Agility Ramblings

[Caro]

You know I started recording training and trials and that made a huge difference to our performance. It really helps because then you can see what your dog is watching. Earlier on Tully was watching my feet, now she watches my hands and esp my shoulders. Its all very well for someone to tell you, but it makes a difference when you can see for yourself.

And the dog walk - well I once spent a whole session teaching Deska to avoid the dogwalk. Many dogs love the dogwalk the most so often just pointing yourself in a direction away from the dogwalk isnt going to work. I feel the same about people showing me rather than just criticising, its the only way to learn.

There are always agility snobs around, and they always like to put down the novice dogs. Definately put him down as someone to avoid! And as for the difference between titles - who gives a crap, the dogs certainly dont. We have ANKC and AADC here - AADC is only available up north and what a shame - they are so much more flexible and therefore more enjoyable, which as far as I am concerned makes that the real agility. The ANKC is only so popular because the Kennel Council has more reach and power and exists in all jurisdictions.

 

[HopeShelties]

Everybody is always the agility expert. My friend and I have run into some of that at trials... I'll be watching her run her BC, who is EXTREMELY talented (can win the 20" division against about anything out there. he's beaten Linda Mecklenberg's and the Crank's BCs). There are always people outside the ring when they NQ running their mouths about the inability of my friend, and what they believe she's doing wrong. I think she hears it more than most people because of how talented her dog is and how easily most people recognise that. You just have to learn to ignore them. Even if they couldn't do any better themselves, they always will comment, and think they know best.
I doubt this will be the last time you run into that opinion of venues like CPE and NADAC. There are plenty of competitors that feel anything other than AKC and USDAA is a joke.

 

[Silaria]

You know, I was thinking...
I've been watching your videos since you started posted them. Every time I watch a video, I see improvement both in the way you and Koji communicate on course and in confidence.

Are you perfect? No, none of us are - and that includes the Linda Mecklenburg's, Stuart Mau's and Susan Garrett's out there.

There are always going to be the "know-it-alls" who act like they can do everything right. You know what, there was a time when THEY had to work on and learn the same skill you are working on now. I'd also bet there are skills they struggle with, even today.

Pay the unhelpful critics no mind. If you have have to, plug yourself into an iPod on low volume. Tell DH you don't want to hear what they have to say unless they want to talk to you directly.

You are DOING GREAT! and can only continue to become a better team.

 

[granite]

Well, good for you for training nicely and keeping the higher ground with the guy who's a jerk.


I would have probably widened my eyes and batted my lashes a bit and said "OH I am just SO happy that we could be here today to help you with your superiority complex."

Or something like that. Here in the south if we say "bless your little heart" it is not a real blessing, as we are acknowledging that you have a little, mean, poorly functioning organ.

 

[Sharon]

Ramblings

I can't add much to what everyone has already said.

Some people don't respect other venues. Sad, but true. "NADAC titles don't count" toward anything but NADAC. Duh. I don't like rude people.

Duncan is a barker! I try not to encourage it and we we aren't doing full run-throughs, it isn't tolerated (if I can help it). I think it is usually just his frustration at not knowing what I want from him or sometimes excitement. I hope it doesn't grow as a problem, but it may.

Duncan patterns, too! It has turned me off our 2o2o training because he had so many issues in the beginning with contacts, I didn't want to mess with it. I've started a new method. I call it "Go, go, go! Slow, slow, slow!" Up the A-frame, "Go, go, go!" and I run. Down the A-frame, "Slow, slow, slow" and I go really slow. We have virtually no distance with contacts at the moment, so I'm not sure how we'll build on it.

Also, if I don't feed directly from my hand, Duncan gets ground-crazy, too. I would rather have him stare at my hands than be focused on something else entirely.

