State Fair this weekend!!

August has been a crazy month so far.  It's been hot, hot, hot and I have had softball playoffs extend way beyond expected!  So the result?  Far less training than I'd like.  I still get small daily sessions of obedience/trick training in each day, but the agility training has been tough with this heat!!  Both dogs are far less active and when I want to play with them, they both look at me if saying "where's the pool??"  

Thank goodness for weekly agility class, which has been going pretty well.  Zoe continues to run well in class, but trialing has been a bit of a challenge.  We competed for a day in LaCrosse, WI and then 2 days at the SoccerBlast.  Both trials earned us Q's and titles, but it definitely didn't go as well as it could have.  My handling was off and Zoe was running slower than usual.  I think I've figured out part of the problem.  In competitions, weave poles can vary between 20'' and 24'' apart.  Since the beginning of our training, we've been using 20'' poles.  However, lately, most of the clubs have been using 24'' in trials.  Only recently did I discover the big discrepancy.  The difference between 20'' and 22'' wasn't huge, but 20'' to 24'' can look like a whole new obstacle.  This change requires Zoe to think and change her footing.  So...off to Menards I went to buy more PVC and we are now using competition-distance poles.  She took to the new distance without hesitation, but I am hoping that building the muscle memory will make her more confident in the competition ring.  There are way more variables that contribute to poor performance, but this I think, will make a big difference.

And for Breeze...well...she's still in boot camp training.  I feel I am making headway with this saucy, sassy little girl.  We went to Lake Nokomis yesterday and she went through and entire hot dog while I rewarded her for not going after bikers and joggers.  It was great exposure for her and I got a TON of successful responses.  This 3-mile walk along with a prior 1 mile rollerblade run really wore her out and she was a good girl for the rest of the day!  We also attended a disc dog seminar earlier this month and learned some fun moves.  Since we can't focus on jumping and catching quite yet, she's been learning lots of freestyle moves like spin and back up through my legs.  

So an obvious sign that summer is coming to a close is the MN State Fair.  It's been a yearly tradition since going in high school with the marching band and I look forward to it each summer.  Fortunately for me, two of my favorite activities get to collide this year and I will be bringing both of the dogs to the state fair for demos on Saturday.  Zoe will be doing agility and Breeze will be demoing her frisbee skills with the Twin Cities Disc Dog Club.  So cool that they happened to be on the same day - should be a ton of fun!!  So come out and see us by the Pet Center all day Saturday and watch us perform!

Training Update and Preparing for Fall Trialing

Summer sure is going by fast, but I feel like I've made the most of it.  We've had a bit of a lull in terms of trials, but we've got two scheduled in August and two full weekends in September.  Zoe has exceeded my expectations in most of our training sessions lately - her enthusiasm and motivation is really improving.  My handling is also improving, so I am sure that helps her motivation as well.  Clarity = more fun.

Meanwhile, Breeze has been keeping my on my toes.  She loves using her words and wants to chase anything that moves.  I am almost positive that she'd be a dog who may have been returned with the wrong owner.  Luckily, she has some very good qualities that help keep these things under control.  First, she LOVES to work.  She is a very good listener and catches on really fast.  She is also very food and toy driven, so when she is around something moving (e.g. car, biker, jogger, etc), I can distract her very easily.  The key here is consistency.  It is hard work to get her to focus 20 times during a walk, but I am confident that consistency will pay off later.  We also need to work on not chasing the cats!  Though she may be exhausting, I love that she is challenging me to be a better trainer.  Zoe is my easy dog - she just goes with the flow and is not too demanding.  Breeze, on the other hand, is a total sass and thrives on having a job to do.  By the way, her disc training is coming along very nicely.  I try not to make her jump too much, but boy, she is having sooo much fun with her frisbee.  Check out the video I made last week:

My Novice Champion

We had a great weekend trialing in NADAC this weekend.  Zoe finished the last of her novice legs and is now an open-level dog!!  When we didn't Q this weekend, most of the runs looked really good.  We had some trouble with the dog walk/tunnel discrimination and getting distracted.  But better handling can solve those problems easily.  The great thing about Zoe is that she is a really attentive and honest dog.  She listens well and rarely takes an off course.  The main issue is keeping her motivated and she is definitely coming along.  We got one out of the two chances courses this weekend.  In the one we didn't get, I lost Zoe part way when she got distracted.  But once I got her back, she did the rest of the distance challenge perfectly.  She actually has pretty good distance - when she is motivated.  Last night I worked with her a bit in the back yard and she did great jumping and weaving at a distance, but I had a good toy to motivate her with.  I really think she's got potential to do well in future chances courses - I just have to keep making things fun for her.

NADAC Trial this weekend!

It's been a long month, but our wait is finally over.  This will be our first full weekend of NADAC fun.  We'll be plenty close to home in Burnsville, so that will be really nice.  Practices have been going great and Zoe has been really motivated lately.  She is done with her antibiotics from Lyme's, so hopefully she is feeling much better.  We've got a few novice runs to finish up, so hopefully we'll earn some more titles this weekend.  If not, it should be fun anyway :)

Breeze is still doing pretty well, although we are working a lot of impulse control.  She is a bit excitable and her herding drive is really starting to emerge. I've introduced her to clicker training and the clicker has been our friend on walks.  She's an incredibly focused and biddable dog - I can get her to do almost anything.  So hopefully we'll nip these behavior issues in the bud.  We've also been working on sending to a mat and sending over jumps, which has been very successful.  I've also raised the teeter a bit and she isn't scared in the slightest!  This girl has no fear!  Maybe I'll get some videos up soon of her playing disc and agility training.

