The Ultimate "Proofing" Exercise for the Weave Poles

With one week remaining before traveling to the Carolina Piedmont Agility trial in Raleigh, North Carolina, we have been practicing the weave poles, dogwalk and table.  We have made great strides and I continue to be pleased with Jefferson’s weave pole performance, especially his driving to them and my ability to work from a great distance while he completes this obstacle.  I am feeling confident and positive about our 3^rd agility “road trip” next week!

In quite an unexpected agility "proofing" exercise, we had a run-in with a copperhead snake after Tuesday night’s class.  I decided to go to the darker, back field to practice our weave pole entries and work “around the clock” with a jump that was already set-up.  Ironically, I threw his new toy into the edge of the woods and thought to myself, “Wonder if there are snakes in there…yuck!”  In a hurry to get the toy, I called for Jefferson and he quickly found the toy and ran out of the weeds and back into the lighted portion of the field.  “Whew…I am glad that he got that toy out so fast!  No snakes!”   

So, we went back to practice driving to the weaves and wow, was he nailing those weave entries!  YAY!!  Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good about my boy – when suddenly, while he was finishing his weaves (about pole 9 or 10) he raised his back legs up and his front legs were still on the ground.  He does "hop" in the weaves....but, what in the world was up with that move!?  He did not yelp but just keep on going to complete his weave poles.  And that is when I saw it…a scary, slimy brownish speckled snake slithering across the base of the weave poles!!! YIKES!!! It was scary…but I got Jefferson to come to me, leashed him up, and went over to peak at the snake to get a description of its markings.  I called for another agility friend to come over and help me check out the snake.  He came over and we watched in slither back into the woods….but, we did get a good look at it and confirmed with a few others that this in fact was a copperhead snake.  Poisonous.  I was scared but pretty certain that Jefferson had avoided the snake.  So, I made sure that Jefferson had not been bitten and was doing fine before I left the field to come home.  

Here is a link that has some great information about snake bites and dogs:  http://www.petmd.com/dog/care/evr_dg_snake_bites_and_dogs#.T-vQ6vWRGxM

This sure was a wake-up call for me to be more observant of my surroundings while training Jefferson.  I was lucky that J-Dawg avoided the snake and wanted nothing to do with it.  It is a good thing that he is so athletic and able to perform an improvisational "handstand" while completing his weave poles.  Another type of dog may have barked at the snake, tried to chase it, and would have resulted in getting bit.  I also have learned how to identify poisonous snakes, what to do if my dog gets bit, where the emergency vet clinics are located and which ones carry anti-venom.  Above all, I have learned to remain calm in order to keep my sweet cocker spaniel safe from all those nasty critters out there.  Eww….yuck!!!




"Look before you leap, for snakes among sweet flowers do creep."
~Proverb quotes

Summer Agility Staples: Pumpkin and Blue Bell Ice Cream

Today marks the longest day of the year, the summer solstice.   To us dog agility nuts, that means extra time to train our doggies!  So, we will attend class tonight and run a Starters Standard Course.  Fingers crossed that we are successful.  Reflecting on the past week of training, I have focused on getting independent, fast weave poles.   At last night’s class, he ran fast and nailed his weave poles.  Looks like the tug toy and the treats have really worked well:-)

However, during last Thursday night’s class, we had a set-back and I was disappointed in our progress.  Sometimes it seems like we take one step forward and two steps back.  It was the first time in quite a while that Jefferson stood there and refused to run.   The course was a standard course and we could never make it past the 6^th obstacle (there were 19 obstacles).  He wanted nothing to do with running agility.   Not to mention that he had the “poopies” all over the field!   Earlier in the day, we had spent a couple of hours at the beach; Jefferson is a great swimmer, frolicking in the waves and even body surfing the waves back to shore.  He also loves to swim in the shallow pools of water that line the beach as the tide recedes back into the ocean.  He is quite a sight to see – digging and rolling in the sand after his swim.  Spaniels are water dogs after all!  

Apparently, all the time at the beach resulted in his consumption of lots of ocean water.  We had a big day at the beach – and excess saltwater, sand and treats consumed in the heat.  Looks like the beach and agility do not mix too well with my pup (me too, for that matter…I didn’t feel too good myself during last night’s classes.)   Luckily, I keep an extra can of pumpkin in case Jefferson has belly problems; he consumed almost a whole can after having belly problems for 2 days.  Poor boy…

This week the heat and humidity are on the rise so I am going to be extra cautious with Jefferson.  He already is extremely sensitive to the heat so I will not be taking him back to the beach on days we practice dog agility.  And, before we practice, I am going to cool off his belly and underarms with water and ice.  Sometimes he will not drink enough water so I need to be extra careful to keep him hydrated as we practice.   Once he is hot, he is D-O-N-E!    Maybe a spot of Blue Bell ice cream couldn’t hurt either…

So, in the in summer, we will need to practice early morning or late evenings to avoid the heat as much as possible.  Thank goodness next month’s trial hosted by the Carolina Piedmont Agility Club will be in an indoor, air-conditioned venue.  

“Summer's lease hath all too short a date.”
~William Shakespeare

We've Climbed Aboard the Dream Weaver Train!

This summer is chocked full of agility projects – the first one getting Jefferson’s weave pole performance back on track and  back on the dream weaver train!  Since I have been preoccupied with Jefferson’s motivation issues, I have neglected to continue training the weave poles, the table and running contacts.  As a result, his performances on these obstacles has been lack luster.  We had a really nice run through during last Thursday’s class, but he wanted nothing to do with going “down” on the table nor going fast through the weave poles.  He did “get” these obstacles, but his performance was not up to par.  He is definitely capable of faster weave poles.  Interestingly, Jefferson has very good weave pole entries and seems to take them faster and more confidently whenever I send him to the weaves and stay behind him as we run.  He performs them “better” whenever I am not breathing down his neck applying pressure while he runs through the poles.  Even my class instructor noticed this and recommended I send him to the weaves and work on using a baited toy during our practices so I can get him driving faster through the poles.

And so began my search for an appropriate baited toy to use for my weave pole and running contact training.  Luckily, I found a great "rip and tug" toy at a local pet boutique (and yes, I paid "boutique" prices$$$)  Here is what the new toy looks like: 

It really works well - the toy is part tug, part ball and part hidden treat dispenser.  I hide a treat inside the Velcro ball center (it comes apart) and then entice Jefferson to play a game of tug.  Of course he loves it...there is food inside and he IS a Cocker Spaniel.   Once he is really excited, I send him through the weaves; and I give the toy a toss and he runs through the last weaves and over the jump to retrieve his new toy.  It especially works well when stuffed with liverwurst (yuck!!)  I am very excited that Jefferson is driving enthusiastically through the weave poles from different angled entrances when I began working "from around the clock."  So, I plan to progress through the weave pole proofing exercises that I found online and in the Clean Run archives.  By the end of practice on Monday, he was offering the weave poles both enthusiastically and fast.  Yay!  Looks like we have climbed aboard the dream weaver train...

Next up...training the running contact on the dogwalk....

  

"Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string. " ~Pele'





 

Got Attitude?

As part of the Dog Agility Bloggers Day, all bloggers are to write about “attitude” and dog agility.  I truly have learned much about “attitude” and I have my three-year old Cocker Spaniel, Jefferson to thank for these lessons.  We have been competing in dog agility for 1 ½ years now and it has been so much fun!   From my experience, agility handlers need to possess three types of “attitude:” 1.)  the attitude of continually learning and being the student; 2.)  the attitude of  building a team; and  3.)  the attitude of having fun with your dog.

As a high school teacher, the “attitude” of being open to continually learning and perpetually a student appeals to me.  I enjoy the challenge in agility of never quite knowing all the answers; rather, researching and learning all I can about dog training, handling, and the like.  Whenever Jefferson and I have problems successfully running a course, I want to learn how to make our runs more successful.  What I have learned is that there are many ways to handle courses and it is up to me as the team leader to determine the best way for my teammate.  I try to take every seminar and class that I am able (and can afford!) to learn as much as I can about the sport.  Whether it is a class with a national competitor or a local guru, I am open to learning and being a student of agility.  Everyone has taught me something I can use to be a more successful handler.

This brings me to the second type of “attitude” in agility:  building a team.   As a green handler with a novice

doggie, this one has probably been the most difficult for us, Team J-Dawg, to master.  I am still learning ways to motivate Jefferson and keep him excited to run a course with me.  Earlier this winter, I compared Team J-Dawg to others as we struggled to finish a course while many teams “Q’d” leaving us in the Starters dust.  But, as I have learned more about my doggie partner (and myself), we are beginning to mesh together as a team and reading each other much better than even a few months ago.  I am thrilled with the progress we have made by my not wasting human energy “worrying” about other’s performances. For instance, at this Sunday's run-thrus, we had set-up a very doable Advanced Jumpers course.  But, the heat got the best of Jefferson and he wanted nothing to do with running an agility course in the sweltering sun.  So, our first try was a complete disaster; rather than be discouraged, I took the advice of others who recommended I run "my own" course in the shade.  It was successful and we worked together as a team to run our obstacles in the shade.  Yay!

Finally, I believe the most important “attitude” is to have fun with your dog.  Afterall, isn’t this the reason why most people became involved in dog agility in the first place?  Think about it, the doggies do not know how to read course maps and the numbers on the cones (although I wonder if some border collies may have this skill!).  The doggies are running agility courses because it is fun to be with their owners.  They want to please us.  Likewise, they are attune to their handlers moods and whether or not it is "fun." 

From my own experience, I have found that as soon as I started to become preoccupied with earning a "Q," I began to not have "fun" unless I had a great run.  This put unwanted stress on both me and Jefferson.  Jefferson became stressed on the field...I became stressed on the field...and so it continued and the "fun" was simply not there. As soon as I realized this, I quickly made a change.  It took my sweet, black and white Cocker Spaniel to remind me that "Fun is Good!"  So, I have learned that this "attitude" of fun is probably the most crucial one to possess when participating in the sport of dog agility.

 And, so there it is...the three "attitudes" to exhibit as a participant in dog agility.  Needless to say, I am still working on all of these, but it has been a great journey so far and I look forward to many more successful years participating in dog agility with Jefferson!

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."
~Winston Churchill