canine fun sports

Just a reminder, everyone. It is one week left for early bird entries. Cheers,

Just monitor your boy carefully. Do not undo all the good work by letting him get sore again.

I prefer to pay by cheque still - it makes my accounting so much easier. I choose the pay later option (I can't remember what the actual button says!) but I receive an email, which is basically an invoice then send of copy of that with the cheques to the trial secretary. Cheers,

Hi Guys, I have just put my entries in. We are starting to get quite a few entires in our mail box as well. I thought I would cross post this from Keith: From the Secretary's Desk Good morning all I'm receiving a steady flow of entries at the moment which is good cause I have time to strain my eyes and try and decipher some of the hand writing. Can I make a request ENTRIES PLEASE USE COMPUTER TO FILL IN YOUR FORMS The NSW people I know a lot of them and have gotten used to their handwriting, not to sure of interstate's :-) It's getting close now to the EARLY BIRD entry close so can I suggest that you go to <www.e-performancedogs.com> and do your entries online so you can take advantage of this facility. (Save yourself money) If you are posting then go to <www.agilitynationals2012.com.au> find the entry form for the Nationals and use this to fill in your entry (you can still use the computer) This has been done to make life easier for you and me. Try NOT to use the smaller entry form they become awkward for me to check all your entries. Please make sure that you can send an EMAIL reply address so that we can help IMPORTANT information back to you. There is also a list of entries that you can check to see that your name is there and I have received you entry on <www.agilitynationals2012.com.au> TITLES Make sure that you have the correct titles to the dogs name> The computer system is set to only enter the classes that your dogs are titled for. Please save me time by getting this correct. RETURN ENVELOP The E-performancedogs receipt ask you to send a SAE with your cheque ­ PLEASE DON'T. There is no need for envelop if I have an email address. Of course please remember to send the cheque :-) Thanks for your help Keith Nationals Trial Secretary For those who have not been involved in trial secretarial work, I will let you know that it can be very tedious checking everything and having to follow up on minor errors is very time consuming. So having clear writing and paying attention to detail will help me cope with Keith!!!!!!! If you can use e-performance, it makes it so much easier, but please accurately record you membership details and your dogs registration numbers and titles. It makes a difference. If you gain titles between entering and final closing date, you can update your titles and classes via e-performance. At this point, I would like to emphasise that the Nationals is for all levels of triallers from novice to elite. It is a lot of fun to participate, and the venue is fantastic. I really should not be doing the hard sell, becasue if no-one enters, our jobs will be a lot easier. But the truth is that it will be a lot of fun. Cheers,

I tried to add this earlier, but something was plqying up. Hopefully this will work now. There are many ways to train weaves. I consider luring one of the poorer methods, because it does not promote independence right from the beginning. You have to add it on later. There is the SG method, which everyone has access to on DVD, although this is not my preferred method, either. I use a barrier method, and there are a number of these, depending on the type of barriers you use and the way you fade your barriers. I prefer this method because you always have speed and always have independence, and by not having a barrier on the first pole, you can work entries from the start. So I would be putting a couple of barriers on your weave poles, especially when you are working on the side you are having problems with. Remember, if you choose to use barriers, dogs have to learn to work with them. Just becasue the dog might try to jump over them or go around them at first, does not mean the system has failed for your dog. You just have to teach the first step of having the dog understand the purpose of the barriers. If you were using the SG method, you would probably go back to 4 poles, and add on the extra two again. These problems possibly developed because of the way you lured - you may have been more comfortable on one side than the other, or being left or right handed you may have favoured one side, rather than the other. We will never know the cause. My best advice is to check out the different methods again, and look for a method that gives you independence in weaving on both sides, right from the start. If you would like some info on the method I have used, then please email me privately.

I would not go back to club yet. Go get yourself a tunnel (I am assuming he does not have the negative associations with a tunnel), take it up to a park that he does not associate with agility and have a lot of fun playing tunnel games with him. After you have been doing that for a couple of weeks, also take a cross bar (no uprights) and toss your toy/food over the bar as he comes out of the tunnel. If he is still enjoying it, introduce the uprights and VERY gradually increase the jump height. Once he is happy with that, put a jump before the tunnel. If he works through that you should be able to quickly esculate it to going back to club. Cheers,

Yes, I have had to make those judging decisions, and it is becoming more likely to happen with the speed of some of the dogs. Cheers,

In actual fact, this is not defined in the rules, and I have requested clarification on a couple of occasions. It is still the judge's decision, and I am personally guided by one of the USA trialling bodies (but i cannot remember which one!!!) In this "interpretation" the back legs have not left the obstacle if they are still "over the obstacle" So if a dog leaps over the obstacle so their front feet land just on the grass then brings their back feet up into a 2o2o position that is fine. But if the dog has all four feet over-reach the plank (even if the back feet fo not touch the ground) and it quickly reaches back with one foot to touch the contact then it is an obstacle out of order. Other judges might have a different interpretation - they might DQ both performances. Cheers, (edited to correct poor typing!!!)

