Latest Obedience

I am resting Wyatt from agility.  His back and/or hip seems to be starting to bother.  This is typical for this time of year.  He is starting to run around the occasional jump.  He also feels tight in his back and rear quads. 

I've been thinking about next steps for his "freezing" issue at the start of Drop on Recall.  Watching the video, he did seem to be looking at me.  Previously, I did see him looking around at that time.  He always comes on the second command to "come", which makes me wonder if I have inadvertently taught him to move on the second command when we are in the Open ring.  He came fine in novice.  That makes me wonder if I need to practice in a ring setup for open.  Maybe he is not sure what to do since it looks a little like directed jumping in utility.  There is a match coming up in early January.  Of course, it could also just be stress when trialing or an umfamiliar person standing next to him or some combination of the above. 

I am thinking of starting to trial  Patriot in open.  He is pretty good except Drop on Recall, which needs work.  Even though he is not as driven and fast learning as Wyatt, his confidence is better, which usually means he is slower, but more dependable once he does learn the routine. 

Video From Sunday

Ribbons From a Recent Agility Trial

This photo is of the loot we got a few weeks ago at a NADAC agility trial. It was Wyatt's best Q rate ever. He went 5 of 6 Sunday (top row). He got 5 firsts, 1 second, and 1 Chances Q. Chances does not have placements. Patriot (bottom row) got 4 firsts, one fourth, and 1 Chances Q. 13 Qs for the weekend!

Quick Report

Quick obedience report. 3 super performances, 1 qualifying. Patriot got a 187.5 in Novice B. Wyatt would have had the same score but went down on the sit. Wyatt had lots of good parts in Open too but needed a double command on the drop on recall and sat on the long down. It was fun to catch up with friends at the Big E too.

Obedience Today

We are trialing in obedience this morning after a long break.  Patriot and Wyatt are both in Novice B first, and Wyatt is in Open A later.  It will be interesting to see how we do after a long break in trialing.  A lot seems to depend on where the ring is, in my experience.  Hopefully, we will get a nice corner ring and not one on the aisles.  I think I will be a lot more relaxed since I am not as focused on qualifying.  Though it is still a goal and very nice when it happens, I try to focus on what I need to do as a handler, staying connected with my dog, and having fun when I am in the ring. 

NADAC Saturday

We had a fun time at NADAC agility in CT yesterday.  Dawn, Aidan, and I all went for the first 4 runs.  It was ideal for me since I "needed" all 4 classes for various titles including the precious NATCH championship legs.  Aidan found another 3 year to play with and Dawn got to run Patriot.  It was a also a nice relaxed trial with lots of room for the courses and a nice soft surface. 

Wyatt and I got 2 regular (standard) legs for our NATCH. We missed Chances, which we also need, due to a distant contact, which is still hard at trials for some reason.  Wyatt tends to stop at the top when I am far away and I can't coax him down without his releasing from high up.  We also missed Touch and Go by .28 seconds!  We only need one more TNG leg to finish all our elite titles and get the Elite Versatility Award. It was a really nice run though and I held the contacts to make sure they were solid. 

NADAC Tunnlers

NADAC Trial This Weekend

I have a NADAC agility trial with Wyatt and Patriot this weekend. It's a local trial so I can commute. There is only one regular class a day but it would be nice if we could pick up some NATCH legs. Of course, my focus will be on my handling and having fun! This is probably our last trial for the season. Trying obedience and rally next weekend after a long break from trialling.

Obedience Special Practice

I took both Wyatt and Patriot to a special sit and down stay practice last Friday night. There were 2 other dogs there. Wyatt only missed one down. He came up quickly as I was leaving for the first one. All sits were fine as were the other downs. I did not practice every sit and down stay with Patriot but he did very well too. He did break when I left with Wyatt on leash with me.

Obedience Update

I signed up for a rally and obedience at the Big E Thanksgiving Cluster on Sunday only. I have Wyatt in Open A and Novice B and Rally Advanced B and Rally Excellent B and Patriot signed up for Novice B and Rally Advanced B. Hopefully, I can find a babysitter as my wife is busy studying for a Diabetes Educator certification. There is a special sit stay class this Friday I am hoping to make. It will be interesting to see if Wyatt has gained in confidence. I think I will be more relaxed with my new Q philosophy.