ADCH Summit

It's been a crazy two weeks with work, family stuff, and getting ready for Nationals. Meanwhile, Summit earned his ADCH! As you can see in the picture, Summit is very proud of his accomplishment  - LOL! Actually, he is very happy about his flying squirrel laying on the ground next to me while I was taking the photo. I however, am very happy we've earned the ADCH and will be floating on air for some time to come. Especially since the three Snooker Super Q's were very difficult for us. I am Snooker challenged (although I am improving somewhat) but I can't say I like that game (Gamblers is my favorite).

We are leaving tonight to drive down to Monument for a three day USDAA trial. This trial is the first for the 2011 qualifying year. We have DAM team on Friday and then steeplechase, GP, and titling classes on Saturday and Sunday. This will be Soleil's second road trip and I'm hoping to get lot's of training and playtime with her ringside in between running Summit and working the other classes.

Soleil is changing every week (puppies do that I guess). Not just physically but her personality too. She's gotten taller and leggier and cruises around the backfield like a young race horse. Her coat is changing. The black guard hairs are coming in and also some softer, straighter golden hairs. She growls when she tugs and is really starting to lay back and put all her weight into tugging. She's also becoming very affectionate. She is less distracted by her environment and more focused on me. She is also beginning to want to cuddle more.
I will take some new photos of her and post them after the weekend.

Summit and I haven't done a lot of training this week. Just proofing contacts (he was pushing them at the last trial) and working on the rear cross drills in the October Clean Run (Clean Run Central by Annie Pyle). These drills are really teaching me patience - something I always need to work on.

It's not always about the Q

Summit had a great AKC weekend. Saturday he double Q'd with two first places. He had two great runs and I'm feeling pretty good about our teamwork in preparation for Nationals next month.  Sunday morning he dropped a bar in jumpers. That afternoon in standard, I decided to execute a handling strategy that would not have been my first choice if I wanted to run clean. However, if executed correctly, would create a much tighter turn on a 180 and would give my dog better turning information quicker. Well, my timing was slightly off and we had a refusal. The rest of the run was nice though. I had several people tell me later what a great run we had and too bad about the refusal. When I explained that I wanted to step outside my "handling box" even though I knew I may not execute correctly, they were shocked. "But didn't you want to Q? You could have won!"

The one thing I dislike about AKC is the double Q requirement. The one thing I really like about AKC is the double Q requirement. Hmmm.. let me explain.

If I have a clean run in the morning, I will choose to run conservatively in the afternoon in order to get a QQ. By conservatively I don't mean slow (like I could really slow Summit down on the course anyway). But I don't take risks. I handle efficiently. Unfortunately this doesn't really teach me anything new. The handling choices I make are based on a history of success.

However, if we do not have a clean run in the morning, the afternoon is wide-open for creativity and trying new strategies. Pushing the envelope so to speak. This is when I really learn about our teamwork and what skills we may be weak on or possibilities I didn't know existed. Yes, you can try this stuff in training but it's when a team is under the stress of competition that is really where the good feedback comes.

I have video from this weekend and will post as soon as I get them. Meanwhile, here are a few videos from the USDAA trial a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, I don't have any of his Gamblers, Snooker, or Jumpers - just these few.



Grand Prix - 2nd place. Really wide turn at the beginning. Lot's of dogs went wide here. Not sure why. Although I think I could have improved my location (closer to the jump where the turn occurred). Also, my backward motion (albeit just a few steps) also cued the extension.



Steeplechase Finals - 3rd place. I caused the bar with my late FC at the end and then I almost fall on my face before the last jump.



Masters Standard (Saturday). Would have been 1st place. One bar. He actually only dropped three bars the entire 3-day trial but the only video I have is of those with bars (except GP) ;-)



Masters Standard (Sunday) - one bar. The grass was dead and slick on the takeoff side so may have contributed to the dropped bar as quite a few other dogs dropped the same bar

Soleil and Adrian

USDAA weekend and getting ready for Nationals

We had a fun three-day USDAA trial outdoors at a beautiful park at the fairgrounds. The weather was pretty nice. A little hot on Saturday but nice on Sunday and Monday. This location has very thick tall grass and there are usually quite a few dropped bars. Summit did have more bars than he usually does but I thought he did very well overall.

Saturday: Qualified in Snooker (4th place and one placement out of a SQ because I left out the #6 combo in the closing - duh!), Jumpers (forget placement), and Pairs (3rd I think), and placed 6th in Steeplechase Round 1 (with a dropped bar). Had a nice standard run too but dropped a bar. Had a great opening in Gamblers but the Gamble involved sending to a tunnel under the dogwalk to the teeter on the other side (layering the dw). I didn't even attempt the Gamble. As soon as I sent Summit to the tunnel and moved laterally, I expected a tight turn out of the tunnel in the direction of my motion, not exiting straight forward 15 feet ahead to the teeter. He was a good boy (and I told him so) and had a tight turn and came back to me on the other side of the dw.

