Keep moving forward

Class today was about forward motion front crosses which are way better for me and Ricky than rear crosses. However, my problem continues to be that I get too far ahead of Ricky. So in one case, I was already rotated and finished with my FC before Ricky even got to the jump, and I presented him with complete collection cues. This does not work for my sensitive boy - he basically comes to a dead stop before jumping. I was told to try again and to send him to the jump and keep moving and this helped to motivate him a lot.

I watch the demonstrations of the "right" way to handle a sequence, but most of the time the "right" way doesn't apply to my team. My instructor has offered to let me run one of her dogs in class but I want to do agility with Ricky. So when will I finally get it in my head that I have to make my own handling decisions (often on the fly) to do what works best for us? I am lucky to have a teacher who will help me to look for those options!

We had fun though! And I really enjoy watching classmates and their dogs who have made significant progress. Class is my escape from reality - hard to think of anything else when doing agility!

Rules were made to be broken

It was a picture perfect day today so we took Ricky to the Alum Creek beach. It is the closest thing we can get to a real beach any where near us. Ricky loves it! For a dog that does not like to swim, he sure enjoys himself every time we take him there. Pets are prohibited on the beach. It is a rule I don't mind breaking considering another rule is "littering is prohibited" and plenty of people seem to be breaking that one. What are people thinking?

Any way, Ricky ran right down to the lake and started biting at the little waves.

He was not sure about the buoy but only barked a couple times.

He loves to run!

He came charging back for a treat of course!

Sandy dirty feet.

He somehow got into some big burrs but was good about having them pulled out.

We had a really good and fun and relaxing time! Hope to get out there again soon!

Rear crossing Ricky

Not an easy task in class. But today was all about rears - at the jump, on the flat, parallel. I understand them and so does Ricky but in class we do forced rears - I slow way down and keep telling him to go ahead and jump. He is more willing to do them at home. For anyone who is working on them, lateral motion into the dog is very important and also keeping your dog-side arm straight out in front of you to send the dog ahead is also important. And timing. Just like all of agility, I guess.

After one sequence with rears, Ricky and I went back to motivational handling (with the blessing of the instructor). I really like that she will encourage me to handle Ricky in ways that are best for us rather than making us stick to the class plan.

Agility handling seems so confusing sometimes. But isn't it really simple in the end? I'm sure I will feel differently one day if I have a super-fast driven dog. :)

Retrieve

So I have been incredibly lazy and unmotivated these days. Poor Ricky. But when we do train something, he has an extra little spring in his step. He is very enthusiastic. Last night we reviewed retrieving. I put out quite a few objects - plastic ice cream scoop, little bowl, nerf ball, basket, dumbbell, sock, etc. in one room and then go into another room and send Ricky to get items and bring them to me. He loves this. Awesome since it was so difficult to teach him to walk with something in his mouth. :)

Any way, one of the things he retrieves is an old tv remote with the batteries removed. He brought that to me and I said, "Go get another one" and he trotted off. He came back with the little battery compartment cover that had apparently fallen off the remote. It was too cute.

Ricky is such a good boy!

Pretty Poor Park Pictures

From a couple weeks ago:

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Yes we are still taking classes!

We are still taking class every Tuesday morning. I have a really good time - I LOVE dogwalks the most - sometimes I am sort of fast on jumps and tunnels and sometimes pokey.

At home though, I am FAST.

We sort of gave up on the multiple target idea but use them at the end of sequences - usually a thrown piece of chicken.

Mom is supposed to come up with a word or action that will get me jazzed up at the startline. Ideas?

Here is an interesting tidbit - when we first started learning agility and mom had no idea how to move for a front cross or a rear cross, she did a bunch of blind crosses (not knowing what they were). The instructors were all - NOOO - no blinds - keep your eyes on your dog. And nowadays what is all the rage?  - the blind cross! LOL!

Mom says she will help me to write a proper post again one day with video and everything, but I am telling you not to hold your breath!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Wordless Wednesday

A Special Visit!

Yesterday Katie's mom and dad came to visit me! They came in the door and I immediately started licking both of them (my dad calls me Licky). Katie's mom said I was so small and she was surprised at how not shy I was. I guess she was prepared to have to be patient and wait for me to come to her, etc.

So the evening was all about me! I licked them, brought tug toy after tug toy to them, tried to steal blueberries and strawberries from them. Whined a little, jumped on them a little - did everything I could think of so they would have to keep all of their attention on ME.

For some weird reason, they went to work with my mom and dad. I took a nap so I would be refreshed and ready to go when they got home. And boy was I ready! But then it got late and the talking just went on and on. I got sleepy and knew that it was way past our bedtime. I was sleeping on mom's lap for awhile and then  I couldn't take it any more and just started whining and whining. It was time for Katie's mom and dad to goooooo!

Finally the moms and dads agreed with me and I got some special good-bye pats. Katie's mom promises to come back some day and bring Katie with her. I think that would be a lot of fun!

Thanks for visiting me!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

The Last Two Weeks of Class

Mom has been busy doing everything but helping me to blog. We have been to two classes since we last wrote about my target. We brought the target to both classes. The first time our teacher suggested that mom cut the target down and make it much smaller and harder to see. She also wanted me to work on driving to the target. Target = Drive. And mom should say "Target" to me.

I was taught to do the agility equipment first and then run to the target. So like weaves to target. I got very confused when all I had to do was go straight to the target. We worked on that and it was so easy once I figured it out.

At the second class, we had my tiny target and for the first time ever, I cheated and went from doing some jumps with mom to skipping straight over to the chicken on the target. Ha! So now I have to learn that if I hear "Target", I can go to it. If I don't hear that word, I should do whatever else it is that mom wants. We did an exercise where my target was on the other side of a jump but I was not supposed to go to it - just jump and go to mom. That did not work at all! I couldn't understand why - if I jumped - I could not go to the chicken. Even if mom had chicken in her hand, it was not as valuable as chicken on the target. I kept trying things - like the DW, or the tunnel, or going to the teacher. Anything EXCEPT going back to mom. Guess what we are to work on for this week? :)

Mom is not sure where all this is going to lead. She always knew that fading the target was necessary. I guess I am supposed to think there could be a target anywhere and keep going fast just in case. I don't know - I am pretty smart and I think I would know if there were a target or not.

To be continued.........

Mom is doing something called The Rite of Spring at work next week and we have to miss our class! I am not happy about it but she needs the money to pay for more of my classes. :)

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Renting the Building

Our agility class has been on a two-week break. So a classmate of ours asked if we would like to rent the training building with her once each week. We said yes! Mom had been thinking for a long time that she wanted to see how I would do in the building with my target plate since I love that at home so much.

It worked wonders! I cannot worry about anything when I know there is chicken sitting on the target waiting for me! Last week mom was totally flabbergasted at my dogwalk and aframe performance! I jumped the apex of the aframe - our classmate asked mom where I learned to do that and mom said that was the first time it ever happened and I learned on my own!

The video is from our practice this week. It's kind of hard to tell but mom is really running!



Class starts again next week and I can't wait!!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Mish Mash Monday

Lots of pretty hemlocks in the park we hiked in last week! Notice I am wearing my "I am not a fox" vest!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Today is my Birthday!

If you are on FB with mom, you already know this. But I turned 6 today! We combined my birthday and Valentine's Day yesterday and went on a hike! We drove about an hour south of here and were expecting partly sunny skies and 50. But we had snow and 35! The snow was very wet and was dropping in big globs off the trees. It seemed like it was raining. And it was windy.

None of that bothered me at all! We did the pet trail and parts of some side trails that don't really allow dogs but no one was around. It was very pretty and very quiet. I loved it!

Dad tried to get some pictures but none of them turned out. Here is one that is passable:

So I didn't get any presents or anything but mom thinks I should give her a present - now that I am 6, she wants me to stop barking at cars. Hmmm......I'll take it into consideration but I can't make any promises!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Last class for this session

Yesterday was our last class until March. We got to run two courses. I had everyone cheering at the end of my first run! It has been a great experience for both me and mom to go back to agility classes.

A friend asked if we wanted to rent the building with her for an hour next week. I think we are going to and mom says she'll bring my targets! That will be so much fun - I can't wait!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Can we stay?

We went to our class this morning! Mom warmed me up with a jump and the chute and the teeter. With the promise of chicken at the end, I tipped that big heavy teeter faster than ever before! Chicken is an amazing motivator!

Class started with us working at a single jump on taking the backside of the jump. Funny but yesterday at home we did a little treiball for the first time in a long time. Mom would send me around to the back of the ball and have me push it to her. This translated perfectly to me going around the outside of the wing to the back of the jump.

Little dogs got to run the sequence first. Mom messed me up some but I had fun any way. I got to do my first-ever wall jump too.

When class was over, we went out of the ring to get my harness and stuff. But I didn't want to go. While mom was listening to the teacher, I went back out to the ring and started up the dogwalk. Mom let me finish it and then tried to get me to go with her. I just laid down in the ring and stayed there. Mom walked away but I held fast. I wanted to keep doing agility!

Unfortunately class was really over so I had to leave with mom. I can't wait until next week!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Tuesday

Last Tuesday morning it was 6 degrees. This morning it was 60. Ohio weather is very schizophrenic.

We went to class and I don't have much to say. I did alright but wasn't on fire like last week. We did some weave-entry drills and some sequences with special timing of front crosses.

The news of the day is this:

Mom and I went on our usual morning walk in our neighborhood. We were a couple streets over from our house, walking on the sidewalk when we look across the street and see a COYOTE lying in these people's front yard. Dead. But looking like it just fell asleep in the middle of the grass. Now you know, we live in a Columbus city neighborhood with lots of houses and sidewalks, etc. Very out of the ordinary.

Poor coyote. But what the heck do you do with a dead coyote in your yard?


Gotta zoom!

Ricky