We went to Hutto this weekend for two days of AKC Agility. I’m always torn about showing there–the surface is slippery, but my dogs seem to manage on it ok. Turns out this will be the last trial there–they are making at least half the building into a warehouse. Turns out, it was worth the drive.
Saturday was a difficult day to top. Both Trip and Mardi Double Qd, and both girls got first place in all of their runs. Granted, it was a one judge trial, but still, that’s fantastic, especially for Mardi. They handled the surface pretty well–better at the end of the course then at the beginning. To celebrate, we went to eat at one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, Chuy’s. Yum!
There was nowhere for us to go on Sunday but down. Mardi had a spin on each course that resulted in backjumping. She now had a tendency to give me all or nothing–in truth, I can live with that. I’d rather a QQ one day and nothing the next, than a Q each day. Trip Double Qd AGAIN, with two first place runs. I was so very proud of her–she was just trying so hard! Her dogwalk was PERFECT both runs–3 strides on the downside, putting her deep in the yellow. What a good girl! Trip will finish her career in Hutto 8/8, with 4 QQs–no too shabby 🙂
Agility by .
Well, last weekend I did an ASCA trial with Trip, specifically to go out there and work on her contacts (specifically the teeter and dogwalk). I wanted to work on reinforcing the stop on the dogwalk, and see how that lesson sunk in. Well, in short, it didn’t. I’ve done this before (where I’ve taken her off the course for running the DW), and this was another attempt, this time repeating the contact when she ran it. It just doesn’t carry over. She’ll will stop the second time EVERY time, but that first one, she just doesn’t do it. And the next run, we start all over.
Of course, it’s not like she’s missing the dogwalk contact either. Some of her running dogwalks this weekend were spectacular (and she did hit every one). So, after this weekend, I decided, the hell with it, I’m going to train a running dogwalk. At least then what I get in practice and what I get at a show will be the same thing. I’ve decided to do what Sylvia Trkman does, with having the dog run a board, and just reinforce for not “leaping” from the board. This is what Trip does naturally on the DW anyway, and why I think she’s so successful doing an “untrained” running DW. I got out my Treat & Train, and started running a board, which Trip figured out in about 2 attempts. I really just need to work on getting her up to “competition” speed in practice, since she still is a little hesitant on the entire dogwalk. Lots of work making her stop in practice.
So, we’ll see how this progresses. I really think it can only help her dogwalks in competition, since at least she will have some consistency. But darnit, my next dog will have a perfect 2o2o on the darn dogwalk!
Agility Running Dogwalk Trip by .
Did 2/3 days of the Memorial Day AKC trial in Hitchcock. We didn’t do too terrible. Trip got two JWW legs, managing fun new ways of not qualifying in standard (bouncing off the table), and leaving the teeter early AGAIN! That has GOT to stop–it’s getting old. Now, there were some complaints about the way this particular teeter was dropping, but still, I don’t think that’s a good excuse for Miss Trip. She did get 1st in both JWW runs–her Monday run was nice and tight, only one or two extra strides on a rear cross at the end. Her Sunday JWW run, the only real turn on the course, she went wide, AND it was the beginning, so very frustrating. My goal for the weekend was to tighten up, so still need improvement there (her standard runs were very efficient). Trip also had an 80 point FAST run, in 28+ seconds–it was darn near perfect, so that was nice. Yippee, another leg towards the century title (I’m not holding my breath) 🙂
Mardi only finished one course on Sunday (she was apparently looking for the fastest way to get back to her crate, and blowing the dogwalk was it), but Monday, she Double Qd, with a 4th in JWW and a 1st in Std. Not bad for a rescue girl who’s about to turn 8. Only 3 more for MACH2–maybe we can get it at Reliant, which would be fun since my friend Jen will be in town for the show from Vegas with her BC. That’s the same show where Mardi got her first MACH (the first MACH title I ever earned), so it would definitely be sweet.
I ran Lyly again this weekend, and she did really well. She was 3/4, with two JWW legs, and a QQ! That’s #2 for Tulsa, so fingers crossed that we are finally clicking. She worked really hard, got every contact, and managed to do a decent job of keeping the bars up on a horrible surface. I’m so proud of her–hopefully we can keep it up!
I’ll be doing some ASCA with Trip this weekend to work on her contacts. She occasionally needs a refresher, and now would be one of those times. Her dogwalk is getting iffier too, so we’ll see what I can do to help that as well.
