Summit had a great weekend his first trial back after over two months off. Friday was all team events and although Summit was a Rock Star - my handling was not. The first class was team jumpers. I was a nervous wreck and hoping his rehab vet was right and that he was ready to go back to work.
I pulled him off a tunnel and then sent him over the wrong jump - EEEEEEE for the team! I felt bad but my teammates were awesome and assured me my timing would improve and that Summit looked great and fully recovered. I started to relax and not worry about my dog and started handling better. Our team ended up with third place and the Bronze medal.
We didn't get either a GP leg or Steeplechase. I pulled him off a tunnel in Steeplechase (seeing a pattern here) and so he took the a-frame. He did have a nice run in GP but dropped the triple. He did get several titling legs though-
Snooker Q, won Gamblers, 2nd place in Standard, another Snooker Q, won Pairs Relay, and nice run in jumpers but dropped the third bar. Not bad for two full months off from agility.
Soleil is now performing a full height teeter dropping onto an 8" table. She continues to be very confident and fearless. Once she's performing the teeter without the table, I will switch to rewarding with the tug toy for the end behavior and food for the release.
Her running contacts still look good except that I am not exactly happy with how much time they suck up. I work and have limited training time. I am finding that these running contacts not only take a lot of time but are somewhat boring to train (what! did I say that?)...
Here is a video of Soleil's teeter session this morning. And a few from the USDAA trial.
Summit's jumpers run. Notice my abrupt pivot out of the front cross which causes him to drop the third bar (would have been 2nd place).
Summit's standard run - 2nd place
Summit's gamblers run - 1st place (there was grease on the lens so video is cloudy).
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5 comments:
Nice to see you guys running again. Well done. Soleil is looking great too!
Great runs and how awesome to see Summit healthy and running again and seeming to have not missed a beat!
Soleil is one very brave girl - love that teeter!
Yeah, the running contact training gets tedious. But at least you have the equipment in your yard so that should help. When I was working I'd come home from his morning walk and run Strum over the table/plank for maybe 5-6 reps. before I went to work. Hardly takes any time at all.
Glad to see Summit looking good.
Hey Morganne. To teach the "four on" the teeter I used Jen Pinders method. It was in Clean Run Nov 09. You put a small milk crate or something like it under the end of the teeter board, you dont want any movement in the teeter. This keeps the board off the ground. You shape them hoping onto the end of the board that is off the ground (with the milk crate). I guess beause of other stuff, Miley just kinda got that quick. But you eventually want them to have all four feet on and being to the end of the board. Then you give them a verbal release. Once the get the end position, you bring the to the side of the teeter(where your milk crate is) Hold their collar and the release so the hope into position onto the board. Then give them a verbal release, for them to jump off. You want to do the things you do with any other end board postion. Do it on either side, run by, stand still ect.. Once your dog gets this, then you move that behavior to a moving board. Put a chair or something under the teeter do the board is just a little off the ground and will tip a little. you do the pounce onto the board again, but now the board will tip (a little) when they get on. Once they are solid on that behavior, start adding your motion. Then you do the stuff your doing right now with the table and the teeter. Let me know if you dont have the Nov 09 Clean run and Ill try to email it to you.
Woohoo to Summit being back with a bang. Congratulations on the team result. Could not believe the posting, as I have just written about me and Rivi having a similar experience at dfs Crufts and then read your posting!
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