We had a really respectable weekend at the local AKC trial.  We went 2 out of 4 this weekend.  We finished our last Open Standard leg Saturday morning with a really good run - 4.03 YPS.  I was really proud of both of us - I kept my head together and she was really responsive and did her job beautifully.  I got a really nice lead out from the startline and from the table.  However, looking at the video, I was just a little behind where I needed to be for most of my turns and cues.  This was actually the theme of the weekend.  You can see me being a bad trainer at the start line in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/v/XqFhjk5tujM&hl

Saturday's Open JWW course felt messier than it looks.  I was beating myself up about it afterwards but watching it now, it really wasn't bad.  The good things: I got a nice long lead out (after threatening her on the startline :) ), I decelerated going toward the poles so she wouldn't blast into them and pop out, I made myself take a single stride past the end of the poles so I didn't anticipate and pull her out early, and I rear crossed the triple to pull her to the correct end of the tunnel (I think I was the only one who did that - most people pushed because they were afraid a rear would drop a bar).  The mess up was an off course in the middle of a line of jumps.  I had intended to rear cross the jump, but was really late putting that plan into action (How did I get on top of this jump so fast?) and tried to pull off the cross after the jump.  She went wooshing over the off-course jump before I could even blink.  I was still busy thinking about that, when she took a second off-course on the way out.  My theory about what went wrong was was that I did not spend the time I usually do really picturing myself running the course, exactly where I am going to be and what I was going to do. So when that section of the course came up there was a second of thought "what do I do here?" and then it was too late.    And I just had another epiphany - I think I visual myself running the courses too slowly!  When I visualize, everything is smooth and moderately paced.  I have lots of time to cross, and my dog is always where I expect her to be.  What I *should* be picturing is my dog running up ahead of me (because she is) and the obstacles streaming past reall quickly so I have to make those handling moves quickly.  I'm going to work on that. 
http://www.youtube.com/v/_f9m8xjmIus&hl

I moved up to Excellent Standard on Sunday. Woo!  It was a little bit of a mess.  The bad: I was late on my cross and she pulled a bar down, so then I was late indicating the poles.  We had a little bit of an argument on the teeter and the table. I peeled off the A-frame too soon and she missed her down contact.  The good: I led way out from the table and we got the DW/tunnel discrimination that caused a lot of people issues and  our serpentine was quite nice.  I also did a little fast thinking on my feet by rear crossing the next to last jump to keep her from blowing past the final jump. 
http://www.youtube.com/v/9TiAm-BRCxY&hl

Our Open JWW class on Sunday was really fast and fun.  No real issues except that my front crosses were really late in all cases - I generally had to pull her around me.  I was pleased that I positioned myself correctly after the tunnel and heading into the weaves - I was closer to the tunnel so that I could check her stride slightly she she didn't blast past them coming out of the tunnel so fast.  That was our second Open JWW leg - One more to go!
http://www.youtube.com/v/MZRmpO4qHO4&hl

RULES:
1) Put your music player on shuffle
2) For each question press the 'next' button to get your answer
3) YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

If someone says "that's okay" you say? Shine Like it Does - INXS

What would best describe your personality? After Hours - Rickie Lee Jones

What do you like in a guy or girl? Dance with Me - Orleans

How do you feel today? Love is Not Enough - Nine Inch Nails

What is your life's purpose? All Day Afternoon - The Judybats

What is your motto? Head Over Heels - Tears for Fears

What do your friends think of you? All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints - Paul Simon

What do you think of often? Don't You Need - Melissa Ethridge

What do you think of your best friend? Blood and Fire - Indigo Girls

What do you think of the person you like? Its in the Way that You Use It - Eric Clapton

What is your life story? Doppelganger - Curve

What do you want to be when you grow up? No Myth - Michael Penn

What do you think when you see the person you like? What happens tomorrow - Duran Duran

What do your parents think of you? How to be a Millionaire - ABC

How will you feel at your funeral? What I make Myself Believe - Lowen and Navarro

What will they play at your wedding? Not a Pretty Girl - Ani DiFranco

What is your hobby or interest? Fortress Around Your Heart - Sting

What is your biggest fear? Blood Red - Rose Chronicles

What is your biggest secret? Survivor - Destiny's Child

In chat today with a friend...

