Lanie
Forums Enthusiast
That is so awesome! Congratulations!!!!!
The thing with the contacts is exactly the same problem we're having. In class and practice, she's perfect. As soon as it's a competition, it's like she forgets what a contact is.
Spirit Joy
- Thread starter Cara Sandler
- Start date
That is so awesome! Congratulations!!!!!
The thing with the contacts is exactly the same problem we're having. In class and practice, she's perfect. As soon as it's a competition, it's like she forgets what a contact is.
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
Though for what it's worth, my one of my closest agility friends, who we train with every week, had exactly the same experience with her dogs on the contacts. She acted like she had never heard of a stopped contact in her entire life.
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
I FINALLY have the video put together for Spirit's Jumpers run this past weekend. I'll post the failed Standard runs later but for now I've spent the last 24 hours trying to make the movie and convert it to a format that it can be uploaded. Gotta figure out a better way!!!!! I used Windows Live Movie Maker and it took about 18 hours to convert to a .wav file :-(
Anyway, here's the video of my wonderful, amazing little girl.
https://vimeo.com/154353495
Anyway, here's the video of my wonderful, amazing little girl.
https://vimeo.com/154353495
Lanie
Forums Enthusiast
That was so, so awesome, Cara! You guys q'd with a collision. I probably would have been thrown off and went off course. You've got nerves of steel, girl. Spirit looked like she was having a great time too. Congratulations!!!!!!!
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
Aw, thanks Lanie! I've actually been performing my whole life and am used to fixing things that happen "onstage". I love getting out there and having people watch 
It's so much fun for me. Plus, we have a super supportive group of people here that cheer no matter what, laugh along with us, and enforce the rule of "there's no crying in agility"!!!!!!!!
Spirit did absolutely love it, and when I went back and watched the video I realized she has amazing focus for such a young dog. She is all business out there on the course. I guess I don't have to worry about her ever running off. She probably forgets there's anything outside the ring once she starts running.
We went to class last night and the trainer 100% supported my decision to not do the teeter and to pull her out of her Standard run for blowing her contacts. Spirit's first couple of turns in class, she blew her contacts, so we didn't let her do anything else until she did her contacts correctly. Took about 3 turns, and then she "remembered" what a stopped contact was and did it perfectly. Hopefully we can transfer that to a trial environment!
She's signed up for another trial next weekend in Vero Beach, which is about 2 hours away. We're driving up Friday night. Should be interesting to see whether staying in a hotel will affect Spirit's performance. I'm guessing it won't because she's very confident and doesn't seem to mind hotels at all, but we'll have to see. Right now the plan is to do both Jumpers runs (she's in Open now
) so hopefully she and I will be able to handle it. She's recently started doing some 10th pole popouts on the weaves, so hopefully she won't do that during the trial. At least we get 2 tries! We're probably going to do a modified Standard course again and skip the teeter. We do have class on Monday and then she has camp on Friday, but I don't think she's going to regain her confidence completely in one week, and I would rather not ask her to do something that she's apprehensive about. Even if it takes another 6 months to build her confidence back up, it's nothing compared to her whole career ahead of her. She's only 18 months old.
It's so much fun for me. Plus, we have a super supportive group of people here that cheer no matter what, laugh along with us, and enforce the rule of "there's no crying in agility"!!!!!!!!Spirit did absolutely love it, and when I went back and watched the video I realized she has amazing focus for such a young dog. She is all business out there on the course. I guess I don't have to worry about her ever running off. She probably forgets there's anything outside the ring once she starts running.
We went to class last night and the trainer 100% supported my decision to not do the teeter and to pull her out of her Standard run for blowing her contacts. Spirit's first couple of turns in class, she blew her contacts, so we didn't let her do anything else until she did her contacts correctly. Took about 3 turns, and then she "remembered" what a stopped contact was and did it perfectly. Hopefully we can transfer that to a trial environment!
She's signed up for another trial next weekend in Vero Beach, which is about 2 hours away. We're driving up Friday night. Should be interesting to see whether staying in a hotel will affect Spirit's performance. I'm guessing it won't because she's very confident and doesn't seem to mind hotels at all, but we'll have to see. Right now the plan is to do both Jumpers runs (she's in Open now
) so hopefully she and I will be able to handle it. She's recently started doing some 10th pole popouts on the weaves, so hopefully she won't do that during the trial. At least we get 2 tries! We're probably going to do a modified Standard course again and skip the teeter. We do have class on Monday and then she has camp on Friday, but I don't think she's going to regain her confidence completely in one week, and I would rather not ask her to do something that she's apprehensive about. Even if it takes another 6 months to build her confidence back up, it's nothing compared to her whole career ahead of her. She's only 18 months old.
