Agility Pairs

Last night for class we played pairs, USDAA style.  Its like a relay, with a baton to pass.  We did the first run and our partner kept her dog out of sight until I had Gimme leashed.  Then she came out, put her dog on a stay and came to me to get the baton.  Even with that time wasting - our team won the first round - woohoo.

Gimme wasn't very focused for the first round, so we had to repeat a few things (multiple run bys).  She didn't really pay any attention to Seek when she came out, preferring me and the PB tube.  After they started we moved so we wouldn't be where they were going to end - and then played Whazat (Control Unleashed: Look at That).  Gimme did well, even when Seek was the closest and doing the weaves.  I was very pleased with her ability to focus and work for PB.

The second round, Gimme did a much better job on course and the only thing we had to repeat was the weaves.  Our team didn't win this time, now Seek was higher than a kite and it took four tries for her to get through the weaves correctly.  Again Gimme paid no real attention to her.

I've been putting extra effort into getting down to the lake to walk around and work her in the presence of other dogs and its paying off.  Gimme is at the point that she can ignore other dogs and/or play Whazat if the dog is about ten feet away and ignores her too.  If the dog pays attention to her or if there is more than one, we need 25 to 30 feet.  That's a lot of progress for her and it showed in how well she did last night. 

For our third round we did a short course all by ourselves.  It started with a jump to the weaves and Gimme had a mistake despite two tries.  I find if I show her the really good stuff she is going to get in after the weaves, then she can blast through them accurately.   For instance, after I showed her the marshmallow, suddenly we could weave.

I talked with Blynn after class about this.  She suggested I set up obstacle-weaves-obstacle and train with food off my body, but nearby.  When Gimme gets the sequence, correct we run to the food and have a big party.  After we get good at the first sequence in both directions, then we use different obstacles before or after the weaves and do it again.  Later we'll do it all more with different handling options mixed in.

The idea is for Gimme to learn that the weaves always pay and pay well, but that there will be no "luring" by showing her the reward or even her knowing in advance where the reward is.  It isn't that she can't or won't quickly figure out this lesson; more that I've been a lazy trainer.

And, in Gimme's defense, we probably haven't done any weaves since the last time we were in class a month ago.  I have to say, that Gimme is making more progress than any of our classmates.  They all had a lot more experience than we did before we joined the class (its a competition level class).  Gimme has passed some by in overall skills and, at this rate, it won't be long before she catches up to the class star.  It sure is nice working with a canine genius.