A vigorous shake

This weekend Scamp, Neena and I attended our first Kathy Keats seminar, I had no expectations really…but Saturday noon I ended up with 3 full pages of notes for Scamp aloneJ, I know I’ll need the reminder in the future so here goes.

Disclaimer:  I know that I’ve heard a lot of what Kathy said before (RIGHT SARAH & AMANDA?).  But it was a fresh perspective, so don’t hold it against me ok? Lol 

Scamp’s Training Book:

Goals & training: 

1.       Where do I want to see Scamp in 2 years?  She said to reassess this goal frequently to make sure I am taking them to that next level.
2.       How did my training today improve our skills (to meet that goal)?

Scamp wasn’t targeting jump - We started fixing this by preventing mistakes and rewarding correct choices/jumps.  She used the idea of pressure a lot; this resonated with me since I’ve been learning about in herding.  The idea is to use pressure (e.g. my presence/body) to get the dog to stop or prevent a negative behavior/choice (e.g. not taking jump), and then release the pressure when they make the right choice (e.g. takes the jump).

Here’s an example of how training should look:

First run: run the sequence/course with the expectation they will get it right
Second run:  anticipate problem areas from the first run, don’t let them make a mistake (e.g. catch the intent to do wrong, instead of fix the mistake), use pressure to make them take the jump. 

BUT…remember, Scamp likes flow, and I break the trust when I break the flow.  If I’m not there in time to fix it, keep the flow.  Another good reminder is to watch if he hesitates on an obstacle, and be prepared on the next run since there is a good chance he might make a mistake in that spot.

Blind obstacles - Neena knows her obstacles and how to find lines, I keep forgetting Scamp is still learning.  I need to be aware of the course, to look at it and prevent mistakes by seeing what he might see.  In a nutshell, don’t walk a sequence/course in autopilot.

General Good Dog Behavior – Don’t be a pez dispenser, it’s a crutch.  We did an exercise where we walked around with loose leashes/no cookies and Scamp did GREAT.  THEN we put the dogs in down-stays while we walked a course, Scamp was a little uncomfortable, but he only broke his stay once.  WOWSERJ!!!  Adding stress/pressure in this kind of setting helps the dog cope with other situations, e.g. agility trials.

Scamp’s Immediate Plan:

1.       speed circles/grids/figure 8’s to build confidence/speed/trust

2.       line of 3 jumps > start skewing jumps, need to be able to send/recall over/and run with him through

3.       find/train small pieces in larger sequences to keep the flow (e.g. pin wheels)

4.       keep working on driving to a goodie container/toy

5.       Drop jump heights to 16”, depending on what I’m training.  Right now it is sometimes more important that he is happy/gaining confidence & trust than that he is jumping 22”.

Neena’s Training Book:

Goals & training: 

1.       Where one thing would up Neena’s game?

2.       What drill do I need to do tomorrow that will get us there? 

Course awareness – increase it by looking for what the dog sees, not what we see.  

Position, Orientation & Motion – all good handling systems are a combination of these three things.  The best way to handle a dog like Neena (with lower motivation) is to use motion & orientation to cue them before obstacles.   

New Moves:

·         the “throw and pull” move

·         the “pull and wrap” move

·         blind crosses, and when they’d be useful

 Neena’s Immediate Plan:

1.       Ready 1-2-3 game (driving ahead)

2.       Driving to/out of obstacles, and without my motion

3.       Jump commitement

4.       Drop the 1^st 2-3 jumps to 16” when we are working a sequence with an ‘icky’ start 

General Notes from the Weekend:

·         Don’t anticipate, watch and prevent from being wrong

·         Increase obstacle commitment

·         Pay attention to the dog in front of you

·         Know your strengths/weaknesses

·         Do not default into handling with my hands…handle with my FEET!

·         Run every sequence like it’s a trial, add that same amount of pressure/stress

·         RUN!!!  Push myself, I’m capable of more.

·         OWN patterns (e.g. 180°’s), be able to do them a bunch of different ways 

Throughout the weekend, but especially in Neena’s sessions, Kathy talked to us quite a bit about our “Mental Game”.  In one exercise we partnered up and took turns leading the other person around the arena eyes closed.  When we were done Kathy asked what we felt when we were leading...and immediately I thought resistance.  She said that’s exactly what our dog’s feel when we don’t trust them, and even more so as they are more sensitive to our emotion than we are...it was such a physical, tangible idea.  I’d never thought of it like that...I want to trust my dogs, and I want them to feel that.

She also challenged us to think about why we feel insecure, and how to get past it.  Things like focus on the positive, and take action...it is always better than inaction.  Maybe the best line of the whole weekend was...professional athletes have the same insecurities we do; they are just quicker at giving themselves a vigorous shake and getting past them. 

And I’ve decided...every now and then, I need a good vigorous shake;).

ADC! and other news

We have news...Neena got her Agility Dog of Canada title!

 

Been a super long road for my bestest girlie...3 years since our very first agility trial (September 2009).  Three years to get 3 starter standard qualifying scores...with a dog who frequently runs clean master level courses at fun matches.  At times that's bothered me...I mean, the dogs we started with are masters dogs.  Heck, there's been like 2-3 baby dog classes since us and many of those dogs are masters level dogs.  It's really easy to get in my head, caught up in the competition, beating the clock, having a clean run. Even though it's drilled into my head over and over that the most important thing is to have fun:).

