First Trial All Over Again

It seems like yesterday when I first brought out my black dog, Zoe, at her first agility trial.  Well, two years later, I was doing that with a new dog.  I fully admit that I started competing with Breeze before I said I would, but it is so difficult to hold them back.  Breeze and I became a competing team a couple of weeks ago at a NADAC trial.  I did three runs with her each on Saturday and Sunday.  The first run went great - no major distractions and she had plenty of enthusiasm.  There were no Qs for us that day, but I learned a TON about where we are at in our training.  The weaknesses: discriminations, sequencing, and my contact criteria.  Strengths: awesome generalization - no issues with equipment, startline stays, and plenty of enthusiasm.  Her two regular runs weren't bad at all - just some missed discriminations and a couple of knocked bars.  Otherwise, the runs went pretty smooth.  She was just .3 seconds shy of getting a weavers Q, but we had to restart weaves a few times.  Even though she is a pretty good weaver in training, it is a whole different story at a trial!!

The next day we got to run tunnelers, which is a super fun run.  Breeze ran this with no issues and earned her first Q ribbon!  She also earned a Q in regular, so she was already improving.  All in all, I couldn't be more impressed with her performance.  I feel that most of her issues are due to inexperience and the more we trial, the better team we will be.

Ok, not to over shadow Breeze, but Zoe did get her first elite title in Regular :)

So last weekend we drove down to Zumbro Falls and Breeze competed in not only her first CPE trial, but her first outdoor trial.  To sum things up, she displayed great control at the start line and had lovely contacts.  She did the teeter like a champ and showed no fear!  CPE is pretty lenient so while she did veer off course, we still qualified in the standard run.  She also Q'ed in colors and jackpot.  Her sequencing was not bad for a newbie, but there is definitely room for improvement.  Weaves were another weakness.  She is such a great weaver at home and in class, but at trials, she lacks the focus to start them correctly.  But I think this is really an issue of practice that will come with time.

I am excited to compete with her again, but unfortunately we will have to wait until the end of August.  It is really hard to hold back when they do well, but I know that more practice will pay off.  She has proven that she is ready to start competing, so now it is just a matter of giving her experience.  She will compete next on turf and then a couple of trials on dirt, which is very distracting!

Meanwhile, I have a new found appreciation for Zoe.  She has become such a consistent competitor that I can get ready for a run with her and know exactly what to expect.  I have to handle her in a whole different way and that has taught me so much.  I am excited for her future and will maybe try playing in some new agility venues soon.

CPE Nationals

CPE Nationals was more than I ever expected.  First of all, we had the best weather possible - cool and overcast.  Really???  After record heat and an incredibly long winter??  We certainly lucked out!!  Second, we had the most awesome volunteers helping to run this trial as smooth as butter.  Third, the trial consisted of wonderful people who loved doing agility with their dogs.  And finally, we got to show off all the hard work we've done over the past two and a half years.

I am sooo proud of how Zoe did this weekend.  She was extremely focused and gave it her all.  She attacked the teeter as if she was never afraid and finished every run with a big Zoe grin!  The best moment for us was Jackpot.  We casually did our opening, doing her favorite obstacles and ended in a great spot as the buzzer rang.  We headed for the gamble and just after Zoe took the first jump she came back confidently to me as if that was it.  Well, not quite.  There was still another jump, tunnel, and final jump.  This could not possibly be explained on paper, but the maneuver required a jump away, come back for the less-obvious tunnel entrance and a finish jump.  So...after a chat for a few seconds, she finally got the message and finished the gamble.  It was amazing because something just clicked and she knew exactly what to do.  If you saw the video, you can actually see the point where it clicked in her brain.  And it turns out, we made it in just enough time!!  Everyone cheered (Zoe's FAVORITE) and she did zoomies all the way out of the ring.  She was just beside herself!!  I LOVE it when she is that excited.  She KNEW she did a good job and I was very happy for her.  So this was our favorite moment of Nationals.  Nothing else could top this.

