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| This is Bentley the day we brought him home! (Feb. 2008) |
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Still here! How do you tug?
I haven't been writing much, but I assure you I'm still here!
A friend posted the question on another website, how do you tug? I thought this link to Susan Garrett's blog was interesting.
My two are very different. Lexi just tugged the day we brought her home, I think. I think she can get over the top very easily, so I make tugging a fun interactive game with an element of control. We do tugging, give, take, back up, wait, catch, sit, down, take, fetch all at the same time. I made sure to teach her to tug by using her back legs to pull rather than her front/neck. That's the main reason we do so much tugging while she backs up. She rocks back and powers from the rear.
I've also found that tugging really centers her before an agility run. But, once we get into the building and right up close to the ring (which we only do right before her turn) she doesn't want to tug anymore. She wants to run, end of story. After her run she wants her cookies, and then we go outside for more tugging and fetching.
Bentley, on the other hand, doesn't get it. I sort of taught him to tug just to see if I could, but it's not fun for him so I don't have him do it. I think it confuses him and he doesn't find it rewarding. I find it better to build drive just by pushing him around--he doesn't need the tug.
Just to illustrate the difference between them--if Lexi "wins" a game of tug, she kills her toy. Bentley just looks confused and immediately drops it :)
And just for fun, a video of Lexi's new trick (in progress)--weaving between my legs. Oh, and then her "bang" at the end:
A friend posted the question on another website, how do you tug? I thought this link to Susan Garrett's blog was interesting.
My two are very different. Lexi just tugged the day we brought her home, I think. I think she can get over the top very easily, so I make tugging a fun interactive game with an element of control. We do tugging, give, take, back up, wait, catch, sit, down, take, fetch all at the same time. I made sure to teach her to tug by using her back legs to pull rather than her front/neck. That's the main reason we do so much tugging while she backs up. She rocks back and powers from the rear.
I've also found that tugging really centers her before an agility run. But, once we get into the building and right up close to the ring (which we only do right before her turn) she doesn't want to tug anymore. She wants to run, end of story. After her run she wants her cookies, and then we go outside for more tugging and fetching.
Bentley, on the other hand, doesn't get it. I sort of taught him to tug just to see if I could, but it's not fun for him so I don't have him do it. I think it confuses him and he doesn't find it rewarding. I find it better to build drive just by pushing him around--he doesn't need the tug.
Just to illustrate the difference between them--if Lexi "wins" a game of tug, she kills her toy. Bentley just looks confused and immediately drops it :)
And just for fun, a video of Lexi's new trick (in progress)--weaving between my legs. Oh, and then her "bang" at the end:
Thursday, April 5, 2012
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.
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.
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| Bentley's First Trial |
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Clean runs!
Really enjoyed our class tonight. Both Lexi and Bentley ran clean (and were the only ones to do so on the first attempt) and I was very proud. I took the time to draw it up because I was so pleased with their performance.
Diana was kind enough to actually put it together with the Clean Run Course Designer. She is the best. Thank you, thank you Diana!!
Here's how I handled it with Lexi. Maybe I can get Jonathan to chime in tomorrow with how he handled it with Bentley (I forget!)
Front cross from 2 to 3, send to the tunnel. RC flip from 7 to 8 into the tunnel. RFP from 8 to 9 over the a-frame (yes, that's an a-frame, ha!) No forward motion, but a release/send with my arm out to push her over 10, and a FC on the landing side of 10. Lexi on my left into the weaves and around over the a-frame again. Forward send over 17 and a FC (serious decel!) to 18 to get the 180 and avoid the pinwheel. RC on the flat between 19 and 20 and send to the tunnel.
A few notes. My trainer recommended that I send over 17, trust Lexi and FC between 18 and 19. I tried it and it actually worked out nicely, though I'm not sure if I'd see that/try that myself.
The only slight bobbles in the original run were the fact that she ran into my leg at the landing side FC at 10 (though she was trying to get on the correct side of me) and then I almost pulled her completely off of 18 because I decelerated to much. I was able to save it and push her over without a refusal.
Here's how I handled it with Lexi. Maybe I can get Jonathan to chime in tomorrow with how he handled it with Bentley (I forget!)
Front cross from 2 to 3, send to the tunnel. RC flip from 7 to 8 into the tunnel. RFP from 8 to 9 over the a-frame (yes, that's an a-frame, ha!) No forward motion, but a release/send with my arm out to push her over 10, and a FC on the landing side of 10. Lexi on my left into the weaves and around over the a-frame again. Forward send over 17 and a FC (serious decel!) to 18 to get the 180 and avoid the pinwheel. RC on the flat between 19 and 20 and send to the tunnel.
A few notes. My trainer recommended that I send over 17, trust Lexi and FC between 18 and 19. I tried it and it actually worked out nicely, though I'm not sure if I'd see that/try that myself.
The only slight bobbles in the original run were the fact that she ran into my leg at the landing side FC at 10 (though she was trying to get on the correct side of me) and then I almost pulled her completely off of 18 because I decelerated to much. I was able to save it and push her over without a refusal.
Monday, April 2, 2012
IHC Exercises, and a very brief Cik & Cap video
I have always been intrigued by European agility courses and have always wanted to try them out. They look really tough, so I would never enter IHC at a trial since I know we aren't ready, but they do look like a lot of fun.
Steve over at http://agilitynerd.com/blog/ posted a few international handling exercises a few days ago--so I figured, why not give them a shot? I am notoriously bad at remembering short courses that use the same jumps over and over, but it was really fun to give them a try.
Lexi had no problems once I figured out where I was going (easier said than done) and Bentley truly had no issues at all (they are much easier for a shorter strided dog that naturally collects).
I made a video of our attempts. Enjoy!
And, here's a very short video of Lexi showing off her cik & cap. I just thought to add this at the last minute after she was already tired from the IHC exercises.
Steve over at http://agilitynerd.com/blog/ posted a few international handling exercises a few days ago--so I figured, why not give them a shot? I am notoriously bad at remembering short courses that use the same jumps over and over, but it was really fun to give them a try.
Lexi had no problems once I figured out where I was going (easier said than done) and Bentley truly had no issues at all (they are much easier for a shorter strided dog that naturally collects).
I made a video of our attempts. Enjoy!
And, here's a very short video of Lexi showing off her cik & cap. I just thought to add this at the last minute after she was already tired from the IHC exercises.
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