Today was our last day out of Pasco Paws. It was cooler out today, which was nice! I didn't even have to pull out the fan. Sparrow was 3 for 4 today, for a weekend total of 11 for 12! I think this is the best weekend she's ever had at a trial!
Our first run today was Colors. One course included the Aframe, the other didn't. Usually, I wouldn't have her do a contact in Colors, due to the time it takes her to do them. But, today, I really thought the course with the Aframe was the better one. It had a better weave entry (both courses used weaves) and it was one obstacle shorter. She ran it pretty well, it was pretty short and sweet. She Q'd for second place.
Next up was Standard. It was serpentine heavy, again! She really seemed to be getting over doing serps! She popped out of the weaves at the 10th pole, so we redid them. We probably would have been over time due to this, but I didn't really check it...since she NQd on the next to last obstacle. It was a tunnel/Aframe discrimination and she took the tunnel instead of the Aframe. I guess she was due to NQ at some point!
Next up was Jumpers. This was, to me, the run where I most wanted her to Q. Again, serpentines and 180s. Sparrow was really done with them at this point, and really slowed as she was being turned back and forth. Bless her for continuing on. She did finish the run well, and while she was a couple of seconds over time, she still was able to Q for 3rd place.
Last up was Snooker. This was a difficult course for me to decide what to do. I knew Sparrow was tired, so I wanted to try to find a course that was relatively smooth, but had her covering as little real estate as possible. I tried many different paths in the walk through, decided on one, only to discard it after watching some other people! I ended up running a path I hadn't walked, and while I was a little late with some of my handling, Sparrow did well and was actually got through the 7 in the closing! She Q'd for a second.
We went into the weekend needed 11 legs for her C-ATCH. We ended the weekend making as much progress as was possible for us, knocking out 9 of those legs! (And earning 2 legs toward her C-ATCH2). Sparrow only needs 1 Jumpers Q and 1 Jackpot Q now. Not sure when our next CPE trial will be, May (if Lonya comes into heat and I have to pull her from the AKC trial) or July.
Video being uploaded now...I'll post it later!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pasco Paws CPE, Day 2
Sparrow had another great day at Pasco Paws, even though it was warm out again. We did have a breeze though, so that helped a lot! Sparrow was 4 for 4 again, another perfect day!
Our first run was Jackpot, non traditional this time. There were several rules, but basically, there were 3 gambles you could do (for 15, 20 or 25 points). If you failed at the first gamble you tried (unless you did the hardest one), you couldn't attempt another one. If you did the first gamble you tried, you could try another, or just run for points. The 15 point gamble was a serpentine of 3 jumps, which should have been easy! Sparrow missed the second jump though, where she was supposed to jump back towards me. So, without crossing the line, I had to get her to go around to the BACK side of the jump and take it towards me. After a little coaxing (and some play bowing by Sparrow), she actually did eventually go around to the back and take the jump towards me, and we finished that gamble. But, that took a lot of time, and she once again jumped her dogwalk contact...so we were way short on points when the buzzer rang telling us we had 18 seconds to get to the table. So, I decided to try the 20 point gamble, which was a tunnel, jump, a-frame and jump. She did it without any trouble, but then saw her leash and ran to in instead of going to the table! After a second or two of me calling her, she finally got on the table. Course time was 48 seconds, she did it in about 47.5! The judge actually came over to check to see if she made time, and commented "wow, she actually got it!" She got 4th.
After Jackpot, Sparrow was very jazzed up so we played for a few minutes. She was play bowing, growling, bucking and just having an all around good time. A little of it was caught on video, so I'll include it when I edit the videos (probably tomorrow)
Next was Standard. It was a nicer course for us than yesterday's was. She ran pretty well, though she thought it was a little warm! She was really slow over the dog walk, but hit the contact. She also thought we were done right before the weaves, so it took a second or two to get her in them. But, she was the only 20" level 5 dog to run clean, so she took 1st place there.
Next was Colors. This judge REALLY likes serpentines! One of the color options had a serpentine, and that was the option I choose. I didn't like the other option, as it had both spread jumps in a path that I thought risked them being knocked. It was a pretty steady run, pokey but she got it done! She did like the 3 jump straight ending. She Q'd for 4th.
Last run today was FullHouse. Sparrow was a little tired it seemed, but she still worked well. I was the only one I saw who ran my path, which isn't unusual! With Sparrow, I need to minimize the real estate we cover while trying to get the most points we can. (The downfall of running a slower dog! But, she rarely knocks bars, which is nice!) We ran the course I planned, with one extra jump. I was happy with how well she ran and she Q'd, but no placement. This will be a Q used for her C-ATCH2!
One more day tomorrow, it's supposed to be a little cooler. And, no "speed" classes tomorrow...
Our first run was Jackpot, non traditional this time. There were several rules, but basically, there were 3 gambles you could do (for 15, 20 or 25 points). If you failed at the first gamble you tried (unless you did the hardest one), you couldn't attempt another one. If you did the first gamble you tried, you could try another, or just run for points. The 15 point gamble was a serpentine of 3 jumps, which should have been easy! Sparrow missed the second jump though, where she was supposed to jump back towards me. So, without crossing the line, I had to get her to go around to the BACK side of the jump and take it towards me. After a little coaxing (and some play bowing by Sparrow), she actually did eventually go around to the back and take the jump towards me, and we finished that gamble. But, that took a lot of time, and she once again jumped her dogwalk contact...so we were way short on points when the buzzer rang telling us we had 18 seconds to get to the table. So, I decided to try the 20 point gamble, which was a tunnel, jump, a-frame and jump. She did it without any trouble, but then saw her leash and ran to in instead of going to the table! After a second or two of me calling her, she finally got on the table. Course time was 48 seconds, she did it in about 47.5! The judge actually came over to check to see if she made time, and commented "wow, she actually got it!" She got 4th.
After Jackpot, Sparrow was very jazzed up so we played for a few minutes. She was play bowing, growling, bucking and just having an all around good time. A little of it was caught on video, so I'll include it when I edit the videos (probably tomorrow)
Next was Standard. It was a nicer course for us than yesterday's was. She ran pretty well, though she thought it was a little warm! She was really slow over the dog walk, but hit the contact. She also thought we were done right before the weaves, so it took a second or two to get her in them. But, she was the only 20" level 5 dog to run clean, so she took 1st place there.
Next was Colors. This judge REALLY likes serpentines! One of the color options had a serpentine, and that was the option I choose. I didn't like the other option, as it had both spread jumps in a path that I thought risked them being knocked. It was a pretty steady run, pokey but she got it done! She did like the 3 jump straight ending. She Q'd for 4th.
Last run today was FullHouse. Sparrow was a little tired it seemed, but she still worked well. I was the only one I saw who ran my path, which isn't unusual! With Sparrow, I need to minimize the real estate we cover while trying to get the most points we can. (The downfall of running a slower dog! But, she rarely knocks bars, which is nice!) We ran the course I planned, with one extra jump. I was happy with how well she ran and she Q'd, but no placement. This will be a Q used for her C-ATCH2!
One more day tomorrow, it's supposed to be a little cooler. And, no "speed" classes tomorrow...
Friday, April 15, 2011
Pasco Paws CPE, Day 1
Sparrow and I have CPE this weekend. Lonya's staying home, I have to manage my entry costs and right now my focus with Lonya is AKC and the Invitational.
We did 4 runs today (and will do so each day). First was Jackpot. It was a traditional Jackpot, with a pretty decent path in the opening for Sparrow to get enough points...unfortunately, Sparrow had other plans! She was feeling pretty happy, and decided to take the dogwalk instead of a tunnel, so I had to adjust my plan. She didn't help by leaping over the down contact on it! We struggled a bit, but managed to get just enough points in the opening (well, 1 over the minimum needed). She got the send bonus without any really trouble, she actually has pretty decent distance work. She Q'd for 4th place.
Standard was next. The course was VERY tricky, with twisty parts and a tough weave entry. Sparrow was slow (it had gotten hotter), but she ran it without any errors. We were just under time, and she was the only 20" level 5 dog to qualify, so she got 1st place.
Jumpers was next. It was a nice course (would have loved to run it with Kal, I think he would have liked it), but not Sparrow's type of course. There were 2 serpentines, which aren't her favorite. She knocked the triple, which made her a bit worried as she doesn't like to knock bars. It took me a little bit to get her back running happy, but she did come back. She did both serpentines well, and didn't make any other errors. She Q'd with a 3rd place.