We ended the trial with eight qualifying ribbons and a plaque for 5th place in games (20'' class).  We came and did our best.  I can't ask for more.  But what was also great is that all of my friends were having a stellar time too.  I saw people qualify in classes they haven't for a very long time.  I saw people do so well that they ran faster than any other dog out there.  I saw people make friends.  I made friends.  I saw people help each other.  And help each other some more.  Whether it was catching a stray dog or giving course advice, everyone was in it for each other.  

The whole thing had a summer camp kind of feel.  There were various activities, people were camping, people were stolen away from their daily lives.  People were having fun.  There was camaraderie, compassion, and excitement.  Everyone shared the same passion - working with their dogs.  

I feel so incredibly lucky to have been a part of this event.  I know there could have been many things that could have held us back.  I feel lucky to have shared this with the best of my friends and that they too had an incredible time.  It was truly an experience of a lifetime!

Dogs see the world so differently...

Having obtained Breeze at a young age, I have watched her grow up and learn about the world around her.  Generally, she is a pretty confident dog, but every now and then, she comes across something that rocks her little world.  Why she would be taken aback by a watermelon is beyond me.  What could it possibly have that poses a threat??

Luckily, I've got the tools to help her through this potentially-traumatic situation.  But it certainly reminds me of how differently dogs view the world!

Agility With a Side of Rain

Apparently the May MMBC NADAC trial is notorious for bad weather.  That is why I bought water-proof shoes last year and ran out and invested in rain pants last week.  It turns out that those were the best purchases ever.  Saturday started with an already soaked field with a few sprinkles mixed in.  I'm thinking "Not bad, glad I have my rain gear."  Zoe was jazzed by the cool wet weather and for the first time made elite time and earned her first two elite Q's and first open weavers Q.  So now I'm thinking, "Wow, my dog thinks this is awesome...we are going to have a great weekend."  Little did I know, it was all downhill from there.

After a brief respite from the rain, it started to rain hard.  Three dogs before our run, the trial was on hold and I was stuck scarfing down my lunch with Zoe at my side in a crowded tent.  No big deal...I didn't want to savor my food anyway.  So then the trial begins again and it's finally our turn.  We start our run and Zoe looks unusually distracted and even starts to veer away from me.  Crap.  Quite literally actually as she never got a proper walk and chance to eliminate with all of the steady rain.  So our run ended with an E....there is definitely a first time for everything.  At least I couldn't blame her given the conditions and in the end, she was a happy camper.

The rest of the day was a wash - no pun intended.  As the rain persisted, the ground got soggier and soggier.  Zoe became less enthused about the weather and had to slow down to avoid slipping...good girl.  No more Qs for us, but we had a good time braving the elements.

Sunday came and I thought it would be a new day.  Instead, it was a repeat of Saturday plus severe weather.  We ran our first 4 runs, NQed in all.  Mostly chalking that up to soggy fields and bad footing.  Ok, there was some tunnel discriminations Zoe and I had to sort through as well.  But mostly the soggy fields.  By noon, the weather turned south and we headed back to the comfort of home.  It was no longer about the Qs...just staying safe and dry.

All in all, I can't say it was a terrible weekend.  There was good teamwork, excited dogs, and fun conversations.  I am quite pleased with Zoe's effort, especially showing that she can make elite time.  After that, it didn't really matter how we did.  I am just glad that we got through the weekend safe and that it will go down as a very memorable agility trial!

Riding the Wave

I really cannot complain about the past two months.  I could highlight our stellar Q-rate, but what I've really been impressed with is how focused and consistent Zoe has become.  I also think I have improved greatly in reading what makes her run better and being where I need to be to help support her.  I enjoy the fact that CPE agility is challenging, but never so much that I doubt we can meet the challenge.  Right now, we are 8 runs away from our C-ATCH, which is CPE's Agility Trial Champion title.  If Zoe keeps up her pace, we should be able to accomplish this towards the end of the summer.  It would have been really exciting to get our CATCH at the CPE Nationals event next month, but we would need at least one more trial before that to do so.  Either way, the Nationals event should be a blast and I am really looking forward to meeting more people who enjoy the sport of agility.