 

Anyways...the super cool thing for me, was that we got that final standard at the Training Troop trial.  The same arena where Neena had her last super duper meltdown.  We haven't been back, in fact I wasn't sure I would EVER take her back there.  I never want to see her like that at an agility trial again.  I mean...it's supposed to be fun, and that wasn't fun for either of us.

 

In the end I decided to enter Neena for one day only and see what we ended up with.  I tried to keep an open mind, no expectations...but I also went with hope.  And it was so cool, I mean...I had walked the full course, but I was completely prepared to pull out Plan B if necessary.  I almost lost her at the startline but we powered through it and away we went...about 2/3 of the way through I thought...holy crap, we might just Q this.  And then we did...and it was like PARTY!!!  After our party/play time I put her away and went back to the arena, I started remembering the last time we'd been there, and all the work along the way...and then how much fun we'd just had.  And I cried.  I'm like that lol.  It was a big moment.

 

I'm so proud of her.  All the focus work we've done has paid off enormously.  I know she still gets worried, but instead of losing it completely she is better at focusing on me and it helps block out the scary stuff.  I've taught her that.  Ain't that cool!?

 

I really give Sarah & Amanda a lot of credit...they've supported, encouraged, listened, lectured, ass kicked, and motivated.  I often look around at agility trials, and think how lucky we are to have such great trainers.  That is truly not the norm, the success of our agility group is a testament to them.  And more than 'clients'...they treat us like family, because no one in their right mind would dedicate so much time and heart to other people's dogs for such measly pay:).  You guys rock!  Thank-you!

 

In other news...a couple weeks after the Training Troop trial we went to a CAA trial and had another fantastic time.  In fact, I am willing to call that her best ever weekend of agility trialing.  She was so happy, and silly and fun.  A couple courses she RAN...like full out Crazy Face running...I couldn't stop smiling lol.  And she even bopped the judge on the nose on the way out of the ring once lol...it's terrible manners, but I'm just so happy to see her happy I'm gonna let it slide:).

 

As for Scampers...he came along to both trials.  He's learning how to be quiet in his crate, that I'm more exciting than little dogs, and to tug in new locations:).  We've also done a little bit of rally work, mostly for the focus.  It's actually quite ridiculous, but something about my littlest penguin seems to really click with people...he already has his own fan club lol.

 

Final piece of news...Scamp got to play with sheep again!

 

We had an impromptu lesson with Louanne last Monday, oh my gosh was it fun.  I've only ever dabbled in herding with Neena, it was pretty cool to have a different experience with Scamp...

 

Things I noticed with my VERY limited herding knowledge...was his balance, and his ability to pace himself...Crazy Pants doesn't know how to walk up behind sheep lol.

 

However, he does share this habit with Miss Neena...

 

 

Makes me laugh...he seems too sweet and awkward to me to be able to pull off those moves lol.  Or to flip me the imaginary bird about lying down.  I won, but it was a bit of a fight.  And it earned me a lecture about being too soft lol...fair enough!   

 Was a super fun day, think its safe to say we will be back:).

!!!!!!!!!

This past weekend was the much anticipated two-day Go! See Spot! Fly! Agility Camp…I was so excited to have working spot for Neena.  Each day consisted of 3 sessions with one of 4 instructors.  Here are the highlights from each session: 

Friday:

Session 1 – Terry challenged me to do more front crosses.  They are motivating for Neena because I am more in her face, and I usually can get where I need to be.  I also need to re-build value for them by rewarding at my hip every time until she starts to expects it, then I can wean it away (this reminded me of the toy/tug training I’m doing with her). 

Session 2 – Sarah always challenges me to play more with my dog…I love that.  I also need to think of Snooker as a regular course (e.g. standard/jumpers), instead of a game.  It’s all in my head! 

Session 3 – We practiced distance with Annelli…this was the afternoon session and it was HOT, I expected Neena to shut down on me…but she was still happy, and even tugged with me.  I was thrilled.  Anyways, Anneli pointed out how in training we often practise something until its ‘right’, and move on.  Repeating a sequence can signal our dog they have done something wrong, and they will offer something different.  So, if you are going to try a mini-gamble twice, try to put at least one other obstacle in between.   I thought that was really interesting.  I also really need to work ‘Go On’ and ‘Get Out’ with her.   

Evening Lecture – Dr. Devall talked to us about conditioning our dogs, we should all be doing the following training with our dogs:

1.       Strength  - waves/sit pretty/walk backwards/tugging/etc

2.       Endurance - 20 minutes trotting or 10 minutes swimming 3x/week

3.       Proprioception - body awareness (e.g. walk through ladder)…Scamp especially needs this lol

4.       Warm-Up - 5-10 minutes walking, smaller amounts of running/jumping, and active stretching

5.       Cool-down – decrease intensity of exercise over 10-15 minute (trot, fast walk, slow walk) and passive stretching

She also stressed the importance of appropriately trimming our dog’s nails.

Saturday:

Session 1 - Neena keeps surprising me with her distance work and I LOVE IT!  It is so cool to see how much she really knows…and that it’s not all a fluke lol.  Anyways, Anneli really pointed out how shoulders support distance and discrimination.  She/Jan also pointed out what a good girl Neena is; she checks in with me and then goes where I’m looking.   Finally…I need to be happier on the outsideJ.   