Full House was last, and I wasn't sure how we'd do. The course layout was pretty good for us, but it was hot, esp for Spar! Sparrow ran with decent speed considering the temperature, and we ran the entire course I planned with time to spare! She Q'd with a 4th place.
I really tried to do a lot to make sure I could keep Sparrow cool enough between runs, since she really doesn't like the heat. The temp today was in the mid 80s, not untolerable but warm for her. I think it worked... She had 2 cool mats in her crate, her cool coat, and a fan. I had 2 more fans in the van that I didn't need to use. I got to the site early so I could get a good spot to crate that would stay shaded all day. And, last night, I shaved her belly and chest. I think it worked, since she wouldn't pant for more than a few minutes after I put her away.
We did 4 runs today (and will do so each day). First was Jackpot. It was a traditional Jackpot, with a pretty decent path in the opening for Sparrow to get enough points...unfortunately, Sparrow had other plans! She was feeling pretty happy, and decided to take the dogwalk instead of a tunnel, so I had to adjust my plan. She didn't help by leaping over the down contact on it! We struggled a bit, but managed to get just enough points in the opening (well, 1 over the minimum needed). She got the send bonus without any really trouble, she actually has pretty decent distance work. She Q'd for 4th place.
Standard was next. The course was VERY tricky, with twisty parts and a tough weave entry. Sparrow was slow (it had gotten hotter), but she ran it without any errors. We were just under time, and she was the only 20" level 5 dog to qualify, so she got 1st place.
Jumpers was next. It was a nice course (would have loved to run it with Kal, I think he would have liked it), but not Sparrow's type of course. There were 2 serpentines, which aren't her favorite. She knocked the triple, which made her a bit worried as she doesn't like to knock bars. It took me a little bit to get her back running happy, but she did come back. She did both serpentines well, and didn't make any other errors. She Q'd with a 3rd place.
Full House was last, and I wasn't sure how we'd do. The course layout was pretty good for us, but it was hot, esp for Spar! Sparrow ran with decent speed considering the temperature, and we ran the entire course I planned with time to spare! She Q'd with a 4th place.
I really tried to do a lot to make sure I could keep Sparrow cool enough between runs, since she really doesn't like the heat. The temp today was in the mid 80s, not untolerable but warm for her. I think it worked... She had 2 cool mats in her crate, her cool coat, and a fan. I had 2 more fans in the van that I didn't need to use. I got to the site early so I could get a good spot to crate that would stay shaded all day. And, last night, I shaved her belly and chest. I think it worked, since she wouldn't pant for more than a few minutes after I put her away.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Palm Bay Agility Club trial
Okay, got caught up on "old" trials, so here's the report from this weekend. We were in Vero Beach for 2 days, two warm days! Glad to say that Lonya will work well in the heat. No videos, I don't know a lot of people well in Vero and those that I do have dogs in Lonya's class.
Standard yesterday was okay. It was a really nice course, very doable. She missed a weave pole and ran around a jump. But, she did all her contacts and the table. I made sure to tell her to do them, not mean...but firm. No issues (either day). JWW was a very tricky course. I watched the big dogs run (before us) and dog after dog crashed and burned on it. She missed a cross and ran around a jump, and missed a pole again. But, she did have to really work to take some jumps that I didn't position her correctly for, which is nice to see. Some of them it definitely would have been easier for her to just run around.
Standard today was okay (seems to be our norm for now!). Again, she did her contacts and she got her weaves. Some squirrelyness in between. JWW was fantastic! She didn't Q, but it was one of those runs where the Q didn't really matter. She was on and really ran well. She dropped a bar when I rear crossed and said her name to make sure she turned. My fault! So, I tried a trickier approach to the weaves, which she did great! And she had a couple of really nice rear crosses later in the course (we worked on them in class this week). Her time was 9 seconds under course time, even with one really wide turn.
Lonya loves Jumpers right now. She definitely seems to love her "job". She's handling the stress better, though I do still carry her in to the ring most times, and always carry her out. It's part of our ritual now, and I like it (and she seems to also!)
I do think that some of her weave issues are caused by my poles at home. I have 22" spacing and most everywhere has 24" spacing in their trials. She is in the high 90% range on hitting her entries, but will skip a pole at about 7-8, which I think is when the difference in spacing catches up with her. A friend has a welder friend who makes 24" bases (and channels to boot!) at a great price, so that's where some of my tax refund is going. Not sure if my theory is right, but I may as well train how we trial!
