Well, Fall is upon us and thus it is time for leaf raking, brisk mornings, and higher energy dogs. Yes, it feels like something was slipped in their water dishes because the pups are more active than ever. They relish this cool weather and their energy will only increase as it gets colder, which is a bummer because it seems like human energy only decreases with the cold. Either way, I will attempt to keep them both busy this winter.
We had three agility trials last month and only one in October. Both dogs had their share of success last month. Zoe finished up a couple of Open NADAC titles and is now working towards her CATE in CPE. She only has a few runs left to finish her CATCH-2, but I don't think that will happen until next month with our trial schedule.
Breeze's progress has been exponential. She is learning the show routine and that she gets lavishly rewarded for good behavior and working with me as a team. She experienced her first trial on dirt and was a great opportunity to practice working through distractions! Her sequencing is getting better and her drive is increasing as she gets more comfortable in the ring. Unlike Zoe, she has absolutely no problem being confident on contact obstacles, however, she has also formed a cape on her back and has found the joy in leaving the contacts before she should. Luckily, this hasn't been a huge problem, but is something that I am focusing extra hard on in training so that she doesn't form bad habits :)
Below is one of Breeze's recent runs. It was definitely one of the smoother runs, except for the end. She is now in level 3 in CPE in everything except for two of the games classes. As thrilled as I am with her progress, I will be taking it slow with her this fall. She still needs some time to mature and work up the stamina for two day shows.
