Merry Christmas

Click and enjoy! Merry Christmas

REAPing the Rewards

REAPing Part I

Definition of REAP: (transitive verb) to obtain, to win

Reviewing

We, as humans, tend to practice agility exercises that make us feel good. Besides the bond we create with our best friend, playing agility together makes us feel good. Practicing agility exercises that frustrates us isn't what we we want when we head out to the training field.

I love running my Cattledog, Bug, but one thing that frustrates me is when I'm doing lateral sends. Bug didn't learn this type of handling until she was much older and seasoned agility dog. Bug likes to go as fast as possible and any movement on my part, sends her exploding forward. Turning the Cattledog is like trying to race a Greyhound bus around the Daytona 500! Eventually it will turn but there is going to be a lot of noise.

Exercises

Back to the drawing board once again. 1 jump, 2 jump, 3 jump. It took about 100 reps (ok maybe 5-8 reps) for Bug to turn without landing 30 feet past the jump I was doing a lateral send on. It wasn't fun. It was frustrating. I train alone so I don't have anyone telling me what I'm doing wrong. Bars were coming down. There was a lot of barking and yelling (from Bug of course). She's such a good girl and keeps on trying. We got it, she turns not once, not twice but 3 times! Lots of reward and fun, finally.

Agility

Bug's reward, and mine, was to put the lateral sends aside and run a short sequence. We put it together, did fun "international" style handling and Bug got to do some Bugframes (aframes). We can do this!

Perfection

We perfected our lateral send, for today at least. It was frustrating at first and I just wanted to stop and maybe do some obstacle training. In the end, it made me feel good. I accomplished what I set out to do. Bug was happy because she got to play agility with me :-)

That's our Reward for the day

Holiday Workshops

Basic skills for all levels of dogs. Be clear with your handling so your dog knows where to go next

Thursday December 27!

Give you and dog a fun Christmas present and come play in Clinton

Handling Basics open to all levels of dogs

This is a must for your agility handling success! Forward sends, lateral sends, turns and crosses. Dogs and pups not jumping will use cones.

Thursday January 3, 2013!

Happy New Year!

New Years resolution: How to improve your handling!! Open to all levels of dogs

Learn the 6 recalls to heel and how to apply them properly in a sequence

Clinton location

6-8pm

$45 team, limited to 5

 

All working spots are full. Auditors welcome $25/person

Ask Santapaws to bring you this for Christmas if you don't already have it

http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2717&ParentCat=499

REAP the rewards

Holidays are upon us and for some, agility training has taken a back seat for a couple of weeks while we hustle and bustle about. For the rest of us, we continue to train and wonder why there aren't any agility trials on Christmas day :-)

In the northeast we are at Mother Nature's mercy to hold off on the cold, wet and snowy weather so we can continue to work outdoors. By January we will be limited to what we can do in the living room.

Wintertime is a perfect time to REAP the rewards!

R-Review

E-Exercises (for)

A-Agility

P-Perfection

 
In this age of agility, we have the benefit of having books, dvd's and online training at our disposal! Enjoy your time on the warm couch with your best friend taking advantage of these references and how you can apply them during these cold months in your living room, basement and agility classes!

Some of my favorite videos, books and authors:

Developing Jumping Skills and Developing Handling Skills by Linda Mecklenburg
Balancing Cues in Agility, Handling Common Sequences and Introduction to Handling by Linda Mecklenburg
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=499

2o2o Contacts Made Easy by Rachel Sanders
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=3083&ParentCat=223

The Long Jump by Mary Ellen Barry
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2571&ParentCat=42

Sizzling Seasaws by Jen Pinder
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2998&ParentCat=42

Favorite websites with forums +/- online classes:

http://www.awesomepaws.us/
http://www.daisypeel.com/

Happy Holidays!!

Why do we do that?

At the Agility Facility, we do a lot of confidence building and teaching dogs to jump on and off planks, learn where their paws are and to not give up. People often ask why I teach the dogs to jump on and off the dogwalk. The answer: I want the dog to know that they can bail at any time.

If your dog knows he can "get off this ride" at any time, when something does happen, he will bounce back and run just as confidently as he did when he bailed.

Here is an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qam9p1jyu84&feature=youtu.be

My favorite agility video of Pace as a pupy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aok6PSP-RnQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Video from Keystone Agility Club December 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8AEXHrfFPc&feature=g-crec-u