Excited today ... off for training with a top handler Anthony Clarke
http://www.acagility.com/wordpress/

Should be interesting ...


... Well it was brilliant, if not a little cold!
By planning the racing line between sets of obstacles and then having careful positioning at the next one where the dog needs to turn you can minimise the distance and optimise the speed.
Lots of enthusiasm encourages your dog to be quicker, as long as all the basics are in place (e.g. contacts, turns where the dog is following your shoulders etc). After all moving as quickly as possible for 30 seconds ought not be too arduous!

Also some of the lines were to the wings of jumps if you required a turn.
Not getting in the way but doing a back cross very close to the dog so they don't swivel!
Thinking about what the dog can see as they turn and where you should be.
Not being afraid of a fast dog but embrace that!

Working on a arc if coming round obstacles to optimise speed and line, sometimes you need to slow down to get the dog to turn rather than speak - so pauses are good too.

So things to work on ...

Sort out the dog walk contact independently and don't use in full training until I am happy with the change as it will devalue it every time we get it wrong.
Treat training like a competition and do it as fast as possible
Make Dylan wait until I am in position at the start, so I minimise my running
Get fitter!

When Dylan met Parker!

With the winter season upon us and less shows to attend ... well we need a rest anyway! ... it is time to consider winter training and things to work on ...

For us that is 2 things ...

1. Dylan's dog walk contact. At the moment he has a "running contact" which means he has not been taught to stop on the contact as so many dogs are (2 feet on the contact and 2 feet on the ground).

2. Dylan needs to be more confident to work away from me without looking for me and me being right next to him.

So number one has already been started. We had a 1-2-1 session with a trainer called Pam somewhere completely different from our usual training. My theory was that asking him to do something new in a new place might be easier since dogs generally don't generalise. Dylan (as usual) was quick to learn a stop at the end of the dog walk, with lots of reward (tuggy & treats) actually on the dog walk. Then we worked on trying it in different ways, different directions until he was anticipating the "stop" command. I need to time my word "stop" to perfection otherwise he stops half way down and not on the contact.

We then had a show this weekend ... not a Kennel Club one, but a local one at our club. I was able to practice the stop in the ring at full speed ... fantastic as Dylan got it. He didn't completely stop but he slowed down, shortened his stride and waited for me to say go. He didn't miss a single contact.

So I need to continue with the re-enforcing in training and proof the stop with reward, me running past and so on. I can also practice "stop: down" on walks, in the garden so he comes to recognise the word as stop and stay there until I release you with a "go" or "ok"

The second aim came about during the stop training as Pam noticed that he is always looking for me and it would be great if he could finish the dog walk without checking where I am! Wouldn't it be useful if I could send him on the dog walk and then position myself for the next obstacle! We will be combining our usual weekly training at the club with some 1-2-1 sessions their and with Pam I think to work on this. However I also know this will come with experience and we must remember Dylan is not yet 3 years old yet and still quite young & my own experience of agility is only with Dylan!