This past weekend I also got the opportunity to run Breeze at a Fun Run again.  She did great this time and being on turf, there were far fewer distractions than in the horse arena.  She hit her contacts beautifully and did a nice job following my lead.  I can really see the difference, however, between her and Zoe because our teamwork is not quite solid yet.  I am still learning what handling works for her and she is still learning how to read my cues.  At this point, it's just going to take practice.  She seems to really be enjoying the game and I am excited to start her in competition this summer.  Thankfully, spring is finally here and we can start practicing in the back yard again!!

Gearing Up for Nationals

I couldn't have been happier with my little black dog at our last trial a couple of weeks ago.  We went a perfect 10 for 10 that weekend and earned our last two titles in Level 4 CPE.  It was our first perfect weekend and extended Zoe's streak of being a steady, consistent dog.  Though I am very satisfied with how Zoe has been running, there are definitely a few key things that we still need to work on.

Our main goal is to ramp up Zoe's speed.  On a scale of 1-10 (10 being fast), Zoe typically runs at a 6.  I know she can get faster, and she has over time as she gains confidence.  Last week, we visited a new trainer who I think will be a big help with this.  Unsurprisingly, it will be me who will have to do most of the work.  I have always fought a balance between cheerleading Zoe and letting her do her thing.  On one hand, I need to encourage her to keep going, but on the other, I don't want praise to lose its meaning.  She actually does a nice job running on her own, so I need to learn to give her more efficient feedback.  We will also be working on her teeter confidence.  Zoe had an unfortunately quick learning experience with the teeter, so now we are going back and teaching her that the teeter is not so scary and can actually be a fun game.

Though I am excited about this new class, it means a big transition in our training.  I've really gotten comfortable in my current class and have developed a great relationship with the trainer and other students.  It's hard to know when to move on, but in any sport, change is a necessity.  Zoe and I have become such a better team over the past year, and I owe a lot of that to the things I have learned from my current trainer.  Namely, I've learned a lot about how to think outside of the box.  The most obvious course path isn't always the easiest.  Also, I need to be aware of my voice: my pitch and tone, the commands I use and how often I use them.

It's wonderful to do well in trials, earn titles, and collect ribbons.  But what excites me most is how far we've come and discovering just how much there is to learn in the world of dog sports.  Like most hobbies, there is a sense of fulfillment and pride as you achieve small accomplishments along the way towards a long-term goal.  But what makes agility really special is that you get a relationship in return - both with your dog and with others who share your passion.  Maybe that is what makes it so addicting!

Spring Agility

Well, the agility spring season is in full swing.  Zoe and I went down to La Crosse, WI earlier this month and also traveled to Isanti, MN last weekend for agility competitions.  Zoe did wonderful both weekends and had a perfect day in Isanti, going 4/4!  The weekend in Isanti was particularly special since one year ago Zoe was struggling to come back to competing after her injury.  One year later, she is now having fun and becoming a consistent competitor.  She is truly a great teammate to have - she has a nice combo of handler and obstacle focus, is a hard worker, and seems to enjoy the sport.  I am hoping that things continue to go well until the CPE Nationals event in June!

Meanwhile, Breeze is progressing in her agility training.  Her style is completely different than Zoe and is thus making me a much better handler.  Where I need to encourage Zoe, I need to subdue Breeze.  She goes at things will full force and needs to learn how to control her young body.  She lives to work and let's nothing get in the way, even when she gets caught up in the cords of the tire jump :)  She'll make a fantastic agility partner, but we've got lots of work to do before she competes.