Still practicing

Yesterday we set up our "dogwalk" - it's the up plank and middle part to a very mini-dogwalk and then our 8' teeter board with a hoop-type thing at the end to make me stay on the plank instead of jumping off. First we ran the DW with a target about 3' from the end. Then we did it without a target. Then we added a jump before and after the DW but keeping a straight line off the DW. We took video (9 minutes of it) and mom tried to edit it in WMM. The WMM froze and she lost all the editing work she had done so NO VIDEO!! Here are some snapshots we took from the video so you can see the set up. Does anyone think this "dogwalk" bares enough resemblance to the real thing to be helpful to us? I ran it quite fast.

Today we went to our 5th handling class. I haven't been posting much about this class. It is good and mom learns something every time we go, but for me the sequences or drills are mostly too short and I don't get going enough. However today we worked on front crosses (always good at motivating me) so the jumping part of class went well. Below is a photo of the set up for the drill:

I wish you could see the colors of the jumps so that I could explain the drill more easily to you. (maybe if you bigify?) I'll try any way. Start with the orange jump in the bottom left-hand corner of the photo then do the yellow jump right above it then take the 180 to the right and front cross in front of the red jump between the two people and then back to the orange (first jump). All of the drills start with the same three jumps - orange, yellow, 180 to red and then always front cross after red but then second time take the purple jump (to the right of the orange) and third time take the blue jump (closest to the right side of the photo) and last time take the teal jump (farthest away in the photo to the right of the instructor). So the point is to place your front crosses where it is best to get the tightest turn to lead your dog to the next jump. It was pretty fun and we set it up in our backyard to try tomorrow. If we can we'll post a video.

The rest of the class wasn't too great. My DW was still so slow (even with the work we have been doing), and much to mom's dismay, I wouldn't go through the chute at all. There was no wind blowing it open today and I just didn't want to run through that shiny, hot nylon material. Now mom is saying she may have to buy me a real chute. Has anyone bought one?

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

PS. Ok, that's good - at least you can bigify these photos and kind of make out the jump colors. I wasn't sure how it would work because we used Flip video and made snapshots from the video. Seems to work pretty well!

More agility

Sorry we forgot that it was Tricky T-Day today so we'll try to remember to play on the other T-Day in the week!

Since it's more or less summertime now, we spend far less time in the house and at the computer than we used to. So we get really behind at sharing our activites with all our blogging friends. We've been on some great walks - including a brand new place for me - a huge park about 45 minutes from here. We've been practicing a lot of backyard agility - working on running the down plank of the dog walk using my teeter board on a cement block (in my novice comp. class last Wednesday night, I jumped off the side of the down plank above the yellow twice! - mom was turning and trying to get me to go faster - so I did! - but now we have to work on making sure I know to go all the way to the end), practicing serpentines with two jumps and the tire, and throwing a food container (that bolt holder thingy that Sara told us about once - I can't remember what it was called) out ahead so that I run faster forward through the weaves or over jumps or down the dogwalk board. It works really well, but mom's not sure how that eventually translates into making me faster when she doesn't throw it. We'll make a video soon so you all can see.

Today we started a new class called handling drills and skills and it's held outdoors at the instructor's house at 9:30 in the morning. We had a great time! I was a little distracted when we first got there but I was soon able to focus better. There are only four dogs in the class - and they are all tri-colors! Two Berners and two Shelties! The small class size is wonderful but there are three jump heights so we are constantly running around changing the bars. Today's class was taught by Jenn Crank (her mom Susan is going to teach the rest of the time). It was very exciting to have a USA World Team member as our instructor. She is really good - and nice too. In this class we focused on forward sends and parallel sends. It's hard for me to get motivated to jump when we are drilling the two sends and mom is standing pretty close to the jump - I did ok but not great. I sped up some once we started trying to incorporate those moves into longer sequences. We also talked a lot about turning cues - like deceleration - we are never supposed to use "come," "here," or the dog's name as cues to turn. It should be all body language. The last sequence of the morning was the best for us - Jenn said mom's handling was excellent on that one!!! We are really looking forward to next week's class! (Our Wed. night class overlaps with our new class for two weeks - so we have class twice this week and next).

