labgirl
Forums Sage
We just moved up a grade at T&A which is an independent comp. We are now Starters level and the courses just got a whole lot harder. I really noticed that with Merlin yesterday and I felt very frustrated by my handling. Merlin ran some corking stuff, but I was so so late with my commands. We did manage two clears and had two thirds, against some very fast dogs with very good handlers. We are definitely on a new learning curve!
Sparrow ran really well too and we had our first clear in ages, coming away with a third
In my defence for the shoddy handling you will see in the videos, I had had very little sleep the night before and was not really firing on all cylinders.
Merlin
Starters Jumping
Its been ages since I last had a start onto a straight line of weaves, so this was a good test of Merlin's weaving skills. He didn't falter. Unfortunately my handling was under confident and extremely late, meaning I rather overused his name to keep him with me. Poor man, I do feel bad for him having me as a handler! We ran clear (just) and came third.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ugCbWdOJI
Starters Agility
This was a tough course with a lot of traps and a really unpleasant line onto the seesaw. I have been having trouble getting Merlin to pull off on a straight sequence of jumps, so pulling him into the tunnel was going to be interesting. We achieved that, and the second pull off from a jump, but as we headed out to a far jump Merlin took the finish too early. I am pleased, however, that I didn't even break stride and acted as if nothing had gone wrong, and his entry into tricky weaves on his least favourite side was brilliant. I had lost a bit of my mojo for the next section and fluffed it, but Merlin ran awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDMFsvV3NI
Starters Steeplechase
The beginning of the steeplechase involved another pull off, boy, have these been my nemesis lately! Well, I can see from the video my command for a 'left' was woefully late and Merlin sailed straight on. I was frustrated with myself, hence the angry hands, but not with Merlin. I reset him because I wanted to prove to myself we could do a pull off, and he ran that course perfectly, like a dream. What an awesome clear that would have been! Notice how much calmer I was with my handling the second time. We were already eliminated, so the pressure went off! Ah, if only I could learn to control my nerves better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgm1u1xJ80
Starters Agility 2
The last run of the day was another agility course, with yet another pull off, this time taking the dog off its natural line into the wrong entrance (to their perspective) of the tunnel. We managed it!!! And had a nice clear run, coming third against some fast dogs. Unfortunately (per usual) the decent run of the day was not filmed!
Sparrow
Anysize Jumping
I took the course steady and a little slower than normal, aiming for accuracy over speed. Sparrow managed a rear cross, which is one of our weak points, and ran lovely. I was so pleased by my little girl who was really listening. We came third and I was elated to be taking home a rosette with her name on it.
Anysize Agility
The start jumps were set in a curve and I guess I set Sparrow up wrong, because when I released her from her wait she skimmed around the start jump. I reset her and started again and she ran lovely. She got her contacts, though because I am being fussy with positioning now, I reset her on them to get them right.
Unfortunately, no one was available to film these runs. Shame, as I would have really liked to watch them back and see where we could improve.
So, what I took away from yesterday is that I need to have more confidence in myself now Merlin is running at a higher level. I need to give far earlier commands and remember I have a drivey dog who is going to charge forward if I don't grab his attention soon enough. But, I can also see we can manage Starters level, with a bit of practice. And Sparrow is coming together so well, her start waits are so solid and she is really listening. Definitely lots of good things to think about
Sparrow ran really well too and we had our first clear in ages, coming away with a third
In my defence for the shoddy handling you will see in the videos, I had had very little sleep the night before and was not really firing on all cylinders.
Merlin
Starters Jumping
Its been ages since I last had a start onto a straight line of weaves, so this was a good test of Merlin's weaving skills. He didn't falter. Unfortunately my handling was under confident and extremely late, meaning I rather overused his name to keep him with me. Poor man, I do feel bad for him having me as a handler! We ran clear (just) and came third.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ugCbWdOJI
Starters Agility
This was a tough course with a lot of traps and a really unpleasant line onto the seesaw. I have been having trouble getting Merlin to pull off on a straight sequence of jumps, so pulling him into the tunnel was going to be interesting. We achieved that, and the second pull off from a jump, but as we headed out to a far jump Merlin took the finish too early. I am pleased, however, that I didn't even break stride and acted as if nothing had gone wrong, and his entry into tricky weaves on his least favourite side was brilliant. I had lost a bit of my mojo for the next section and fluffed it, but Merlin ran awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viDMFsvV3NI
Starters Steeplechase
The beginning of the steeplechase involved another pull off, boy, have these been my nemesis lately! Well, I can see from the video my command for a 'left' was woefully late and Merlin sailed straight on. I was frustrated with myself, hence the angry hands, but not with Merlin. I reset him because I wanted to prove to myself we could do a pull off, and he ran that course perfectly, like a dream. What an awesome clear that would have been! Notice how much calmer I was with my handling the second time. We were already eliminated, so the pressure went off! Ah, if only I could learn to control my nerves better!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zgm1u1xJ80
Starters Agility 2
The last run of the day was another agility course, with yet another pull off, this time taking the dog off its natural line into the wrong entrance (to their perspective) of the tunnel. We managed it!!! And had a nice clear run, coming third against some fast dogs. Unfortunately (per usual) the decent run of the day was not filmed!
Sparrow
Anysize Jumping
I took the course steady and a little slower than normal, aiming for accuracy over speed. Sparrow managed a rear cross, which is one of our weak points, and ran lovely. I was so pleased by my little girl who was really listening. We came third and I was elated to be taking home a rosette with her name on it.
Anysize Agility
The start jumps were set in a curve and I guess I set Sparrow up wrong, because when I released her from her wait she skimmed around the start jump. I reset her and started again and she ran lovely. She got her contacts, though because I am being fussy with positioning now, I reset her on them to get them right.
Unfortunately, no one was available to film these runs. Shame, as I would have really liked to watch them back and see where we could improve.
So, what I took away from yesterday is that I need to have more confidence in myself now Merlin is running at a higher level. I need to give far earlier commands and remember I have a drivey dog who is going to charge forward if I don't grab his attention soon enough. But, I can also see we can manage Starters level, with a bit of practice. And Sparrow is coming together so well, her start waits are so solid and she is really listening. Definitely lots of good things to think about
Everything will come together 