Practice Makes Perfect!

Team J-Dawg made a few improvements and accomplishments during last weekend’s trial.  I was thrilled with our Snooker run on Saturday.  First place AND a Q…46 points!  Yippee!!  This was a major accomplishment because Snooker is our most challenging game since Jefferson is not handler focused but obstacle focused and has trouble running past obstacles without taking them. 

But, after our trial last month in Perry, Georgia I was determined to get a clean Snooker run.  During last month’s trial, he had a beautiful run, up until the closing…he ran smoothly up through #6.  #7 was a weave pole-jump combination, and he blew right past the weave poles (#6 was the A-frame).  Yes, he understands how to perform the weave poles but hates to slow down to collect to enter the weaves.  The training I needed to do was to work on him going top speed and then collecting to take the weave poles.  So, I worked Jefferson running fast from a straight tunnel and collecting into 6 weave poles.  I also worked on Jefferson running fast over his A-frame and collecting into 6 weave poles.  We worked these exercises a couple times a week since the late December trial.  At the first practice session upon the return from the trial, he ran top-speed over the A-frame and also bypassed the 6 weaves just like he did during the trial.  Eureka…this is what I needed to train so I did.  And, it paid off. 

Here’s the map from this weekend’s Snooker course:

My plan was 1-4; 1-6; 1-6; and then the closing.  I planned it so I would have 39 points through #6 so in case we did not get the weaves, we would still have enough points.  Our challenges would be wrapping around the 2^nd #1 but then I would have a straight shot to the #6 tunnel.  Another challenge for us would be after the final #6 in the opening, for me to re-send Jefferson back into the tunnel.  But, I felt confident in our plan and that I had chosen a path with enough running and flow to make it doable for Jefferson.  Of course as luck would have it, I forgot to have our last run recorded.  It is a shame, because this is one of our best runs to date!  Jefferson was fast, did not pause and ran with me the entire time!  And, he hit his weave pole entry beautifully!!!  Yay!  I was so excited that I let out a squeal of joy while he completed the weave poles.  I was actually cheering because I felt like we were never going to have another clean Snooker run again…and we finally did!

We have had quite a bit of struggles during the last year – mostly brought on by my wanting do well but unable to properly handle the courses so Jefferson would gain enough information from me.  The better I wanted to perform at a trial, the worse we would actually do.  Whenever this would happen, Jefferson would stop and stare at me whenever I got flustered and made a mistake.  And, I am not lucky enough to have one of “those” dogs who will follow their handler no matter what the handler does.  Jefferson is not so forgiving of my mistakes but we are working on that and he is getting tons better.  Jefferson is running fast, confidently and with enthusiasm.  As a result, we have made great strides since the October trial.  

Here we are in an "almost" Jumpers run and I got him back running with me after my timing was off in giving him the information for the last turn (we would've Q'd if I got him in the right end of the tunnel!):

Here's our clean Advanced Pairs Run:

We had some moments of greatness this weekend and quite a few moments of “cocker” speed.  He had a great time and loved playing agility.  I now really enjoy running Jumpers and Snooker as much as I do Gamblers.  Who would have thought?!  Our next training sessions will focus on how to make doing a down on a table “fun” after running top-speed through the Standard course.  

"Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."

- Unknown