USDAA agility is tough. High jumps (26 inches for Tripp, who is 25 inches tall) and perfect "clean" runs to qualify for titles. What was I thinking starting out here? LOL (Well, as you may recall, it's simply because they allow colored dogs, so I wouldn't have to forgo trials due to creative grooming.) As competitive as it may be, I generally find it to be a pleasant experience. This weekend was particularly good. I really loved this judge, who was very helpful and nice, and obviously having fun. Makes for a great day, regardless of results. On the plus side, Tripp earned a 2nd leg towards his first Gamblers title. I am hoping we can finish it later this year. We still have one in Standard class, but I may leave that outstanding and move to Performance division where the jumps are lower. Although this will be easier on Tripp's body, it won't necessarily make titling any easier! On the down side, Tripp had a setback during training last week, slipping off the dogwalk and aggravating an old injury. Thankfully nothing serious enough to keep us from running agility, but plenty to make me worry. Of course, it doesn't take much to do that - we're all paranoid about our babies. I was actually a bit surprised to see him moving as well as he did when I played back the trial footage in slow motion. However, I also see movements that are not normal for him, confirming a slight imbalance (which we've been struggling with for a while). While he may be well enough to perform, we also don't want to push too hard and delay truly full recovery. Now I'm glad there are no more USDAA trials to tempt us for a couple months. I set the video to slo-mo to evaluate Tripp's performance, but also found it helpful to see the subtleties of my handling. I included this & my notes in the footage below, since it may be of interest or helpful to other handlers. But since I am obviously FAR from being a pro, I would also welcome constructive feedback from knowledable agility folk.
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With the summer heat, July also brought our first freestyle demo of the year. Once again we were to perform at the Brimfield Farmers Market/Family Fun Day in MA. There were demonstrations, live music, vendors, and of course fresh produce. It's a small event, but oh so nice. We were so happy to be invited back, and what a great turnout - 10 freestyle teams performing this year! Tripp & I debuted our new routine to "Jump" by Van Halen. Well, most of it. Admittedly, it is very new, and we had practically no rehersal of the entire thing to music - just been piecing together the moves. So considering everything, I guess we didn't do too badly. Unfortunately, near the end, he flew over my head (right) then flew out of the ring (wrong). At least I learned not to aim him at the exit for that move! LOL But it was all over after that. Distractions abounded, and my patience dwindled. He continued to ignore me after I finally got him back in the ring, so I had to remove him. At least it was almost over, but I was bummed that we didn't get to finish properly. I am just thankful that the rest of the routine was impressive enough that people seem to remember that, and not the frustrated handler giving up and walking out. Hey, I'm only human. Hopefully, we will do better next time. We have less than a month to practice (and a very busy schedule) so I'm not expecting perfection... but it'd be nice to at least finish it. ;-) Next demo also coincides with an AKC rally trial, so crossing fingers that Tripp has better focus!! The PomPoms also performed as the grand finale. Again, with little practice together, and a brand new member, I must say we pulled it off pretty decently! There were several photographers snapping pictures of everyone, obviously a talented bunch both in and out of the ring - they captured many beautiful shots of each team. Here are a few favorites of "Team TnT". (Click the pic for larger view and info.) ...and we did both on the same day! June 23 & 24 found us once again in Westfield, Mass for a UKC rally trial. This would be our first time out competing for Rally Championship points. Talk about a busy weekend! Tripp competed in 8 trials in just 2 days... hot summer days outdoors, no less, with a thick coat to boot. We've had a good track record of straight Qs in UKC rally all the way up through level 3. This weekend broke that record and gave us our first NQs. However, it also gave us a total of 50 championship points and another High in Trial. Plus 6 Qs out of 8 trials still isn't a bad average. ;-) To earn a UKC Rally Obedience Champion title, one must compete in both level 2 & 3 to earn a total of 100 points. Required qualifying score is much higher than a regular Q (91 vs. 70), and the number of points you earn is dependent upon score - the higher your score, the more points you earn. There is also a separate Excellent title, which is not dependent upon score, but requires combined regular Qs in both levels at the same trial. We only earned 2 legs towards that one this weekend. URX requires 10 legs. Saturday, Trial 1: Level 2 we earned a 98 and 1st place. Level 3 we earned another 98 and 2nd place. Trial 2: Level 2, yet another 98 and 2nd place. Level 3 we did well on course, but unfortunately Tripp melted during the Sit-Stay Honor exercise. It had been a long