In our spare time, I would take Canon out in the field near the trial building and play with her. They had the most beautiful field of blooming clover so I shot some pictures of her out in the field.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Back from Decatur Trial
We don't have to worry about making room for the awards on the shelf! But we did learn a lot about our running at this level. Cheddar and I are very new at running the excellent courses and we are always pretty close on out qualifying, but we have not Q'd yet. We are making course time and that is a huge improvement.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
In the Swim
Canon is having a blast swimming! I am going to post this video, but I am working on making it fabulous to put on YouTube.
April 30th - Retrieving!!!!
Today we met with a group at the big park that does Hunt testing and we are going to practice with them more regularly. There is a hunt test trial here this weekend so they were out in full force.
Canon will do this in trials and while Cheddar would love to do it, she has never preferred to go in the water over her knees, so she could not do it.
Canon picked up this thing after she runs to get a bumper that she will hold the bumper in her mouth really high with her nose in the air and run circles around me or run back and forth in front of me with it and she won't give it to me. This is no doubt a bad thing. I am working with her on a long line where I throw her a bumper and send her to get it and then pull her to me on the long line. It is helping a lot.
We met with the group and it was led by a really nice man, we were at a small pond and I got Canon out of the van and she ran and jumped into the water. They all saw she was not afraid to get in. I then held her on the shore and the man tossed a series of bumpers into the water and Canon swam very fast and with lots of spirit out to get the bumpers and I danced on the shore with a bumper and she returned to me. She did a great job. She is learning!
this morning when she brought me her usual items she retrieves while I read my email, the TV remote, my house phone, and my cell phone, I asked her to sit and she sat very nicely and then I asked for a drop and she dropped each one in my hand! I think she is putting it together.
At one time, one of the other ladies brought out a real duck for the dogs to fetch. We threw it about 15 feet for Canon to go get and I wish i had my camera for the return. She brought that duck back in her mouth like she knew what she was doing. After that, she was a little mouthy with the duck. It was great.
We missed our agility practice because we were late getting out to the field and everyone had gone by then.
We are off to an agility trial today as soon as I can get packed and go on my way.
Canon will do this in trials and while Cheddar would love to do it, she has never preferred to go in the water over her knees, so she could not do it.
Canon picked up this thing after she runs to get a bumper that she will hold the bumper in her mouth really high with her nose in the air and run circles around me or run back and forth in front of me with it and she won't give it to me. This is no doubt a bad thing. I am working with her on a long line where I throw her a bumper and send her to get it and then pull her to me on the long line. It is helping a lot.
We met with the group and it was led by a really nice man, we were at a small pond and I got Canon out of the van and she ran and jumped into the water. They all saw she was not afraid to get in. I then held her on the shore and the man tossed a series of bumpers into the water and Canon swam very fast and with lots of spirit out to get the bumpers and I danced on the shore with a bumper and she returned to me. She did a great job. She is learning!
this morning when she brought me her usual items she retrieves while I read my email, the TV remote, my house phone, and my cell phone, I asked her to sit and she sat very nicely and then I asked for a drop and she dropped each one in my hand! I think she is putting it together.
At one time, one of the other ladies brought out a real duck for the dogs to fetch. We threw it about 15 feet for Canon to go get and I wish i had my camera for the return. She brought that duck back in her mouth like she knew what she was doing. After that, she was a little mouthy with the duck. It was great.
We missed our agility practice because we were late getting out to the field and everyone had gone by then.
We are off to an agility trial today as soon as I can get packed and go on my way.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Park Practice - April 24
We set up some jumps at the park today and ran over them. I wanted to practice some tight turns with Cheddar and some fast runs with Canon. Cheddar and I get so tangled up in the tight runs. We are going to have to get a style and work with it. Canon has a pattern of jumping extended way out and she can't regroup and take a jump very well. That is ok, cause right now, I just want to have fun. I can see that she is slowing down at the end of the jumps to wait for me to praise her. I need to set her treats up about 5 to 10 feet beyond the last jump and let her go to them. It was getting dark when I took Cheddar's films.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
April 23rd already
Cheddar goes to a trial May 1st! We have been working, but we need to focus on her issues. They are ME! I need to work with her to be able to run smoothly in the tight spaces we have to run in and keep her going. I have been getting her stuck in the tight turns and even some not so tight. I am going to try and work on this between now and May 1st. I am going to attempt to put up a video of our last trial and give an example of what I am talking about.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Rain Rain go away....
April 14th Training
I raised the ramp today about a foot. Both Cheddar and Canon enjoyed their reps running to the end of the ramp. Both were 100% for the day. We also worked our weaves. For Canon, I am working on getting her to understand the obstacle. We start with three poles and then add to six. She is doing well. Cheddar understands the weaves, but I am not sure she totally understands the entrance, so I am working with her to give her challanging entries and get her to repeat them. She enjoyed her practice.
