'Tis the Season for Snow

Well, for the first time, my plans to travel to a trial were thwarted.  The first snow storm of the season arrived just in time for the NADAC trial in LaCrosse and unfortunately, we were snowed in :(  As a consolation, the dogs had a jolly time playing in the snow and embraced the wet stuff much better than the humans.  Thus is life, though, and I am looking forward to the next NADAC trial at the end of December.

Luckily, we have a full trial schedule this month, so I didn't have to wait long to do agility again.  We spent one day last weekend at the Agile Canines CPE trial and had a great time.  No weave troubles this time and Zoe continued to perform as a seasoned dog.  We earned three Qs - Full House, Jackpot, and Colors.  Our Standard run was a tough course, but Zoe maneuvered it very well.  Unfortunately, I made a handling error at the end and Zoe took an off course tunnel :(  Other than that, the run was great and I was really glad to see that level 45C courses are not too challenging for us.  Despite my error, my handling has really improved over the past few months, and I think it has helped Zoe become much more confident.  Our next trial will be a 2-day event at the new On the Run Canine Center in Ham Lake.  It is a new trial site, so I am not sure how Zoe will react.  But she is used to running indoors at class, so hopefully that will be an advantage. 

Breeze's training is also moving along quite well.  We are working on sequencing and contacts and she continues to show no fear.  Now that snow has arrived, our training at home will be limited, but I am finding new things to keep her busy.  I bought a backpack for her to wear on walks, which will hopefully wear her out a little more.  So far, she has tolerated it well.  I've also been doing a lot of shaping with her to wear her little brain out.  She's getting the hang of it, and is learning some new behaviors.  I hope to get better at it myself as it requires breaking behaviors down so that they can be successful.

Seasoned Dog

This weekend I got the seasoned dog at the Southpaws CPE trial.  I was a bit nervous because it had been a while since trialing on dirt and it can be very distracting.  Throughout our ups and downs in the past year, one thing that has remained consistent, but getting better, is Zoe getting distracted during a run.  She's a young dog still with relatively little agility experience, so getting distracted is a natural issue.  However, just in the last month, I have really seen her focus improve and we began running courses smoother and faster.  Part of it is that my handling is getting better, but also, Zoe is enjoying the runs more and more.  It's a shift from doing the obstacles because I say so to doing the obstacles because they are intrinsically fun.  Now I think Zoe has always had fun with agility, but now she is more comfortable, knows what to expect, and is more excited to play the game.  But I know motivation naturally ebbs and flows, so I was nervous as to whether I would continue to get what was becoming a seasoned dog or a distracted dog this weekend.  Thankfully, I got the former.

This trial was really filled with several accomplishments.  We finished our last two level three runs - colors and snooker - which gave us our last two level three titles!  I was very happy to get both of those done this weekend.  Also, we had our first shot at the 4/5/C standard runs now that we are in level 4.  We got one out of two, which was fabulous!  The main nemesis this weekend was weaves, which is still a bit of a mystery for me.  Zoe is typically a strong weaver - she enjoys them, finds the entrance well, and rarely pops out.  But for some reason, they were really demotivating to her.  So while she navigated the first standard course perfectly, the weaves were the only reason for an NQ.  This was also the case for Saturday's wildcard run.  So we went home that night and I gave her lots of goodies for doing the weaves correctly.  I think this helped because her weave performance was better on Sunday.  The colors course had weaves and we had to restart them once, but we still completed the course under time.  Then, the standard course had two sets of six weaves.  She was a bit slow, but did them both on the first try - yay!  Apparently fulfilling her weave limit for the weekend, I didn't make her do any on the jackpot course at the end!

So all in all, it was a great weekend.  Distractions were very minimal and when she got her weaves, all of our runs were clean without faults.  We ended the trial with a perfect day on Sunday, which was really exciting.  We finished level three and started filling up our level four tracking sheet.  To add to it, we were in the company of some other newer competitors who had a lot of success with their dogs as well.  Always nice to see others from your training class do well!!  Very proud of the folks who are starting out and sticking with it because I was there not too long ago, and I know it pays off.

Next up for us in November is a NADAC trial and two CPE trials.  That should keep us pretty busy!  Meanwhile, Breeze is doing great in her agility class.  She is driving to obstacles at a distance and is starting to sequence 4 or 5 obstacles in a row.  She will definitely be fast, so I need to take my time with her to practice control.  Only a couple more months until we start learning weaves and jumps!