If you can find someone to handle Sparkle (she works for absolutely anyone - good and bad handlers can get clear rounds with her) Sparkle is available. I cannot handle her because I am judging 500 spdx in the other ring. Sparkle is 600, so is happy to come down to 500. She has her masters title a few times over and is an AgCh. Let me know if you cannot find anyone else. I might be able to bring Jynx for a run, too, although she does not handle as well for other people. She has all her masters titles, but was retired because I had too many dogs to run. Cheers, Well if you are all game, I'll volunteer to give Sparkle a run. That's the day I will only have 500 dogs, leaving the 200 at home that day. I'm sure the 600 pairs could fit in between my 500 runs outside. (Are you sure Le, that you are judging then? Maybe you can run Sparkle. The list that I have has you judging 500 pairs on wednesday and 600 SPDM is on the Friday.) Jo I have not heard from "Xena" yet. If she wants to run Sparkle with her 500 dog, I would expect her to organise the handler for her. She may get a better offer!

I think the weaves are also hard for the less experienced dogs to recognise when in unfamiliar surroundings. Before gaining experience, my dogs would often miss the weaves on the first occasion, and that has continued to be the case as I have trained new dogs. Once upon a time, we used to run the same course twice - the dogs never missed them the second time becasue they knew where to look for them. Similarly, if running a different course but nested to a course they had already done (so they knew where the weaves were - even though from a different approach) they always nailed it. It is important to proof weave entries, not only from different directions, but in different locations and to add in a lot of distractions right up close to the weave entries to teach the dogs to actually actively look for them. Cheers,

Hi all, I think Vickie and I are seeing the same thing, but suggesting different solutions. As you release your dog over the first jump you do lean in on her, I assume to try to show her the weaver entry. At this point you have definietely put too much pressure on her. I would be driving a straight line at the weaves. It is interesting that you said you did not lead out as far as you normally do. I would have preferred to see you take your normal lead out and be one third to half way up the weaves by the time she started weaving, showing her the straight line that she should be taking. If she will not take a weave entry with you ahead of her, then I would have been running hard with her showing her the st raight line to the weaves, and leaving it to her to choose the correct side for entry. So where Vickie is saying hang back, to stop you doing that "lean forward-push", I am suggesting you push forward. But after this initial "pressure" it is as though you assumed she was going to do it. I think your handling was not clear enough to your dog. This either created stress, or for a gundog it is not necessarily stress. It is just an opportunity for the sense of smell to take priority. Gundogs have a far more acute sense of smell that most other breeds, including the hounds (air scenting is more difficult that ground scenting). So unless they are concentrating on whatever else they are doing, their sense of smell easily distracts them. Believe you me, I have plenty of experience in that division, including running at masters level. This dog knows what to do. Perhaps you need to do a littler more weaver entry p[ractice (who doesn't) but you should be able to actively drive her through the whole course. Just another opinion to consider. Cheers

I will be doing my entries in the next couple of days. This event that was being thought about in the distant future is now becoming more real and exciting. The more the merrier. Cheers,

If you can find someone to handle Sparkle (she works for absolutely anyone - good and bad handlers can get clear rounds with her) Sparkle is available. I cannot handle her because I am judging 500 spdx in the other ring. Sparkle is 600, so is happy to come down to 500. She has her masters title a few times over and is an AgCh. Let me know if you cannot find anyone else. I might be able to bring Jynx for a run, too, although she does not handle as well for other people. She has all her masters titles, but was retired because I had too many dogs to run. Cheers,

Why don't you send an email to the Agility Committee of Dogs NSW. I am sure the contact details are on the website. I am pretty sure that they made a decision on this at their last meeting after a similar enquiry. THE FOLLOWING IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RESPONSE. I suspect they would not be able to give any accommodation refunds - it would be up to you to find someone wanting any accommodation, but I believe they will refund entry fees, but would need evidence supporting your request e.g. vet certificate saying she was in season. It is all too easy for some-one with an entire bitch to claim the bitch is in season when they have decided they do not want to enter a trial after all. Please, so not quote me on this - it is not an official statement, but I belieive that is how it is being handled. My girls are due between now and the Nationals, so I am hoping the keep to timetable. I know bitches in season have kept me out of other big events. I do know, that in the past, it was tough luck if your girls came into season, but a lot have trial secretaries have softened their approach. Cheers,

Hey RS, that was an AWESOME run! She sure is enthusiastic! She's Loving every minute of it Have you tried letting her find her own entry in the poles? She is a great weaver, I would just hang back a bit in a trial & practice crowding her in training a bit more, so she is happy with both. I must be the odd man out. I actually think you initially indicated with a forward cue, then just dropped you hand before she reached the weaves. My advice would be to keep driving harder at the weaves. Practice your weave entries from behind, ahead, out wide and even standing on your head, if you are that flexible. (I'm not). It will give you a definite handling advantage if your dog will enter the weaves from any direction, with you in any position. And I would always be actively driving at them. I agree with the "awesome run" part! Cheers,

