Happy HOWL-O-WEEN Handling Tips!

Happy Halloween!

I have been very fortunate to have attended great agility seminars.  This past Sunday was no exception!  Judy Reilly came to Lowcountry Dog Agility Club and held an 8 hour seminar.  She had previously been our judge during a trial last year – the first one that Jefferson started to “shut down” during his runs.

There was a small group of participants – five of us – 4 big doggies (22”) and one small doggie, Jefferson (16”).  Since our seminar group was small, she asked each of us what our specific training objectives were so that we could each progress accordingly.  I was thrilled to work on our start-line stay and incorporating clearer handling cues, such as front crosses when appropriate.  Heck, I even front crossed the teeter!  

Judy set-up short sequences at first to test our handling jump wraps.  We were the smallest team so we went first every time.  I enjoyed going first so I had less time to worry about my handling – and like the old Nike adage:  “Just do it!”  It was easier than I thought to know where and when to front cross. 

I can't believe I'm wearing this hat!

I do not have any course maps or diagrams to share; but, I learned quite a few handling skills from Judy.  First off, I need to cue the front cross when Jefferson has committed to the jump (take-off side – earlier than that in most cases) and NOT turn into him AFTER he has landed (the landing side).  Eureka!  Once I “got” that concept, our front crosses were much cleaner, clearer and crisper.  And, the timing of my cue is key – one split second can make the difference in him knowing what obstacle is next.  Yay!  This was a great tip and I really worked hard to execute my cues efficient and timely.

Another skill I learned was how to cue a tight turn around jumps and when heading to another obstacle such as the weave poles.  In one of our sequences:  A-Frame - angled jump - weave poles, I was giving Jefferson “too much real estate” (I loved that quote from Judy!).  Once I began to cue the turn from the jump to the weaves with my being much closer, my little Cocker Spaniel make some tight turns.  Double yay!  I had not really thought  much about this effecting our runs, but being able to make tight turns can take away seconds from your course time.  I have been so pre-occupied with Jefferson just running with me during a trial.  I was excited to learn the finer points of handling a course so that when I face these challenges in a trial, I will be more confident with my handling.

Oh, brother - I better get some peanut butter for this!

Also, I used the blind cross with Jefferson on a couple of occasions and he responds well to this cue.  Although this was mainly after a tunnel, I do believe that I would be able to blind cross him in a jumping sequence if it was the appropriate handling choice.  We have practiced the blind cross, and I believe Jefferson responds well because I am still moving so he knows to keep on moving himself.   The key is for me to continually M-O-V-E!

Another concept that Judy shared with us was that tunnels, like jumps, are turning obstacles.  Yes, I “knew” that from my reading articles in Clean Run, but when she placed the jump bar on top of the tunnel, I was better able to visualize the tunnel similarly to a jump.  Basically, you handle the tunnel the same way you handle a jump.  Deceleration cues a turn; running straight forward cues extension; crossing behind as the dog enters the tunnel, cues a turn.  Once again, Jefferson picked up on this very easily and read my movement and knew when to turn as he exited the tunnel.  Yes, my boy has some mad skills!! 

Some points for my homework include setting up sequences that include my sending him to independently complete obstacles so I am better able to get down the course and direct him where to go next.  Also, to proof his start line stay as much as possible – at home, on walks, on the field with cheese and his favorite toys scattered about.  I have already started working on these….

Enough already - Get this damn thing off of me!!

I could not be more pleased with how much we learned from the Judy Reilly seminar and how much fun Team J-Dawg had on Sunday!  We are coming together better as a team – it is a slow process, but it sure is truly a joy to train my cute Cocker Spaniel!

"I like the way you work it.  No Diggity!  I got to bag it up."  

~Dr. Dre 

We Are on Our Way!

This week’s training has consisted of my working on the front cross and my basic handling cues.  For instance, we had a very productive Advanced Handling class last Thursday.  We ran 3 courses – of varying degrees of difficulty – and were asked to circle our problem areas.  I am proud to say that we had very few circles; our last course being clean and fast (and just my working on cleaning up my front cross between jump 2 and tunnel 3).

Course #1 had a few problem areas. First off, I am successfully utilizing our start line stay (YAY!!..as a side note:  Double YAY is that we were successful during this weekend’s run-thrus with obstacle 1 being a chute!)  The first time we ran Course #1, we executed a great start line, but I had my shoulders pointing dead straight to the off-course A-frame so Jefferson eagerly ran up this obstacle.  Since we get agility-type “mulligans,” we started over and ran clean up until the weave pole entries at obstacle 11.  I had Jefferson on my left and sent him to the weaves, a skill he is normally great at executing, but a classmate and her dog were standing outside the ring, about 1-2 feet from the angled weave entrance.  Oh, no…but, despite the distraction once he went over and looked at them, I called him back and he nailed the weaves.  What a good boy!!  He then got his table (I treated him here) and finished the remainder of the course.  A couple of things I learned:  #1 - Make sure my shoulders are ALWAYS pointed toward the correct obstacle because Jefferson is going where my shoulders are pointed.  Period.    #2 - Dole out more timely rewards to Jefferson so I can accurately mark his desired behavior.

Course #2 was more challenging for us.  First off, beautiful start line and great DW performance.  But, I had difficulty correctly handling the wrap from jump #3 to tunnel #4.  This seems to be a re-occurring handling problem I am having so I need to better understand the fundamentals of handling a post-turn on course.   We had a knocked bar (so infrequently, so I must have done something weird here) at jump #6 and I awkwardly handled our wrap from around jump #7 to tunnel #8.  We did finish strong with a fast A-frame and Jefferson running ahead to take the 2 ending jumps.  I learned from this course that I need to re-learn how to more clearly cue Jefferson’s post-turns when wrapping jumps and how to execute a confident front cross.

Course #3 proved to be our most successful run of the evening.  For Team J-Dawg, the most difficult segment of the course to execute is from DW #6 to #7 tunnel – not because he does not understand a fast turn at the completion of the DW, but because we have a running DW so I had to get ahead to beat him to the end or at least on the downward side so he can read my outside shoulder turn to cue the tunnel.  So, I was ready to run and am lucky Jefferson has such a love for the DW that I can trust him to take it without my being right there next to him.  As he committed to jump #5, I sent him to the DW and moved laterally to give myself time to get near the bottom and cue the tunnel.  Yay!  I made it and he had one good-looking running DW – tunnel combination.  I momentarily forget where I was going because I was so thrilled with his speed, but I didn’t fumble too much and we finished off the course fast and clean.  What a GREAT boy!!  I learned on this course that I need to clean-up my front crosses and wear my running shoes and handle Jefferson from a distance so I can get in position to cue any obstacle or off-course obstacle at the end of our running DW.

What a great week!  We continue to improve and I am thrilled with our progress.  The re-introduction of a start-line stay has been smooth and confidence building for Team J-Dawg.  I have identified my handling deficiencies – the front cross and accurately cuing a post-turn to wrap jumps.  I have gone “back to the basics” and have been working on teaching Jefferson to turn into me for the front cross without going past the jump plane.  Although re-teaching dog agility fundamentals is slow going and not as “sexy” as teaching weave pole entries, this is our team’s weak spot.  Respect the PROCESS.  Enjoy the PROCESS.  We are on our way! 




"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
~Benjamin Franklin

Learning to Trust the Process

After last week’s disastrous results from the trial, I have been doing some serious introspection about dog agility.  First off, I have begun to examine my motivations for participating in agility.  I remember when I took a puppy class with Jefferson and I recognized his puppy exuberance and love of learning.  We had a great time, albeit a bit frustrating at times to learn how “to walk on a loose leash.”  But, we persevered and proudly earned our AKC Canine Good Citizen title when he was 15 months old.  I was so proud of my boy for learning how “to walk on a loose leash” and “come when called!”

We entered our first agility class (Intro to Agility) when he was around 10 months old.  He loved it (me too!) especially learning to touch a “target” for his squeeze cheese.  He was truly fearless when it came to mastering the equipment – running fast and confident over the dogwalk.   The DW has always been one of his favorite obstacles!  I remember whenever I was first asked to take him off leash to perform a “sequence” of obstacles, and he escaped and ran around the field.  Those were some humorous classes, but I can truly say, “You’ve come a long way, baby!” since those early days.

But, what I love the most about agility, and dog training in general, is helping Jefferson learn how to “do” something new.  He is such a fast learner that sometimes it surprises me how quickly he responds to training.  For example, I am now working on teaching him a start line stay.  I have determined that this would be best for us to start our runs together as a team – being calm, cool, collected and confident.  By having a start line stay rather than a running start, we begin our runs less hectically and I am in a better position to give him information about where we are going on course.  So, we practiced this last night on a course that definitely required a start line stay since Jump 1 and Jump 2 were side by side, not lending well to a running start.  With the help of string cheese and a happy tone in my voice, he nailed the start line stay and performed flawlessly during our practice.  Yay!  We ran the course more calmly and confidently than we have in a long time.  I was having fun; Jefferson was having fun; WE were having fun learning together as a team.  

Team J-Dawg pre-agility (15 mos)

Back to my opening comment about disastrous results, I have made up my mind to NOT focus on the RESULTS of our dog agility; rather, to focus on the PROCESS of dog agility.  This PROCESS involves my learning how to be a more effective handler by giving Jefferson the information of what obstacle is coming next on course.  This PROCESS involves my learning how to be more energetic and able to “let loose” and have fun on the course with my dog and to leave all my stress outside the ring.  This PROCESS enables me to rekindle my love of training Jefferson.  I need to learn to trust in the PROCESS and not get preoccupied with the RESULTS. 

"Slow down. Calm down. Don't worry. Don't hurry. Trust the process."
~Alexandra Stoddard

Unmet Expectations

I am still feeling drained emotionally and physically after last weekend's trial.  Unfortunately, Team J-Dawg did not perform as well as I would have hoped.  I had such "high hopes" and expectations for a successful weekend.  Once again, I got caught up in "Qualifying" and comparing my dog to other dogs' performances.  Even comparing Jefferson's performance at a trial to Jefferson during classes and practices is a weighty matter.

I have analyzed our runs and noticed Jefferson's lack of working with me and our inability to come together as a team.  I had plenty of unsolicited advice about how to run him, what to do and how to be a better handler.  After three days of hearing plenty from others and replaying the negativity over in my own head, it became especially difficult for me to find the "fun" in agility.  It is easy to have "fun" when you are "winning" but not so much, when you are not part of the "Qualifying" group of agility teams.  I am happy for all those that had great runs - truly I am - I  just would like to be able to celebrate with them and not just for them.  So, I began to doubt if I should even continue in the sport if I am not having "fun."  Plus, it costs a lot of money to have your doggie not run with you to complete a course.

Bringing back the "fun" to our runs!

But, alas, after I did some soul-searching, in agility and in all other aspects of my life.  I read this article about success and it spoke to me:  http://www.positivelypositive.com/2012/02/07/principles-of-success/       
I determined that I needed to reassess and change my plan:  as Dr. Phil says, "The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same things and expecting different results."  I began to ask myself questions about how I can work on being a better "me" and a better handler and teammate for Jefferson.  What else can I try?  Jefferson and I are not quitters!!  First off, on the last day of trialing, I went into the ring with no expectations for "Qualifying" but only to start and finish our courses together.  I channeled my inner Stuart Mah voice and ran with Jefferson no matter what happened and made up my own courses.  He did not shut down but kept running with  me once I got rid of  my need to be "perfect" and run for a "Qualifying" round.  It was hot by the afternoon, so I knew that I had my work cut out for me!   I changed my attitude and re-directed my negative thoughts and self-doubt.  I had a plan to run the course as the judge had designed and if the need arose, I had a plan to run the course of Jefferson's design.  Either way - we would be successful. 

Next up in my training plan:  I need to develop my "Mental Game" of agility (and life!) and continue to learn to live in the moment and not have such high expectations.  I just want to bring out the best in Jefferson and me during a trial.  It just sucks that it is taking so long for me to figure out how to do that....








“I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path.”
~Dalai Lama 



 

The "Trials" of "Trials"

Momma wants me to get extra sleep before this weekend's trial!

Well, we have almost made it!  In a few days, we will be participating in our first trial since July and I am really excited (and not nearly as nervous as I have been before past trials).  This week makes me ponder why the agility competitions are called “trials” as opposed to “meets” or even “competition.”   But, in reality, “trial” is an appropriate term because agility “trials” can be, well….”trying!”   First off, the handler is concerned about how ready you and your dog are going to be to meet the challenges the judge has set forth in his or her course design.  Will there be a threadle or a serpentine in the Steeplechase or Grand Prix?  Will Jefferson be able to read my rear cross like he did during last weekend’s run-thrus?   Will he successfully complete his weave poles or act like he has never seen them before?   

Secondly, the heat of the weekend is enough of a “trial” for a heat-aversive Cocker Spaniel (and handler, too!).  Local meteorologists predict temperatures to top off in the mid to upper 80s.  This is a bit of a concern, especially since we are running 4 and 5 times each day.  It has been a real struggle to keep Jefferson motivated in the heat and humidity, so I am prepared to keep him cool by bringing our fan, keeping him in the shade, cooling his belly frequently and especially before he runs, rubbing an ice cube under his arms. 

As for me, I am going to drink lots of Gatorade – I may even try rubbing an ice cube under my arms too!

Also, another “trial” is wondering how will Team J-Dawg deal with the stress of the environment, including all the humans and doggies.  By this, I mean all the other handlers canoodling about, talking and analyzing “how to best run” the course.  Asking questions like, “What is your Snooker plan?  How are you going to get the Gamble?  Did you ‘Q’?”  And my personal favorite after a not so good run, “What happened?  He did so well in practice…”   (Yeah, believe me…I know!)  Handlers can ask all the questions they like to each other; but ultimately, the only person who knows how to run your dog is you!  So, if and when I do not have a clean run, it is up to me to determine how to improve my handling to better communicate with Jefferson.  It sounds so easy; but yet, it is so very complex.  This is what keeps agility challenging, exciting, interesting and F-U-N! 

And, once you have gotten it…I mean, finally conquered the “trials” of the “trial,” it is a great time to be had by humans and doggies alike.  Let the games begin!!!


"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."
~Lucius Annaeus Seneca