Wins

I thought I'd borrow a page from what we do at work...think about our last trial and jot down a few wins and opportunities.  It's helpful for me to emphasize the progress we've made from trial to trial.   And writing down our opportunities will help me to focus our training in the months to come.

Wins:
1.  Lexi's table. Not too long ago Lexi would bounce off the table like crazy.  I think she thought it was her personal speed bump.  Also, she got impatient and often lifted her elbows up before the count was finished.  We worked it just a few times, and she seems vastly improved!
2.  Bentley's weave entries.  Last trial Bentley missed several weave entries.  I think he's been rusty, so it's something we've worked on quite a bit in the yard.  This trial he really seemed to go out and try to find it on his own.
3.  Lexi's teeter.  HUGE win!  She showed no fear, no hesitation, and never refused it.  On every teeter she ran to the end and rode it down.  (Now I think it's time to further proof the end behavior).  Just a few months ago she didn't want to get on at all.
4.  Bentley's teeter.  He is going much farther down the end before stopping.  Last trial there was a lot of cajoling and encouraging when he stopped short.  (He did fall off this trial, but that was a product of him losing his footing)
5.  Lexi's attention in Snooker.  My husband chose difficult snooker plans and Lexi stayed with him the whole time (though she wasn't always happy about it!)
6.  Bentley's contacts.  Our criteria for Bentley is 2o2o in practice, and no missed contacts in a trial.  Because of the way that he thinks and works, we accept 4-on, or even bounces (on the a-frame) in a trial.  He didn't miss a single contact!

Why do you do it?

Someone asked me why I do agility.  I thought about it, and this is what I came up with:

What keeps me coming back is the feeling of accomplishment and emotional connection and the start and finish line of a course.

Looking down after running and realizing that this dog isn't doing this for herself, she's doing it for me.

Bentley's First Trial

One of those moments

Those of you who have dogs will know what I'm talking about when I mention "those little moments".  Doesn't matter if you're into dog sports, or dog companionship.  This is what keeps us coming back despite frustration, setbacks, challenges, and inevitable heartbreak.  A short lifetime of those little moments makes us forget everything else.

I would be remiss if I said that today I experienced one such little moment--and found it to be surprising, or unusual.  Every day I am hit by one of those little moments.  Whether it's Bentley curling up next to me on the couch, or Lexi ramming a toy into my leg--these moments are everywhere, and I love them all!

Perhaps today my mood is what made this "little moment" even more special.  I'm stressed, and to be honest, feeling a bit emotional!

We took the dogs to a park today, and walked them down a long path.  I considered taking my camera, but didn't know if the weather would hold up (it has been very gray all day).  I would guess that we maybe walked a mile or two, and then turned around to come back.  The path was mostly deserted, so I decided to let Lexi off the leash (don't worry, she has an excellent recall and we were in a safe area).  She explored, trotted at my side, sniffed, and checked back in with me like a good girl.  Luckily, this is something that she has always been good at it, and does my heart good to see her able to interact with her surroundings this way (similarly, it makes me sad that we failed at teaching that foundation with Bentley--though I think his character allows him to be perfectly content to walk in step with whomever is holding his leash).

I decided to break into a run--just for fun.  And to my surprise, and joy, Lexi broke into a run, keeping pace with me at my side for almost a minute.  I know that sounds silly...but we were in total sync!  Perhaps I should remind everyone that this is my crazy, boisterous girl that loves to race ahead, jump in front, turn around and bark, and often almost trip me up with her herding instinct (which she seems to think is the best game ever!)  It was odd, but it was incredibly calming.

I love those little moments!

"What now, Mom?"

(Don't worry--I'll be back with your regularly scheduled programming--Agility and Training--soon!)

 

I love my dogs!

I guess I probably don't say this too often...but I really love my dogs.  Dogs are great because they love us unconditionally!

This week has been really stressful.  My boss has been on vacation all week, and I've been in charge...it's been a terrific learning experience, but extremely stressful.  She has a crazy job, and seems to be the key to the entire marketing department!  Anyways, the place hasn't burnt down yet, so I guess I'm doing okay!  I'm also basically doing two jobs at once...but that's not really a fun dog-related story!

Tuesday was particularly stressful.  I had worked 9.5 hours straight, and then immediately went from work to agility.  We worked on serpentine recall to heels (in sequence) and it was just awesome.  The dogs didn't do anything in particular that put me in a good mood...they just were their little selves.  Enthusiastic, willing to work, and of course, cute!  They weren't perfect, but I didn't care.  We were working together as a team and all my worries just faded into the background.  On our way out of class there was a sheltie club meeting and I got to hold 3 little 11 week old sheltie puppies.  Adorable!  I left that night with a HUGE smile on my face.

I love my dogs--and I love this sport and everything that comes with it!

This picture is from 1.5 years ago!