This morning I felt Neena was sniffy/distracted and was avoiding the frame.  I walked her and noticed she was off on her left rear; Sarah agreed and massaged her finding some additional tightness around her left shoulder.  We decided to jump her at 16” and do only every other activity. 

Session 2 – Amanda was at her finest playing mind games with usJ, I ran one of the sequences so Neena came out of a tunnel and had to run to me…depends on her mood I can use that to get some extra speed out of her. 

Session 3 – I ran one sequence with Neena for Terry and he looked at me and said…Jen…she’s tired.  And he was right.  I found it hard to find balance this weekend.  I know I didn’t reward Neena as often as I normally do, and I wouldn’t typically ask her to work that hard/long, especially if I thought she was sore.  That being said…she tried, I really believe that…and she worked longer for me than I should have asked her too.  She’s my bestest gal, and I feel like I let her down on that oneL.  We decided she deserved the afternoon off, and she literally passed out in her kennel.  Instead, Terry had me work Scamp for the rest of the session…which was pretty unexpected but fun!  In addition to reinforcing the foundation skills Sarah & Amanda have already been teaching, Scamp did his first pinwheels and tunnels…it’s some of his first agility baby steps…awww! 

Evening Lecture – Kyle talked to us about his Olympics luge experience, goal setting and visualization.  Funny…some of this I’ve always done.  And some of this was exactly what I needed to hear about my own personal goals.   

We finished off the weekend with a one-day Go! Dog! Go! Trial…I was extremely happy with Neena yesterday, given the heat and how hard she’d worked the two-previous days…she was happy and focused, with only some minor nerves & ring-crew visitingJ. 

I think I had heat stroke for our gamble, I should have planned our course MUCH better...I thought we got the closing gamble, but didn’t get enough points in the opening.  Umm…why wouldn’t you take the 4 point jump twice?  Silly girl!

 
After our first run, I had Dr. Devall give Neena a chiropractic treatment.  She adjusted her neck, shoulder and pelvis…but she didn’t find any soreness, or anything else especially alarming.  I’m not good at picking it out, but Sarah mentioned she’s seen a hitch in Neena’s left rear on and off, so it was peace of mind to have Dr. Devall check her over.   

Maybe it was the treatment…more than likely Neena and I finally got our sh*t together at the same time lol…and we Q’d our Snooker run.  That is the final run we needed to get our Starters Games Dog of Canada title.  Yee haw!!! 

In March 2011, I made a goal to get Neena's ADC title.  I had hoped to get it that year, but today we are still one starters standard away.  To be fair, we don't trial all that often, maybe every other month.  But its hard not to feel like this title is baby dog stuff, and maybe I shouldn't be quite so happy about it lol.  However, we've worked so hard!  And while I don't do this for the Q's, or the titles...they are benchmarks for me.  That I'm doing the right things for Neena, that we are improving and becoming a better team.  That we are having fun doing it.  That's what matters to me.  So again...Yay Team JNP!!! 

Our final run yesterday was an advanced jumpers course…I forgot a front cross which set us up badly for the next jump…but I still think it was Neena’s funnest run of the day.  She was the most focused and revved…I love runs like that.  Unfortunately we were 0.49seconds too slow…my fault lol!  We've spent a lot of time building fun & confidence with Neena, and learning to calm my emotions.  It’s hard to find balance, but it might be time to start thinking about shaving time off our runs too.

Finished up the weekend by meeting a friend in Calgary for a walk along the Bow River...the paths are so nice, and it's so pretty with the mountains in the background.  We were pretty tired, but it gave both Neena and me a much needed cool down lap...and Scamp was happy to blow off some steam too:).

First Photo

An unscheduled thunderstorm left me with a little extra time tonight. Neena doesn't 'do' thunder:).

Anywho...Amanda took Scamp's first agility photograph last week...

Aww...

Side note...I heart this dog. I still have days where I shake myself...another dog was in the five year plan, although interestingly a second dog made a sneaky appearance on my vision board in December. Hmmm.

But I haven't had a single day where I thought...oh my gosh, what have I done. He's just so stinking happy, I love that about him. I needed that. Neena needed that. 

Back to agility. It's been fun, but I can't say it hasn't been without challenges. Mr. Scamp hasn't quite yet realized doing agility with me is more fun that watching the other dogs. It's coming. I can see it in his eyes. 

In the meantime, we've been busy learning foundation skills. It's been kind of fun for Neena too, she gets to play the baby dog games too...some of them we never did, some of them needed refreshing, but I can see it's going to be a huge benefit for her too. For future reference, here's a list of some of the skills we are working on:

1. Focus work - tricks, obedience
2. "Touch" a target
3. Planks - familiarizing, and getting faster/more confident
4. "Wrap" around a pole/jump standard/tree/etc
5. Jumps - with restraint, building drive, back chaining, working up to his full jump height (22")
6. Beginning contact work - "Happiest Place"
7. Drive - to a jump, to a food bowl, to something!
8. Tug - with a clicker

He's a fun boy, fun to teach him...but it'll also be fun when it all clicks:).

Training Log

So as I mentioned… adopting Scamp half way through a school semester wasn’t exactly ‘in the plan’. In my defense...we were able to take some time to build a relationship before adding training pressure. On the other hand, I was sloppy/lazy about a few things…I let him stalk the cat, I let him play more with Neena than with me, and I also gave him too much off leash freedom. Some of this is now biting me in the butt lol.

I’m feeling a bit like a first time dog owner again. It seems SO LONG ago since I adopted Neena; and I was in a different place back then too. While these two dogs are really great compliments to each other, they are very different lol. Training Neena has been focused on building confidence and teaching her how to recover from her fears. So far training Scamp is about redirecting his focus from something small and fuzzy to ME lol. Once we clear that hurdle I think it’s going to be about giving clear direction and maintaining my criteria. Scamp loves to run fast, and I think he has a strong work ethic; he just hasn’t learned how to direct it yet. I think he’s going to LOVE agility. I’m probably going to die trying to stay ahead of him lol. Or I might be totally wrong…we are still in the discovery stage:)…either way I am very excited to keep building a working relationship with him, he’s a really neat dog, and we are going to have a lot of fun together!  

Anyways, I wrote training plans for both Neena and Scamp at the beginning of May. Each morning we do a very short (think 10 cookies each) training session where we focus on different skills. Sometimes tricks, Neena’s learning to weave “through” my legs and to be “sad” longer, Scamp’s “Gophur” is pretty solid already, and last week we started “spin right”, “spin left” and “back”. Sometimes we work targeting, which I realize I did a horrible job with Neena on…she thinks “touch” means lick my hand lol. I really need to work on toy drive with both dogs; I’ve slacked off on this since neither of my dogs has a solid “stay” when I’m working the other dog. Another work in progress lol.

The evenings are pretty crazy, Tuesday’s Neena has class, Thursday’s are Scamp’s, and Wednesday’s all three of us go to the agility field and ‘make our own adventure’. I have to say, although it’s hard to leave one dog at home I really enjoy my one-on-one time with the other dog. Over the remainder of the week I try to squeeze in some circle work, do some “hand games”, work on recalls, etc. As I said, at this point high priority is building up food/toy value for Scamp, right now the most exciting thing in his world is watching small little furry things run fast…that needs to change in a hurry.  

This weekend Scamp and I focused on the tugging and circle work, and I was thrilled with what we accomplished. In a park (e.g. with a low level of distraction) I was able to get him to full on tug on two different toys with me. Sounds like a small victory I know, but it was actually pretty huge for usJ. He’s pretty freaking cute, and very playful in his own gangly way although unlike Miss Crazy Pants he’s a lot more hesitant to play rough with me. That’s also something that’s going to change;). Finally, we also had some successful circle work; he’s much faster than me and has a habit of spinning around in front of me instead of staying beside me.

I do have to say, Scamp does have some of his own little ‘quirks’...like Neena he is also not bomb proof, but his triggers are fewer, and he is much better at recovering. I was always a little worried that a dog with fears would feed Neena’s, but I haven’t seen that...and my hope is in time their bond will build their confidence.  Scamp also has some issues meeting new people especially if they really want to meet him:), however I think most of these things will also fade away as he becomes more comfortable/confident. Oh ya, and he’s shy about doing his ‘business’ on leash lol...

As for Miss Neena...well...she’s been on a bit of an agility roll so far this spring, I’m enjoying playing with her so much. Last week in class Sarah ran her in a gamble; it made me happy in my heart watching her/them have fun. She really is a happy girl, I don’t know how many times this weekend I caught her smiling at me...she’s always ready for a game and she really wants to play with ME. I love that. I’ve worked hard to build that with her, it’s something I don’t want to lose.

So for the most part a big Scampy post...but it was time for a record of where we are at. It’ll be fun to look back on this even the end of summer and see how far we’ve come.

Leave ya with a Scampers photo...we mighta hijacked this Harley lol...

A hole in my hoodie!

I’m exhausted, my brain is a disaster…no guarantee’s this will be coherent…

Crazy Pants had FUN at the CAA trial on the weekend…I honestly couldn’t be happier for her.

I need to see her happy and playing agility.  I’m not a quitter, I will work at something until I believe I’ve given it my best, but if my best still isn't enough, I will walk away at peace about it.  And I need to see that my best is making a difference for her.  For us.   

Agility is a way for us to detach from life and focus on our relationship. I know I’ve done an awful lot wrong with her…sometimes those faults feel so overwhelming…and I know some of these issues we will struggle with her entire life but that’s ok, its part of what makes her Neena. But it is a horrible feeling watching your dog melt-down, and my goal was/is to teach her how to work through and recover from those fears.  We've worked hard...and it's paying off.  Saturday I had a lady come up to me and comment on how far we've come, and she said Neena is a really sweet dog.  My Go! Dog! Go! friends see the true Neena, but one of the hardest things for me is that the other handlers only see Neena as broken down afraid dog...it meant a lot to hear different. 

We had some fantastic moments on the weekend…every run she was happy, we played on the start line, like arm biting, hoodie ripping play.  Occasionally she was on the verge of out of control zoomies.  It made me laugh...which as we all know made her crazier...it was fun.  And a couple runs we really connected...in a way that left me shaking with adrenaline and happiness...and fighting back tears.

A few things I think have really made a difference, I've been working hard to control my own emotions, which includes refusing to be part of or around negativity.  I've also been trying to walk calmly and doing focus work on the way to practise/league/trial run, the idea is to make the agility the party, not the walk too/from.  So a couple times this weekend I chose to reward on course for playing with me.  The focus work is also really paying off, especially at the startlines.  In fact we started doing Rally classes on Friday nights, and she's LOVING it...she stares at me with that happy little Neena grin for an hour straight:).

Of course there is always work to be done...for example I need to keep building toy drive, she had a minor meltdown when Darcy was calling numbers during snooker, and I still struggle at finding the balance between firm and fun.  But that's ok...there is always room for improvement...in agility or otherwise.

Ended the weekend by meeting a friend for a bike-path walk along the Bow River, the city lights were pretty and the air was crisp.  And Neena still had enough energy to provide some entertainment, I'll never understand how a stick can be so much fun lol.

Trial Update

Last week was a bit of agility over load after a month off where I'll admit we did nothing…no agility…at all. I've felt guilty about that for sure. Besides the guilt, I was extra ready to get back at it last week...I’ve missed my friends, the challenges, the working towards goals, the play time, the bloody knuckles, the banter…everything. And I'm pretty sure she did too:). Class was good, we had a few sniffy or worried moments but we worked through them and for the most part she was happy, motivated and focused. And later I realized she didn't go AWOL once...not that she does it all the time, and sometimes the zoomies can be kind of cute, but they aren’t safe, and they are an indication
of a weakness in our relationship. It was a great little realization!

Thursday night we ran a jumpers course in league, she had a minor meltdown our first run, and blew me off the second run. It’s a hard line with her between being happy, cheering her on, and playing WITH HER and being firm, trusting her to do her job and demanding she plays WITH ME. I'm learning. After we stuck around and did some focus work in the arena and around the benching area and by the end of the night I felt better about our evening.

Friday Neena and I headed to Calgary for the CAA trial at the Fezdome and I have to say we had a pretty awesome weekend:).

I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I know how hard we've worked, and I've seen her handle scary situations so much better than she has in the past. But it was still hard to know how to prepare myself emotionally for Neena. And I'm not 100% right now either...the last thing we needed was simultaneous Crazy Pants AND Crazy J meltdowns.

Fortunately neither of us had did...and believe me we both had plenty of opportunities too! But we dealt...and while I won't say we were our best, we were SO FAR from our worst:).

After the weekend I really wanted to re-read the "Reminders to Jen" post...that weekend was my game changing moment and I wanted to see if I've followed through on those goals, and if/how they've made a difference. Here are my thoughts:

Trust. I need to work on our relationship so she will trust me and stick with me on the course.
Neena walked with me to every startline...and there were runs I know she was nervous at the start line, but we got in that ring and we ran.  Additionally, there was 'several times when she thought about running off course...but a firm "Neena" was all it took and she chose to come back.  Every time.  I'd tell you how good that felt...but I can't.

Motivation & rewards (aka. Build Drive!!!)...I need to get better at varying rewards, and teach her that even if there isn't a visible reward on course she will get one at the end. Better yet if I can become the reward.  The length of time we can use toys as rewards in class has definitely increased, however she would barely play with me in the arena this weekend. We played outside, and she was happy to focus/work with me for food...sometimes for longer periods of time than I would typically ever work her in class (my timing to the start line sometimes still sucks lol). But we still have some work to do here...I want her to play with me to the startline. Although if her options are to either focus on me/the food reward or meltdown...we are making progress. Suggestion from Sarah was a goodie containers, which she also wasn't interested in, but I will start building their value in class/at home and hopefully they can be part of the transition from treats to play at a trial in the future.

Building focus. This is tied in with many of these points, but if I understand this right the more focused she is on me, the less she will focus on the 'scary' stuff...writing this here makes that seem so elementary. But sometimes I need to remind myself of the basics!!!  NO DOUBT IN MY MIND that doing this was key to helping Neena deal with her fears/stress this weekend.  Again, I just think about those startlines.  And she's avoiding me so many times on course in the past...one of my best moments from the entire weekend was her looking up at me from the table.  It was her relaxed, trusting, happy face...made me all melty inside and stuff.  That moment alone validated all the work we've done. 

Continue to build our warm-up/cool-down routine.  Check.  Right down to a bedtime massage last night which had the added bonding time benefit:).  But still always a work in progress.

Training. Class once a week and our regular 'work' is not cutting it any longer.  During the summer we had class once a week, and most weeks we made it to the field at least once more.  Like I said, recently I've been slacking here...no excuses.

Find a better balance between making agility fun and being firm, reinforcing this is a job that she is expected to do.  I repeat...I'm learning...slowly.  Lol.

~

Final notes...although her confidence and ability to recover is MUCH better, I still think we would have had more problems at the Balzac arena, turns out I'm wait listed for the December trial and I'm not sure I'm all that upset about that.   I need to have her head every minute so our distance (eg. in gambles) is almost non-existant.  And she was more worried about the judges than she has been in the past.  However, we are doing the right things to help her build the confidence she needs to work through these issues...its just a matter of time and work.

OH YA...AAAAND Neena curled up against my leg Saturday night and went to sleep. Voluntarily. Yep.

Neena...have I told you lately I heart you and your my bestest gal? xo

Just a little naughty...

Amanda recorded one of our standard runs at the Go! Dog! Go! trial a couple weekends ago...this video makes me happy in my heart...Neena was totally being naughty, but she's just so happy.  And even though she does some 'free-styling'...she's not worried, she's not shutting down, and we are still playing together...

 In a nutshell that was our whole weekend...I was so proud of her, and of myself...we've worked hard this summer and I know we may slip again in the future...fear and confidence are funny that way...but now I know we can work through it.

And that is a lesson more valuable to me than any Q :).

Believe

I believe that I could

win or lose,

that I could fall, or rise,

at any given moment.

I believe the only way I fail, is if I don't try.

Jodi Hills ~ Believe

Somedays I read this book before I even get out of bed...and believe it or not it helps:)!

Neena and I have an agility trial this weekend...I will not doubt.  I know what's in my heart. 

I believe in us.

p.s.  thanks for the reminder.

Training Update

Well...Wednesday was a rough day for Neena and I. I still haven't learned that I can't train or work with her unless I'm 110%...and I sure wasn't. It showed.

Yesterday and today we were back at it...and we had a great time. We've been spending a lot of time working on improving our focus and relationship...one of the greatest feelings in the world is having her look at ME with her silly little smile as we walk by a gophur hole:). I am super excited to start the next set of classes...Sarah's calling it the LMFAO (Learning+Motivation+Fun+Agility Obstacles) class:). I've been assured it will be hard, but its exactly what we need right now!!!

Haven't posted this photograph yet, Wendy (Paws on the Run Photography) took this at the Medicine Hat trial just seconds before she got mauled by Neena...its a great shot, you can see the recognition dawning on her face:).

#224 - 236 of a Thousand, Endless Gifts

~ Neena's snores

~ TWO!!!

~ cupcakes!!!

~ "come get me Auntie"

~ that I worked with her long enough to become friends...the real kind...

~ clay on my ropers

~ a chat on my front bumper

~ laughing at the three E's...exhausted, emotional & Eminem

~ "I win!"

~ new jobs

~ a tipsy Barbie

~ Father's Day brunch

~  Neena and the magpie's

Reminders to Jen

I don't know how to write this blog.  In fact I'm to the point where I've considered not writing it at all...but doing that would be for the wrong reasons.  This blog has always been about recording our journey, the good, the bad, and sometimes even the ugly:)...I need a record, a reminder of the weekend, for both my and Neena's benefit. 

One of my fears writing this is that it would come across wrong.  I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything and I'm afraid to be misunderstood.  Mostly because its important to me that I don't come across as too hard on my self or even worse hard on Neena.  I just want to be fair and honest.  I believe that's how you learn and grow.

On to the main event...Neena and I headed to Medicine Hat for the Flashing Canine's Trial last weekend.  I was so excited for it, we've had a lot of fun at outdoor trials in the past and I was really looking forward to having some fun at a trial with her.  Looking back now, I think I was also hoping we'd have similar success to our other outdoor trials.  Maybe not as awesome as our Go Dog Go trial last August, but similar.  And I think going with that attitude was maybe a little naive.  But I'm being honest here.

Was it as hard emotionally as some of our indoor trials have been...not even close.  But this is maybe the best way I can explain it...Amanda taped two of our runs.  One she's already deleted and for the time being she is refusing to show me the other.  And that's ok with me.  Right now the only video I want to watch of Neena and I is our jumpers run from the GDG trial.  Together we had fun.  Together we were a team.

The reality of last weekend is that somehow I let us drift away from that, and while I could come up with lots of excuses I think that's lame.  Bottom line is, Neena isn't an easy girl...but if I want to be serious about agility with her I have to step up my A-game. 
Back to the trial, there are lots of positives from the weekend, a few that stick out in my mind:

• I was able to warm her up before each run by myself (re. without Sarah and/or Amanda's help) and have some level of connection with her at the startline.
• We had more success on course than we have at the past several trials.
• She weaved 12 poles TWICE on course...first time we've done that!  
• She stuck some of her contacts, which means to me she WAS connected at least at some level to me.  On a side note...she had a super cute moment when she blew her contact and reached back with her feet to find it.  She does it at class occasionally too...its super funny...I really should videotape that lol.
• Definitely see some improvements on her recovery after scary things...there was SO much going on this weekend: thunder, baseball, diesel trucks, dogs barking in kennels...and while she was visibly worried, she worked through it.  Not once did I see her shaking on the ground.  Yay for Neena!!!
• She came back.

On the other hand, we definitely have some work to do: 

• Trust.  I need to work on our relationship so she will trust me and stick with me on the course.
• Motivation & rewards (aka. Build Drive!!!)...I need to get better at varying rewards, and teach her that even if there isn't a visible reward on course she will get one at the end.  Better yet if I can become the reward:).  Yep...still trying to wrap my little brain around how I manage that...lol
• Building focus.  This is ties in with many of these points, but if I understand this right the more focused she is on me, the less she will focus on the 'scary' stuff...writing this here makes that seem so elementary.  But sometimes I need to remind myself of the basics!!!
• Continue to build our warm-up/cool-down routine.
• Training.  Class once a week and our regular 'work' is not cutting it any longer.  Sarah and Amanda both talked to me about increasing the amount of training I am doing, my current amount just isn't cutting it.  Its my choice.  If I want her to succeed its what I need to do.  It was still hard to hear, although its the truth and I'm very glad to have people around me who tell me the truth...not just what I want to hear.
• Find a better balance between making agility fun and being firm, reinforcing this is a job that she is expected to do.