Standard yesterday was okay. It was a really nice course, very doable. She missed a weave pole and ran around a jump. But, she did all her contacts and the table. I made sure to tell her to do them, not mean...but firm. No issues (either day). JWW was a very tricky course. I watched the big dogs run (before us) and dog after dog crashed and burned on it. She missed a cross and ran around a jump, and missed a pole again. But, she did have to really work to take some jumps that I didn't position her correctly for, which is nice to see. Some of them it definitely would have been easier for her to just run around.
Standard today was okay (seems to be our norm for now!). Again, she did her contacts and she got her weaves. Some squirrelyness in between. JWW was fantastic! She didn't Q, but it was one of those runs where the Q didn't really matter. She was on and really ran well. She dropped a bar when I rear crossed and said her name to make sure she turned. My fault! So, I tried a trickier approach to the weaves, which she did great! And she had a couple of really nice rear crosses later in the course (we worked on them in class this week). Her time was 9 seconds under course time, even with one really wide turn.
Lonya loves Jumpers right now. She definitely seems to love her "job". She's handling the stress better, though I do still carry her in to the ring most times, and always carry her out. It's part of our ritual now, and I like it (and she seems to also!)
I do think that some of her weave issues are caused by my poles at home. I have 22" spacing and most everywhere has 24" spacing in their trials. She is in the high 90% range on hitting her entries, but will skip a pole at about 7-8, which I think is when the difference in spacing catches up with her. A friend has a welder friend who makes 24" bases (and channels to boot!) at a great price, so that's where some of my tax refund is going. Not sure if my theory is right, but I may as well train how we trial!
Updates on Lonya
I've missed a few trial updates...so here they are (I do like having them all in one place!) I am cheating again with the first couple of updates, copying from emails I sent!
March 19-20--Mid Florida Dalmatian Club trial in Brooksville
April 2-Tampa Bay Agility Club, at KETCH
March 19-20--Mid Florida Dalmatian Club trial in Brooksville
Lonya and I had 2 days of agility this weekend also, in warm and sunny Brooksville FL. I wasn't too sure how this weekend would go, as I was sick going into it (and went to Urgent Care after we got home today and have bronchitis and tonsillitis, yippee!).
I made a video of 3 of the runs, located here:
The first one was our 1 Q of the weekend, in Excellent A JWW. I did not handle this run very well, I was way overmanaging her. Partly because it was a tricky course, but mostly because I couldn't quite remember where we were going! When I came out of the ring, I told my friend who was taping (but didn't really know the course), "I'm not sure if I ran the right course, but she did everything I asked her to do!" I had to wait to see the score sheet to know that she Q'd.
The second run on the tape is JWW from today. She ran this REALLY nice as well, there was a lot of "handling" on this one. She didn't complete the weaves, which was her only error. She had 1 wide turn and 1 spin after an (unplanned) rear cross, but was still about 8 seconds under course time, which I was very happy about!
The 3rd run is Standard from yesterday. My head wasn't quite in it yet, and she took an early off course that I wasn't expecting at all. So, I was able to try some things that I may not have otherwise. The main one you can see is leaving her on the table. She "mostly" stayed, at least long enough for me to get into position. And I was really happy with how she handled the sequence from the tunnel after the table to the Aframe.
Standard today isn't on the video. She was VERY hyper...I was still fuzzy headed, you do the math! I did leave her on the table again though, this time she stayed until released!
Overall, I was very happy with her though. I'm thrilled that she was able to Q on a Excellent level course (and come close on another one).
April 2-Tampa Bay Agility Club, at KETCH
Lonya did very well today! She qualified in Ex A JWW, for her second leg for her AXJ. She ran really well, even though I can see that my handling still isn't quite right. I was very happy that she got the turn into the weave poles! Her standard run was better than they have been. She had a couple of refusals, both on contacts. I think I'm just assuming that she'll take them, and right now she still needs me to tell her to do them. I was a little more firm about telling her to do the dogwalk, and she did that one fine. And this is a trial site where she's not had very much success, so I was happy that she ran well there today. Wish we were going back tomorrow!
Here's her run...
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