day in the heat and the twerp thought lying down in the grass was a much better idea. That gave us our first NQ. Sunday, Trial 1: Level 2 the 98's continue! It was like a running gag at this point. LOL Also took 3rd place with that one. Level 3 was a decent run overall, but Tripp moved his feet during a stand-stay as I walked around him, and unfortunately I did not catch it or hear the judge call "fault" and we continued on. Incorrectly performed exercise = NQ. If I'd heard her warning I could've retried that exercise for a 10 point deduction. We wouldn't have made any CH points, but at least it would've been a Q and counted towards URX. Funny enough, I think Barb (our judge) was more bummed about that mistake than we were. Trial 2: Level 2, take a wild guess.. yep, another 98! And another 2nd place. Level 3, I was worried at first... the morning Honor was a down-stay, so I fully expected the afternoon to be a sit. To my relief, however, Barb VERY generously made this one a down as well, so all the hot and tired dogs got off "easy" at the end of this long weekend. Tripp still needed extra encouragement to keep his energy up on course, which wasn't the easiest thing as I was hot and tired too, and not feeling the greatest. But we made it through with a fairly nice performance (you know I'm a perfectionist) and this time earned a perfect score of 100 and took High in Trial. (What's that, our 4th HIT? Wow!) So it was a great finish to the weekend. We gathered Tripp's massive haul of ribbons and prizes and set up for a photo shoot to commemorate our win and other placements. While the official photographer did his thing, my mom caught a nice shot of us from a different angle. The video turned out quite long, as it includes all 8 of our trials. Probably just as well we didn't film the Honor exercise too! Dec. 30, 2010 Re: Tripp's awards... "At just 18 months, that boy has sure developed quite a resume of his own, plus given me a nice collection of show ribbons. I joke that he’ll have to retire by the time he’s 3, as I’ll run out of wall space!" ... Memorial Day weekend, 2012. Just a couple weeks shy of Tripp's 3rd birthday. We are officially out of wall space, with his current configuration of ribbons and other awards. Have no fear, he will not be retiring any time soon... but I will need to find new space for displaying prizes. It'd be a shame to stash any of them in a drawer. Perhaps it is time to get creative and make a ribbon wreath or quilt or something crafty like that... So, I entered the ASCNE agility trials after much deliberation on which classes to do. I settled on regular agility for Sat. and gamblers/jumpers on Sun. And then nothing went right. I didn't get my entry in soon enough and ended up wait listed. I figured that was it, no agility for the weekend, and local ASCA sanctioned events are few and far between. Major lost opportunity. But surprise, I eventually got a message saying I was pulled from the list and could compete on Sunday after all! Too bad I didn't enter regular classes that day - I was really hoping to work on finishing that title. I didn't have any points in the other classes. Still, I accepted (of course!) Then we had to figure out how to adjust my payment, as they had my check for two days and now I was only running one. After discussing it, we decided I'd write a new check and include a SASE for them to mail my old one back to me. Literally a day after I put that in the mail, I got another message. Entries opened up on Sat. as well, and now we could run both days if desired! You'd think that'd be exciting news, but after just switching things around, it was only more hassle. For various other reasons, I decided to just stick with the one day. While I'm still bummed at missing the opportunity to finish Tripp's RS-N title, I am glad we didn't do both days. Esp. if Sat. would've started out as crappy as Sun. did... Did I mention that after I decided on classes according to the tentative schedule, they went and changed the running orders? They do have that right, but how annoying! Turns out I would have bigger gaps between classes than hoped for. Plus they moved gamblers to the end of the day. We'd have to run in jumpers first. That's the toughest class, requring clean runs. It's nicer to do gamblers first so if the dog acts up, it doesn't necessarily mean an NQ - as long as you get the points in time, the dog can zoomie like a fool and hopefully get it out of his system before the other classes. ;-) Minor detail, but the new running order was just one of the little things that added up into a big mess. I rose with the dawn (way too early!) as I had to be at the trial for general briefing at 7:30. Yet another hiccup - I planned to check in on Sat, so could skip the meeting on Sun and come later. Now I was stuck with no ring times until the second half of the day. I had no idea how long the day would be! So I get there just in time for breifing, after a lousy drive, taking wrong turns (because the written directions were wrong, and my GPS doesn't know the right way, and even though I'd been to the fairgrounds several times and even had my own correct written directions I failed to look at them or remember the way or just read the stupid highway signs properly!) plus forgetting my water bottle (I did have a cooler with waters, but no ice for me). Not a good start. When I finally arrived at the trial, honestly, the briefing didn't seem all that essential. I mean, yes, it was somewhat important, but if I'd missed it, I think we wouldn't gotten by just fine. That wasn't the biggest annoyance though - turns out the trial was likely to go on until after 7 pm! Our first estimated ring time wasn't until around 3:15! Great. So I got up early just to sit around doing nothing for nearly 8 hours, on a hot day, in my car or travel chair (either of which kills my back after so much time), with nothing but friggin port-o-potties (like I said, it's the little things - I just prefer real plumbing, ya know), not to mention one bored Poodle who would probably be so frustrated by the time it was our turn he'd instantly NQ. I paced back and forth, and sat and stressed for about half an hour, then said screw it and left. There was no way I'd make it through the day. The way things started out, I seriously considered scratching the whole thing! Prospects for a good outcome we not looking promising. There went a quarter tank of gas for a pointless and irritating drive. After getting back home and putting some good food in my stomach I felt somewhat better. Sleep deprivation and low blood suger just don't mix well for me. I got a few things done, but otherwise relaxed and considered our options for the day. In the end, I did go back. Mostly because I'm too cheap to just throw away an entry fee. Things went smoother. It may have been a rough start, but everything turned out well in the end... VERY well, in fact... Tripp ran beautifully in jumpers! It was a trickier course than it seemed at first glance, a good test of handling skills. Tripp was right with me, focused, and fast! Standard course time was set at 31.33 seconds - Tripp did it in 18.79! He took 1st Place out of 7 dogs, and earned a 10 point Q. He needs 20 points for that title, so we are halfway there already. :-) We had quite a bit of time until gamblers, and I thought about scratching and just going home so I could be back at a reasonable time. But I didn't want to walk out on the trial again. Things moved along more swiftly than expected, and I passed some time by volunteering as leash runner, as they were short on workers at that point in the day. I also couldn't resist trying the gamblers course we were in for. It was the screwiest looking thing I'd ever seen! They call it a "box gamble" - the closing sequence is in the middle of the course. Apparently it is not done often. Lucky me. LOL I'd never seen anything like it, so it really threw me for a loop, but I took it as a challenge. Had no expectations of succeeding at it, but if nothing else I wanted to be able to tell my trainer about it, and say "what the..?" I studied that map forever, and figured out the best way to send Tripp for maximum points. Amazingly, it turned out to be one of our best gamblers runs yet! We racked up 29 points in the opening (we only needed 15!) for a total of 49 points with the gamble. When the timer sounded, we were in just the right spot to do the gamble, so got through that in plenty of time. I had hoped to do one more obstacle first, but it worked out just fine. Another 1st Place, this time only out of 2 dogs, and another Q & halfway to that title as well. The lesson of today's story is: Don't give up. Like the ears on a blue Poodle, every cloud really does have a silver lining. ;-) This could be the start of a favorable year for agility! After winter break, my handling had gotten so rusty, however Tripp was just as good as where we left off. A refresher course brought me somewhat up to speed, and I prepared for upcoming trials. Last year qualifying scores eluded us in most agility venues, and I hoped this year we'd finally start making points towards titles. We entered a USDAA trial on Mother's Day to start off the new season. Standard agility and Gamblers were our only classes for the day. I am still flying high, as we Qed in both classes, and got 1st place (out of 2 dogs in our height division). Ironically, Tripp was not 100% focused to start, and could've had a nicer run, but he managed to not do anything that counted as a fault, so we squeaked out our first Q. I was very proud of him for staying on the table, as well as doing so well on some tricky obstacles he hasn't seen since last year. Then in Gamblers he was more focused, though did take a detour towards the A-frame (which actually would've been better bonus points, but oh well - I should listen to him more out there, LOL)... that messed with my timing some and when the buzzer sounded to do the gamble we weren't quite where we should've been. That is our usual struggle which makes us just barely time out before the finish line. I pushed him on to go fast, and unbelievably we made it through in time! I was, and still am, just ecstatic. :-) We're on a roll... here's hoping we stay there! On 4/21 we were lucky enough to attend a beginner herding workshop with Tenley Dexter, one of the top stock dog trainers in our area. I didn't know what to expect out of Tripp, but figured it would be something fun and different to try. This boy never ceases to amaze me; he truly is a testament to the Poodle's endless versatility. After an educational morning learning about herding, training and behavior (much of which was