Sunday: Qualified in Gamblers (a fun gamble involving a serpentine), Another nice Standard run but I sent him off course when I forgot for a split second where the course went next... but it was a nice run other than the wrong course jump. NQ in Snooker (we didn't get very far in the opening), 2nd place in Grand Prix and 3rd place in Steeplechase Finals.

Monday: Another nice run in Standard (one bar), Q in Snooker (again, one placement out of a SQ), NQ in Pairs (he missed a wp entrance and I didn't see it), and 2nd place in Jumpers.

By the time we ran Masters Jumpers there was a very high wind and the jump wings had to be weighted down with sand bags. I almost scratched since I saw no reason to run a jumpers course in high wind knowing a bar or two would come down. But when I walked it, it was so much fun (it included a pushout and a threadle), I wanted to run it and didn't care if we had a bar. Well no bars and second place (just 100ths off of first).

Summit earned his Tournament Master Bronze title this weekend. And he still needs that one SQ for his ADCH.

I am so happy with our teamwork. We are very much in-sync now. My timing is good and he responds instantly. I'm getting much better at setting efficient lines. What I did discover that we need to work on is his reading my turning cues for a FMFC (forward motion front cross). There were two places that needed a FMFC and Summit jumped fully extended and turned on the flat which gave him a very wide turn. I need to re-evaluate how I am cueing this. I'm pretty good at picking up the OA and rotating my shoulders into him but obviously those are not enough collection cues for him. Thoughts? Maybe more eye contact? his name?
I don't expect a lot of collection but at least some attempt to turn over the bar and not 20 feet on the landing side of the jump. The turn actually happens when I've stopped moving. We'll be working on FMFC's the four weeks before Nationals.

Soleil had a great time at her first outdoor trial. She played with a couple of BC puppies and met lot's of new dogs and people. We had our chairs ringside of the Masters ring and I was sitting there during one of the classes holding Soleil on my lap. She screamed at every fast dog that ran. I told Stacy, "I sure hope I'm up to handling this high-drive puppy!"

I put her on her long-line and we practiced circles. She's getting very good at reading my acceleration and deceleration. She was quiet in her crate unless I took one of the other dogs out of their crate and then she would bark "Hey, what about MEEEEEEE!" But after we left, she would stop barking and settle down quietly (according to friends).

So I'm getting excited about USDAA Nationals coming up in October. Our DAM team for Nationals is:
Donna Thomson with Indy, Stacy Peardot-Goudy with Sobe, and me with Summit. A FAST young dog team. Should be lot's of fun!

Next weekend is free and I think that Soleil may get to go for her very first hike (not offleash yet though, she'll have the long-line attached).

Soleil discovers the puppy in the mirror

The Holiday Inn, Laramie, WY

RMATC AKC trial

The Rocky Mountain All Terrier Club hosted a three-day AKC trial at Arena Sports which is a very nice indoor soccer field. I love running my dogs on this surface. Joan Meyer was the judge and she designed some very challenging courses that were fun to run. A lot of extension leading into technical sequences and then ending with extension again.

Friday Summit double Q'd with two awesome 1st place runs (no video). Saturday, I pulled him off of a tunnel (refusal) in standard and then he won jumpers that afternoon. Sunday he won standard in the morning and then popped out of the weaves in jumpers (I stumbled and he turned his head to look at me and came out). I was very happy with all our runs. There were a few places where I would have either changed my strategy (RC to tighten up a turn vs. FC, etc.) or I would have improved my location or execution but overall, I thought I handled well (even when we had a double Q on the line) and didn't play it safe.

I also realized that Summit didn't drop a single bar all weekend.



Saturday's Standard run. NQ (refusal at tunnel). I did not support the tunnel. But I am very happy to see his response to my shoulder's turning away and lateral motion. Great dog!



Saturday's Jumpers run. 1st place 21... seconds. I LOVED the ending. It was a straight-out sprint to the finish.



Sunday's Standard run. 1st place with 35 seconds. Had a bit of a wide turn at the jump before the table. I did a forward motion front cross and even though I left him on the dogwalk and didn't release until I passed the panel, it was still late. In hindsight, I would have decelerated and sent to the jump and then pulled to the table.

