The agility thread

blackcob said:
Mixed bag today, I hadn't been to this venue in almost 10 years but was sent photos from the last show that showed large-dog-suitable rings and walkways. Turned up to find they'd shoehorned another ring in, reducing the sizes of all, and put a trade stand in the narrowest walkway. In many cases the course design hadn't accounted for this and with a few exceptions was pretty dire.

Large dog coped remarkably well, after a lot of working-in in the pissing rain, and even sat and queued on a couple of rings despite the complete lack of space. Apparently though I can only have Not Screaming At Things or Good Ring Performance, not both together. Small dog had a full brace of Es, part crappy lines on the courses and part me being frazzled from large dog management.

One of my teaching group had a win and graded up though which is just fantastic, they've worked so hard for it.
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Was this Vision?
 
Yes, I asked as I was there, not trying to name and shame.
It was definitely a tad cosy in the agility rings, but as I am in the process of retraining the dw, I used my agility runs to work on my start line. And .... check this out, I got a 2 jump lead out in the 2nd agility run, so I ran the first 7 obstacles and to the finish for a massive reward.
Also got a 3rd in the jumping with one very wide turn. My God those working cockers are fast.
It was our first G5 show and I stayed for all my runs.
Ran lyl in the veterans and she screamed in the queue and charged round for 4th place. She's still buzzing today as she hasn't had a run for a couple of months. So grateful for every run with her. She will be 14 in May.
 
We are grounded atm. We train at an equestrian venue which has strangles, so no training evenings and no show tomorrow either as it was to be the show venue too.

Timing not too bad as awaiting physio for the girls and they were due a break anyway. Just feels so odd! Have done a few bits in the garden though and will enjoy no early start tomorrow.
 
Missed a lovely little show today as Rew needed physio las week and has been off games. Training twice this week coming, jumping lower than normal.

I wish I lived where there were more shows - there is only one indoor competition venue in Devon and it gets very boring only having that for the long winter months. Pawsability (in a fortnight) is about 55 miles away in Somerset. Of course I I’m in the first class which starts at 8am. I’ll have been to Crufts the day before too, so will be shattered! 😁
 
Having watched a video of one of my runs from yesterday (thanks bc), I'm cross with myself . I spent far too much time calling Zig back to me at tricky bits rather than let him run on, yes he may have taken the wrong jump but he gets frustrated when I check him, starts barking at me and stops listening. I sometimes think my little guy deserves a better (and younger) handler than me.😏
 
He looked great, just a little argumentative at times 😂

I'm still kicking myself for thinking I needed to do a ketschker to keep V out of the weaves on her first jumping run, she wasn't looking at them anyway and it brought her in far too tight for the next line. It's why I video so many of our training sessions (and appreciate a comp video, thanks!)

Small dog's win has got me the final prize token I need for a personalised lidded glittery wine tumbler. That's me set for not spilling my camping wine this season 🥂
 
blackcob said:
He looked great, just a little argumentative at times 😂

I'm still kicking myself for thinking I needed to do a ketschker to keep V out of the weaves on her first jumping run, she wasn't looking at them anyway and it brought her in far too tight for the next line. It's why I video so many of our training sessions (and appreciate a comp video, thanks!)

Small dog's win has got me the final prize token I need for a personalised lidded glittery wine tumbler. That's me set for not spilling my camping wine this season 🥂
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I saved my tokens from last year because I need just one win for the wine tumbler. Think I was being a tad optimistic :p
But agree, it really does help to watch videos back, even though I never seem to be running as fast as my breathlessness at the end of a run would suggest.
 
Hi, do you accept complete beginners on this thread?
Saturday, both dogs got a bit of a taster session. Monster did a brief jump, walkway, jump without batting an eyelid. He had to stay on lead as there was a lot of us, so we were sharing the field with another dog, unknown to him, so I wasn't risking it.
Liberty had already done a few small sessions, but we totally failed the A frame last time. She was a bit too distracted by the other dog on the course, so kept jumping of the walkway. But one of the trainers helped her understand the A frame and we managed a short jump, tunnel, jump, A frame section and she looked like she was having fun. I think she might be good at it if I can put the work in and keep her focused.
I was very pleased with them both, so now just to see where we go from here.
 
Ditchjumper2 said:
@Titchy Pony of course you're welcome on here 😍 We all are trying to achieve the same thing 😁 with all the ups and downs along the way. Are you part of a club as see you're in France?
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Thanks, @Ditchjumper2.

Yep, I'm part of a dog club over here in France. I've just joined this one at the beginning of the year. It wasn't really working out with my previous dog club where we did a bit of hoopers for fun, so I changed to one that does agility. They also do some truffle searching and "visitor dogs" to retirement homes and hospitals as well as the usual pet dog obedience classes. It's a bit of a distance away so I can't make it every week around competing with horses as well and general life, but I've currently got no competitive ambitions, just aiming to have fun with my dogs and see how far we get.
 
Had fun teaching a new skill last night (kinky turns) - they are completely non intuitive so persuading people to turn the ‘wrong’ way and take their eyes off their dog is hilarious.

Large dog’s list grows ever longer, what I have gained in reliable A-frame hits I seem to have lost in backside wraps. You also wouldn’t know I’ve been drilling its start line since 8 weeks of age 😏
 
Fabulous day at Pure, frosty morning turning into blazing sunshine.

- All startlines held
- Deep A-frame hit
- 2o2o seesaw stopped and held
- Left up every single pole on her jumping run (shame about my questionable handling choices resulting in 10 faults)

Yes we've lost backsides and her dog walk was crap but most importantly: she queued in normal running order with dogs in front of and behind her, got to and from the ring including passing head to head in the corridor at DSD, and did some stints in the exercise area, without reacting to anything at all. Not a peep all day.

The treat stand lady stopped me as I came back in after the lovely jumping run and took the time to tell me that she loved watching my dog run (she's followed us through the winter club shows), we had a chat about her being a GSD fan and what a lovely build she thought mine was for the sport, and she wanted to tell me that she could see just how hard I had worked and how much progress we'd made since last year. She was so sincere and kind that I got a bit watery. 😳
 
It’s so nice when people say lovely things about your animals. It really makes you all soft and gooey inside.

I had training today with Barrie. Rew has had minimal work for about a month due to minor back niggles - just fascia - and was pinging today. He had of course forgotten that he could ever get a contact but he got his weaves and his threadle wraps and I got the blinds so I was really happy. Trainer said there was some really good work from us both which is always good to hear.
 
blackcob said:
Fabulous day at Pure, frosty morning turning into blazing sunshine.

- All startlines held
- Deep A-frame hit
- 2o2o seesaw stopped and held
- Left up every single pole on her jumping run (shame about my questionable handling choices resulting in 10 faults)

Yes we've lost backsides and her dog walk was crap but most importantly: she queued in normal running order with dogs in front of and behind her, got to and from the ring including passing head to head in the corridor at DSD, and did some stints in the exercise area, without reacting to anything at all. Not a peep all day.

The treat stand lady stopped me as I came back in after the lovely jumping run and took the time to tell me that she loved watching my dog run (she's followed us through the winter club shows), we had a chat about her being a GSD fan and what a lovely build she thought mine was for the sport, and she wanted to tell me that she could see just how hard I had worked and how much progress we'd made since last year. She was so sincere and kind that I got a bit watery. 😳
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That’s fabulous . You’ve put so much work into her you deserve it, I agree with the treat lady .
 
Ziggy got all his contacts and a lovely clear to win Novice agility at Bounce & Squeak A4A . The jumping course should have suited him but he got so excited at the weaves (2nd obstacle) he started muttering at the 3rd pole and by the time we got to the 10th he exploded barking and came out to go to the next jump, he then repeated this twice, getting ever louder 🤦‍♀️. He then did the rest of the course beautifully, little s**t.
 
A very long day yesterday and a 5am start today paid off for us - our first ever rosette in agility! We were unplaced fifth in our second agility too. This show also has an E podium where you can pick your own sign, this was very appropriate today.

I am home now and of course watching the Crufts agility!IMG_2956.jpegIMG_2950.jpeg
 
Last club show of the season, collected small dog's winnings (winner overall small senior league and member's senior league).

Large dog went feral after her first jumping run, pissed off back into the ring with her ball and would not be caught. My own fault, I had a magnet cable-tied to the handle and when she tugged it slipped through my hand and left me holding a broken magnet but no dog. Took several mortifying minutes and a second ball to catch her. 🫠 Thanks to MM for the ball loan, I managed to keep hold of her for the next three!
 
Well done to you and small dog. Large dog obviously had fun too 😂 Hopefully we are back to training this week as our training venue is reopening after strangles. Both girls have had physio so it has worked quite well. We are entered for a show next weekend house move permitting.
 
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Zazu had 1 clear, 1 5 faults, and one elimination today. Rafi had a 5 faults and an elimination that was my fault.

I'm not sure how we did in terms of placings as the Internet wasn't working today so all on paper 🤣 waiting for them to be posted!
 
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