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Class 5, agility practice and reminiscing with videos

We've been getting in some agility practice this week in spite of the winter weather. Mom has been setting stuff up in our living room again. We've been using only 4 plungers as weaves because it's easier in the small space we have. I've been practicing entries and distance - mom is on one side of the couch or the other, depending on the set up.

When it's not super cold, we try to do a little practice outside. This morning mom had me doing some pretty fast weaving and also reviewing serpentines with her staying on one side.

Wednesday we did go to the morning practice at the club. Our first time on the course things went pretty well. But the second time we got in there, I found a tasty liver treat that some one had dropped on the floor - and that was the end of my ability to concentrate on what mom was saying. Everything she said to me sounded like "blahblahblah" - I didn't hear "Ricky" or "come" or "jump" or anything like those words. But the smell of liver was so enticing and I could've sworn I smelled it every where! Needless to say, that was the end of Wednesday morning practice.

Last night was our beginning intermediate class 5. We had the week before off for Thanksgiving. I was happy to be back in the class and only suffered from a little leftover sniffing from Wednesday morning. We have really been enjoying the repeat of this level of class. We like the instructors a lot and feel confident with the skills we are asked to perform. And each time we get more advice specifically for us to run better sequences. Like last night our instructor reminded mom that she needs to do more front crosses with me to speed me up and to really show me where I need to go. Other dogs might do ok with a pull or just running on the same side, but every time mom worked in a front cross, we did better. That's something important for her to remember when she starts walking courses and planning the best route. Also even though I am fairly good at holding my start-line stay, I do much better when mom runs with me.

Mom got to looking at some old video of me when I was just a little pup...she found this video of me playing with my friend Ciara when I was about 2 and 1/2 months old. I was so tiny back then, but pretty fearless! Ciara was also a puppy - maybe 4 months old - but look how big she was already! I miss Ciara but she's a lucky dog - she and her mom moved to a really neat house in the country where Ciara has a huge yard she runs in all day long. It was fun watching the video and remembering......

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Beginning intermediate agility class 5

I am happy to report that class 5 of beginning intermediate agility went well last night! I think going to the open practice on Wednesday really helped both me and mom be more confident! We arrived early again last night (only way to beat the traffic) and so we had plenty of time to warm up. Mom tried to get me to play tug - I managed to be slightly interested in my sock toy that I love when I'm at home but am too stressed out to play with at class. We are going to keep trying to get me to tug every week. We also did some pre-class weaves to have more experience with using the wires. It's going better each time - but I still don't see the point of having wires for me!

My first area during class was jumps. We practiced table and jumps and a sequence using the tire and a front cross close to the tire. Mom needed to make me turn tighter after the tire so she learned how to move to accomplish that.

Next we went to the weaves and jumps. My weaves are getting better - I am still way faster at home with my stick-in-the-ground poles and no distractions. We also did some straight line jumping to work on my speed (or lack thereof).

Then we went to the teeter and chute area. The first time I approached the teeter, I refused to go up. Mom didn't let me get away with that and put my slip lead on and then I went across willingly. Next time I wasn't fast but I did it on my own. The teeter at class and the one at the club are a lot bigger and heavier than the one I have at home and I am still getting used to how fast they tip and how LOUD they are when they hit the ground! I am making slow progress on the chute - I go in the barrel and don't come back out, but I wait to see mom peek through the end and then I go through even when she lets the material fall down on me. I know I am being goofy - but I will get it eventually.

Lastly we did the contacts. This week the tunnel was under the aframe. That didn't scare me like the tunnel under the dogwalk did. We practiced jump, double jump and either sending into the tunnel or over the aframe. My aframes were much faster after my practice at the club. Now mom is going to work on keeping her shoulders straight and her arm out and then lowering her arm as I go down into the contact area. In general mom needs to think more about the position of her shoulders and about where she is looking. If she gives me good cues, I can definitely follow her.

Our instructor said that I did better last night and seemed more confident and mom seemed more relaxed. Hopefully we are headed in a good direction now. This morning we did some practice in the backyard - the jump sequence from last night with the front cross, some weaves and teeter. It went very well! We have also started to get serious about practicing a start line ritual. Now that the weather has cooled off, we hope to get in lots of practicing before winter. I like agility a lot more when it's cool outside!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky