Agility training

Thanks, we've taken a couple online classes pretty much specifically devoted to stays, startlines, and impulse control, so it's definitely an area we put a lot of work into. Even so, as she gets more into the game, I've been making it a bigger focus because she was starting to pull the hoverbutt/creep forward with front paws nonsense. I don't know if you know her, but it's Karen Gorman's facility.

We had a nice trial day. Sad we can't go tomorrow but oh we'll. we only did 3 runs. All were good and first places but only 1 Q in standard. Standard went well and she did her 12 weaves slowly but did them! Gamblers was good but I stepped over the line to send to the chute (she's not a fan). Jumpers would have been a Q but I messed us up. I knew she is not good with rear crossing tunnels. I walked it with a front cross but ended up switching last secon to rear cross. She popped out like I knew she would. We finished amazingly though.

Hank was super popular and did great. He was less overstimulated than I thought around the big fast dogs. It's definitely going to be a thing he will need work on though.

Mia was a grump and snubbed everyone.

The thumbs down was totally accidental in the above post.

Worked Hank on some sends and wraps and HOLYSHIT he was fast. Like... fastfastfast.

I am feeling a bit of pressure because we so many comments from people who have known me a long time about him. Everyone keeps telling me he's going to be spectacular and I really think he will be. So far he seems to be. But I keep wondering what happens if he sucks? lol

I don't know how many questions about where he came from, what he is, if I'm doing agility with him, is he trialling yet, etc I got. I also got a lot of comments about how lucky he is . It sounds corny but I really feel like I am the lucky half of the equation. He is everything I wanted and then more drive on top of that. I hope I can do him justice. I have a feeling he's going to be the agility dog of a lifetime.

Call it a tie He really is one lucky little dog.

Georgie got her OA Friday morning, so she's officially out of Open.

Auggie had great runs on Saturday, he was clean in JWW but two seconds over time - he was excited and kept trying to off-course so he had horrible lines and kept wandering away so that added tons of extra time. Standard he dropped one bar but NOT the triple, and it was my fault because I didn't handle him the way I needed to. Always a joy to run Auggie even without ribbons.

Payton got no Qs this weekend and I pulled from JWW after we finished standard in the morning because I was just really tired of feeling like I'm beating my head against the wall. It was nearly four hours to drive home so I opted to not waste a few hours sitting around to not Q in the afternoon and just came home. So we're still stuck in open until at least next year.


A friend of mine who hasn't seen Payton run yet (I haven't seen him at a trial since Louisville and he didn't get a chance to see P run there) came up to me after his JWW run yesterday and told me "I think you should know, that dog is going to be really good really soon. He's fast, he's really incredible. He's going to be great. He really is." He told me he thinks he will settle down after he reaches about four years old and told me he had the same sort of thing with his fast little sheltie. And I really like his fast little sheltie, I've liked that dog since I first saw him running him, so it was really helpful to hear that.
So many people have given me votes of confidence in him, but it's so hard to have that same confidence when trial after trial things just don't work out. His stays were randomly back to being GREAT this weekend as opposed to zero stay at all two weeks ago - I was legitimately ready to not even be asking for a stay this weekend but I got some great lead-outs on him and he was really good. I even did some lead-outs from the table and he was good. But ugh, just so much else was such a disaster. I don't even know because it's like, seriously, is there nothing I can DO except wait for him to mature? Really? I just can't do anything? That can't be right but. Ugh.

I really need to take him to more seminars or something and have more help with him but there's just nothing here. So... ugh.


Also we won first place in the "best duo" costume contest on Friday. I don't have any pictures from the contest but the club and people there took plenty so hopefully I'll have something to post. Otherwise we're taking photos at my house this weekend (that's the next chance I'll have for daylight.)

Have you thought about trying other agility organizations where you can train in the ring? Where it's less money to train in the ring if a run goes awry? I know you like AKC but it sounds like you guys need a change.

Yeah, definitely. There's very little else besides AKC around here. NADAC and USDAA both used to be super popular back when I started with Auggie, but not so much at all now. CPE is starting to become more popular over in Indy and the Springfield club seems like they are getting hooked on CPE, so I think I might be able to do some of that. It's all kinda moot right now because we're about to break for winter - I have one more in two weeks and then we are done. I don't like to enter during the winter since the weather is unpredictable and was totally disgusting last year. We'll pick up again in the spring and hopefully I can find some CPE to do with him then and see if that doesn't help or at least results in setting less money on fire. I do think that would help though. I would love to even just do fun runs with him, but the local club only does three per year, and the other near-ish club is supposed to do three per year but this year they held the first one and then cancelled the second two. =P

So how tall is everyone's dogs/what jump height do you jump?

I think Hank is going to be one of the shortest 16" jumpers.

Crossbone is just about 16" tall and jumps 16" in AKC and 12" in CPE.


Congrats Beanie! Can't wait to see costume pics!

Meg is 17.75" (36 ish lbs); Gusto is 17.38" (28 ish lbs)

I run both is regular AKC/CPE and in performance USDAA, so they jump 16" everywhere. I'm ready and willing to drop Meg down to 12" in all venues (Preferred AKC/Veterans USDAA/whatever they call it in CPE) as soon as she gives me a sign that she needs it.

Both of mine were initially on the low end of the 22" jump height for USDAA. I chose to run them performance for a few reasons.

With Meg, she isn't incredibly well built, although she's proven to be very sound. She also has a bad scar on one elbow that she had when I got her. I never expected to be very competitive with her, so jumping her a little lower just seemed like a good idea. I just started her there and we stayed in it.

With Gusto, I initially figured we wouldn't be dealing with any physical issues (surprise!). I made the decision because he was so close to the bottom of the jump height - and because I didn't think he'd be competitive in 22" Championship. I don't train hard or seriously enough to think I could reasonably get Super Qs and Steeplechase placements among the dogs and handlers in that height class, who are arguably the most competitive. And I wanted to be able to be successful.

Now, he actually qualifies for the new 18" Championship height, and I gave it a lot of thought. It's actually (here, anyway) probably less competitive than 16" performance. I'd have been comfortable with him jumping 18" for sure, even with the elbow issue (although this was all thought out before he went lame). But the spreads are BIG and the increased a-frame height gave me more pause. He also had a really hard time dealing with getting measured (no bite risk, but he really doesn't like strangers putting their hands on him), and I didn't want to have to deal with a new set of measurements. I'm happy with him in performance.

Not bad at all for Old Tiny Dog. 14 seconds under course time in USDAA standard.

she had so much fun too. She gets so excited when I pull her out and line her up. I think she might like the line up the best. She's figured out that she has so many adoring fans after her runs that tell her she's a good girl and hold her. I swear after Summer runs she is usually passed around to a half a dozen people. :rofl1:

Love that dog.

ETA: Her jumpers run was actually not far off either considering the rear-cross fiasco and her running out the tunnel and running the opposite direction from me then me taking a good while to set us back up. We were only 3 seconds over time even with all that.

Gamblers we got the points (needed 18) but no gamble.

Izzie is 12.25" and jumps 6" double drop veterans in AAC and 8" preferred in CKC. She measured 1/4" too tall for 10" regular in AAC and would've had to jump 16" regular which is a big fat nope.

Kili measures 26" at the shoulder and therefore has to jump 26" regular which is a great big not happening. She's got super straight shoulders and huge hind end angulation ( you know, cause she's a sighthound) and I don't think there's really any dog that needs to be jumping 26" regularly. AAC heights are too high. So she jumps 22" special in AAC. CKC I think her height is 24" regular which is slightly more acceptable.

Buzz was 20.5 and jumped 12 in NADAC (skilled veteran).

Bailey is 19.75 and jumped 20 regular in NADAC, then 16 veteran, then 12 skilled veteran. She jumped 16 in CPE and 16 performance USDAA. 16 preferred AKC. SO MANY OPTIONS.

Gabby is right around 20. She'll likely never jump higher than 12 in whatever she does.

Auggie originally measured at 14.25" so into the 16" jump height. He did that for a while and then I dropped him to preferred so he would jump 12". After we finally got his height card fixed down at 14", he was 12" regular and 8" preferred. I like him at 8". The weird thing is when I look at photos, he is still obviously taking off with effort to clear a 16" bar... he doesn't seem to know how to look at the bar and judge it's height and how to respond appropriately to that. He will go happily over 16" bars if I let him into the field and I haven't reset the bars from Payton running. But I don't want him doing it on the regular and I never intentionally ask him to jump 16". =P

Payton's height card is 16.5" (a rep measured him at 16 3/8 this weekend) so he jumps 16". I don't mind it, he handles the height nicely.

Georgie's card is at 13.5" and she jumps 12". I would hate for her to have to do 16" and if I haven't reset anything after Payton she won't really do it.


Pepper would likely jump 16" and I'm not sure I would be thrilled with that... I'd rather she be a 12" but she can probably handle 16".... I dunno. We'll see. She'll probably never compete anyway haha.

Cohen is probably 20-21" and she jumps 22". I may drop her to vets when I can, but for now 22" is just fine. She still periodically knocks bars, but I don't think that's a problem of bar height.

Cobain is just under 21" and jumps 22"

Rigby is about 19" and jumps 22"

Ruby is 18" and would jump 22" if I ever bother to train her in agility - 3 dogs in the same class would KILL me.

Here's the 3 of them lined up against each other:

Tiny Dog! I love her much.

[YOUTUBE]UHyJ6KpUjL0[/YOUTUBE]

Kimma measures 16.25" and jumps 16" in AKC

Jari is hovering around 18". Depending on how he measures "officially," he could either jump 16" or 20". I'm hoping for 16".

Awwww you guys look great! She seems like she's having a blast

I had a really good class last night where I feel like I made a sort of breakthrough with Cohen. I want to sign up for a few runs at a trial this weekend. I go to look at what's offered on the morning I have available and it's practically all steeplechase and snooker. Steeplechase is fun, but I think of it as a game outside of 'normal' agility since it's not really required for a C-ATCh. Snooker is my kryptonite. I think I'll still sign up for a few runs, but I thought it was sort of a kick in the pants. I rarely trial these days. Figures when I'm available the trialing doesn't quite work out.