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??

Peeper! aka "Poor Penny"

I can't believe it's been 5 years already?! When the heck did all that time pass??

Why haven't I posted about her birthday before?! Oops! I guess, technically I missed it this time too, her birthday was actually yesterday, the 14th of April, but close enough!

Penny - 5 years old

There is a running joke in my family about "Poor Penny" because she doesn't do sports, and I must not love her. For the record, she doesn't do agility because she has bad depth perception and will crash bars at 6" which is really scary when you're tiny.

She's very different from the boys. WAY more independent. Barky too. REALLY does not care what I think. I did "everything right" with her. Puppy kindergarten, basic obedience classes, puppy agility. Lots of socialization outings. Still not a lot of desire to please. Very much a "love the one you're with" attitude.

Training isn't made any easier by the fact that she's tiny. Can't get in a lot of food reps before you're done since the dog is full.

Or dropped crumbs/cookies on the floor in those group classes. I think she's still received MORE reinforcement off the floors in all those classes than she has from me. Hard to block the dog from getting the wrong reinforcement without kicking the tiny Chi puppy in the head so she's VERY WELL patterned to vacuum the floor of errant cookies that dog!

Tiny baby Penny

Despite everything, she's a sweet little dog. So friendly. Love, love, loves the people. Maybe lacking a little in the impulse control department, but at 5 lbs it's a pretty manageable problem.

Happy Birthday Teensy-tiny!

We went down to the lake for her birthday on the weekend. They haven't brought the water up yet, so the dogs were zooming around on the beach like crazy.

Spectacular!

The only thing better than having a break through training your own dog, is a break through in helping someone else train theirs. So much AWESOME.

Flyin high!

So proud of my students today. And their dogs. AND my Fluff, who runs the "course" after with the young girl who comes with her Mom to train her Basenji to play agility.

Also with myself. For figuring out how to motivate that particular dog. For not giving up and deciding "that's not part of the course" or "not my problem" and for going outside the box to try something else ... not unlike training certain bad little black dogs! Love helping the people. So rewarding!

I love the look of Basenjis. I really like the dog. But they're definitely a challenge. So after class the daughter gets to run Baxter over the last, most challenging sequence and put him through equipment, like weaves and full height teeters etc.

The Basenji isn't going to be an easy dog to play agility with. It's hard when you have a brand new person to agility and a brand new dog, let alone a hard breed. It was her (the daughter's) idea to train their dog in agility, and I really don't want that quashed by the challenge that her dog poses. So Baxter will keep coming to class as long as they do!

Hopefully some day she'll be able to run him as a Jr Handler. It's so cute! I'm super proud of him for running with her. Back in the day we had an agility class where we swapped dogs. I ran a Sheltie but Baxter decided that he wouldn't run for the Sheltie's Mom. I'm very happy with him for running for a stranger now!

I think he'd be an awesome dog for a Jr. Handler. He runs the speed of his handler and pretty much takes the obstacle in front of him. Best part, I get to watch my pretty dog run =)

Training Troop - March St. Paddy's Day Trial

It has been a LONG, LONG time since I've done a Training Troop Trial. Over 2 years I think!

Last weekend the boys and I did their March Trial. So happy with the dogs. Less happy with my own mental game and connection with the dogs. As always, things to work on. But then, when aren't there?!?

Trialing is exhausting ...

Baxter ran full time, 8 runs for the 2 days. I completely forgot that I intended to drop him into Veterans starting this year, so he ran Specials. I'm also questioning dropping him and then questioning my questioning of it.

I just need to send the papers in and stop thinking too much. Really it isn't making that much of a difference, it'll just improve his Q rate. If it dropped him a jump height it would be a no brainer, but since it just buys us some extra time I'm not sure of how much of a point it is?

Spencer ran 7 out of 8 runs, so in everything but Challenge. Which almost doesn't make sense. He LIKES international stuff that involve a lot of handling, but sometimes the environment shuts him down, so I don't want to drag him around the course.

Baxter was running pretty good, but 2x 12 weaves put us overtime by a couple seconds on Sunday Steeplechase. He made a few funny little mistakes on runs. Took a couple front sides of jumps blatantly blind crossing me when handling clearly indicated backside/throwback threadle. So not sure with BC's and the Fluff, some proofing to do. I might have disconnected a bit? Assuming that my dog, who has this behavior cold would do it, so naturally he does not. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Next time!