Everyone has ofered good avice.Everyone trains different. I would not let my dogs stare at my hands though.My friend allowed her sheltie to do itand she would not listen to me and it came back to bite her in the behind.I had to re-train her dogs weaves because he was so focussed on her hand. She was never making time and getting mad because she was not Q-ing.It took awhile but I got him to do the weaves on his own . When I train contacts I feed my dog low to the ground and not looking at me. I want him to drive forward. I dont want him looking at my feeding hand going into the barky mode and spinning. My dogs are allowed to bark while working but not at the start line.

 

[Lovely]

Everyone has ofered good avice.Everyone trains different. I would not let my dogs stare at my hands though.My friend allowed her sheltie to do itand she would not listen to me and it came back to bite her in the behind.I had to re-train her dogs weaves because he was so focussed on her hand. She was never making time and getting mad because she was not Q-ing.It took awhile but I got him to do the weaves on his own . When I train contacts I feed my dog low to the ground and not looking at me. I want him to drive forward. I dont want him looking at my feeding hand going into the barky mode and spinning. My dogs are allowed to bark while working but not at the start line.

The goal is not to have him staring at my hands. Actually, he doesn't doing it during the obstacle unless it is weaves with my on the left. I know that he doesn't have confidence if he is cuing like that. It is definitely hard to learn without someone showing you what they mean! I'm sitting here trying to go over training and I can't really figure out how to fix it.

 

[Sharon]

Ramblings

Like I said everyone trains different but when I trained Shadow for the 2020 for contacts his job was to be in the 2020 position and his nose was to touch the ground and not look at me but straight ahead and that was so he would drive forward.I was taught to feed low to the ground and the food was in my hand ready to deliver once he was in position. It was not to be in my pocket or bait bag that way he is not looking at you.When I send him over the DW I tell him touch when he is halfway over and he goes into 2020 looking straight ahead.When he does his weaves he looks ahead and not at me and also Sting is getting more drive thru the weaves and is speed is increasing.

 

[Toffee's Mom]

Like I said everyone trains different but when I trained Shadow for the 2020 for contacts his job was to be in the 2020 position and his nose was to touch the ground and not look at me but straight ahead and that was so he would drive forward.I was taught to feed low to the ground and the food was in my hand ready to deliver once he was in position. It was not to be in my pocket or bait bag that way he is not looking at you.When I send him over the DW I tell him touch when he is halfway over and he goes into 2020 looking straight ahead.When he does his weaves he looks ahead and not at me and also Sting is getting more drive thru the weaves and is speed is increasing.

That is how I am trying to train Toffee right now, to get the drive forward right from the beginning as much as Toffee and I are noobs... I don't want to have to later train for speed or contact accuracy if I can try and get it now WISH me luck, lol

On that other note... so true what everyone else says.. there will always be unsolicted advice, and you get ten dog handlers, you get ten different opinions I always say, lol
Some just are so much nicer about it than others!

PS I LOVE to see your Koji and you agility videos.. your method of training and what I would like to achieve are so similar I LOVE it.. so don't let some dork get you down grrrr

 

[Caro]

Or something like that. Here in the south if we say "bless your little heart" it is not a real blessing, as we are acknowledging that you have a little, mean, poorly functioning organ.

Ah - now I know the secret, will keep my ears open for that one, didnt realise it was sarcastic. Wonder if I can get away with it or do you need a sweet southern accent for that.

 

[k9kreationz]

I've started a new method. I call it "Go, go, go! Slow, slow, slow!" Up the A-frame, "Go, go, go!" and I run. Down the A-frame, "Slow, slow, slow" and I go really slow. We have virtually no distance with contacts at the moment, so I'm not sure how we'll build on it.

LOL. I love it. There's a couple of people who say, "up up up". It's cute. And that's one reason I don't want to train to get things done...versus doing it the right way. Cuz how do you build distance if he's reading off your body language? It used to work for Koji, not anymore. I think I'm going to have to do 2o2o. Sigh. Good luck with your contacts. Trust me, it's never easy. lol.