CAA Remembrance Day - Trial Review

CAA is one of my favorite clubs to trial with in our area. I like their venue. I really like their new ribbons and my dogs seem to do well at their trials!

Way back when, Baxter finally got his very first 2 Starters Gambles with this club ending our 6 month drought without a Gamble Q. Considering that this is when I used to trial every month, or even twice a month (thanks to TT's Wee Wed's) that's saying something!

Starters Games Dog of Canada Title

Then last year Spencer got his ATChC at this trial too!

ATChC!

I also really like that this trial is about Remembrance, both in the traditional sense of Nov 11th and in the sense that we should remember and be thankful for our old dogs who may be retired or no longer with us, as well as our veteran dogs still playing the game. Not always thinking about that new, "better" faster dog we want to get in the future.

Both boys did well. I did less well, especially on Sunday.

We didn't play in either of the 2 Snooker rounds offered on Friday night. I think people were there until after 10pm, Friday was a LATE night especially when you're back the next morning for 7:30.
It all made for a very long weekend.

2 runs of Team also made for a long weekend. It's hard to volunteer for Team since there isn't a definite split like regular & special/vets. It's also hard when you have 2 dogs in it and you need to have the dogs ready in time and still pretend attempt to volunteer.

I think Team is my least favorite game. I don't think it helps that it's an "all dogs" category much like Steeplechase. It means you run the risk of your Masters dog being partnered with a brand new Starters dog with their brand new to agility handler. Just to be clear, I'm not bashing the new people. I like them, the sport needs them and everyone started like they did at some point. I am very supportive of them at trials. I just think that the "game" of Team Relay is dumb. Dumber than Gamblers even!

We came away from this trial 0/4 for Qualifying runs in Team. Obviously just saying pick a random dog for my partner is not a recipe for success. I'll be setting this up better for my guys next time messaging other people with steady, consistent dogs. I had entered Spencer in both Team events since he needs 2 more for that title. If I pair Spencer with a veteran, especially a mini veteran time won't ever be a concern and it will be easier to finish that title off.

Spencer was awesome on Saturday. Only 3 runs, but he Q'd in 2/3 and the mistake in Team wasn't us. Standard was nice, he drove the DW really well. Happy for tunnels. Happy in the weaves. 3.5 yps. Gamblers he was a rock star and we got several compliments on his running DW. He also qualified with 70 points! No questions at all on the mini or the main.

Baxter took the wrong mouth for #3 for the mini

Sunday he was also a fantastic little dog. Little less drive than Saturday I think though? Maybe it's me. I have to push him and handle with a whole lot of energy. If he seems "off" I get stressed and I'm sure he picks up on that. He ran well in Team. Pulled it together better for a very nice Steeplechase that I was sure he should have Q'd in since he ran it at 3.55 yps WITH 2x 12 weaves. However he ended up with 0.16 over time.

Jumpers though, we fell apart. Or, I suppose I should say, I fell apart. Jumpers ran right after ribbons and 6" was the first height. Spencer was the second dog. So I left ribbons early so I could potty the dogs and warm up/jazz up Spencer. That went fine.

My ring side crate (for switching out my dogs with 4 in between them, since they are not okay with someone holding them) ended up in a crowded area and near a young dog who was barking and freaking out at everything past the pen - then to make it worse there were extra people around and someone else brought in 2 more dogs to crate just behind the ring side crate and they were freaking out barking as well.

Too many people, some of which were spectators milling around my crate, which upset me (just because it stresses Spencer out.) Reactive, barking dogs. A new ring steward who apparently couldn't hear me when I said I was there 4 times.

Spencer didn't want to do tricks in his crate. He didn't want to do anything - never a good sign. Then running the "gauntlet" into the ring was bad too. So I'm stressed and hoping that the tunnel as #3 would speed him up and get him into the game. It didn't. I also felt like my handling wasn't very good, maybe I should have blinded instead of front crossing in some places. We ended up with a refusal, but otherwise we would have been over time anyway

Then Baxter's turn to run. I'm still irritated with the ring steward, who apparently can't notice that I have 3 dogs in between my dogs and is wanting Baxter on the line "right now." Lady - I don't lead out. I don't have an elaborate start line routine. I get into the ring, ditch the leash and run from the gate, with pretty much both dogs. We aren't wasting time. Ultimately I don't care what you think, I'm not going out there early, thanks anyway. If you push me on it, especially if I have Spencer and not Baxter, you're not going to like the results. So lets just not, okay?

Anyway.

I'm still upset from Spencer's run and I'm a little stressed out and upset that Baxter is showing his age as the day wears on. My handling doesn't feel a whole lot prettier with Baxter (will have to set this up some other time and practice some alternate handling, I don't like how it handled at all.) Then I cross too flat in one spot and push Baxter onto the wrong side of the jump and that was that. We also completely missed a jump in the line of jumps driving to the finish line but I stopped caring after I buggered the run 5 obstacles earlier.

So we went out in the sunshine for a little bit until I could recenter and I just sat and cuddled the boys. I shouldn't have upset me that much, but it did. I don't know. Was just one of those days I suppose.