I raised the ramp today about a foot. Both Cheddar and Canon enjoyed their reps running to the end of the ramp. Both were 100% for the day. We also worked our weaves. For Canon, I am working on getting her to understand the obstacle. We start with three poles and then add to six. She is doing well. Cheddar understands the weaves, but I am not sure she totally understands the entrance, so I am working with her to give her challanging entries and get her to repeat them. She enjoyed her practice.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Training April 9th
We ran 10 reps on the ramp and both were 100% on contacts. They did have the hoop to help them. Cheddar did weaves after too. Canon did her weaves separate. She can go into the correct entrance when directed. She is not 100% on this yet. Cheddar is and only missed one time with a pull out.
We then went to the park and setup 10 jumps with two pinwheels and a serpentine to run. Cheddar did well with her fastest being the first run. She then did not put out too much. She got excited when I ran with the bumper in my hand and threw it at the end. She also ran after a squirrel and would not listen to me, so she is going to have to have a long lead on from now on when we are not working.
Canon did a great job. I forgot that she needed a little help getting started, but did some back chaining to help her get going. She had some trouble missing some jumps due to run arounds. I worked on my signals some and made sure I was clear to her that she needed to take the jump. She is pretty good about taking jumps, but will pull off and skip one when she wants to. I will have to work on this. She goes fast! I want to get my timer working and time her on runs.
We are all tired and are going to bed!
We then went to the park and setup 10 jumps with two pinwheels and a serpentine to run. Cheddar did well with her fastest being the first run. She then did not put out too much. She got excited when I ran with the bumper in my hand and threw it at the end. She also ran after a squirrel and would not listen to me, so she is going to have to have a long lead on from now on when we are not working.
Canon did a great job. I forgot that she needed a little help getting started, but did some back chaining to help her get going. She had some trouble missing some jumps due to run arounds. I worked on my signals some and made sure I was clear to her that she needed to take the jump. She is pretty good about taking jumps, but will pull off and skip one when she wants to. I will have to work on this. She goes fast! I want to get my timer working and time her on runs.
We are all tired and are going to bed!
Training April 8th
I set out the ramp and I did 10 reps each for Canon and Cheddar running down the ramp once in the morning and once in the afternoon. For Cheddar I set 6 weave poles at the end so she could run off the ramp and then go to the weaves and hopefully keep her speed up. For Canon I just let her run. I had to place two jump stands with a weave pole across the top to act like a hoop so both dogs would keep their feet down for the contact zone. It worked well. Hopefully I can remove the hoop after some repetitions.
After second set of reps on the ramp, I took the dogs to the park and set up a novice jumpers course there that started out with a pinwheel or almost like a big loop. I ran Cheddar on this and she was able to get some confidence and go pretty fast. I want to reinforce my handling of her in the tighter jumps and the loops so I can be a little more trusting and handle from a distance.
for Canon, I was amazed at her ability to let me steer her. She turned when I cued her and did very well. The only one she did not always get was the out jump of the pinwheel. I had to step into her some and work with her on it. I started out by back chaining the course. That helped her to learn that she was going to have to move at my cue. It was a good practice. I am amazed. I want to get a stop watch so I can record their speeds going through different phases of the course.
I did work with Canon on her weaves some. I want to work on her entrances a bit more before I get her doing anymore than 3 weave poles. So far, she has not gotten it in her mind that this is a set of poles. I am going to have to be consistent with her on this and work everyday on it until she gets it.
After second set of reps on the ramp, I took the dogs to the park and set up a novice jumpers course there that started out with a pinwheel or almost like a big loop. I ran Cheddar on this and she was able to get some confidence and go pretty fast. I want to reinforce my handling of her in the tighter jumps and the loops so I can be a little more trusting and handle from a distance.
for Canon, I was amazed at her ability to let me steer her. She turned when I cued her and did very well. The only one she did not always get was the out jump of the pinwheel. I had to step into her some and work with her on it. I started out by back chaining the course. That helped her to learn that she was going to have to move at my cue. It was a good practice. I am amazed. I want to get a stop watch so I can record their speeds going through different phases of the course.
I did work with Canon on her weaves some. I want to work on her entrances a bit more before I get her doing anymore than 3 weave poles. So far, she has not gotten it in her mind that this is a set of poles. I am going to have to be consistent with her on this and work everyday on it until she gets it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
April 8
Cheddar ran two days in an agility trial at home. She ran very well for her first trial in Excellent. She ran with some enthusiasm and followed my cues well. She had a refusal in each run that kept her from getting the Q. We have been working hard on running all out in the ring and she did much better with that. I think her refusals are coming when she gets too tight with lots of turns. That seems to get her stalled. I am going to have to work on that until the next trial.
