Tuesday's handling class

Our handling class on Tuesday was lots of fun! We got to run a course! First we practiced it in sections and talked about handling options - and we thought about what would work best for each dog. Every time we run, mom tries to think of ways to get in movement to speed me up but she still ends up standing around a lot instead of moving faster. You can see it in the video. Then when it was time to run the entire course we started out jump, chute. I balked at the chute of course and mom told me to get in there and go through. I did and then we were fairly fast to the table. I had to do a down on the table and I SLOWLY did it (we practice downs on the table at home and I am good at them there). As I got released from the table, I smelled something really, really good! I think a treat had been dropped on the ground. Apparently time outs are not legal in agility and mom came over and redirected me and then I remembered why I was out there! I took off! Mom was running faster than ever (I know it looks slow in the video but believe me, I could barely keep up with her)! It was a great feeling to run so fast on a course - mom collapsed on to the ground when it was over - she really is a wimp when it comes to running! Now if we can have the confidence to run like that in a trial!

In other news, today is Thursday, our tRicky T-Day and yesterday we did try some free timing. As predicted, it did not go very well. So we are sticking with agility as our trick today and we'll try some free timing again for next week. Or if that doesn't work out, we will post a regular trick video. Sorry Ludo but hopefully you'll enjoy my agility tricks in the videos from class! (I think the best part is me hopping nose-first off the table and ignoring mom so that I can find that tasty treat - BOL!)

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Front cross drills

So on Wednesday we practiced the front cross drill from our Tuesday handling class. It was fun and went well (although I was not as fast as mom would have wanted)! I had a major barking fit between the 3rd and 4th exercise, so mom had to spend some time editing this video. Sorry mom but something was out front of the house and I wanted you to know!

We're going to try this again some time and see if we can speed it up a little!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Candid shots from class

When we first got involved in blogging and YouTubing, one of the first YouTube channels we subscribed to was HannahB539 - Hannah has great agility and trick-training videos! Well, we knew that she lived in the central Ohio area, just like us. So one day at a trial we met her and her family (all really nice people). And so we have become agility friends! Hannah's sister Emily (who also has an agility training YouTube channel - AgilityAddict56) is taking our handling class. A couple of weeks ago, Hannah took some candid shots of me at class and she shared them with us and gave us permission to post them here! Thanks Hannah! We think you take great pictures!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

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!

Tricky T-Day

It's Thursday so here is our Tricky T-Day video! This is my newest trick - dig! We used a post-it on the floor for me to target to start out. It didn't take long for me to dig since it's a well-known motion any way. Next mom wants to get me to dig with both paws, but we're not sure how to go about doing that.

On Tuesday we went to our second handling class. It went well and we worked on lateral sends. Mom also asked the instructor what to do about discriminations and the fact that I don't really know (or listen to) the obstacle names. She said the only obstacle I really need to know the name of is tunnel. Mom needs to use her body language to help me to go to the correct obstacle. Then if there are contact obstacle/tunnel discriminations and mom says "tunnel" I had better go for the tunnel!!!! So we are practicing this week - starting out with me standing right in front of the tunnel and then backing up a little and then from different angles. I am doing very well if tunnel is the only thing around. Once another obstacle is near-by then I want to do that one. Guess it will take some time.

Last night was our last novice competition class. We went early and got to practice the chute. I am happy to say I went flying through it. Then when we had the chute in sequences during the class, I also went through with no problem. Now if I can just do that in a trial!

Speaking of trials - we are running on Friday and Saturday this weekend - AKC in the good old horse barn! Two runs per day - JWW and STD. This is my third trial and the first time we are trying to run two days. Friday is supposed to be very hot and humid so mom is worried about how we will hold up. (Although she sees me chase plenty of squirrels in super hot weather so I should be able to do some agility too)!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

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