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Molly's agility thread.


CptJack
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Yep, absolutely. I should have been doing a lot of things I wasn't there, because it was a group practice that was fairly crowded, cold, and I felt like crap. To tell the truth I shouldn't have gone, period, but I did. Especially since once I was there all I wanted to do was go home. By the time Kylie was doing anything I was flat out trudging and miserable.

 

But yeah, smaller sequences, toy and active rewards, and me not freaking *walking* would all have helped and been smarter. Or, well, walking away entirely but I lacked sense and brain altogether.

 

I doubt there'll be too much long term fall out from that, fortunately. Most of her training happens in 5 minute bursts, 3-4 obstacles at a time, with the odd longer sequences after the pieces have been done separately, and either throwing toys away for 'out' and tug when I want to reward close. I just was Not At Mentally There.

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  • 1 month later...

So, we've been doing regular private lessons for just over a month and I can honestly say that I've gotten more out of those lessons than I have all the classes, practices, and even trials combined. Yes, we HAVE gotten some Qs in trials but they were ugly. Finally having one on one help to learn how to handle THIS dog has just made a night and day difference.

 

Love privates. The importance of individualized help is something I cannot overstate.


Also is this where I can say "Lol, no" to everyone who told me the answer to handling a faster dog was to 'run like hell?' Because it absolutely is not. Our times are so, so much better with me being calm, quiet, and ABSOLUTELY NOT RUNNING. My verbal speed/timing needed (and still needs) to be tighter, but actually RUNNING REALLY FAST does nothing but over-arouse her and push her off course.


But mostly: We're getting there. Need new video, but it's happening.

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I'm worried about the weather Sunday, too. DO NOT LIKE. Saturday look fantastic, though and I hope I get to see you!


Between the two dogs we're in everything. Molly's doing Jumpers, Tunnelers, and Regular (I have MASSIVE Jumpers issues with her - her stride length + speed + my timing = MESS), and Kylie's doing Regular, Chances, and T'n'G. I'll... switch that around at the next trial. Kylie's overdue for me to suck it up and try Elite Jumpers. There's just... so. many. jumps. LOL.

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Molly did great. A lot better than many other novice dogs - including mine. ;)

 

Pft. Your novice dog did just fine. So did the not novice one.

 

I can't wait to see what the photos look like.

 

I do think she ultimately benefited a lot from being in the yard for a year playing agility foundation games because what else was I going to do with her when she was too much of a wreck to be much of anywhere?

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So, this weekend Molly got her novice regular title, also got Qs in Novice Weavers, Jumpers, Touch 'n' Go, and Open Tunnelers - and missed a chances Q by something unrelated to the distance challenge (she started to circle a barrel the wrong direction then we corrected - past half way = fault).

So, overall yay and I'm happy.

But we're starting to have some pretty serious over-arousal issues. Something like tunnelers where she can go flat out and there's nothing but directionals (ie: no real obstacle performance or slowing down/collecting) we're fine. So, this is what we're going to be working on for a while.

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I love this thread! What a joy to watch her do these courses. She's very beautiful. I have never done agility and we have a 13 week old pup. And was wondering how you got her started and what age to start at? And can she compete if she is a bc/ausse mix? Even if she couldn't compete I think it would be much fun for her to get energy out.

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I love this thread! What a joy to watch her do these courses. She's very beautiful. I have never done agility and we have a 13 week old pup. And was wondering how you got her started and what age to start at? And can she compete if she is a bc/ausse mix? Even if she couldn't compete I think it would be much fun for her to get energy out.

 

Mixed breeds can compete! With almost if not all the agility organizations. Molly started foundation agility classes at 8 months (the age they can start here) and did classes through from there (repeating some). Other places have baby puppy classes, and some prefer to wait until about a year. Your best bet is probably to look around for a local club or training group and see what they say about it and they'll tell you what you need.

 

And thank you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, right now we're doing some very basic work on 'we don't do agility when you're out of your mind, dog' stuff - at home for now, when we get back to practice we'll take it with us and build from there. Not running any classes with contacts at the next trial so I think that'll help give us some time, since those are the things that requirer the most thinking from her.

For now, though, we're setting her up at the startline, leading out and - waiting on something beside a fixated stare at the first obstacle. Eye-contact, ear flicks, yawning, ANYTHING that isn't a fixated stare at the course, before release. So far it's cut down on nonsense by a lot. It'll be harder to get at a practice and then at a trial and a more busy environment, but I think long term it'll help.

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We have a trial this weekend.


Molly got some Qs and a couple of titles this weekend.

More impressively (to me?)

Molly a-) handled what, IMO, is a very challenging trial environment (this venue is rough) and b-)

 

4AtHQLP4PacVNifhF5Up.jpg


SHE WENT TO SLEEP. Between the ring and a loud-as-heck interstate, and a TRIAL.

 

!!!! YES. GOOD.

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  • 3 months later...

 

This cracked me up - and to be very clear I KNEW she was locked onto that pigeon before I released her but also knew that I couldn't do a thing about it at that point, so.

 

Quite happy with the recall back, though (and the laugh track).

 

We did have one decent run. Not in focus, but.

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Total tangent here, but it's really interesting that despite the distance, motion and lack of focus on the video how the brown in Molly's legs shows up. Has it developed that much more since you posted full body pics of her or is it a trick of the light?

 

It hasn't... spread or necessarily lightened much, but it has become much more visible and defined. Like the older she gets the more you can see 'traditional tri' markings. Still very, very dark brown and in some lighting people in person can't see it at all, but it almost always shows up in photos. The stuff on her legs, anyway. Her face is still sometimes iffy and takes brighter light.

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