k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
Do you think the way I suggested the opening is doable with Lexi? And if not, just curious, why not?
Difficulty of AKC Invitational Courses
- Thread starter k9kreationz
- Start date
Do you think the way I suggested the opening is doable with Lexi? And if not, just curious, why not?
corbinam
Moderator
I agree--something that's always hard for me to explain to people is that Lexi has a very long stride. She strides longer than most other shelties I've seen (she has tremendous reach). And of course it doesn't help that she's usually running in extension.
I think that a lot of trainers don't train distance. Even Stuart, who doesn't use APHS doesn't train distance. I can't remember what his stance on it is, but it's something about as long as your dog understands the job, distance just comes along with it.
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k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
See where this is going? I think the reason I thought it was hard was because at the time, Koji was too fast for FC, and I was doing RC horribly. Also, I don't think any dogs Q'd (sheltie speciality, so not a ton of dogs).
Oh, I'll have to see if there's anything in my area. Honestly, I love the challenge of it. It makes Q'ing that much more glorious.
I wish they'd come here.
I'm sure I wouldn't. Especially since I wouldn't be used to running that way. I'm sure Ashley felt that pain when first running with Lexi,
And honestly, I think if I could run faster and get in WAY more FCs, Koji would pick up a ton of speed. He's the type that likes to chase, so he's as slow as I am. Sucks sometimes, great at others. But yes, even if my dog is slightly above average in speed (as we're usually at the top of mid-range in the 16" group), we're probably slugs compared to the group at Invitationals, but could probably beat out others at Nationals (since all you need is points and QQ's, not necessarily speed).
Time for another dog? lol. So I can learn just how hard AKC is with a fast, early commitment point, maybe obstacle focused, distance dog? That's when I'll learn in NADAC again, lol.
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k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
It's 20 dirty QQ's. lol.
"buying" a MACH would be the person who can trial a LOT and regardless of how good they are, because they do it so much, they eventually get a MACH.
"dirty" MACH means your dog really isn't good, you've just been lucky. I would think this one takes a long time to get too.
So, for example, let's say I finally get Koji's MACH in 2017 (when he's 10 years old).....I've either been trialing a lot (buying) or getting by with his crappy A-frame/teeter (dirty). People who have trained well, get their MACH's much faster even if they can't trial every other weekend.
k9kreationz
Forums Celebrity
My friends just moved to Las Vegas today so next year if things go as planeed I might just be able to go visit her and see the AKC Nationals and see the "Best Of The Best" run those "EASY AKC COURSES".
I was about to say, Nationals is in Vegas? But realized I'm sure you guys will drive (fly?) to Reno for it. I soooo was hoping to get to that level by then. Darn contacts. And next year its back on your side, meaning FAR!
If I had the money, I'd go watch. But then again, Nationals aren't best of the best though. It's whomever could get the points and QQ's. I train with a guy who's dog is VERY slow and he was only 25 points shy of going, but had hurt himself so couldn't trial for those last 25. I was bummed. I so wanted his dog to go.
Just because she IS slow.
corbinam
Moderator
No way! Even if I sent her to the tunnel from far away, allowing me to get into position on the other side of jump 2, it wouldn't give her enough information to get into the weaves (she'd probably still see me hauling to get into position). And even if she didn't see me accelerating, I don't think I'd be able to give her enough information to get her to collect to make the turn.
HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
20qqs with 750 points isnt luck. Even if it takes 10 years and hundreds of trials, on those 20 occasions the dog and handler were working as a team, and were able to be not only perfect, but fast enough twice in one day 20 times to earn their mach. Perfection is not luck.
No mach is dirty. You may get a gimme every once in a while (judge missed a blown contact, or an off course, or a missed weave pole). You may have an ugly run that you eek a q out of anyway... but for the majority of the time, it takes skill to achieve it.
A mach is something earned, something achieved, and when a team manages the requirements to get one, it should be celebrated, as regardless of what others may think, for each and every dog that gets one, a lot of hard work by both dog and handler have been put in to get there.
No mach is dirty. You may get a gimme every once in a while (judge missed a blown contact, or an off course, or a missed weave pole). You may have an ugly run that you eek a q out of anyway... but for the majority of the time, it takes skill to achieve it.
A mach is something earned, something achieved, and when a team manages the requirements to get one, it should be celebrated, as regardless of what others may think, for each and every dog that gets one, a lot of hard work by both dog and handler have been put in to get there.
(1) did you train your dog for these challenges or were you doing what your instructor led a class through?
Some instructors like to teach what their own dog(s) needs & use their classes and students as guinea pigs so their dog can advance rather than focusing on what the students in a class really need.
Useful to be able to recognize that & keep that in mind.
You're correct, it is rare if ever that a domestic (non-ISC) AKC course contains these challenges. Well some are tighter than others & you should have seen 180s, and even some 270s - they do appear in CA.
(2) I don't say AKC is easy, but I have said previously that AKC courses do tend to follow a predictable formula. In other parts of the country I have heard opinions that that is not the case there, but I have also heard it from other handlers from other various parts of the country. Perhaps it is the lack of creativity and variety that has you bored with AKC?
(3) Your dog is not slow, but as a team you do show the inconsistency of a beginner team (regardless of what level you are competing at). Your course runs don't always flow cleanly, your cues are often unclear or late, and I see a lack of consistency in handling that if improved might allow Koji to run with more confidence and speed than he does. Hope you don't take this critique the wrong way, and maybe you can work on improving, and trusting your dog more than you do - some dogs are handler focused for the wrong reasons - I suggest you trust your dog more than you have shown to date.
(4) I also suggest figuring out course strategies that will work better than they appear to be for you at this point, but more so being able to adjust more readily when things dont go the way you thought they would. It isn't clear what your handling system is if you follow one, but I'd guess you've been exposed more to a Greg Derret set of rules than anything else. If NADAC was your first venue then that experience may also be a contributory factor. You mentioned Daisy, but the description of how you'd think you'd handle the invitational standard course suggests you haven't applied much thought to how an APHS team would cue obstacles, or for that matter what direction to run.
At the very least try to handle more consistently regardless of your preferred handling style so you and Koji can become a better *team*.
This observers perspective is given with good intentions - I know how important it can be to feel successful, so I won't rehash any of the training discussions because I see you are taking steps to improve there.