I have pages of notes from the weekend, from conversations I've had, and from class this week.  This blog feels like its kind of a 'scratching the surface' type deal...but that's ok.  I think there's enough here it will be a good reminder for me.

On another note...as always it was GREAT hanging with some of my favorite peoples and their dogs!  I really do enjoy cheering on my Go Dog Go pals...and when I started thinking back to the weekend I could pick out a cool moment from at least one of everyones runs.  We have a big group of some really talented trainers and dog/handler teams...I'm pretty proud to be part of it! 

Monday Morning Edition

The insanity continues, I ran myself down last weekend and spent most of the past week trying to get myself feeling 100% again. That being said, I am trying to be good about time-management and balance...there are something's that I just simply want and need to make time for. And this video is a good reminder of one of my highest priorities...my bestest girl!

Its still hard to watch, it looks like I'm beating her:(. I promise I'm not...'normal' Neena likes to play rough, but I see now she's not going to engage in play with me when she's at this point (duh!!!). I need to teach her she has other options when she's faced with scary situations.

It makes me sad, I know better. I am better. And my laziness has allowed Neena to live like this for 3 years.  I can teach her to recover, I can give her other options when she's worried in a situation. And I will.  On that day I'll look back at this video and both wish I'd done it so much sooner and celebrate how far we've come.

Amanda talked to me last weekend about having goals...believe it or not I haven't had any firm 'goals' for Neena and I beyond "lets have fun". I spent some time this week thinking about goals, the trial, and all the things I've learned in the last 2 years...and I came up with a few goals.  I'm excited about them...they are doable, and they will make her healthier and happier.

So goal #1 - teaching Neena to recover. Specifically, we are going to conquer our fear of city buses and air brakes and I want to make a noticeable change by the end of summer. I have a plan...its 'trainer approved'...well not officially lol...its a lot of what Sarah, Amanda, and a few others I trust, have already taught me and talked to me about. I will explain it better sometime...right now I'm just a little short on time:).

Goal #2 - is tied in with #1, I want to teach Neena one new trick each month for the next 6 months.  Ideas are welcome:). 

Goal #3 - to get our Agility Dog of Canada title.  To get your ADC you need to have three starter standard runs...we have one.  I believe we can accomplish this in 2011...however I'm not sure I ever want to trial with qualifying being the goal...so I'm by no means firm on that deadline.  We will do it our way...in our time...even if that's the long way around;).  That being said, we are also close to our Starter Games Dog of Canada (SGDC)...and I think that would also be neat. 

Goal #4 - jogging for 20 minutes three times a week.  This is to improve both of our fitness...I'm still working out the plan...but I'll get there...

Phew...speaking of time-management...I'm out of blogging time:).  Til next week!

#70 - 81 of a Thousand, Endless Gifts

~ wind free days and the promise of spring

~ biology!!!

~ 6:30am wake-up calls from Dad

~ seeing the kids I used to babysit have grown into some really amazing people

~ the opportunity to keep cheering for those same kids

~ kongs

~ homemade nanaimo bars

~ my nephew's giggle

~ a snuggle for Auntie Jen...gosh I love being an Auntie...I forget sometimes...

~ quality time with the sis;)

~ blog stalkers...you know who you are

~ learning to accept what I can't change

FEO - updated!

*video link added below*

Ever had one of those weeks where it seems like EVERYTHING happens at the same time...this is the condensed version of my last week:

Monday - a door opens, stay tuned...I'm keeping it a suprise (its killing me!) but its BIG!  Almost as big as my vet interview...*claps hands in glee*...can't wait, can't wait, can't WAIT!!!

Tuesday - got 2 midterms back...Yay for one...Yeesh for the other.  Mail from Mack Daddy.  Neena wows me at agility class with some impressive distance work!

Wednesday - The boss springs an interesting but VERY last minute blood sampling project on us.  Doctor says I DO have a heart and it ISN'T broken after all lol!

Thursday - BIG day...harassed a prof.  Get my vet interview via email.  Then had to re-focus to write a biology lab exam.  Changed the name on my BSc to Peters.  Get home to find Colton's new Dale Jr T-shirt and my divorce papers in the mail.

Friday - Dad calls to say he's selling the farm equipment this spring.  Pack for the weekend and fly to High River for a puppay partay. 

Saturday/Sunday - Training Troop Trial!

Its been insane, and truthfully by Thursday I was already feeling a little frazzled.  By that I mean exhausted and emotional.

As for the agility trial, I had set some goals for the weekend.  I wanted to have fun with Neena and continue to work at our trialing nerves, man we sure got our practise at that!  

At its worst, Neena was literally shaking and panting with fear and stress.  Its incredibly difficult for me to watch, and after the week I'd had it was too much...Saturday I started melting down too.  I needed to calm down and re-group, and while I did that Sarah took Neena for a little relaxation masssage too.

The new goal became having her stay with me without being totally terrified during our 'for exhibit only' (aka FEO) versions of the courses:).  Was it pretty?  Hell no.  Was it fun?  Not really.  Was it 'good' for us?  Yep.

And as hard as it was, I know Neena's better at recovering than she was a year ago.  Several times she chose to come back to me when I know she would have rather ran out of the arena.  That's a huge improvement from the last major trial melt-down!  And after most of our runs I found her a lot more willing to work for me and offer behaviors instead of focusing on the scary surroundings.