NADAC Elite

Earlier this month, Zoe and I had a shot at the elite level of NADAC.  Now that we've done our three qualifying open-level runs, we can move up to elite - in just the regular class.  We only ran in three classes at Zumbro Falls, so it was a short day.  First was chances, which was really tough.  So tough that no one at the trial qualified.  I was still proud of Zoe's distance work and only struggled in one spot.  Unfortunately, any struggle is an NQ.  Anyways, our last two runs were elite regular runs.  The first one was absolutely beautiful.  Except for the fact that Zoe was running a bit slow, she did everything clean and didn't have to restart the weaves.  Despite this, we were still over time by 5 seconds.  Oh well, it was a beautiful run and I am thrilled that she ran with 100% focus.  The second run was great too, but she got spooked by a sound while weaving and we had to restart.  Other than that, it was great, but not clean.  Overall, I am very hopeful that we will be successful in the elite class.  We need to up the speed a bit, but she has shown speed before.  Our next NADAC trial isn't until November, so we've got a while to work on it!

Summer Wrap Up

Well, the state fair couldn't have gone much better.  The dogs loved doing their demos and I got to eat some delicious and fattening fair food.  I was very pleased with how mature Breeze was throughout the day.  She did wonderful visiting with the crowd and was very focused during her demo.  The weather was warm, but we all got through it and had a great day.

Zoe and I had another outdoor agility trial last weekend and were due for good weather.  And boy, did we get good weather.  Though the conditions were perfect, Zoe and I had some trouble staying in sync, but pulled it together by Sunday.  I am not sure if my handling was just really poor or she just didn't want to play, but the grass was a major distraction.  Even in a tunnelers course she got pulled away by smells.  But on Sunday she was a different dog.  We had some really stellar runs and finished our Open Regular title.  We also got open level touch n go and tunnelers legs.  The runs we didn't Q in on Sunday were close and were overall really good.  I am so proud of the progress we have made in just under a year in NADAC.  Next, we will be finishing up our Open runs and starting Elite regular! 

Next up is St. Cloud for a CPE trial.  But before that, Breeze and I will be doing a disc demo at the Ren Fest on Saturday, Sept. 11th.  Come and check us out if you happen to be attending the Ren Fest that day!

CPE in St. Cloud

This summer has been good for trialing, but a bit of a struggle at the same time.  Sometimes, Zoe's insecurities have crept up on her, other times, my handling has been way off.  But for some reason, we pulled all of it together for the St. Cloud CPE trial on September 18th and 19th.  We were definitely on our A-game as we went a whopping 9 for 10!!!  As icing on the cake, we were in good company and the weather was absolutely perfect.

We started off the weekend with a quick and accurate Colors run.  This was followed by two perfect standard runs.  We came into the weekend with only 2 of 6 standard Qs in level 3, so I was very proud of her for getting two more.  Next was an awful "jumpers from hell" snooker course, which took a bite out of many competitors.  It was basically a jumpers course full of threadles and serpentines if you wanted the path to flow.  Jackpot was last and I was a bit nervous because Zoe basically refused the Snooker run.  But to my surprise, she did fantastic, even finishing a tough traditional gamble with a distance teeter!  She headed for the teeter at first, but then stalled because she felt uncomfortable.  I coached her on and she eventually did it along with the last jump.  Since this was such a tough Jackpot, many were there watching to see who could get it.  The crowed cheered and Zoe went nuts, totally eating up all of the praise and attention.  Though the trial had lasted until 7pm, doing that run was totally worth it.  I was so proud that she stuck with me and did a tough obstacle on her own.  I knew she could do it and was so glad that she proved me right.  Afterwords, she got a nice walk with our friends Michelle and Taiko and rested up before the next day.

Sunday turned out to be our perfect day.  Despite my clumsiness, she excelled in all 5 runs including two more standard runs.  If a perfect day weren't good already, completing our level 3 standard runs was icing on the cake.  Plus, we got our first level 4 Jumpers Q!  It was so nice to see us perform as well as we do in class.  In addition, most of the Q's we got were clean.  Once Zoe gets motivated, she rarely knocks bars or strays off course.  I guess all of that NADAC competition has served us well!  

All in all I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  Good company, good weather, good runs.  It was nice to see what Zoe can really do...and I am really starting to learn what works for her in terms of motivation and training.  Right now we are working on our switch command, where she needs to take an obstacle away from me.  This will make my handling easier once she gets to know the direction.

Meanwhile, Breeze started puppy agility class and we are learning lots of foundation work.  Every time I work with her I am impressed at how eager she is to learn and work and how fast she learns.  This girl will be a fantastic performance dog, but she also demands a lot of attention and exercise.  I asked for another project and boy, did I get one!  It will be great to see her progress and the nice thing is that I don't feel one bit rushed as I focus on Zoe's career.

Next up for us is a short trip to Zumbro Falls this Saturday and then a few weekends off until the Halloween CPE trial.

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: