Browsing all posts in Dog Agility.
Disc Dog Flow
2 weeks ago I would have told you flow was linking tricks together smoothly. I have not changed my definition but I have expanded my understanding of flow. I was watching Dre and Moxie and it hit me that Moxie loops to her right on out throws. Then I started looking for other stuff in the routine they were practicing. They were linking some cool tricks together and it seemed pretty smooth. Except that there was a pretty frequent interrupt or hesitate or adjustment. Nothing wrong with that, but how easy would it be to tweak?
Frisbee to Shape Contacts
When we first started training Lilli in agility it just sorta happened. We did obedience classes first and agility sounded fun so we took that class then kept going. We thought it would just be something fun to play with between frisbee trainings. In our advanced agility course, I brought the disc out once as a reward motivator while in class and Lilli went bonkers and wouldn’t work. I decided then that we needed to keep the two sports separate and never even brought discs to the field when we went to practice agility.
An Aussie Quickie
It’s been a few weeks since our last post. We have been doing a lot of training with Lilli and Leilani. What we learned from Susan Garret was a wake up call to our training style and technique. Starting with relationship building, restraint recalls, crate games, tug, and being clear about our criteria. What we like about this training style is the foundation it creates for building behaviors with layers. This is a switch from luring which we used to train Lilli to this point. There are plenty of practical uses for luring, just not for what we want to accomplish in the foundation training.
Pick One – Winning or Being Great?
I guess by the title of this post you’d say both, or that they are the same. Think about that. Are they really?
Jason and I had a conversation today about the trial this past weekend. I have really high expectations. I expect to Q every time and do it in style. Sometimes being that ambitious gets me fantastic results. Other times it gives me an opportunity be hard on myself. You say…“You got 3 out of 4 Q’s in your first trial…you should be stoked!”.
First AKC Agility Runs…Part 2
These are the videos from Sunday’s two Novice runs – Standard and Jumpers with Weaves. Saturday went pretty well and built up our confidence – or shall I say MY confidence becasue Lilli was just fine the whole time and wondering why the Mama was being absolutely crazy.
First AKC Agility Runs…on Tape
In spirit of all great athletes, Jason recorded each of Lilli and my runs this weekend. The idea is not only to share it with everyone else in the world, but to review them over and over, like football players watch tape of previous games. To see from the outside what I don’t see while I’m running around with my adrenaline pumping. To be a great agility team.
Messy C.R.A.P. with Ribbons
Right to the good part…The C.R.A.P.
C.R.A.P. is inspired by Susan Garrett.
Last week, Susan wrote on her blog about C=Continually, R= Rewarding, A=Ambiguous, P=Performances. Since this was our first trial, there’s not a whole lot of “continually” going on, but that’s not the point.
Top Ten Should-a-Knowns
I sure learned a lot Lilli’s first AKC trial this weekend. You figure after a year of training and 6 months or so of doing run-throughs with agility groups, I’d have heard everything. Well yah, umm, no.
Tailwaggers Agility Trials
Tailwaggers – a local agility club in Lake Worth are holding a 4 day trial this weekend at the Equestrian Center at Okeeheelee Park. We went to support and learn today – got to chat with the people that have supported our training and development – and witnessed first hand what to expect at an agility trial.
Agility…our new love
Ok so we’re not completely new to agility, but I have to say I have a renewed love for it.
We always imagined Lilli as a fantastic competition disc dog and thought of agility as a way to enforce obedience and a great alternate form of exercise. Agility has become so much more than just bubble gum (something to chew on) for us over the past several months.