I want Spencer to be happy. As a bonus, when he is happy he performs well. But mainly it is about being happy and confident. When I can't make that happen so that he feels confident and secure enough in a situation, I don't deal well. Then he feeds off that and it becomes a big vicious cycle that I need to come up with a solution for.

Aside from my issues in Jumpers, Baxter did well this weekend. He Q'd in Standard 1 with 3.68 yps as well as in Standard 2 with 3.71 yps on Saturday and would have Q'd Gamblers as well if his handler had actually handled the last jump instead of assuming he would do it. He did understand the handling and would have gotten the main, but in the mini he wouldn't send out to the far tunnel mouth - we'll have to work on that. His tunnel sends (both the lateral and the straight) are getting a little funny.

I had a headache for Team on Sat, so I didn't push to have my steady dog run the more technical course. I just wanted to run both as the same course (white) Team on Sunday was our fault first, but the second dog also took off courses. Sunday's team run for white (the first side) was quite challenging. They changed the numbering for 9 and many big dogs went over that jump into the back tunnel mouth of 3. I made sure to handle it so that the line/approach was as flat as I could get it and I cued collection/wrap but Baxter still hit the tunnel mouth.

So, another drill/scenario to set up and work out!

For a new handler at their 2nd or 3rd trial, both of these are HARD!

Sunday's Standard had the teeter before the DW. Baxter was worried about the teeter and I just wasn't thinking. I cued the DW and ran, while Baxter stalled out 1/2 way up the up plank. By the time I realized he wasn't with me, he'd turned around and jumped off closer to the ground. I had to really help him get up the ramp, he was pretty spooked about it. So I guess we revisit some DW/teeter stuff at practice the next few weeks.

Baxter also picked up another Steeplechase Q on a course with 2 x12! I was very happy with his weaves for this one. He had been slowing down as the weekend progressed but I handled these ones with a little more intensity and remembered to pause at tunnel mouths to drive him to obstacles (in this case, the weaves.) 6" Specials had a SCT of 48 while 6" Vets had 58. Baxter ran it in 47.12, so he actually would have Q'd at 3.63 yps without the vets time bonus!

Speedy Chi wears her leash when we play at the field because the listening ears just don't work ...

Overall Spencer came home with 2/6 - Standard and Gamblers. Or 2/4 if you don't count Team (which I'm not going to do!)

Baxter was right around the same percentage, with 3/8 - Standard x2 and Steeplechase (or 3/6.) With the mistakes all being mine.

Barn Hunt Intro and Practice

When an opportunity came up a few weeks ago to take part in a Barn Hunt practice hosted by a local Earth Dog Club that my friend belongs to, I jumped at the chance.

Last year when a similar opportunity came up, I decided against it since I was worried that it might distract Spencer more and/or cause more undesirable issues with his prey drive. Spencer already loses his mind over critters, be they squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, deer or our very favorite; jack rabbits. At the time, I didn't think a game that just rewards that mindless hunting would really be a good plan.

To be honest, I'm still not sure it would be. But I decided that since he is an awesome little dog who tries to give me what I ask for in agility when he is overwhelmed by the environment and the worries, I would see if he would like to play Barn Hunt. Something he just finds rewarding. Something he loves.

Love this little dog. Need to find a dog sport that he loves!

I'm not sure if Barn Hunt is that. I know the practice wasn't for sure. Way too many amped up dogs in a small space. Not unlike Flyball that he is also very much not a fan of.

I was hoping he'd love the gerbils the way he loves gopher holes. It's a critter, you can poke it or bark at it and maybe it'll move. It smells like a critter. What isn't to like here?

Sure did not have this happy Spencer when learning to hunt gerbils!

Turns out, everything.

It's indoors. This was the first time he was allowed to harass a domestic critter that wasn't a cat. But there were so many other dogs around, and he was inside. He was just scared of the environment period and couldn't care less about the gerbils.

So all we jumped on some straw bales and went through straw tunnels for cookies. That was easy. We left it there for him. He was NOT HAPPY with the environment.

Baxter actually did much the same thing as Spencer, for all that he isn't as environmentally sensitive. Too many dogs. Way too amped up. Just too much. He was also pretty sure that the gerbil box was the devil.

Way to not set my dogs up to succeed. Might have gone a little better if I tried to introduce the concept of gerbils in a box at home. At least I didn't enter the Barn Hunt trial!

I think the boys and I have attended too many agility trials where people are very conscientious with their dogs. They try not to crowd other dogs. No dog-dog visiting. Generally, if a dog is out with their handler, that dog is the handlers focus. Maybe because there are more reactive dogs and dogs with issues playing agility? I don't really know!

So, the choice is. Give up on this idea, since the dogs are not innately bonkers for a gerbil in a box. Or get a gerbil and teach the hunting of it, not unlike Nose Work.

The gerbil plan doesn't really excite me. One more thing to take care of. I'm thinking if I have to train something like Nose Work, it might as well actually be Nose Work. At least I have the supplies and I don't need to feed/water/clean up after the scent oils!

Maybe in the Spring we'll see if I can find any Coursing Ability Tests for Spencer. He likes to chase moving stuff AND it's outdoors. Right up his alley.

Chase the happy!

So naked! Decent impression of a sight hound though!