This was Soleil's second agility trial and she was AMAZING! She was quiet in her crate. The only time she barked was when I would get Summit out of his crate (to go potty or to the ring) and it was just a few little yips. On Saturday, she got to play with her two Sisters who were there (both went to performance homes). I also brought her long-line and there was a nice grassy park next to the building where we could play chase and tug while she could run dragging the line. She got to experience a lot of activity and met lot's of new dogs including an 8 week old Aussie puppy.

This coming weekend we have a three-day USDAA trial outdoors at a wonderful grassy site with a lake.

Beautiful Soleil - 13 weeks old

Videos from FRAC USDAA trial

Masters Standard - Second place



Steeplechase Finals - Elimination

I changed my strategy at the last minute (without walking it). What WAS I thinking;-)


Steeplechase Round 1 - First place



Masters Standard - Third place


Summit also qualified in Masters Jumpers both Fri. (1st place) and Sun. (4th place) and Gamblers and Pairs Relay but I don't have video of these runs.

A Weekend of USDAA

Friday morning Donna and I drove up to Laramie, Wyoming for a 2 1/2 day USDAA trial at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This is one of my favorite venues as no matter how hot it is outside, it always seems to stay cool in the arena. It's also a one-ring trial so no conflicts and one can relax and watch the Starters and Advanced classes.

The judge was Tom Kula and as usual, he had some challenging courses that were a blast to run! Friday we had three classes. Summit won Round 1 Steeplechase, qualified in Masters Gamblers, and won Masters Jumpers.

Saturday he placed 3rd in Masters Standard (I held all three contacts to make up for the quick releases in Steeplechase), he had a beautiful run going in Grand Prix but came shooting out of a tunnel at the end and past the plane of the next obstacle (jump) which originally was directly in front of the tunnel exit but by the time we ran, the tunnel had shifted and I didn't notice. So we had a refusal there but I was really happy with his run. Snooker.... I ran both Sage and Summit and it was one of those Snooker classes that had the Red-Color-same Red combo which I can't ever wrap my head around and so by the time the walk-through was over, I still didn't know what I was going to do. So I didn't make it very far in the opening with both dogs. They decided to run Steeplechase Finals that evening instead of waiting on Sunday. I was tired by the time we walked the course and since I won Round 1, I was last dog and changed my strategy (without walking it) and chose to RC the broad jump instead of staying on the inside and pushing out to it. My timing was off and my lateral motion into Summit to cue the RC cued the wrong course tunnel instead. Oh well, Steeplechase finals is for pushing for speed and trying new things and it was a good lesson learned.

Sunday we were 3/3 again. Summit placed 2nd in Standard with held contacts. Had a smokin' fast run in pairs and our team placed 5th. Our partner was Taz, a Keeshond, and who is Summit's age. That afternoon we qualified in Jumpers (4th or 5th?) with some wide turns on a very difficult course.  Jen filmed some of our runs and I will post them as soon as I receive them.

So now Summit is also just needing a single Snooker Super Q for the ADCH title!

I am confident Summit will earn it soon. I am not so sure about Sage... but that is ok. She earned a MACH and because of the challenges we faced as a team, I never expected her to earn a Championship title at all.

Soleil had a lot of fun playing tug ringside, meeting new dogs, playing with a young Corgi and BC, and there was even a kid with a plastic tricycle for her to observe. She went for walks around the fairgrounds and met some goats. She was good in her crate even when she was not sleeping. This was her first hotel experience and we were on the 3rd floor of a Holiday Inn. Jen, Donna, and I reserved a suite and Soleil happily settled in the hotel room with four Border Collies and slept through the nights in her crate. I received a lot of compliments on her boldness and confidence.

This week we have a three-day AKC trial in Windsor at a very nice indoor soccer field.

Running Contacts and Soleils new BFF

The half day running contacts seminar with Daisy Peel was awesome and I am very excited to teach Soleil running contacts. She'll have a running dogwalk and aframe and a four-on for the teeter.  I have some preliminary skills to work with her on such as building rear-foot awareness and driving independently to a target. The same stuff I taught Summit but with a different end purpose.

This morning we worked on a nose touch to a target. She figured it out pretty quickly and was driving about five feet away from me to touch the target. We'll play with backing up and putting back feet on an object tonight or tomorrow.

Here is a video of the little Miss playing with her new BFF, Nova. This was at the DOCNA trial that we visited on Saturday. I should mention that all the chase games I've been playing with her paid off on Saturday. One time I let go of her leash to unwrap it from around a chair and she darted off towards the rings. Not trusting her recall (she was on a mission) I yelled "reaaaaady" and turned and ran the opposite direction, she immediately switched gears and spun around and chased me in the direction away from the ring. Luckily the ring was empty (this was a two-ring one judge trial). Thursday, Summit has a full day Masters level handling session which should be a great learning experience.