Me: I used to consider myself fairly laid back
Me: but thats really just a lie I tell myself
Me: I'm laid back compared to some
Me: Much like my corgis are laid back compared to a Border Collie
Me: But I'm still pretty much an obsessive heel-nipping control freak

The other night I arrived really early for class so I took the opportunity to set up a jump and practice "go." Nothing fancy, I just started really close to the jump and tossed the bait bag and *very* quickly she was sending from a good 20 feet away. She loves her bait bag. She slobbers on it and mangles it and tries to shove her head in while I'm opening it up.

I added the L/R by starting back close to the jump again. Asked her to "go jump" then I'd toss the bag as she was landing and say Left or Right. Then I just slowly backed off tossing the bag until after she had offered me the correct direction. After a little trial and error on her part, and to my amazement, I could see her think about my L/R command and offer it to me. I was SO proud of her.

I have to admit I had my doubts we could actually learn do this particular skill. Or more specifically, that I could teach it. So I am still basking in the wonder of it all. It feels like magic.

So now... maybe another time with just a single jump and then I'll work in a single box and then a double box. And I will definitely be working with this on contact/tunnel discriminations.

We also spent a short time working on her staying in the poles while I peeled off - tossing the bait bag to her when she stays in. A couple good reps with that and it definitely needs so further work.

First, the left and right spins in front of us.
Then, the left and right spins at our side.
Then, left and right spins while we're moving.
Now, to translate that to a jump. MUCH harder than I thought. It was really difficult to get her to "go" over the jump, even when we were practically standing on it and with arm and leg cues. And then the L/R didn't seem to mean anything to her in that context.

I got a couple of them, but I'm thinking I may want to go back and work on more basic stuff again. First, "go" by itself, maybe to a target or a toy, and then "go" over a jump. Its been ages since we've done any of that and its obvious she doesn't know what it means. Separately, I think I may do more moving L/Rs with me tossing the toy/food out and away from me so she's not so concerned about being as close to me as possible.

Anyways, a work in progress.

For Nikita:
1. "Go" - especially to table and jumps
2. Left and Right on the flat - take the jump and then turn to go to another obstacle (about 50% of the way on this)
3. Tightly wrapping a jump standard left and right - with accompanying command (unsure yet what to use - zig and zag?)
4. Come/Side - in context of agility, get her to come directly (and close) to me and not take anything on the way
5. Independent obstacle performance - especially the weaves, tunnel and the A-frame

For me:
1. Timing - especially to warn her about a turn after a jump
2. Run harder
3. Mental game - stay focused on what is happening in the moment

1. Run fast. You're not going to be able to get to the place you need to be, to make it clear to the dog where to go, unless you run fast. So RUN, dammit.

2. Independent obstacle performance. If you have to babysit the dog in the weaves, or on the A-frame or teeter, then you are not going to be able to run fast and get to where you need to be.

3. Efficient lines. She doesn't care how you do it, but do not waste any yardage. Make the best, shortest line possible.

4. Tight turns. Don't waste time and yardage on the jumps either.

5. Talk to your dog. Repeat your commands multiple times till the dog commits. Don't leave them with any doubt where you want them to go and what you want them to do.

I had to post this for everyone to see. Just love this photo. Courtesy of Stewart Event Images.

Ok. So, I've been gone a while. Grad school has eaten my life. Still doing agility but not spending so much time writing about it. Which is a shame because I was just browsing back through some of my old entries and its really cool to see how far we've come even since October.

Was at the first evening of the Silvia Trkman seminar lecture series tonight. What a nice woman and a brilliant intuitive trainer. Tonights session was about Tricks. The reason I went is I know nothing about teaching my dogs tricks. I know. This is sad. Keegan, poor little guy, never learned any. This was initially because I had poor associations with dogs tricks. In my head it meant teaching your dog to shake hands and then, for the rest of its life, its flinging its paw at your face. Annoying.

I've since learned tricks are good but, I have no imagination when it comes to thinking up things. And I never felt I was good with breaking them down into steps. So I was hoping to come away with some interesting ideas and some pointers on how to actually *teach* any of them.