Hanne
Forums Sage
Cara as usual, I enjoy seeing how well a partnership you and Spirit have - really a pleasure to see how talented and relaxed he is.
(Sorry if I'm wrong, but was it not Spirit who made - the sweetest funniest stunt, ever - when he runs back to the seesaw during training, I am still smiling at the thought )
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
Cara as usual, I enjoy seeing how well a partnership you and Spirit have - really a pleasure to see how talented and relaxed he is.
(Sorry if I'm wrong, but was it not Spirit who made - the sweetest funniest stunt, ever - when he runs back to the seesaw during training, I am still smiling at the thought )
Thanks Hanne! She's a great little puppy. And yes, that was her turning around and heading for the teeter in the hopes of getting extra treats
Actually, I'm still laughing at the thought as well. Hopefully she'll get her confidence back soon and want to do a stunt like that again
Lanie
Forums Enthusiast
Aw, thanks Lanie! I've actually been performing my whole life and am used to fixing things that happen "onstage". I love getting out there and having people watch
Spirit did absolutely love it, and when I went back and watched the video I realized she has amazing focus for such a young dog. She is all business out there on the course. I guess I don't have to worry about her ever running off. She probably forgets there's anything outside the ring once she starts running.
We went to class last night and the trainer 100% supported my decision to not do the teeter and to pull her out of her Standard run for blowing her contacts. Spirit's first couple of turns in class, she blew her contacts, so we didn't let her do anything else until she did her contacts correctly. Took about 3 turns, and then she "remembered" what a stopped contact was and did it perfectly. Hopefully we can transfer that to a trial environment!
She's signed up for another trial next weekend in Vero Beach, which is about 2 hours away. We're driving up Friday night. Should be interesting to see whether staying in a hotel will affect Spirit's performance. I'm guessing it won't because she's very confident and doesn't seem to mind hotels at all, but we'll have to see. Right now the plan is to do both Jumpers runs (she's in Open now
I was wondering what your trainer was going to say about stopping the run. Looks like you made a good call. Echo's contacts are pretty good this week. We start a 6 week league next Saturday and I have permission to make her repeat the obstacle if she blows a contact or self-releases. I'm hoping to work out the bugs there so we can start AKC trials. I don't know what it is about that 10th pole. We've had that happen a few times and I've seen a lot of other dogs pop out on the 10th.
Spirit is really amazing for such a young dog. Looking forward to more video
I love Vero Beach, btw. I've been there for Dodgers spring training a few times.
Cara Sandler
Forums Enthusiast
I was wondering what your trainer was going to say about stopping the run. Looks like you made a good call. Echo's contacts are pretty good this week. We start a 6 week league next Saturday and I have permission to make her repeat the obstacle if she blows a contact or self-releases. I'm hoping to work out the bugs there so we can start AKC trials. I don't know what it is about that 10th pole. We've had that happen a few times and I've seen a lot of other dogs pop out on the 10th.
Spirit is really amazing for such a young dog. Looking forward to more video
I love Vero Beach, btw. I've been there for Dodgers spring training a few times.
Oooooh, good luck in the league! That's great that they're letting you repeat the contacts. Hopefully Echo will rise to the occasion. And if not, well, then, on to another plan. Just not sure what that plan would be
Our trainer said that the reason a lot of dogs pop out at the 10th pole is that they are used to getting a reward from the trainer at the end. They turn their heads to look for the cookie and it causes them to come out. I have to say I am guilty of rewarding her right after her weaves, so I've switched over to using a Lotus ball and throwing it for her after she's done. That way her focus remains forward.
I've never been to Vero, but it's only a 2 hour drive, so I suspect we'll be there a lot
I decided to go out on a limb and entered Spirit in yet another trial in the beginning of March down here in Miami. I fear I am losing my self control, because I entered her for 3 days - and decided to try FAST. I think it will be fun to make up my own course and I'm really curious to see how Spirit will do during the send. She's so incredibly focused I suspect she'll do great, but you never know. So she's entered in JWW, Standard, and FAST on Friday and Saturday, and just JWW and Standard on Sunday. Hopefully it won't be too much for her. Or me. It will help that we won't have to stay in a hotel for that, and actually I have a friend who has a puppy from Spirit's breeder who lives right there and has offered to let me stay with her too. Either way, it will be nice not to have to pay for a hotel.