Agility Class

The week started out busy and is likely to get more so.  I had a full weekend.  Got the yard mostly caught up on Saturday and took Gimme for a hike on the fort's training area.  On Sunday I went with a friend to a women's safety/security seminar.  Very informative.

After getting home, I packed up the car with the dogs and headed out to my parents'.  Mom had a doctor's appointment the following morning, to receive news on a recent CAT scan.  Given that she's a cancer survivor, she was anxious about the results so I volunteered to accompany her.  Turns out all is well, they don't have a explanation for the pain she's experiencing and think it may just be a soft tissue injury.  However, they found something suspicious and she now has a referral for that.  Worse case - surgery, but because of where it is, not especially threatening.  So that was very good to know.  She's getting that referral appointment this week and hopefully they can do an in-house biopsy right then to decide what's next.

I've been having an email discussion with our nosework instructor - Joyce.  I understand better what she was trying to accomplish by telling me not to use a verbal cue and have some other ideas to support that, while eliminating ambiguity.  Plus I've figured out a way to use jackpots (increased quality and quantity of reward) to help Gimme want to be more efficient.  So, I think we have a more well-rounded approach to promoting efficiency for Miss Gimme and I feel a lot better about it. 

I decided to approach agility class in a different way.  Trying to have Gimme in the building the whole time was just too much pressure and she was not able to really calm down.  Tonight I got there 25 minutes early and took her for a long walk.  Then I focused on rewarding check-ins and doing some "whazat" to things she saw.  Still had plenty of time so I set the chair and mat up in front of the car.  It was a spot where it initially was calm and quiet, but as we were there, different things happened.  Gimme was able to see them, stand up to look with intensity and then decide to lay down on the mat to resume work with me.  That included a horse in a paddock within 20 feet, another horse walked by, lots of neighing, whinnying and snorting, several people walked by, and a couple dogs in the distance. 

Then I left her in her crate while I walked the course and participated in the discussion.  She wasn't exactly quiet, but more so than the last couple of times.  Blynn thought she was fine.  I just want her to be able to camp out and rest like she does at nosework trials.  Of course, maybe if I had the car decked out like I do for those trials, she would rest better.  Then again, she is used to the idea of nosework including a lot of waiting. 

We were going to be third up to work, so I set up my chair and a mat for her about thirty feet from the door.  I brought her over there and let her look and snoop around and then did the same pattern as before, rewarding check-ins.  After that I sat and rewarded her for laying on her mat.  She did nicely and when it got closer to our turn we walked closer to the building.  I practiced some heel, side and front and just a lot of rewards for choosing to work with me and being calm.

When our turn came she did really nice.  She's still a bit of a wild child and clearly novice, but she was enough better that Blynn was able to focus a little more on my handling.  Its challenging because Gimme is green so I need to be there more to support and direct her, while at the same time she is already so speedy that I have to move faster than ever before.  I'll really have to step up my handling in a way I haven't done before.  Frances and Michael were always covering for my mistakes.  Gimme is NOT forgiving - she's never learned to do it any other way, so she doesn't compensate for my shortcomings. 

She was so quick in the four jump opening that I never could get my front cross in.  I finally had to work it from the other side, which required her to hold a sit stay while I led out 30 feet.  I was amazed and proud that she did it without a problem - something I hadn't expected and the reason I initially chose to work from the other side with the front cross.  She did the teeter really quickly and with a lot of confidence.  I whooped it up and made a big deal about her doing the teeter - so she got better each time.  Blynn could really see that we'd put in a lot of work on that..

Gimme did have difficulty with the chute, so I have to get to work on that now.  I think I said something about that after the last class, but I've been focusing on weaves and teeter.  Her aframe and tunnels and jumps were all good.  At the dogwalk she jumped off when I got too far ahead.  When we did it again and I stayed with her, she was fine.

I was also very pleased with her weaves.  It took us many tries to get into them and do them, but when she did, she was showing how fast she is going to be.  Blynn noticed that too.  Blynn is good about noticing how I use my body and is coaching me to be light and happy, but not so much that I amp Gimme up beyond what she is ready for.  Its a fine line that I need to work on.

We only got the one working turn... but it was fifteen minutes non-stop and Gimme did great with it.  She's going to be one awesome agility girl.

One of my other goals is to get busy working on Relaxation Protocol at home and then start to take it on the road, so Gimme can learn to be more calm in strange places.  I don't think she will ever be laid back, but I'd like to see her able to be more chilled.  I don't want her exhausting herself when we go to events because she is bouncing up to check out every little thing she sees.  Unfortunately RP is not exactly exciting stuff to train, but I can see (especially after tonight) where she'd benefit from it.

I spent some time recently taking the Relaxation Protocol lists and editing them so that its one page per day in a nice size font.  Thus I can print them and put them in document protectors, take them along and be able to read them from a bit of a distance.  I think that will make it go more smoothly.  So if anyone wants them the way I've redone them, let me know as I'm happy to share - just email me.

Tomorrow night is nosework.  Thursday is going to be a long work day as I get everything caught up from not working yesterday and make sure I'm far enough ahead that I don't have to work Friday.  Mary, Grafton, Gimme and I will go walking on the fort Friday midday.  Then I'll get home, do the last bit of packing for the weekend and take off.  Gimme and I have a working slot in a RallyFreE seminar this weekend.  Its a 4:30 drive each way, so I'll be exhausted by the time we get home. 

She keeps me busy...