http://nadac.com/Rules_for_NADAC_trials.htm#_Divisions
Do it--entry fees are dirt cheep for junior handlers!
Do it--entry fees are dirt cheep for junior handlers!
Agility training
- Thread starter Panzerotti
- Start date
I do mostly AKC, with a little USDAA. I did a little NADAC when I started, but I disliked it as they kept changing it. (when I did it, it was still combined with ASCA; the current ASCA agility is like the NADAC agility I did back in the day). I did do some CPE after it arrived. Did a little UKC agility, when I was doing more UKC events. But now, pretty much AKC and a bit of USDAA. AKC is the most common venue around here, probably followed by CPE, with USDAA & NADAC following behind. Oh, and some UKI.
By "around here", I tend to mean "within a few hours". It would be possible to trial without having to stay away from home, but it would be somewhat limited. More trials within commute distance than when I started, but still somewhat limited. I work some weekends, so I pretty much have to go to trials when they occur on my weekends off, which means missing some closer trials.
By "around here", I tend to mean "within a few hours". It would be possible to trial without having to stay away from home, but it would be somewhat limited. More trials within commute distance than when I started, but still somewhat limited. I work some weekends, so I pretty much have to go to trials when they occur on my weekends off, which means missing some closer trials.
I do mostly USDAA, which is my real love. We have two local (can stay at home) AKC trials a year here that I generally do, but I don't travel for AKC. In any given month, I could probably find 3 AKC, USDAA or CPE trials in a reasonable driving distance (which for me is under 4 hours). I just love USDAA the most. The classes (games! snooker!), the people (nice combination of highly competitive but also super fun and nice), the multiple classes a day (AKC days drag on forever for me), even the judges are my favorites. I think the vibe of the different venues can vary by area, but around here, it's the best fit for me.
Under 3 hours (which is my cut off generally for driving the morning of to a trial), we basically have the two AKC trials, one USDAA and one NADAC. The only one I don't participate in is the NADAC, because the rules and equipment changes confuse me.
Under 3 hours (which is my cut off generally for driving the morning of to a trial), we basically have the two AKC trials, one USDAA and one NADAC. The only one I don't participate in is the NADAC, because the rules and equipment changes confuse me.
So far I've only had the courage to do trials where we train, so just USDAA so far! I've been pretty happy with it, but Lola has to jump performance because 12 inches would be crazy too high for her.
On a side note: This week in class she stopped mid-run because she was suddenly overtaken with a desperate curiosity to find out what was inside those numbered cones. She stopped suddenly and stuck her nose through the hole. :rofl1: This after running by them for over a year and a half!
On a side note: This week in class she stopped mid-run because she was suddenly overtaken with a desperate curiosity to find out what was inside those numbered cones. She stopped suddenly and stuck her nose through the hole. :rofl1: This after running by them for over a year and a half!
Here's a final recap of our first time out. 
first trial by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr
Saturday:
Mia gamblers: 3rd (I didn't even check yesterday since I knew we didn't Q)
Summer gamblers: --
Summer jumpers: 2nd, Q
Sunday:
Mia gamblers: 3rd
Summer gamblers: 2nd, Q
Summer jumpers: --
Gamblers went phenomenal with both. Mia actually got the gamble but I positioned myself too far away when the buzzer went and we couldn't make it back in time. My fault. Summer's gamblers run was superb and pretty much flawless. We racked up a ton of points.
Jumpers started well but the second tunnel got us. My dogs both think highly curved tunnels are a bit scary. My trainer said afterwards that I got too far ahead of her and stopped at the tunnel and then she stopped. I tried again and again (shouldn't have) then ran past it. Then Summer had lost steam. I think it was just a lot. End of the day on the second day and she was pooped. I think if I hadn't botched the tunnel she wouldn't have lost speed though.
But they were happy and stayed with me the entire time. No freak outs or anything, no saying hi while they were working, no panic attacks. It was a good time but I am pooped. I worked most the time I was not running.
first trial by Summer_Papillon, on Flickr
Saturday:
Mia gamblers: 3rd (I didn't even check yesterday since I knew we didn't Q)
Summer gamblers: --
Summer jumpers: 2nd, Q
Sunday:
Mia gamblers: 3rd
Summer gamblers: 2nd, Q
Summer jumpers: --
Gamblers went phenomenal with both. Mia actually got the gamble but I positioned myself too far away when the buzzer went and we couldn't make it back in time. My fault. Summer's gamblers run was superb and pretty much flawless. We racked up a ton of points.
