Mental Game and Opinions

I've always been a little bit sensitive about peoples opinions of my dogs speed and our performance. With teaching agility now I feel even more pressure about it, even if it is mostly pressure from myself not necessarily from others.

When I first got into agility I didn't enter seminars for the longest time. Not until Baxter was running in Masters, so that our being "qualified" to be there wouldn't be questioned. He isn't an "agility breed." I worried that presenters might not spend as much time with us because he isn't borderline out of control, or a herding breed. Or that maybe we'd be written off as "needs to motivate dog more" (aka What are they even doing here?!?!)

2013-First ATChC with my first agility dog. So qualified to be there.

2014-Second ATChC with the Baby Dog - not so little now! Also qualified to be there.

My dogs are not blindingly fast. They aren't crazy, driven, nearly out of control. They don't inspire a lot of "HOLY THAT DOG IS FAST" and "OMG I WANT A DOG LIKE THAT" in people.

I worry that people will judge my ability as a trainer on the basis of how "awe inspiring" my dogs are. Some in fact, have.

All this runs through my mind when I run my dogs now, in classes or the other weekend at the trial. It shouldn't. It's going to stop. Now.

All that extraneous noise in my head is getting shoved into its own little box of "doesn't matter."

Everyone. I mean everyone, can make a mistake and have a bad or off day. If we do, we do. It's my journey with that particular dog. Unless you live with me and that dog, you can't know what we've gone through to get there.

Our first Regionals, 2013. 6" Specials Regional Champion

Our first Regionals, 2013. 4th Overall in 10" Regulars

It doesn't make me less qualified to teach.

I know that my dogs understand the handling choices I want to use. I KNOW why I want to use a particular handling move. I understand lines, lead changes, collection, extension and deceleration. I know how and why I want to train something. I can coach friends with the crazy fast dogs and help improve their performance. I can even run their dogs successfully! That isn't the temperament of my own dogs, but I challenge anyone to take a dog with Spencer's issues and be successful with that dog!

So while my dogs are not awe inspiring when we run, we are consistent. Baxter didn't take second overall at Nationals in 2013 by being the second fastest dog in the ring, he did it by being consistent and not making a lot of mistakes.

Spencer didn't beat World Team caliber dogs and place 4th in Standard 1 at that same Nationals in 2013 by being the fastest. He did it by not making any mistakes and running nearly 20 seconds under SCT!

Fast alone doesn't get you anything. Raw talent without training and practicing just gets you a faster train wreck when the wheels do come off. Those fast dogs? Most of them come that way. It's part of their temperament the way scared and sensitive is part of Spencer's. Just a different set of problems.

So if you want to judge, nothing I say will make a difference.

But the proof, well THAT is in the pudding.

Note: Ribbons, titles and placements are not a measure of worth. But they do infer a certain amount of skill in training to attain said ribbons, titles and placements. By no means are they everything, but by the same token, they are something that says I have some skill in training.

Our very first Nationals. Leduc 2013. Second Place Overall 6" Specials

Spencer's first Nationals. Leduc 2013.                                                                                                                                               I entered him in Regionals on a lark, because Baxter was going, never expecting  him to qualify for Nationals ...

Nationals 2013; Leduc. 2nd Overall, 6" Specials

Reving up for Regionals

A little less than 3 weeks to go!The butterflies are back. Excited, but (after last years "fun") worried a little too.

May started the ramping up of conditioning and practice for agility so that we are ready for Regionals the second weekend in June.

Hill running. Hiking. Playing ball in the field and off leash walks by the canal.

2 Trial Apps nights this month.

TA 12-May - Gamble

On the 12th we practiced gambles and the boys did not bad. Got some useful tips from Darcy and he reiterated some points I already had heard before but hadn't always thought about. Spencer was brave and happy! Baxter was happy and jumping DW contacts... Both boys got the final gamble if I handled it the way I wanted to (as opposed to how it was suggested we handle it.) Short dogs can't see over tunnels!

Then we started Regionals Prep Class on 13-May. First class taken in over a year, 5 weeks of Wednesday night classes ending the week of Regionals.

Prep Class 1 - Gamble

Gamble again! Less focused in the opening than I'd like, with both dogs. We haven't been to Connelly field in over a year, so I'm sure that didn't help. No warm up jumps etc either, but the disconnect with the dogs sure showed.

Spencer was sniffy and sure wanted to pee on things (not helped by the fact that the resident dogs likely do potty around the "ring" which is just flags in the grass, not fenced or anything.) But still, a little embarrassing. Baxter couldn't flip away (switch) and send out to a tunnel, or find a blind tunnel entrance.

Need to work tunnels/blind tunnels with Baxter via the "crate games" method as well as finding a blind tunnel in flow as opposed to sending from a stand still.

Prep Class 2 - Jumpers

Next Prep Class was Jumpers. I got out of work late that night, so I got there late. Wasn't able to walk the course and Spencer was pretty stressed out about the car ride. Then he was stressed about where he was crated. So couple the stress with me giving bad information and not knowing where I am going, that first run was a disaster and he was not a happy baby black dog. AT ALL.

After I actually walked the course, we rocked it. Spence was still worried, but I didn't lose him and he picked it up for the second half of the course. So that's a win. I also stuck with my handling choices "despite advice" and I feel that is also a win. Things to remember: I know my dog, handle for them. Stick with my choice and visualize. And for doG's sake - get there early and walk your dog around so he isn't stressed out of his mind and can work with you!

Set up that tunnel jump combo 12-15 and time it. See if full extension over 14 and around the far standard or wrapping the inside standard (less yardage) really is faster.

This week we've got TA again tonight (Tues), class Wed and are entered in full Regionals Prep Trial this weekend. TA looks fun though. Have to see how it runs and just how demotivating that opening really is!

TA 26-May - Standard

I'm hoping the dogs don't end up burnt out with this sudden push of agility before Regionals. I know I'm having a little trouble with all the agility time. Teaching Monday. TA Tues. Prep Class Wed. Barn Rental Fri and Teaching Saturday.

The week before Regionals we have TA again on Tues, Class Wed and then Thurs we're going up to Edmonton to hit the warm up rings before it all starts Friday. I might skip some of that, so everyone is rested up and not stressed out.

Small dogs, Big mountain

The dogs and I hiked Nihahi Ridge in Kananaskis Country on the long weekend with an agility friend and one of her friends.

In the hiking guide it was listed as "moderate." I, uh, think it was *maybe* a little more moderately strenuous, but we did manage to get up the ridge. Neither the dogs, nor I would have managed the scramble up to the summit, but that was okay. It was plenty high.

PLENTY high enough ...

It was actually pretty cold (not exactly a shock considering this is the May Long Weekend in the Rockies and it usually snows ...) After the switchback climb to the top of the meadow though, it sure seemed warm enough!

I didn't break out the camera much, too busy climbing and trying to breathe. There also wasn't a while lot of a view due to the low cloud ceiling and the blowing snow. At the top the Chi's got a lot of comments about how big of a hike it was for little dogs. They're dogs too!! (Penny got picked up in a couple places, but they did really well.)

Apparently it was too cold to look at the camera at the top of the ridge where the trail turns into a scramble up to the summit though ...

Camera? What Camera?!

So not looking at the camera

This is right. Right??