applicable to other sports, or simply living with dogs), we got to try the dogs on stock. The Poodles (mine and a friend's pair) were the only non-traditional herding breeds there. Most of the dogs were inexperienced. Even after learning that herding is not all instinct, but requires more training than most people think, I was astounded at the seeming lack of instinct, or at least initial desire, for herding in some of those sheepdogs. Incredibly, there were several dogs in the pen who would not even acknowledge the existence of the sheep. Or simply couldn't care less about them. These were Border Collies, Aussies, Shelties, and the like! Of course some others were naturals, and most showed some degree of interest, but the fact that any of them didn't even try to herd was so surprising. And then enters the Poodle. Tripp remained well composed, full of unfamiliar drive, and went right to work. He certainly has what it takes. Obviously it was somewhat crude, being untrained, but there was a definite attempt at controlling the movement of the sheep. Not just chasing, but actual herding. He circled this way and that, maintained a good distance, and took direction from the trainer well. It was very exciting to watch this new instinct surface, and Tripp obviously had fun. He was so happy afterwards, even into the next day. And I was happy that he actually didn't get filthy, and could postpone bathing for another day. LOL Hopefully we will find other opportunities to do more herding in the future. (Many of the herding people encouraged us to continue - me, with a Poodle - that really says something!) I would like to at least try an official Instinct Test (for HIC or HCT title - oh yeah, we need more titles, LOL) although I'm not sure I have enough interest - or time to commit to training - for actual herding trials. It would be facinating though. Regardless of where we go from here, it was an awesome experience. We both had fun, and that's what really matters. Most of these wonderful photos were taken by Lisa Tofsrud. I am so thankful, because I only got a couple good shots on my camera. Unfortunately video was not allowed at this workshop.
Funny, not many people would be excited to say their dog got hit. But in the obedience world it translates to High in Trial - performance's version of Best in Show. :-) This will be Tripp's third time going HIT in UKC Rally! To make it extra special, the award coincided with him finishing his level 3 title. Next step is Rally Champion! Saturday was a long day. We got up at an ungodly hour of the morning to drive to Franklin Mass, where the Weston Dog Training Club was holding UKC Rally trials at Masterpeace training center. I paid extra for day of show entries, as I didn't dare pre-enter with the weather still iffy. Indeed, the morning started off snowy and roads were slick in spots, and we still chanced it. All this and I had no idea how we'd do in the ring, being rusty from slacking off all winter. Thankfully it was all worthwhile. Trial 1 was a nicely flowing, challenging course. We weren't perfect, but did no worse than expected. A few "out of position" faults but otherwise not bad. Our final score was 97; much better than I anticipated! We also took 2nd place in our class. Once again we got some "free run thrus" too, as we stood in as honor dog and working dog for another team, doubling our time in the ring. Tripp did a fine honor, but neither of us were nearly as good on course, as we got a little silly and zoomed through as fast as we could. Hey, why not, it didn't count! Not sure what we would've scored but despite many minor faults we made, I bet we still could've qualified with it (barely) if speeding through was allowed. Definitely would've got best time! LOL In any case we had fun, even if it wasn't the best practice session. ;-) Trial 2 had another challenging course, but we had a really lovely run. We were much smoother this time and Tripp kept better position. I'm so proud of him for getting back into heel so well after a jump every time; something we usually struggle with. I almost went the wrong way at the spiral exercise but caught myself and bumped into Tripp as I adjusted our direction. The judge was nice and let it slide. Tripp did also bump me with his nose several times which surprisingly we didn't get points docked for either, our only deducted fault being a slow response at the start line due to distraction (the Honor dog, I think). So we finished with a 99 and 1st place in class, and that completed URO3 title. An interesting tidbit - Donna Blews-Pappas was our judge this weekend. She was also the judge at our very first UKC rally trial. I don't recall showing under her at any time in between. I think it's kind of neat that the same judge gave us our first and last legs. Not to mention some lovely prizes both times! (We took 1st in class at that first trial, winning a pretty picture frame storage tin, which now sits on my desk with our level 1 win photo in it.) This time we only got the usual ribbons for Q and placement, plus a lovely rosette for new title, but as the group filed out of the ring, the stewards and judge grabbed me and said "we need you to stay here." Huh, I wondered what was up. Maybe there was a scoring glitch or she was just going to go over our performance with me... And then they proceeded to award us High in Trial! Wow. How cool is that? :-) Prize was a beautiful engraved silver plate with the club's logo and show/award. Pictures don't do it justice. On another note, this is only our second event of the year, and we are already seriously short on wall space... That whole retirement at 3 idea may not be a joke! LOL Yeah, okay, you know that's not happening. But seriously, I may be able to squeeze in 5 or 6 more normal size ribbons, but then I will officially have to find somewhere else to hang our prizes. Really don't want to just stash them in a box somewhere. I've always liked the Q ribbon wreath idea, and I hear some people make quilts with their ribbons. Ha! Wouldn't that be something - I could have a dog show ribbon quilt and a dog hair knitted scarf (I've collected several bags of Tripp hair for spinning into yarn). Ooh, why not a quilted ribbon vest to wear with that scarf? LOL Sounds a bit quirky to me. Guess I'm doing something right! ;-)
On Mar. 3, Tripp and I ventured to Finish Forward Dogs in Saco for their UKC Weight Pull fun match. We'd been practicing at home with a lightweight sled, as well as working out in the swim therapy pool, and Tripp had managed to gain even more muscle, so was definitely ready for a trial environment. I was looking forward to getting some training tips and practice on the cart. He's been improving, but he still flies at home and usually his form isn't perfect. (When working with heavier weight, we want good form to avoid injury.) I had no idea Tripp would be so competitive at this event, and turns out he just needed a little more weight to get really nice form. He still managed to zoom through each pull at a speed that surprised the trainer. I love her comment of "holy moly!" at his first time in the chute. Too funny. After a few pulls, increasing weight by 3 cement blocks each time (I think they are around 30 lbs. each), on top of the 200 lb. cart, Tripp was still enthusiastic. As we neared the end of the event, I was ready to stop at any point, giving him every opportunity to tell me he was done... we were up to somewhere around 900 lbs at that point! I wasn't sure if he could or should do it, but I left it up to him. I asked him if he wanted to do more weight pull and he literally dragged me straight into the chute and set himself up. Well I guess so! :-) By the last pull he was still happy to work, but I could sense he was physically tired, so I didn't let him continue. He finished by pulling 1040 lbs! Crazy! I still can't believe my baby did that. His previous top weight pull was "only" 445 lbs. Enough to qualify in a trial, but nothing like this - apparently we could've earned like 20 points toward WP Champion if we were in that class! I reiterate - crazy! I didn't even have plans to go beyond the basic title! LOL I'm not sure if we could ever repeat that performance, or if I'd let him pull that much again even though he suffered no consequences. I'm still new at the sport and I never thought I'd put so much weight behind my dog. I'm still learning that it is entirely dependant upon each dog's physical conditioning and willingness to perform. Tripp certainly had both going for him that day. If nothing else, we will keep it as a really cool memory. His Papa esp. enjoys bragging about how this Poodle beat so many tough bully breeds in weight pull. Oh that's right, we also came out in 2nd place in the match! :-) I know last time I moved Tripp up only one block per pull. This time, as mentioned, we moved up 3. It seems he has more of a certain number of pulls in him than a certain weight limit. Not that I could move him up 4 or 5 blocks per pull and expect him to do even more weight. LOL I think this was pretty much his limit, and I can't really fathom letting him do more than a grand. 3 block intervals seem perfect for him, so I will remember that for our next trial. And I think a reasonable expectation is closer to 800 lbs. max. But who knows? ;-)
Incidentally, Tripp was zooming around the next day with just as much energy as ever. Which is funny, because we've had rally trials that have him lazing around for days afterward. So why do weight pull? Many people don't understand the sport; some even think it's abusive. Certainly there are macho handlers who give such extreme sports a bad reputation, who push their dogs too far and do other things they shouldn't. This is not confined to the sport of weight pull however. Even traditional sports such as obedience have their overbearing handlers - for that matter, sometimes regular ol' pet owners do idiotic things to their pets. But most of the people involved in dog sports are out to have fun, and know that you can't make a dog do something like this if he doesn't want to. Even those who train with force (which I do not condone) know it's up to the dog in a trial - you hook them up, then can't touch them, and the dog knows this - he either pulls or doesn't. Just another reason to train without force, as the dog will work for joy and not fear, and not say "neener neener, you can't make me" in the show ring, or weight pull chute as it may be. But I digress... So again, why do weight pull - with any dog? 1. A competitive outlet. Titles. I'll admit this is the main reason I got started in it. UKC offers Total Dog award for versatility; dogs who place in conformation and qualify in performance at the same event. I wanted the opportunity to try for that. I had no idea the sport would be so addicting, or beneficial in other ways. 2. Conditioning. Weight pull is a great muscle builder. Practice is done at low-moderate weights that do not strain the dog, but only offer a good workout. It is an excellent part of cross training for other working/sport dogs, as well as strength training and weight loss for pets. Strength training is just as important for dogs as it is for humans - it keeps us healthy, and supports our bones and joints. These benefits are not just for the active competing canine; they are just as helpful for the couch potato housedog. 3. An outlet for excess energy. Your couch potato may not need this, but many people have dogs who would enjoy a bit more activity. (And even most couch potatoes would enjoy doing something!) Some people have high energy pets who absolutely need something to do, or else they destroy the house, or simply drive their owners mad. Some bored, frustrated dogs end up having issues such as self-mutilation or other emotional imbalances or behavior problems. Yes, really. They were bred to do a job, thus they need to channel that drive into something. If it's not provided, chaos ensues, in some form or another. Weight pull is a great outlet, as it maximizes the amount of stimulation in a minimal amount of time. All without a whole lot of effort on the owner's part, if you are not inclined to join in any activity. Even "energizer bunny" dogs generally are ready for a nap after a good amount of weight pull. ;-) 4. Physical therapy. The muscle building that results from doing weight pull is particularly beneficial to dogs with certain structural problems. It supports the entire body, esp. hips and legs, not only improving condition and possibly slowing degeneration, but also reducing the odds of further injury due to slips and such. Therapeutic pulling is of course done at very low weights. The reason it is an effective therapy is because it is slow, controlled movement in a straight line. The resistance from the weight stengthens the body better than walking alone. Weight pull is approved and recommended by many veterinarians and physical therapists. 5. Confidence building. There are many sports that can help build up a meek puppy. Weight pull is one of these. Any activity that gets the dog working, overcoming challenges, and building a better partnership with her owner through positive training will increase confidence and help her true spirit shine! 6. Fun! Weight pull really builds up the bond between dog and handler. I've felt this effect on Tripp's and my partnership, even with all the other training we do. Obviously not every dog will be interested in weight pull, but those who are introduced to it properly generally become as addicted to it as their owner. No matter the amount of weight they enjoy pulling (some may prefer just recreational pulling of low weights, and not competition, which is fine!) they are quite obviously having fun. Most get excited at mere mention of the sport, or sight of the equipment. Many thrust their heads and bodies into the harness, eager to get started. If you watch these dogs pulling even heavy weights, anyone who can read body language can see they are happy dogs. Ensuring safe, fun pulling: Weight pull should always start at very low weights, working up gradually as the dog's condition improves. A vet check and approval may be warranted if the dog is out of shape or has any sort of health condition or structural issue. Always let the dog be successful and don't push your dog beyond it's abilities. Know how to read your dog - you must be able to sense when your dog is stressed or tired and not get too caught up in the activity to stop. Cool downs are imperative! After any workout, just as with humans, dogs must have a cool down period to avoid soft tissue injury. Walk it off, keep those muscles loose. Massage your dog. Teach him to stretch on command, and/or learn proper manual stretching techniques. Work with a good positive trainer to help you learn weight pull techniques and guide your dog into correct form. Weight pull is generally a two person job - most equipment requires someone to act as a brake to prevent the cart or sled from running into your dog. That certainly would not be conducive to having fun! Meanwhile you should be holding the dog on leash when first training to keep her under control until she is confidently and properly pulling. Reward each pull with a great treat or play session, or both - whatever motivates your dog. Make sure you are having fun too. Don't get overly focused on competition. Remember, it's all just a game! Give weight pull a try... your dog may surprise you! Any shape or size breed can do it, from Mastiffs to MinPins to mutts inbetween. So don't count out your fluffy little lap dog! :-) November brought on our final agility trials of the year. After mostly rough performances over the summer, Tripp finally kept his focus in the ring and gave beautiful runs. No zoomies! My handling had vastly improved, and I managed to keep ring nerves to a minimum this time. Everything gelled and it felt like just maybe we'd grab a qualifying score. And then a blonde moment struck. I honestly have no idea why I misunderstood directions in the gamblers run, but I do know I will never make that mistake again! Studying the map more closely probably would have helped. LOL And certainly I will be sure to get very clear directions from the judge next time... plus remember that the obstacles are numbered in the closing sequence! Duh! So first lesson of the day: know where you are going. ;-) Our standard run was great, unfortunately I pushed out too far at the table and Tripp flew off it. Automatic NQ in USDAA. But the rest was awesome, and well below standard course time, and I am so proud of Tripp for his best performance yet! We beat another dog for 2nd place, and I took my first USDAA agility ribbon. We had some default placements before, but this was our first time winning over competition. After that lovely run, I am happy to have a little something to show for it. I also bought Tripp a new toy as a prize. He sure earned it! I also got the chance to watch some of the masters/champion level runs. It was very educational, I picked up some good tips, esp. in gamblers. And I was relieved to see even top level teams making the same mistakes/faults as Tripp and I. USDAA is tough, requiring perfectly clean runs, and it's typically a fairly low percentage of teams that Q, regardless of level. While I root for everyone to do well, it is comforting to know we're not alone out there with our oopsies. On a more positive note, it was also very cool to see some of the more experienced teams taking a similar strategy to mine in gamblers... I even received compliments on my strategy. Which is kind of funny, because (as usual) after the fact, I thought of a few better ways we could have gone to maximize points. Not that we have any problem racking up more than enough to Q; just some competitive strategy to file away for the future. I am very encouraged to continue in USDAA next season. Hopefully we won't forget everything over the winter! ;-) It's official. I'm hooked. I said this years ago when I first learned about "dancing with dogs" and attended a seminar... long before I even had a working dog! Then I got Tripp and trained with freestyle in mind. We did demos. It was all fun. Now we are competing. Part of me wondered if that would put some pressure on and make mistakes more disappointing... Nope! I have found that, while I do have fun in every sport, musical freestyle is the only one where we can completely bomb and still leave the ring smiling, carefree, having a great time. (Hopefully that attitude remains as we move up the ranks!) I have also found that the competitors are some of the nicest bunch of people out of all the sports we've done. I've always found a decent crowd at trials, but in WCFO it was like being around friends. And I'm no social butterfly! The energy is wonderful, nothing like a competition, just total support of each other no matter what. We are there for fun and bonding with our canine partners. I maintain that freestyle is one of the most advanced dog sports, as far as training goes, and it develops a pretty amazing relationship between dog and handler. It's so much more than just obedience and tricks set to music. It really is a team effort, a partnership. Oct 8 & 9 brought the WCFO regional trials to Amherst. I entered our TNT routine both days. Never did I expect we would do so well. Practice paid off, and Tripp performed better than ever. We got amazing feedback from everyone; of course Mr. Flashy Poodle impressed everybody! The judges gave some great reviews on our detailed score sheets with tips for future training. Day one we earned 1st place and a special award by the WCFO founder for Outstanding Routine. Day two gave us 2nd place and another special award for High Scoring Beginners Routine. :-) We also earned our Freestyle Dog title. Requirements increase as you move up in levels, so future trials should be interesting! I already have a couple new routines in mind... As proud as I was of Tripp for doing so well in the ring, I was made equally proud out of the ring... being a young intact male, he's developed some sociability issues with dogs. I am not at all happy with his usual behavior towards other males, but I know it's the hormones talking. And he's always been a bit of a bully. Yes, Tripp! Most people wouldn't believe that. It's true. Nobody's perfect! So on Sat. we headed out to AK9C's "dog park" for some playtime after the trial. Near the end of our visit a family entered with 2 kids and 2 male dogs. I got Tripp close to me just in case. Their young Pittie mix bounded over to say hi. Tripp gave a little growl, but the pup made it very clear he just wanted to play. The boys took off running and I was so happy to see Tripp make a guy buddy! They chased each other around, getting insanely messy in the mud, having a grand old time. Tripp politely ignored the smaller old dog, and didn't worry about the kids. The resulting cleanup was worth it to see him socialize so well. (Although I found a number of ticks after, so we probably won't be visiting the park again.) Then on Sun. he played briefly with an older male Golden, even accepting play mouthing from him, and not growling once. I'm still overjoyed that my baby made new friends. I really am just as proud of that as all the awards we won that weekend! :-) |
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