Jumpers started well but the second tunnel got us. My dogs both think highly curved tunnels are a bit scary. My trainer said afterwards that I got too far ahead of her and stopped at the tunnel and then she stopped. I tried again and again (shouldn't have) then ran past it. Then Summer had lost steam. I think it was just a lot. End of the day on the second day and she was pooped. I think if I hadn't botched the tunnel she wouldn't have lost speed though.
But they were happy and stayed with me the entire time. No freak outs or anything, no saying hi while they were working, no panic attacks. It was a good time but I am pooped. I worked most the time I was not running.
Bouncing back and forth between "hey we might actually pull something decent off!" and "OH GOD THIS IS GOING TO BE A DISASTER!"
My brain has been fried for the past several days trying to go through the last minute stuff. None of it is probably going to matter. If he doesn't know it today he's not going to know it tomorrow.
I want to throw up when I think about it. I'm trying to be determined to just relax and have fun and yet panic keeps seeping in.
It's just expensive practice.
It's just expensive practice.
We're waitlisted currently for the trial in Indy in mid-August, like 23 dogs ahead of us. I have until next Friday to decide if I want to pull him. No word yet if there's a post-close waiting list or not, I'm almost hoping we just don't get in. x_x
My brain has been fried for the past several days trying to go through the last minute stuff. None of it is probably going to matter. If he doesn't know it today he's not going to know it tomorrow.
I want to throw up when I think about it. I'm trying to be determined to just relax and have fun and yet panic keeps seeping in.
It's just expensive practice.
It's just expensive practice.
We're waitlisted currently for the trial in Indy in mid-August, like 23 dogs ahead of us. I have until next Friday to decide if I want to pull him. No word yet if there's a post-close waiting list or not, I'm almost hoping we just don't get in. x_x
Payton's first run:
[YOUTUBE]aNnWWNTPYhQ[/YOUTUBE]
And you can't see it in the video but I started crying right after the video cuts off. Because I couldn't believe it. I really just wanted him to get his weaves... and he ran the whole course and he Q'd and everything. I just never believed it would happen. Sometimes I would be working with him and think "you know, maybe he COULD pull it off." But I didn't really think he would.
Best Payton in the world.
[YOUTUBE]aNnWWNTPYhQ[/YOUTUBE]
And you can't see it in the video but I started crying right after the video cuts off. Because I couldn't believe it. I really just wanted him to get his weaves... and he ran the whole course and he Q'd and everything. I just never believed it would happen. Sometimes I would be working with him and think "you know, maybe he COULD pull it off." But I didn't really think he would.
Best Payton in the world.
Woohoo! Congratulations!
My kids and I just got home from two days of USDAA (in the AC, thank heavens). Both were superstars. Gusto had a few icky runs, where my mind fell out, but also had a couple of really stellar runs. He finished his PD title on Friday, so he got to move up to PII for Saturday. He easily got the gamble (oh, how nice to have a dog that can do gambles!) and had a jumpers run this afternoon that made me so, so happy because we BOTH had our act together for it. Just fast and focused and smooth. I'm still giddy, which I needed because his teeter fell apart for reasons unknown today. I'm baffled. Someone suggested maybe the sand bags under it were sticking out more than he's used to (we don't usually have sandbags on the teeter in practice), so I'm going to be playing around with that this week.
Meg just ran once each day. Her PIII standard run on Friday was brilliant, although at one point I threw her way ahead of me for a jump so I could get where I wanted to be and she got a little lost, and back jumped it. But that's okay, because when you are nine years old and you are Meg, there are no rules and everything you do is perfect. She had a super snooker run today, and added another Q there, although for once we were nice and only did 3 of the reds, so she didn't get her usual super Q.
Back to work on my stuff for class with Gusto this week. The warm-ups at the trial really gave me great feedback on what I need to be doing with him, so I'm excited to get back to work on that stuff. Also we will be seeking out every teeter in the county to practice on. We have an AKC trial next week, so I'll have to see what I'm going to do. I may just pull him from standard if something is really going on with his teeter.
My kids and I just got home from two days of USDAA (in the AC, thank heavens). Both were superstars. Gusto had a few icky runs, where my mind fell out, but also had a couple of really stellar runs. He finished his PD title on Friday, so he got to move up to PII for Saturday. He easily got the gamble (oh, how nice to have a dog that can do gambles!) and had a jumpers run this afternoon that made me so, so happy because we BOTH had our act together for it. Just fast and focused and smooth. I'm still giddy, which I needed because his teeter fell apart for reasons unknown today. I'm baffled. Someone suggested maybe the sand bags under it were sticking out more than he's used to (we don't usually have sandbags on the teeter in practice), so I'm going to be playing around with that this week.