I came away with a loooong list of tricks. Many of them help build the dogs muscles and balance. And a sort of vague idea of how to accomplish them but, you know what? I think thats ok. I have decided that teaching myself to teach my dogs tricks - even if they're not perfect and we don't get them right away - can only be a good thing. Nikita LOVES it when I take out the clicker. She goes bananas. So I think she'll be happy with anything we do.

I was having a little stress about it though. Past attempts have resulted in dog and person frustration. One of the things that Silvia stressed was the tricks are just for fun. You do them at home. You're not trying to impress anyone. You can lure, and use targets, and repeat commands. Tricks teach your dog to learn and they teach you to teach. The idea that I don't have to accomplish the trick in any particular way, that I am allowed to lure and target and not just stand there waiting for for the dog to offer me something to shape took some of the pressure off.

So, good session. made me excited to try a few things. I'm signed up for the Masters Seminar on Monday and Tuesday and now that I've had a chance to meet Silvia I'm even more excited and curious about how its going to unfold.

This one is for Nosemovie. Sometimes... the ears... they are TOO BEEG.

Hence, the tape.

Ears are usually supposed to stand by about 12 weeks. Nikita's still hadn't stood by 16 and I was in a bit of a panic about it. Then one morning she woke up and there they were, in all their glory. And there was a lot of sage nodding and saying "No wonder..."

The trend these days in the breed seems to be toward VLE (Very Large Ears).

Further proof that corgis are the coolest.

The Fido Awards, for dogs in cinema (http://www.thefidos.com/) gave their top award "Best in the World" to the Pembroke Welsh Corgis in The Queen with Helen Mirren!

And just when I was feeling sad that Cardis were getting the short end of the stick once again, (tails rule!) the Fido for "Comedy Canine for smoochiest pooch in a romantic comedy" goes to the Cardigan in the cart (his name is American Travis) in Year of the Dog.

Awesome.

Musical Tails

They're meant to be children's songs, but I don't know how anyone is supposed to resist. Loved the corgis song, of course. "The True Prince of Wales"! This woman knows her dogs. :)

and NAJ.

So busy making my own drama this weekend that I forgot to announce that Nika-doodle has moved up to Open! Woo!

There was actually a little confusion (on my part). We had a nice JWW run but I forgot (busy watching the miracle of Nikita doing the pinwheel) to do the front cross in front of the poles. I tried to pull off a rather rough back cross, but thats not something we've done a lot of. To her immense credit, she thought about continuing to weave. I think if I had supported her a bit more she may have stayed in.

So I left the ring thinking I had completely mucked it up. Silly USDAA person that I am. So it was a rather nice surprise the next morning to have a happy green ribbon waiting for us. AKC can sometimes be very positively reinforcing.

When I was younger, me and my best friend Jen, would spend our weekend hang out time together reading. My mom would drop me at her house, and I would carry my book bag up to Jen's room and spill out the contents of my recent library expedition. We would each choose a book, pick a section of the bed, and proceed to immerse ourselves in the world of Trixie Belden and "The Mystery of the Blinking Eye" (that was a good one) or some such. Every now and then we'd look up and smile, change position and sink back into the book. We'd rarely talk except to share a particularly good part of the book or to break for ice cream.

Every now and again I remember that and feel a little wistful.

Today I was curled up on the bed reading homework. It's a little overcast outside and I had gotten into that reading trance I used to get into. At one point I looked up, and Nikita was stretched out next to me. She raised her head and blinked and smiled...

but this was just too damn funny not to post here. I don't own a cat but I've heard these stories from so many people...



Courtesy of Cute Overload, my goto place for cheering up: http://www.cuteoverload.com/

Methinks Vito the Border Corgi should be up there someplace...

My head is screwed back on straight now. :) I feel much better now that the day has progressed. I took a walk and filled my tummy full of mac and cheese.

I was tempted to take the post back down, but you guys wrote some good responses that I really appreciate and can take with me. And the whole point of this agility blog really is to capture the ups and downs. I've had more than my fair share of ups - I was due a down. :)

Thanks again for listening to me vent.

Hmmm. Maybe because it's Monday morning and I haven't had enough coffee yet but I'm having some agility angst. I am up and I am down. I will probably want to erase this post in an hour because I will be embarrassed about the emo hystericalness of it. Here's why:

Look at how fast that dog is moving. Look at how far away she gets from mom and yet still knows where she is going.

I want Nikita to go that fast. She CAN go that fast. Easily. I want to be able to steer more confidently from a distance.

The irony is that I get really anxious when she goes that fast and gets that far away because I feel like I'm losing control of her. I'm concerned I'm one of those handlers that is slowing my dog down.

Because of last weekends realization that I am letting my dog push me around on course, this weekend, I worked on being in charge. On being in control of what was happening on course and not letting pressure I felt from my dog force me to release her too soon from the contacts/table. And I was really happy with how it went. We met our goal and I feel more confident, as it was supposed to, that I am steering my dog.

We got lots of kudos - people come up and tell me what a nice fast Cardigan she is. And I'm all aglow with pleasure that I have such a nice dog.

And then I see this video of Zoey and think "crap". Nikita is a good girl and is doing what Momma wants her to do, and what momma wants her to do is slow down. I am so upset at myself right now.

So now I have to think about how I am going to get to that spot where Nikita and I can run that fast and I am confident that I can steer her at that kind of speed and distance. I should be able to charge to the bottom of the dogwalk and the teeter. We should be screaming around the course, not prancing. Gah.

A moment of appreciation for Keegan. My sweet boy doesn't get much screen time in the blog now that he is retired. He is SUCH a good little dog. He just wants to hang out with mom, no matter what I'm doing.

Last night he was curled up in a bean shape on his pillow and watching me do homework with his soulful brown eyes. And I HAD to scoop him. The jury is still out on whether Keegan actually *likes* being scooped. I think he tolerates it for me. So, as usual, I announce, "I'm going to scoop you." He sighs, gets up, and turns sideways to me and lifts one front paw to help. He even does a little hop. How super cute is that?

Here he is being patient. I am telling him a story about the little orange bean. I take the bean and I plant it in an orange terra cotta flower pot and sprinkle a little dirt on top. Not long after, an orange flower blooms and it has petals that look just like corgi ears.

I just noticed that he's looking a little chunky here. He's been getting a lot of cookies just for being good. :)

A fellow agility Cardigan person stumbled across my blog the other day and was nice enough to stop and leave a comment. You *know* I couldn't resist going to check out her blog and pictures.

http://manymuddypaws.blogspot.com/ Based on the pictures and stuff, sounds like little Wicca girl kicks some ass. (As an aside, in informal observation, the Cardi girls seem to do slightly better than the boys in agility. I wonder if its the lighter bone structure?)

And OMG! Check out her BC/Corgi mix! I think my heart just exploded with the cuteness.
http://www.geocities.com/manymuddypaws/vito.html

and



It's really a pretty small group of us doing agility with the longer, heavier and much less common Cardigan Corgi. I think I see 2 or 3 a year. My friends always make sure to say "Did you see the Cardigan that's here?!" So, in a way it feels like a secret club. I have immediate affection for them because they've, at some point, been in my shoes.

Our dogs fall in that space between the little dogs and the big ones. They're short, so they're running with the 12" dogs, but they're long, so they have a surprising stride length. They're a herding breed that some people wanted to treat like a lap dog. Not quite Border Collie, and not quite Min Pin. In my early days this made for some frustrating seminars and some poorly thought through handling decisions.

I learned early they are not for the faint of heart. They were bred to herd CATTLE and work a farm. All my dogs like to head things and bite legs. Corgis are clever, bossy, strong-minded, driven, possessive, a little obsessive and quite physical. Somehow, when a scuffle breaks out, if a corgi is around, they're involved. Thankfully, they also love their people, otherwise I'm pretty sure they'd have taken over the world by now. And had the food shelves lowered to corgi height.

Fellow Cardigan people have uttered these answers to questions: "Yes, they CAN run with those little bitty legs." "No, she's not a mix." "This is ALSO a "Welsh" (or "Welch" [sic]) corgi. This is the CARDIGAN Welsh Corgi." And more astoundingly, these things are sometimes uttered to people who have Pems.

Anyways, this was my shout-out to the Cardi people out there. I'm feelin' ya. :)