I just thought I had better clarify one thing. Linda Mecklenberg does not consider her verbal commands to be as important as other means of communication. She would be putting more emphasis on the the verbal commands when she wants forward motion when she cannot use her other means of communication, for example, when her dog gets ahead of her (which means her position is suggesting the dog should slow down but she wants him to keep accelerating), when she is starting to move laterally to indicate a turn is coming up (but the dog must complete the jump ahead before he turns) or, I suspect she might also use her verbal commands if she found she was getting too close to the line in a distance handling sequence. (She does not talk about distance handling in her book or CD's) She NEVER uses one means of communication is isolation. Cheers,

Hi Megan, I hope Vickie does not mind but I will sort of answer for her. She uses basically a Ronda Carter style, which is based on the Linda Mecklenberg early cues for turns, etc. She can be more accurate in her descripion of her handling style. I use a system similarly based on Linda Mecklenberg, although one of my differences is my VERBAL forward cue. Linda Mecklenberg: If forward movement was the only thing Linda Mecklenberg was communicating to the dog she would cue with: 1. Movement - she would be moving in the direction she wanted the dog to go. 2. Shoulder - facing forward 3. Location - ahead of her dog, and preferably ahead of the next obstacle 4. Arm / hand extended in the diection she wanted the dog to go 5. Verbal Cues - she would be using the obstacle command of the obstacle at the end of the sequence (e.g. a line of jumps to the tunnel, she would be saying "Tunnel" 6. Eye contact - she would be focusing on the obstacles, and only have her dog in her peripheral vision Personally, I do not use obstacle commands - I am always calling the "tunnel" an "over", and the "weaves a "Walk-on" so I would have my dogs permanently confused. I simply use a "Go" which means "go and do the obstacle in front of you." (I am equally dyslexic about lefts and rights, so I use the dogs' names to turn to me and back to turn away from me.) To teach the go is very simple. Simply say the word "go" (or whatever work you wwant to use) and throw toy /treat/ whatever the dog wants out in front of you. The dog learns that the word "go" becomes a reliable predictor that the reward will be ahead. You then start to randomly reinforce it, and this is how you avoid the "What if I do not have the toy /treat/ whatever the dog wants with me to throw. You can do this with obstacles or without. On course this is always accompanied by body and hand language, which the dog takes more notice of, anyway. So the verbal cue is only useful to support some of the other 5 methods of communicating with your dog. Cheers,

This seems to be part of the issue - it seems to be people on a Mac having the problem. We may have to add some sort of note onto that page for people who might have problems. I will let the webiste designer know. Cheers,

So, if you cut and pasted all your question marks into a work document, it gave you the right information?? Is that what you are saying. I will give it a try on Keith's computer. Cheers, Le

Keith, who also uses a Mac, also tends to ??? on some of these links. I am pretty sure we are sorting through it with the website man. I am not sure if it is a pdf issue, becaus Keith can read other pdf's on his computer. I shall mention it to him. Cheers,

Hi Guys, I am just cross posting this from the Agility Australia list. Kavik, I know the "entires received" list was taken just before you said you had sent your entries off, so do not panic if your name is not there yet, I am sure it will be there after the next update. <<The nationals website has today been updated. This page contains 3 documents: Entries received, Merchandise orders received, and Accommodation payments received. http://www.agilitynationals2012.com.au/participants-information.html If you have entered, ordered and/or paid and your name does not appear on the relevant list, please contact us. We will endeavor to update these pages on a regular basis. This page contains detailed maps of the rings for your information: http://www.agilitynationals2012.com.au/maps.html Regards NSW Agility Committee >>

If you enter, that gives you a definite time line to work with!!! My issue is not being able to enter strategic pairs by the early bird closing date. Pace has two SP passes and has a couple for pairs runs between early bird entries and the final closing. But she does not have a regular running partner. If she makes it through to excellent she will need a different partner than she would if she ends up staying in novice. In the same vein, I do not dare ask anyone with an excellent dog to partner me - that would just jynx me so I would not get a quallie and then leave that person stranded without a partner. My plan is to enter everything except pairs then pay the extra entry fee for pairs (at the same time, hoping that I can still find a partner by leaving it until the later date.) Cheers,

You mean there are two things that I agree on with Greg Derrett. Who would have thought? Cheers from a Linda Mecklenburg (Ronda Carter) advocate

I certainly do, and how it was ridiculed by those who new overseas agility! My only complaint about it was that there were no specifications about who was the flag steward - if this "two-judge" system came into being, again, I would want a requirement that they were trained judges. The benefit of having a trained flag steward is that it would give you more flexibility in course design. You would not have to design a course that allowed you to get into position to judge all the comtact equipment. You could rely on the second judge to see the contacts you could not get to. The judging of contacts is not as easy as it looks from the sideline. Cheers,

The real issue is being able to be in position to see the up then the down contact. I do not think we have any dogs in Australia, (yet) that have pushed that limit yet, so long as the judge is in a good position to start with. If the judge is correctly focusing on the contact, and seeing if part of the contact disappears as the dog hits it (this is distinct from actually watching for the foot to touch it) then it does not matter how fast the dog is. It is interesting to see that the FCI world championship runs actually seem to have 2 judges on the course! I am sure this is so that one can watch the up contact, and the other watches the down. Cheers,