Meg just ran once each day. Her PIII standard run on Friday was brilliant, although at one point I threw her way ahead of me for a jump so I could get where I wanted to be and she got a little lost, and back jumped it. But that's okay, because when you are nine years old and you are Meg, there are no rules and everything you do is perfect. She had a super snooker run today, and added another Q there, although for once we were nice and only did 3 of the reds, so she didn't get her usual super Q.
Back to work on my stuff for class with Gusto this week. The warm-ups at the trial really gave me great feedback on what I need to be doing with him, so I'm excited to get back to work on that stuff. Also we will be seeking out every teeter in the county to practice on. We have an AKC trial next week, so I'll have to see what I'm going to do. I may just pull him from standard if something is really going on with his teeter.
CONGRATS Beanie!!!!! That's awesome! You and Payton are succeeding together.
And Congrats BB! I'm sure Gusto is super excited to be back in action after his time off and I'm glad to hear he's doing so well.
Everyone keep their fingers crossed that by this time next year I'll be trying my first agility competition.
You and Payton are succeeding together. And Congrats BB!
I'm sure Gusto is super excited to be back in action after his time off and I'm glad to hear he's doing so well. Everyone keep their fingers crossed that by this time next year I'll be trying my first agility competition.
Day 2:
[YOUTUBE]2GYxV2ln_yI[/YOUTUBE]
So I says to him, "I don't even Payton. I mean... I just don't even."
I hoped it would happen. But I never dreamed it really would.
I better get these weave poles cleaned up because I might need them sooner than I thought. Wow. Admittedly today's weave pole bobble was ENTIRELY my fault. When I trained Auggie to do weave poles I trained him to do it by me chattering WEAVE WEAVE WEAVE the whole time he was in the poles. With Payton I did not do that. I just say "go weave." And when I chatter he's like "I'M ALREADY IN THE WEAVE POLES WHY DO YOU KEEP TELLING ME TO WEAVE I GOT IT OKAY???" And I caught myself walking the course yesterday and reminded myself to SHUT UP, but today I did not, and instead of just "go weave" I said "Go weave weave weave weave..." and realized what I had just done.
BAD TRAINER.
I asked Auggie if he had any advice for Payton yesterday morning. I guess whatever advice Auggie had was good.
[YOUTUBE]2GYxV2ln_yI[/YOUTUBE]
So I says to him, "I don't even Payton. I mean... I just don't even."
I hoped it would happen. But I never dreamed it really would.
I better get these weave poles cleaned up because I might need them sooner than I thought. Wow. Admittedly today's weave pole bobble was ENTIRELY my fault. When I trained Auggie to do weave poles I trained him to do it by me chattering WEAVE WEAVE WEAVE the whole time he was in the poles. With Payton I did not do that. I just say "go weave." And when I chatter he's like "I'M ALREADY IN THE WEAVE POLES WHY DO YOU KEEP TELLING ME TO WEAVE I GOT IT OKAY???" And I caught myself walking the course yesterday and reminded myself to SHUT UP, but today I did not, and instead of just "go weave" I said "Go weave weave weave weave..." and realized what I had just done.
BAD TRAINER.
I asked Auggie if he had any advice for Payton yesterday morning. I guess whatever advice Auggie had was good.
Yay Payton! What a good boy!
Kind of a bittersweet day for us. Mia and Summer both did very very well. Mia's last run was awesome. She did both tunnels very smoothly and everything else was superb. Summer was a little dippy (haha) but still great. Mia did have one interesting thing pop up on her dog walk. She thought it was the teeter and at the top of the 'on' ramp she flattened herself down and got a little worried acting. This teeter fear is new recently.
Sad part is that my class is officially disbanded for good. I totally understand my trainer has a lot going on and we were her most advanced class, so it was a lot of work for her. She says it'll be good for me to get some other instruction and she'll still do private lessons. But I'm back to trying to find a class we can join. Bummer. I'll email the head instructor tomorrow and see. I almost want to take a break until this weather gets better though. Summer is ok with the heat but Mia does not like.
What a good boy!Kind of a bittersweet day for us. Mia and Summer both did very very well. Mia's last run was awesome. She did both tunnels very smoothly and everything else was superb. Summer was a little dippy (haha) but still great. Mia did have one interesting thing pop up on her dog walk. She thought it was the teeter and at the top of the 'on' ramp she flattened herself down and got a little worried acting. This teeter fear is new recently.
Sad part is that my class is officially disbanded for good. I totally understand my trainer has a lot going on and we were her most advanced class, so it was a lot of work for her. She says it'll be good for me to get some other instruction and she'll still do private lessons. But I'm back to trying to find a class we can join. Bummer. I'll email the head instructor tomorrow and see. I almost want to take a break until this weather gets better though. Summer is ok with the heat but Mia does not like.