Category: Blog

I would especially like EE and Paula Weir to take a look at this movie, I think its about 2 minutes.

Macy and I really rocked it in agility class again.  I LOVE being in this class.  We have to work hard at just getting through the course, and I think both of us are gaining confidence in each other.

We started out with a Snooker course, and as I suspected, Macy is a good snooker dog.  I’ve found that Velcro beagles do well on snooker courses as they stick close and don’t do anything unless you tell them to. 

Also did something I rarely do, and asked for advice on how to run a course on the later course.  We did well, but I fumbled a bit in the middle of the course, and couldn’t figure out if I tripped or was n the wrong place.

EE suggested a front cross which I rarely think of, and instead of thinking I want to do a front cross, I thought, I want to get to that spot and move there … IT WORKED and Macy and I completely got the touch course.

I really think it is building confidence – mine in Macy and hers in me. 

Our biggest problem is sniffing – she gets on the table and immediately starts sniffing and the sniffing is getting us in trouble at the weaves.  Since I can’t do what I do for most sniffing – become more interesting, I am going to try to train a behavior that is incompatible with sniffing.

I am going to click her for each time she stops sniffing and connects with me.

I started doing that at the trial this weekend, and it did seem to help us. 

I’ve got another place where she does a lot of that – Dog City Training Center – and I’ve scheduled three facility rentals.  Might even pay for a private lesson. 

Interesting Standard run.  Was slow, but with me.  Couldn’t do the stay on the table and we both fell apart that.

We’ll try again in April.

We were clean except for the weaves, and I forgot that they judge them in Open.  We had two refusals and time faults.  Just a bit too much for Open.

Everyone said she was more attentive than usual and faster.  By the way, the time faults was the weaves.

So I what to work on.  She also did not hesitate on the Triple so that’s a plus!

It’s the closest we’ve come to Qing in Open.

We got our first check for modeling—$50.00 –- pretty good deal!

She got everything but the stay on the table.  She had the table, had the down, got up on two and wouldn’t lay back down. 

So basically today she did everything but ran out of time.  Of course, 90 seconds is a heck of a long time, and wouldn’t make for a Q.

She was with me the entire way, but her nose got caught a bunch of times.  Really need to work on that this week!  She did refuse the triple but eventually got over it.  Time ran out when we were in the weaves.

But no wandering off!

We went to Rally last night, even though I was exhausted.  Did get three turns in, and had two decent runs at the course.  As always, we’re having problems with stays.

Today we’re waiting our turn for Agility, I really want to be out of Novice this weekend, but whatever goes, goes.  Nothing I can really do about it, but do my best handling.

I’m planning on doing some facility rental and work on her sniffing.  It’s really bad there now, and I am going to work on clicking for walking with her head up and finally walking around, with her head up and paying attention to me.

Actually her classes were good, but she and I were both off for the trial.  We did have sunshine and I did stay outside most of the day, BUT it took forever to get to our turn.

They started with FAST and I had no idea how long that would take and left an hour later.  Even ended up taking my cold weather gear off it was so warm, but we didn't get in our first run until way after 1:00 pm.

Next trial will probably be longer, can't remember if they are doing fast, but they are doing a Parade of Veterans.  That's weekend after next.

Needless to say, no Qs and we're still in Novice.  But I think we'll be out of Novice soon.  She missed only the teeter — got on it and bailed, and then on Sunday, got the teeter but forgot the word "Sit".  Said it thirty or so times, tryed getting her to down, tried getting her to touch, nothing worked.