Summer Fun part 2

June is certainly flying by fast.  The dogs and I have been busy doing long walks in the woods 1-2 times per week.  It's great exercise and wonderful scenery, but it really exposes the dogs to ticks.  Zoe already tested positive for two tick-born illnesses.  Luckily, we caught it really early and a round of meds should clear her up in no time.  We've also been busy dog-sitting, which has been great for socializing Breeze.  

Speaking of Breeze, she has been really fun to work with.  She's a quick learner, very eager to please, and has fantastic food and toy drive.  She also seems to have quite the knack for frisbees too.  I never thought about competing in disc, but I just might have to with her potential.  She loves to tug, loves to bring the disc back, and is already doing some low catches.  I can't wait to see what she can do once she can start jumping!  She and Zoe are still getting along great.  She's got so much more confidence than Zoe, but overall seems like a happy pup.  Not too neurotic or herdy, so that is very good.  They make a pretty good pair - the attached pic is them going to Chad's softball game.

Even though we don't have another trial until July, Zoe and I continue to train weekly.  Her motivation is really coming along well and is doing so well in class.  She also seems to be over her contact fear, which is so encouraging.  Hopefully the weather will start being cooperative and we can have more practices outside.  

Weather Woes of Agility and some stuff to be thankful for

So today was our third outdoor trial.  Let's recap the past two...first trial - rainy and cold for at least half the day.  Second trial - cold in the morning, severe thunderstorm resembling a monsoon during the midday and then heat in the afternoon.  The third trial was not perfect either.  The day both started and ended hot and humid.  Luckily, I have friends with a tent and shade, which helped a lot!  Let's face it, battling the elements is just another part of outdoor trialing.  I won't do it often, but it's fun to be outdoors every now and then.

So now that I have experienced both extremes, what would I prefer?  Definitely cold and rainy.  You can always bring extra clothes and it is manageable for at least half the team (the dogs).  This was definitely one of our tougher trials in terms of motivation.  Zoe ran much slower and we didn't even make time for the tunneler's class, which is usually pretty easy.  We did get one golden Q though in Touch N Go, which we were behind in anyways in terms of legs.  Honestly, the other runs weren't that bad.  Most were clean and Zoe did very well with the contacts.  She also had fabulous weaves - not having to restart them even once.  Ironic since this was our crutch at the last two trials :)  It was just being slower from the heat and being a little distracted.  I can chalk this up to at least two dynamic variables - heat and maturity.  The heat will not always be an issue and maturity just takes time.  Agility takes a lot of patience: for most dogs, it can take months to form a good team foundation and do consistently well in trials.  One of the most rewarding things about agility is that over time, you see that patience pay off.  None of the challenges are impossible, but they do take some time and work.  We have overcome a lot over the past year and I love running a course and breathing that sigh of relief when I know we've got a perfect run.  

Ok, so reflecting on a tougher day has made me a little sappy, but just bear with me.  Agility has totally gotten me hooked.  I love the teamwork with my dog, I love traveling, and I love the people I've met along the way.  But it's so important to remember how much of a privilege this is.  Especially with Zoe's recent injury, hearing stories about other agility dogs ending early careers because of injury and those not even making much of a career in the first place has made me feel really lucky.  I am also really lucky because I have the time, money, and energy for this sport -  things that don't come easy for everyone.  Before I get totally sucked into this agility world, I never want to forget that not only is agility a privilege, but the things outside of agility are a privilege too.  The time spent with your dog training, cuddling, playing, going to the park, going for walks, going to the vet, being greeted at the door are all things to be thankful for.  There.  Okay.  Done being sappy.  

Anyways, it was great getting out of the heat today and coming home to a happy and excited puppy.  I think Zoe was happy to see Breeze too because they resumed their usual wrestling session.  As I look forward to the next trial at the soccer blast in 6 weeks, I am going to focus on training and a lot on having fun.  We've been doing lots of long walks in the woods with our friends, which has been a nice escape and has kept all of us fit!  The dog park is having its annual fundraiser in July, so I'll be busy getting ready for that too!

Summer Fun

This weekend we are doing one day of a NADAC trial in Zumbro Falls and then we take a month off from trialing.  Mainly because there are few local trials in June and summer is starting to get in the way.  I have started some agility training with Breeze - she was introduced to the tunnel as well as a slightly raised board to simulate the dog walk.  She is catching on great and seems to have way more confidence than Zoe.  I also made a small teeter out of the board and she didn't seem to mind the movement at all.  Confidence can be great, but it can also be a challenge.  I'll have to supplement all of this with some solid obedience training as well.

Zoe is getting along with her new younger sister and seems to be enjoying the playtime.  I hope it helps her confidence and gives her more energy for shows.  We've also been taking a lot of walks in the woods, which wears them out a little bit.  I am looking forward to a lot of park visits and long walks this next month!