A good weekend filled with training

So this week we went to a new training venue just down the road from me, so nice to only drive 5 mins instead miles....

nice venue outside with a beautiful view and had great fun. People are lovely and it will supplement beautifully what I do at Devon Dogs so another one to add to the calendar. Wren was funny on the dog walk again same as she was at Honiton. Will go flying up the up plank but if I stop to send her ahead she will stop, spin and jump off so definitely not confident.

I had a 1-2-1 today with Lauren and mentioned about the dog walk issue; what a plonker am I? I am upping habitat so need to drop criteria on something else i.e. make it easier and work on from there. So for the moment it is run down to the end with her and back off bit by bit, hopefully the more venues we do that in the more she will generalise. She never has a problem at shows but I think that is the arousal that kicks in and takes over so hopefully if she will be confident in any venue it will only get better and quicker in competition. We worked alot on weaves and me crossing behind at odd angles, considering we haven't done any weaves since 16th dec other than Saturday she hasn't forgotten anything so shows how good the 2x2 weave understanding is, so was very pleased with that.

Had a contact workshop later on and I worked on alot of end contacts and getting her to drive to the end (we were outside and she hasn't worked there in months so we had the same spin as if we were at a new venue), towards the end she looked loads better but of course plenty more work to do before out first show on 21st March.

Lauren timed contacts at the end and I will be honest and say I was disappointed, she did the dog walk in 2.6 me recalling her or 3.5 doing a send on. I think she can be lot quicker than that especially when we are inside the barn as that is where she is very confident. Think it would be worth seeing what that time would be to give me an idea of what she will do when she is feeling confident.

So all in all a very good weekend full of useful stuff..

Back to training with avengence

Well finally got the van back today after it being away for nearly a month - its amazing you don't realise how much you miss it until you can't do it. It was fantastic to go back to training tonight. Matt took the class and had set up three exercises, box work, weaves and dog walk.

Box work was good with only 2 knocked poles, got some tighter turns on the front cross that I was pleased and remembered to reward for a change. Takes a lot for me to break down an exercise as I just love running the whole of the exercise but we did it.

Then onto the dog walk and to see if the time I managed to do on the contact board had made any difference and yes it did. She only missed 2 contacts and that was when I really pushed running past etc. I did a couple of cross behinds and getting her to drive on her own to the end which she is doing lovely. I mixed the rewards with toy and food and that seemed to work really nicely. I am really pleased that her speed is still there and if anything has got quicker and I wonder if that is because she has a better idea of what is expected from her.

Then we went onto weaves, she hit most of the entries but they were a little rusty so will try and get down the park this weekend with just four poles and brush up on those without a jump first and work on from that. Must remember to keep a note of what she is getting and what she is struggling with. One thing I am very pleased with is that she drives to the end of the weaves whether I go to the end or not so hopefully that will stand us in good stead for the coming season.

training - isn't it just wonderful

When I am in the right frame of mind I just love training especially when it goes right.

Have been able to get outside for the first time in over a month and do some training with Wren on her contacts. I don't have a field or a large garden so it is just on the patch of grass at the top of our road with a 6 foot long training board courtesy of jump 4 joy - but it does the job just nicely thank you very much.

At the end of last year Wren's contacts were pretty much non-existent so have gone back to basics using a target at the end. She hit 95% of her contacts with me crossing behind, jogging past (cant quite run past yet), recalling and lateral distance. She is also pushing on ahead and driving for the end which is what I want and hope for in competition. Just shows going back a step does work.

We have our first show this year in March, just a limit but you can train in the ring with toys so ideal for us so a good 6 weeks more training and hopefully we will be sorted out.

snow snow snow

Devon was determined not to go outdone by the rest of the company so we had some snow yesterday - not masses but enough to make driving a little tricky yesterday. The office closed at 3pm so that we could get home in the daylight so took full advantage and took the dogs out in the snow.

Welcome to 2010

Well its finally here and I am hoping that this may be our year. 2009 was bloody awful with very few highs in fact we had a think and the only things we can think of are all agility related. What with Wren coming up as a TNS carrier, losing my great uncle, losing contact with my brother, Gary being made redundant and the van being damaged. The list is endless.... Well Gary is waiting for a call on Monday about a date for an interview for a job that he wants so fingers are crossed for that, the insurance company's repairers are ringing me this week to collect the van to repair that so hopefully I wont be without that for too long else I wont be able to go to training.

Training starts in ernest this week and whilst I have enjoyed the 2 week break and I think it has done the dogs good I cant wait to get back and train my little princess - have really missed it and I am really up for it again. Just need to get those contacts sorted out and then get some consistency but this season is full of promise and excitement.

Wren's sister had qualified for Olympia and then got through to the finals in the evening - it was fantastic to watch her and a real sense of pride for her. Maybe her little sis can follow in her footsteps....watch this space.

Had a quiet christmas at the in laws and then a really good new year over at Pat & Martins. Its so nice that Gary and Martin get on so well - agility widowers that they are - we are hoping they will both come to some of the longer shows this year as it is really nice to have your hubby there when it goes well. Had a lovely long walk with the six dogs yesterday, everyone well behaved and nicely knackered when they came back.

Had a nice walk with Chel and the Harrjaks. Meg had her usual greeting for her daughter LOL. Very slippy and I had forgotten my boots - I was wearing ugg boots, not particularly practical and I did up on my arse once much to the delight of the two Harrys who were with us.

Well a quick thank you to everyone in 2009 who supported me through the bad times and still are - you know who you are.

Here's to 2010 and I hope everyone acheives their dreams....

December

Well my worse month of the year is finally here and as it always is work is hell. Why on earth do people want to move before christmas? I personally cannot think of anything worse but everyday I have people ringing me wondering if I can get everything done so that they can move by christmas. So for me December is one of the most stressful and tiring months.

Unfortunately because of this it means that the dogs miss out somewhat, I just have no get up and go by the time I have got home I am in not in the right frame of mind to do any which is a pain as I always have something to train over the winter period. Oh well only 8 1/2 days of work to go and then a nice well needed rest.

I have been doing some work with Wren and her target, we have reintroduced it and I am just asking her to go back to basics and just nose touch it with lots of rewards, also doing it whilst in training class to get her to realise she needs to do it no matter where we are and what is going on. She does struggle if a dog is running as her chase drive kicks in but she has stopped running after them if the target is in front of her which is progress and she will offer a nose target but it is fairly random. Once the dog has stopped running she will nose touch for all she is worth.

Had last group training last night and was a nice evening, some jumping drills and then a course. Me and Wren have really got the deceleration pretty much sorted provided I remember to actually slow down rather than drive to every jump, if I slow down she just drops into a corner which is fantastic to see and watch cos she is sooo neat with it.

So here's christmas eve when I finish work and when I will get my mojo back and crack on with some training..

Club Match & Contact Training

Well last weekend we had the Honiton v South Devon match which Honiton were hosting as they won it last year. Four runs, agility, jumping, agility steeplechase and tunnel fun. Jumping was the first run, Wren was off her head as it was held where we train so she was over confident and cocky. 6 poles came down (about half the course) which is no surprise. She didnt pick up on a snake line which I was disappointed with but took her back and she then picked up on it. Kai had a good run but just knocked a pole due to my bad timing.

The agility was not a bad course just one slightly tricky bit - I had decided how to handle it but when I got where I needed to be I gave dogs absolutely no direction for some reason (well I couldnt feel my hands or feet after scriming for a couple of hours so that may have had something to do with it).

The tunnel fun was fun, both dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Wren just got a pole but was flying. Kai went clear and got a 5th which for a flat out speed course it isnt bad for him.

The agility steeplechase was a fun course, Wren drove to the end on her dog walk and stopped for the slightest of seconds but then self released, she went clear - just by a toenail on the a frame. She came away with a 2nd place for that. Kai also went clear and came with a 3rd, Wren beat him by just over a second.

I have been agonising over Wren's contacts, she is such a super dog - her weaves are fantastic and getting quicker the more confident she becomes, her jumping is great just a little weak on rear crosses but contacts are just dreadful. She can hit them at training provided I dont run past but in competition she can hardly think of stopping let alone stopping. I had played with the idea of going to 4 off instead of 2o2o but have decided to stick with 2o2o for the moment after great deliberation really due to the fact that this is what i have trained from the start so hoping the end behaviour will end up being stronger. Have loads to work on and loads of homework so will give me something to aim for.

We did a goal setting seminar on Tuesday - I always enjoy these and it gets me fired up for the coming season. If I can get those solid contacts I really think Wren could do well and I would like to be able to do some qualifiers and feel that we have a real chance and qualifying - the dream would be olympia but we shall have to wait see - watch this space as they say....