We ended up Q'ing 3/8, which is about our usual ratio. Timed out in Snooker, Overtime in Steeplechase which would have both been Q's if we were Vets instead of Specials. He did get 2 mini's in Gamblers but the main was a teeter directly away from the handler not even parallel, so I was pretty sure that one wasn't going to happen (and it sure didn't.)

We did get 2x Standard though, which is exciting, since he just needs the Standard's for his Silver Merit now and we're getting closer! We also picked up another Jumpers. He loves his Jumpers =)

Baxter's EXJ Silver Title Ribbon from Dec

What I need though, is more "presence" on course. I tend to run quietly, but in practice I notice I talk more to the dogs. At the trail I don't think I did, and that might have been why Baxter did strange things. More energy. So I think I'm bringing a iPod next time and during walk throughs I need to tune everything out, concentrate on my dogs, their courses and what I am saying/cueing when. Memorize, visualize and then execute. Because we've TRAINED this. We KNOW this. We CAN SO DO this!

I was so super proud of my baby Black Dog! He was so BRAVE. All weekend. Moments of worry. More moments of irritating residual reactive behaviors from the issues with the prospective new dog that didn't work out. But SO MUCH brave. Enough so that I had a dog to run for all 4 runs on Sunday.

We had teeters! We had a DW breakthough!! Where he was worried it was the teeter one run and paused on the up ramp and the next he JUST DID IT. Even though we had done the teeter first. I was slowing down to support him on it and he just blew past me and nailed his contact. SUCH a brave little black dog! We had so much awesome!!

I did this trail with him waiting/hiding in his kennel at the start line until the last second before we went into the ring. We played crate game, nose touching, even got some barking at me before the run (while hiding in his crate, but still!) He needs to feel safe to be happy and with all the environmental sensitivities and crowding at the gate he just doesn't. The crate helps so much! So we'll see.

Spencer Q'd in everything that Baxter did, picking up 2 Standard and a Jumpers to finish his Expert Bronze Jumpers title.

EXJ Bronze

I lost him on a jumpers course on the easy part, where of course he did the part Baxter did wrong flawlessly. If it's not a straight away, Spencer can't drive a line at a trial because I am not handling "enough" in his mind.

Pinwheels are his worst enemy (Baxter's too now that I think about it.) Spencer worries that he is wrong and will pull off a jump somewhere, or just creep around the pinwheel at a walk. Now that I think about it, this bit us in the butt big time at Nationals in 2013 when it knocked us out of the ribbons due to some silly refusals on a pinwheel in Standard 2.

So. We're working this pattern at home and when I can at classes, but I'm also adjusting my handling for the little black dog. He needs more "me," I can do that! Not the most orthodox handling, and not necessarily what I would suggest for another team, but Spencer is special and sometimes you need special handling for that!

Spring has Sprung

The grass has ris, and the dogs are covered in muck!

Ahh yes, spring, the season of REALLY dirty dogs. (Not particularly dirty in these pictures, but poor Baxter is just covered in burrs.)

Officially "spring" is still a few weeks away, but the longer days and the warmer temperatures make it seem like it's here now. 11°C?! Awesome, don't mind if I do! It's especially nice that it's still light out after I get home from work and can go do something with the dogs who are bouncing off the walls.

In the winter, we're all of the same opinion. Dark is time to sleep. Now that the days are longer the dogs are bonkers. Very cute, but crazy!

So much crazy!

This spring is going much better than it was last year. The dogs and I are so much happier. We've kept up on Agility practice through the winter. I LOVE working handling drills with them and I'm super happy with the barn rental group that I practice with.

We've got our first trial of the year coming up in a couple weeks. The March St. Pawddy's Day Trial put on by Training Troop. Super excited to see how the boys do!

I've also started teaching foundation agility classes with 2 Paws Up a local positive reinforcement school. It is so much fun! Love all the puppies and the young teams just starting to learn the game. So many talented teams! I want to steal the puppies as well, or have my own to start training. It seems to be the season of Puppy Fever, not Spring Fever.

Tiny, but sadly not a puppy. OMG, puppies!!

I do need another sport dog prospect, Baxter is already 7 and Spencer just turned 4. With the assortment of issues I have between those 2 I am really ready for a competitive agility prospect puppy! After the failed attempt at a "puppy" this fall who had with behavioral issues and caused a lot of headache and heartache with Spencer and in general, I'm set on a baby puppy that comes without ingrained bad habits.

Still a crazy, even at 7. 

Extra crazy, bad little black dog!

So. We shall see. By the end of this year hopefully!