double when I went over it at an angle. That's something we can practice at home.

Finally we did jumps - a little quiz on the LOP, pull and FC. Then we practiced doing fast downs on the table. I am good at that! And I stay put while mom walks away from me - so theoretically, she may be able to do a big lead out from the table once we start trialing.

All in all not a bad class. Tomorrow we are going to watch an agility trial and hopefully see some of our instructors (past and present) in action. Should be good for mom to watch and learn and good for me to soak up the sights and sounds.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky