Fargo-Moorhead Agility Trial

You win some you lose some…..our Fargo trip started out with a bank, Josie won both Ex B standard and Jumpers, she was 10 seconds faster than 2nd place in Standard. She was running really well. Here are her runs from Friday;
Standard;

Jumpers;


Suds did really well also, would have Q’s in both his classes except for the weaves. But the fact that he did not get stressed and actually ran in a new unfamiliar location is huge, what a good boy. Here are his runs from Friday;
Standard;

Jumpers;


Saturday was not Josie’s day, in Jumpers she was just running to fast and didn’t feel the need to slow down for the weaves so missed the entrance, other than that is was a nice run. Her standard round had a handler miss queue, I pushed a little to hard to send her out to the tunnel and she went out to the A-frame – good girl ;-) Haven’t had a chance to upload those runs yet. Saturday WAS Suds’ day, he didn’t Q in Jumpers, but was really good for his Standard run, he Q’d with a first place and his Open Standard Preferred title !! Saturday evening he was exhausted and curled up in Myth’s crate.







Sunday a whole new day……In Josie’s standard run I tried to do a rear cross and ummm, got a little anxious and turned my shoulders a fraction of a second to soon and pushed her off of the jump, bummer, but the rest of the run was awesome, good weaves, GREAT sit on the table. We did make up for it in Jumpers, 9 seconds under course time and the only 8” dog that qualified. Suds just ran jumpers and was a bit distracted, so we have a few missed jumps, but he did finish strong. The Fargo-Moorhead Kennel Club puts on a really nice trial, their new location/building is very nice, great food and the weather wasn’t to bad….

Weekend Summary

The trial this past weekend started kind of off…. Josie’s first run we just weren’t connected, she ran really well but missed the weave entry and our timing just wasn’t there. Suds had a really good first run in Excellent A jumpers, he did miss a jump but the jump and I were on separate sides of a support pole and that was just to far away for him, but he nailed his off side weaves YEAH !! Good boy. Josie’s second class was a bit better, except for the sit on the table, shake, sit, stand, shake…did finally manage a full count but that put here in 3rd place. Suds’ second run was not to bad, he was a little more distracted, missed the weaves and had a refusal at the double after the weaves but overall did really well.

Sunday was a blue day --- a blue ribbon day. Josie’s first run (jumpers) was Awesome, I think she had the fastest weaves in competition yet and ended up in 1st place. Suds’ first run was really good and if there would have been 1 less weave pole it would have been a qualifying run, but he had fun! If Josie’s first run was Awesome, her second run (standard) was Spectacular, WOW except for slightly slower weaves it may have been our best run ever. Her sit on the table was spot on, hmmm what did we do different? Well the handler stayed up, no bending and hovering and asked for the sit the same way as in practice and voila –perfect, guess all this time it may have been a handler issue after all, sigh. She ended up in first place a full 5 seconds faster than 2nd place ! Suds’ Open standard run was excellent, he did get a little distracted in the weaves (they were positioned right by the in gate with all the people) but he had fun and finished with no faults and first place.

Myth came along, hung out in her crate, watched the dogs on course and got lots of treats from everyone. When we got home Sunday I pulled my teeter, tunnel, weaves and tire jump out into the yard and Myth had a little training. We worked on tunnel to the table, I think I will be naming the table something else for Myth….so far we have not named it. We did a little work with the teeter, set at the lowest it will go and I put my table under the up side, so it only drops about 10”, she had a great time.

~Melissa
“I love the winning, I can take the losing, but most of all I love to play.” Boris Becker

Upcoming

Event though it is only officially Spring, this weekend marks the beginning of a busy summer;
AKC Agility trail this weekend
AKC Agility trial in Fargo, ND next Fri-Sun
AKC Agility Fun match followed by pizza party ;-) 4/2
TCLAC meeting/Awards 4/3
AKC Agility trail 4/9-4/11
UKI-new Agility org match 4/17
TCLAC massage seminar 4/25
Seward, NE conformation or USDAA Agility trial in St. Cloud 5/1 & 5/2
World team try outs –worker 5/8 & 5/9
TCLAC meeting 5/11
AKC or CPE Agility trail 5/15 & 5/16
USDAA or AKC Agility trial or Conformation in St. Peter 5/29 & 5/30
Stacy Peardot Goudy Seminar 6/3
Whew and that is just the beginning…..and it doesn’t include our regular Monday and Wednesday classes or private lessons…


Both Suds and Josie are ready for this weekend’s trial. Suds had his class on Monday and he was sooooo good, nailed the weaves at speed, on the off side, TWICE - this is huge for him since he has a very hard time working on the off side. Goes to show you really need to work the dog on both sides when you first start working them (I didn’t get Suds until he was just over a year old and he had some “issues”). Suds was really driving and seeking out obstacles – our goal this weekend is for him to keep moving and have FUN !! It will be his first trial running Excellent A Jumpers, and the best part is Jacque is the judge, so Suds is used to her being on the course with us. Josie had her class Wednesday and did not disappoint. Her class is at On The Run, which has THE BEST mats, so she jumps 12” there (this is her USDAA jump height) and she really ran great, awesome turns, great teeter, weaves could have been faster but I’ll take ‘em, and she looked great. I really think her conditioning work has paid off, she is really rocking back on her rear for turns and they have gotten much tighter.

Myth had the week off from class, her next session will start March 31st. She has been doing some Ball work and working her contact trainer. I have to say looking at her trot across the yard, she is one pretty little Lhasa ;-) I really need to take her and Ella to a conformation class before to long. Ella just needs a refresher but Myth needs more table work.

~Melissa

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth th e effort." Herm Albright

FC & RC

or Front Cross and Rear Cross.

A front cross is where you cross your dogs path (side change) in front of them. I prefer a front cross, as do both Suds and Josie, but this requires the handler to be in front of the dog so it means lots more running. A rear cross is where you cross your dogs path (side change) behind the dog.



With Suds I need to be very close as he gets nervous if I am to far away. When he gets nervous he will skip the jumps in a rush to get to my side. He also needs to see me which is why rear crosses do not work with him.

Josie will slow down if I rear cross. I will use a rear cross with Josie when I need to cue deceleration for a tight turn. Rear crosses are not our forte. BUT, she is very comfortable with rear crosses at the weaves.

I have started teaching Myth rear crosses on the flat (no jumps) as I want her to be as comfortable with rear crosses as front crosses. ;-) To teach the front cross on the flat I have her at my side(on the left for this turn)-treats in both hands, walk forward, do a slight step away (right) from my dog and turn into her bringing her nose into me with a treat in my right hand while walking forward. repeat starting with the dog on your right side....everything needs to be taught with the dog on both sides.
Myth working front crosses on the flat;


Teaching rear crosses on the flat. start with dog at my side (left)-treats in both hands, walk forward, with the hand closest to the dog lure her ahead of you and her head slightly away from you, do a small step behind, switch hands and lure the dog into position at your side. repeat with the dog on the other side.
Myth working rear crosses on the flat;


There is also the dreaded blind cross......some handling systems use the blind cross. In a blind cross the dog crosses behing you so you take your eye off your dog. I think running small dogs blind crosses can present more of a challenge, small dogs can dissapear fast and are easier to lose track of. As a general rule I do not use blind crosses, now having said that, yes I have done blind crosses ONLY at a tunnel or the down side of the A frame, at these places I know exactly where my dog is.

and here is one of Myth working the contact board, she thinks this is great fun!


~Melissa



The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. Bertrand Russell