I finally got one ramp built to work with Canon on her contacts. We started this morning and ran 10 reps with Canon and Cheddar. With Cheddar, I added the weave poles after. I am using a make shift hoop at the end so they will stay on the ground and not skip over the yellow. I did not click today, but I will tomorrow. We will go to the park this afternoon and run some jumps. I got a good course from the trial this weekend that I want to practice with Canon. I will need to have tunnels for the setup.
I finally got one ramp built to work with Canon on her contacts. We started this morning and ran 10 reps with Canon and Cheddar. With Cheddar, I added the weave poles after. I am using a make shift hoop at the end so they will stay on the ground and not skip over the yellow. I did not click today, but I will tomorrow. We will go to the park this afternoon and run some jumps. I got a good course from the trial this weekend that I want to practice with Canon. I will need to have tunnels for the setup.
Friday, April 4, 2008
April 4, 2008
Cheddar had a trial today in Memphis, so we ran in the Excellent STD and Jumpers. She did an incredible job and was really running well. Her main problem has been going to slow or shutting down totally and not to mention her green trainer. She had a refusal on the double today in the STD, but did really well on her contacts and her weaves. We are leaving the 2o2o method and trying to just run through them in an effort to make time.
In her Jumpers course, I am still going to have to review the film and see what I did. I got tangled up in her path and we collided and then had to regroup. Other than that, we did not take the wrong end of the tunnel like everyone else did. We got the correct jumps and tunnels entrances, but we just got tangled up with each other. She had fun and did great. We will go back on Sunday and run again.
In her Jumpers course, I am still going to have to review the film and see what I did. I got tangled up in her path and we collided and then had to regroup. Other than that, we did not take the wrong end of the tunnel like everyone else did. We got the correct jumps and tunnels entrances, but we just got tangled up with each other. She had fun and did great. We will go back on Sunday and run again.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Start Post
Today is April 1st and I am starting this post to journal my progress with my two Golden Retrievers as we train for Agility, Field work and Obedience.
We train for agility every day in the park and we are hoping to train some contacts at home. I am making a Dog walk ramp and an A Frame to teach Canon how to stay in the contact zone on each of these while running over them.
Cheddar is already competing in Agility and is at the Excellent A level. She is working on getting faster in the ring. She has let confidence slow her down. As she gains confidence, she is getting faster. I trained her to stop at the end of each contact and stay at a 2 on 2 off position, but due to her speed, she needs to begin to just run off the end. She has been particularly slow on the teeter. we have been working on that and she has gotten more speed now. She has a trial this weekend at home, so we can test our progress. She moved up to Excellent after a year in Open. We did not compete the whole year, but we trained and retrained and we also got a puppy in that time, so lots of adjustments were made.
Canon is just beginning to learn agility. She is quite fast and will listen for my cues. So far, we are just doing jumps and tunnels in the ring. She had an injury to her toe that caused us to have to sit out of training from 7mos old to 11mos old. We thought it was OCD, but found it to be torn cartilidge on her toe. We were able to repair this through massage therapy.
We are learning our contacts, but are still on the ground with them. She loves to run, but does not yet know what she is doing on the contact zones. I need to hurry up and get her ramps built.
I have a backyard pool and it is very hard to keep Canon out of it. Cheddar does not prefer to swim! She only likes to get wet up to her ankles!
We train for agility every day in the park and we are hoping to train some contacts at home. I am making a Dog walk ramp and an A Frame to teach Canon how to stay in the contact zone on each of these while running over them.
Cheddar is already competing in Agility and is at the Excellent A level. She is working on getting faster in the ring. She has let confidence slow her down. As she gains confidence, she is getting faster. I trained her to stop at the end of each contact and stay at a 2 on 2 off position, but due to her speed, she needs to begin to just run off the end. She has been particularly slow on the teeter. we have been working on that and she has gotten more speed now. She has a trial this weekend at home, so we can test our progress. She moved up to Excellent after a year in Open. We did not compete the whole year, but we trained and retrained and we also got a puppy in that time, so lots of adjustments were made.
Canon is just beginning to learn agility. She is quite fast and will listen for my cues. So far, we are just doing jumps and tunnels in the ring. She had an injury to her toe that caused us to have to sit out of training from 7mos old to 11mos old. We thought it was OCD, but found it to be torn cartilidge on her toe. We were able to repair this through massage therapy.
We are learning our contacts, but are still on the ground with them. She loves to run, but does not yet know what she is doing on the contact zones. I need to hurry up and get her ramps built.
I have a backyard pool and it is very hard to keep Canon out of it. Cheddar does not prefer to swim! She only likes to get wet up to her ankles!
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