Last night was agility class. I don't know why, but Gimme had been whiny and fussy most of the day, so I honestly wasn't expecting much. Some days she is just needy - which is so out of character and I think I don't recognize and respond to it in the way she needs. Fortunately it doesn't happen very often.
Actually class went fairly well. It took a bit, but then she was giving me good focus and working well. We had the oddest issue with a tunnel-jump-jump-tunnel sequence. Gimme just would not take the second jump and the first conclusion was that it was my handling.
The sequence was to start with the green tunnel, then orange jump, green jump and into the orange tunnel. It was truly a straight line between the two nearest tunnel ends.
Even after we made sure my handling was right, Gimme just would not take the green jump. Each time she would veer out around it. We tried several things, even having her jump one at a time.... but when we put them together in sequence and at speed, it went back to the same issue.
I finally slowed everything waaay down and then she got it. Then we reversed course and did it again coming the other way, and again reversed course to go as the course numbers dictated at full speed. She has done jumps at an oblique angle before, but it occurs to me that has almost always been from a stay, or following a strong turn where she was slowed down. So my guess is that there was something about this presentation that just didn't seem doable to her; it may be that the angle seen at speed just looked too narrow to jump through. Of course once she got it the first time - then she was perfect at it.
For our second run through, Blynn had everyone out on the course standing around the edges. Given what a social butterfly this girlie is.... I really thought my whole job was going to be trying to keep her attention. She went to the closest person once and was ignored. Then she made a wide loop and went to another person and was ignored. After that she pretty much decided that these people were all too too wude and didn't deserve any of her attention.
She did a great job on this course and only had one little problem which was 150% my fault. After Blynn fixed my handling, Gimme did it flawlessly. Another spot, Gimme got it, but we did it a few more times while Blynn tweaked my handling to give Gimme a better, faster and shorter line.
After class Gimme was happy and content for the rest of the evening. Sometimes a girl just needs to get some of her busy out...
T
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