We took an agility lesson...

[TuMicks]

I guess you'd call it, more properly, a consultation and evaluation. Rocket Dog wasn't thrown by any of the thingers... the A-frame, cat-walk, jumps, tunnels, weave etc. she handled them all with aplomb. She doesn't know what she's doing with them, of course... we only just walked her through them. But they didn't spook her at all.

Our "homework" is to learn to put her feet on the thing and wait for a reward. (The trainer called it a "mark" or "marker"... but since we do field work, I have to use different terminology.)

I know you'll find this hard to believe, but the same bad-habits I have on the line in field work... I have in the agility yard. Go FIGURE!!! Who'd a thought.

I don't know if we'll go very far with agility 'cause field work and campaigning is all-consuming. But I think to the degree we can keep it up, Rocket Dog and I will be a better team.

[windycanyon]

If you have steadiness issues in other areas, agility may not be the place to start. LOL Obedience is very good though.....

[Tanya]

interesting that the trainer had the dog ON all the obstacles as a test. The classes I took were all big on moving slowly and getting the dog used to some basics without doing full obstacles.

Agree with the above Agility means lots of work on control (i'd imagine as much as with field). It's good and bad Sorta like my taking flyball classes when I really needed to work on pens control - big mistake! Holy high distractions! But we're having fun and pen is tired after class. And it's an intense "working with distraction" hour haha.

homework sounds like the start of 2o2o (2 on 2 off). The reason I yell TARGET TARGET TARGET as pen sails over the a-frame :P

[POPTOP]

Sounds like a good experience.

[TuMicks]

I discussed with the instructor how difficult it was to steady RD and that I wouldn't want to engage in any activity that would loosen control. So would we ever compete? Depends. I watched her dogs work and they were certainly under control. She has a barely 2 yo shelty-looking thing (or a tiny border collie...) who will fly over or through an obstacle and put on the breaks for the "marker-thinger." She uses an upside down horse feeder, about 4-5 inches off the ground, the size of a plate. She suggested I get a bigger one for Big Foot aka RD. So ours is about the size of a platter.

Vs. control... I have watched many of the bazillion AKC agility videos (and many of the ones Crufts puts up). The handlers are way more athletic than I am. This instructor and group of people do NADAC. I guess in NADAC geriatric handlers with two knee replacements get their own category. It also means that none of the jumps for RD will be awfully high... which is better for both of us, orthopedically speaking.

The toughest homework for RD and me has involved... not the "FEET" command (putting her feet on the thing.) It has involved letting me give her a treat rather than her snatching it. We really have to work on this a lot. Per the instructor, I put a plank on top of a 12 foot ladder (which was flat on the ground) and RD walked the plank and put her FEET on the marker. That was no issue for her.

So basically, we have those 3 things to work on before next Tuesday. FEET, walking a plank, and taking a reward like a lady instead of a barracuda.

[windycanyon]

Ha, agility dogs are all over the board energy wise. There are a lot of humorous videos on youtube (probably of my dogs too!), but this cartoon one always makes me laugh. Agility Dog Start Line Issues - YouTube
Enjoy! Anne

[Tanya]

Ha, agility dogs are all over the board energy wise. There are a lot of humorous videos on youtube (probably of my dogs too!), but this cartoon one always makes me laugh. Agility Dog Start Line Issues - YouTube
Enjoy! Anne

ahahhahhahahhahahahaha!

[TuMicks]

Ha! They absolutely need one of those for Field Trials and Hunt Tests.

[TuMicks]

I think we're going to get an A for "feet" and taking a treat nicely. I notice now when I offer a treat I tell her "nicely" or "be a lady" and she waits. It's almost like communion. She practically waits until I put it on her tongue.

[TuMicks]

We had our second lesson. What a nice lady! She's got about 60-70 students in classes over the weekends, and does private lessons during the week and she takes in dogs for intensive therapy if their owners can't get over a hump in their training, plus she's starting her own pup to sort of take over for her 9 year old super star. Wow. Very devoted to the sport.

I'm so impressed that she is not trying to "sell" us on agility and understands that RD and I are field types, but she is OK with that. Her attitude is that what they do in her sport has currency in mine, which of course, reminds me that the converse is also true.

So today, we worked on "switch" and tight using gates. We worked on momentum between marker thingers. The dog is doing fine. I feel like a total motor moron. Argh! You mean the dog works from both sides???? (Anna Scott is right. A 2-sided heeling dog is best.)