Category: Blog

Triagility – needs 3 dogs per team

Sent to the wrong end of the 2 tunnel twice but rest was clean.

G1 dog Qed but not Macy and Madison as the are G2

Standard intermediate

Had trouble with the weave entry and dog walk. Everything else good. Especially teeter

I worked as gate steward, decided I was too exhausted to do any more and came home, but the following are the courses we would have one.

Standard intermediate – with a down on the table

Louganis

Missing the map, will have to see if I still have it.

I was guilted into working today and now we know why I don't work at trials. Bar setting wasn't bad because only one dog knocked a bar but gate stewarding was way harder than I expected.

Heading out because I am not asking dog to do something she does not like when I don't feel well.

Met a new friend who trains rescue beagles in Oklahoma.

But with my chronic illnesses, the most I can handle is my dogs. And I am only running one right now.

Sent from my Windows Phone

I got this skateboard last summer, and have been using it with both Macy and Dulce to help them with the teeter.  I swear I have worked both dogs about the same, maybe Dulce less as she is so easy.

Macy with the Skateboard

Dulce with the Skateboard

Some more interesting facts:

• They are aunt and niece – Macy’s father is Dulce’s grandfather.
• They came from the same breeder.
• Macy is definitely a pet.

Now we know why Macy has so many agility issues (okay, I already knew).  Rich says that when he took the girls walking in the park, Macy saw a snowman and ran the other way from it.

He had to take a short detour to get her to stay on the walk.  He is cute, she is annoying.

We had a real nice, but slow Jumpers run.  Every one agreed that she was going in the right direction the whole time, but just not moving fast enough – and also didn’t think it was me.

On the other hand, we had a REALLY bad Standard run where she was back to not wanting to do agility at all.

Not sure why, but husband has been making comments about her weight.

She knocked the second bar in jumpers so I worked distance and speed to see how I could push. Ended up with No tunnel and no weaves but fast.

Q rate 4/10

She refused the teeter but got back on. Not sure If she was in the paint going down or not. Got everything else.

Yeah, she got a refusal and time so she didn't Q but at least she did the teeter!

Q rate 4/11 which is better than last year.

Posted with BloghuB for Windows Phone 7

Went to agility class with Donna Ward last night.  Picked her up and dumped in the car.  Was fine in it, as usual.  Willingly got in at the end of class.  I randomly treat that behavior now, and I think I rewarded it last night.

Had some issues with her at class.  She was more interested in smelling the barn then playing with me and eating food.  A few times, I stuck food in her face where she was sniffing and she wasn’t interested.  Did add stinky chicken which helped, but then she wasn’t willing to disconnect to go through tunnels and such.

Baby steps.

And man, a long day.

She came car sick. Back in May, I brought her home and she was a mess. Covered on droll. She was also in the car a week later when we were rear-ended.

She is better now, she is only reluctant when getting in from the garage. I often deal with it as a management issue and pick her up and put her in the car but life would be easier if she would willingly get in her by herself.

She is fine on trips now and when we are at a trial all day. She will also get in and out on leash okay.

<Shrug>
Posted with BloghuB for Windows Phone 7

We were 4 seconds short of Qing in Jumpers.  Running, with me, no excursions, but slightly behind me the whole trip.  If she would just pick it up.

Standard was interesting.  I was doing a bit of stressing as the judge was standing just where I wanted to do on each run, and I left it to her to get out of the way.  Need the map for this, but she had the tunnel under the a-frame, and I needed to be at the fulcrum of the teeter.  Her way put me behind Macy and I needed to be ahead of her.

I went my way and it worked, Macy came out of the tunnel and I was standing by the teeter calmly.  She went up, and bailed.  Couldn’t figure out what to do – call her up the teeter and leave, or go on.  She made the decision, she went on.  I knew that calling her away from the obstacles would bother her – little stressor that she is, so I did the best thing.  Cooing “good girl, good girl”and scooping her up.  Held her and hugged her to the leash.

It worked out exactly the way I would have wanted it if I had to not Q.  SHE made the choice to get back on the teeter. 

Q rate for the year – 4 out of 9.  Way better than the old one.  — 0 —

And yes, we are getting closer, and I’m being patient on the baby steps.

Oh, and I’m seeing a different dog outside the ring – she is barking and demanding that I tell her to do something and reward her.  I am not sure I like that dog, but that dog does agility better.

We have:

2 Open Jumpers Legs (need one to move up, but do I want to).

1 Open Standards Leg

1 Open Fast Leg

A good old friend reminded me today that the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing and expecting a different outcome, in reference to my 24+ year history of beagles.

However, I don’t expect a different outcome.  I love my beagles, love their attitude.

And by the way, we never thought Macy was a distance dog, but she got her first Open Fast Q today with a lovely send:

Macy Open Fast Q #1

Stupid comment of the weekend – “ yeah, everyone in the building heard you.”  a) dog wants me to have energy in my voice which translates to loud when you are a soprano b) made the judge remember my Q yesterday when the scribe forgot to record the send.  As always, get over yourself.