I learned a ton...always so much to learn...and I don't feel defeated.  Sad to know how scary life is to my bestest gal, you bet.  But defeated, no way!  I've got a lot to apply, a lot to try, and a lot to think about. 

On another note...Amanda let me run Wicca Sunday morning which was a very clever and sneaky way to give me a little confidence boost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-DuNFlm7Qo

This video makes me laugh so hard, I look so stiff and uptight.  Really I was just trying to be conscious of my shoulders, I wanted to be clear what I was asking her, but I focused a little too much on that and not enough on other parts:).  It was still SUPER fun, Wicca is a fun dog. 

Thanks Amanda!

#61 - 69 of a Thousand, Endless Gifts

~ snail mail

~ watching a mom read to her son in a waiting room

~ a little bit stronger...every day

~ learning to believe

~ memories

~ my fan club

~ Neena's fan club

~ opportunities

~ closure

Race Report - Feb 12, 2011

Going to try to keep this short...I've been/I am just a wee bit busy.  Quickly, the weekend...it was really great to visit Paul & Rita Friday night.  I hadn't seen them since they moved to Calgary last summer, man do kids ever grow fast! 

I've been spoiled staying at Andy & Nancy's, it was a long drive from the SE to the Fezdome Saturday morning:).  Neena was really excited to get to the trail...its amazing how 40lbs of border collie can rock a sunflower lol.  We ran a jumpers course almost right away, she was starting to get a little worried at the startline but Amanda helped me pump her up and off we went.  It was a good run, she wasn't quite as happy as I would have liked to see her but she stayed with me and I think we had fun. 

We Q'd and this is where I fess up to a blonde moment...I thought we needed 3 starter's jumpers Q's before we moved to advanced...we only needed 2, ooops:).  Turns out we are also in advanced gamblers!  Anyways, our gamble was the last class of the day, I tried to get Neena out every hour or so for a little walk and fun time but by early/mid afternoon she was starting to get worried.  I started to get worried.  Stupid girl emotions.

I finally took her outside, ran down the road with her like a mad woman, smacked her around a few times and she decided it was game on.  We had a good little session of tug and fetch and were both a lot happier and relaxed after.

Our gamble...she was still struggling so I tried to find a course with flow that would let her do the obstacles she likes best.  I thought for a second I was going to lose her at the startline, she was thinking about running out of the ring.  But she stayed with me and although it was 'technically' ugly I really didn't care.  She ran with me and didn't melt down completely.  I'm proud of her for working through it.  

It was still emotionally and physically draining...I was tired and cold by the time we were done, and I struggled a little after we left.  Agility is something fun for us to do together, its good for her and its good for me.  At what point do I say this part isn't fun for us?  I'm not convinced we are there yet...after all look how far she's come in a year...but I wonder.

Anyways, we had a High River sleep over last night.  The kids had a puppay partay all night and most of Sunday while the beautiful, ambitious gal and I had a study partay.  Believe it or not we were surprisingly productive...for real! 

Sheesh...this turned out longer than I had planneed!  Its going to be a crazy, busy, long week...but I still wanted to squeeze this in:

#22 - 32 of a Thousand, Endless gifts

~ sun dogs

~ holy hell its cold socks

~ cattle liners

~ audio streaming

~ puppies

~ spooning with Mack Daddy

~ Neena asleep at my hip...as in touching me...on her own free will lol

~ pole position TWICE!

~ cutting grapefruit with a necropsy knife

~ open door policies

Drive with Emotion!

Neena and I had the opportunity to play at Terry Simon's seminar yesterday morning.  I was curious to see how she reacted to him this year, last year she was scared...but she thought he was kind of funny this time:).  It was another example of her increased self-confidence...so happy for her!

She is such a good girl, I feel like in a lot of ways agility has been easy for us, we both learn pretty quickly and she reads my body language very well...its fun to run her, and see all the places we could have oopsed...but didn't because we are a team. You know what, its even fun to oops with her.

Our session with Terry focused largely on giving your dog direction through body language, in fact we weren't allowed to speak for the most part.  He stressed we should 'drive your dog with your emotion'...so very true.  The timing was only a little ironic after the past couple weeks:).  There was lots to absorb and lots to learn, he challenged me to handle a course with all front crosses, and I realized I've become lazy in my handling...to Neena's detriment.  Note to self...DO MORE FRONT CROSSES:)! 

I wish I could have participated in more of the weekend, but considering everything I have going on I feel I made a pretty good compromise.  School makes it a challenge, we got into the Calgary trial this weekend, but I also have two midterm's next week...eek!  I decided to split the difference, Saturday at the trial, Sunday at the library:), and there is still a chance Neena will play Sunday with Sarah & Amanda...it depends on a few things.  I am a little torn, I want to run her...I just can't do it right now.  In the meantime, if there's an opportunity for her to have fun and play agility, I want to give it to her.  But if she stays, you can bet I'll be waiting impatiently for my race report:). 

#9 - 21 of a Thousand, Endless Gifts

~ a quiet spot

~ a Mom who understands

~ country music

~ a wealth of friends

~ laughter

~ smelly stuff, like compost and manure
~ the chance to cheer from the sidelines
~ a morning outdoors...with only my Carhardts and the cattle for company
~ more than a few good men
~ kids in the candy aisle
~ learning to be alone
~ calculus...yep...I know...
~ a tired Crazy Pants