Tassie Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 He's coming on really nicely, AD. Love the H360 stuff. We're having fun with it ... including the 13 year old :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Bumping this up to ask the big question. At what point would you pull the pin on instructing? Even if you knew the club was desperately short of instructors? What factors make instructing a yay or nay option for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 It needs to align with your values around training. You need to have the time. You need to be treated with respect. If you are unhappy take a break sooner rather than later. You can always return after a breather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Anyone doing the Silvia Trkman online foundation class starting in a few weeks? We did it a few years ago with Shock and Fuze and I am about to sign Boost up for the latest one. I find her classes great and her feedback is always really helpful :) I know there were DOLers in the class last time we did it so would be cool if there was again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Bumping this up to ask the big question. At what point would you pull the pin on instructing? Even if you knew the club was desperately short of instructors? What factors make instructing a yay or nay option for you? Agree with TSD .. for me I think values come first. I left one club as they were just not going to budge, and I couldn't do the sorts of things that needed doing. I'm lucky now in that although there re things some of us would like to change, a couple of us re able to teach puppy and foundation classes the way we want to. The other main consideration is time ... and that's just a decision on priorities I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Anyone doing the Silvia Trkman online foundation class starting in a few weeks? We did it a few years ago with Shock and Fuze and I am about to sign Boost up for the latest one. I find her classes great and her feedback is always really helpful :) I know there were DOLers in the class last time we did it so would be cool if there was again. If.... I wasn't already doing H360, and Recallers, and Fenzi Academy classes (though. Not this 6 weeks), I might be tempted :laugh: I have her DVD, but haven't even watched that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 (edited) Thanks girls - food for thought! Edited August 3, 2015 by Jess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agility Dogs Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Bumping this up to ask the big question. At what point would you pull the pin on instructing? Even if you knew the club was desperately short of instructors? What factors make instructing a yay or nay option for you? I haven't pulled the pin, but I have cut back by about 50% and have stepped off the club's committee. For me it was when the fun went out of it and it started to affect my enjoyment with my own dogs. nothing and no one is worth losing the reason I started to do it in the first place. There are other ways to give back to the agility (or any other) community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) That's one of my concerns, being so rural it is hard to give back - but I guess I do get in and help where I can at trials, especially fellow rural club trials etc. Being part of things like agility committee just aren't an option, though I do believe there should be some representation from all parts of agility including us ruralites. But when I worked it out today, with nearly 2 hours travel plus set up/pack up and 3 hours instructing plus committee I'm feeling totally burnt out and frustrated by the whole thing. Not to mention my dogs are missing out I had hoped to further hone my training skills, but the reality is I spend so much time general instructing that I don't get a chance to help anyone who needs it despite being the person who is most able to do so. Edited August 4, 2015 by Jess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Definitely sounds like a bit of cut back or time out is in order, Jess. I'm enjoying the fact that a cat show once a month this year is giving me a week off instructing. I feel a little bit guilty, but then I haven't been away trialling this year, so swings and roundabouts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agility Dogs Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 I had hoped to further hone my training skills, but the reality is I spend so much time general instructing that I don't get a chance to help anyone who needs it despite being the person who is most able to do so. For me it was when the fun went out of it and it started to affect my enjoyment with my own dogs. nothing and no one is worth losing the reason I started to do it in the first place. Your comment and my comment match. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omlette. Ultimately there's no point in continuing down a path that is only going to end up with your resenting the very thing that you love. It's amazing how people just come out of the woodwork when some of those who do stop doing...... Be true to yourself I say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 No agility posts since August! How is everyone doing? How's the agility coming along? What classes are you all doing at the moment? I have been SUPER slack and basically took all of last year off training & competing. I just kinda got bored of it all and couldn't be bothered... But back this year with two dogs now! Elsie is in the highest grade of jumpers & agility now so I have got my work cut out for me. She listens a lot better now and is a very reliable dog, I just need to be a more decisive handler for her! We definitely need to make up a few seconds on course before we're getting up into the placings, but have the rest of her agility career for that! In the last year and a bit we've done some OMD seminars and enjoyed a seminar with Orenius/ Emanuelsson which certainly changed the way I like to handle for Elsie. Ping is starting his first agility class next week - he is a year old now. We have got some basic foundations sorted, he can sit and wait, looooovveesss his toys, we're finally getting a play retrieve happening after months and months of hard work, he wraps noodles/jump uprights nicely and his free shaping, tricks and fitness work is all looking awesome! Planning on running contacts for Ping (tried and failed with Elsie and ST method... She was going well but I found it too hard without regular access to gear) using Dawn Weaver's method with a sprinkling of ST! For weaves I am hoping to mostly use channel weaves, and do a little bit of 2x2 for entries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Hoping to really get back into agility this year, we have been part time triallers the last few years due to injuries and also money. We had our first trial back last Sat, pretty low key one with just games and opens. At the the moment I am only running 2 older girls, both at masters level and both with reduced runs so I didn't have to do very much. Tailwag has run Whip for me for the last year or so and my novice girl, Shock, has had to take a break from agility indefinitely. The medications she is on for her seizures are starting to affect her balance too much to safely run her. I have a young up and coming dog, Boost, who I hope to debut in jumping next month. She has been really slow to mature so I haven't done a lot with her yet and have only started weaves and contacts this week. She is doing some nice stuff now though and is growing in confidence so I'm excited for her future :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 We are still struggling with a lot of things Overarousal, barking and bouncing, especially in stays and around equipment, running off, zoomies, takes off with toys etc So we've taken a break from equipment training, working on focus around the equipment and other dogs at training, crate games, tugging games, shaping, body awareness I've ordered the Naughty but Nice DVD, so hopefully that will give me more ideas. Hopefully we will get into the ring sometime in his lifetime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 (edited) I'm backing off with Ziggy this year - maximum 2 runs per trial and only Open or games. He's moving beautifully but I want to keep it that way. Em is starting to shine - I am working really hard at transferring the value and getting her warp-like Gundog work speed onto the agility field. She is very careful (my fault) and it's time to step outside my comfort zone. Contact work has gone through the roof since I bought a travel plank. This month we are doing weekly contacts/weaves (sequencing) with Awesome Paws plus workshops on tunnels, the new seesaw and contacts/weaves. Ginny - well she's pretty hilarious - only 9.5 months so LOTS of SG Recallers, Puppy Peaks and agility foundations. Restrained recalls through tunnels, wrapping a cone/wing and travel plank work. She's going to be quick I suspect! Never had a dog that found quite so much joy in running. Me - well I'm 5 months in to whiplash, closely followed by a torn shoulder and now borderline frozen shoulder with VERY limited range in one arm. Frustrating as hell but I'm taking the opportunity to work on my verbal cues. First trial of the year is a twilight this Saturday! Edited February 10, 2016 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Still loving H360. ...it's certainly helping my Misguided Missile to have some more steering, and ears that are working a lot of the time. With limited course practice, I struggle to be timely, but when we get it right, it's pretty magical, even when we have a fault. We're in Excellent Jumping, Agility and Gamblers, and still trying for Novice Snooker and for Open. We're entering everything we can, except pairs, jut to get the practice time in. I've enrolled in Bad Dog Agility too, which seems to mesh well with H360. We're also engaged in the exercise of revamping our agility class structure at dog club to see if we can do a bit more about laying good foundations and having people master some basic skill sets, instead of just learning (or not) by making mistakes on relatively random courses. Time consuming, but hopefully will be worth it. I've ordered the Naughty but Nice DVD too, Kavik .. will be interesting to see what it's like .. haven't had time to look :) First trial for the year for us this weekend. Dogs had their first go at the new seesaw last Sunday .. didn't seem to phase them .. pleased to see Rory could hold end criteria .. but that was as a separate obstacle. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 So first trial since mid November done and dusted. With virtually no course running practice for 3 months, and nowhere near enough H3650 homework, I was pretty happy with my boy's work .. not so happy with mine .. must work on making my cues a) correct, and b) more timely. The Missile had 2 bouts of the crazies at seeing all the equipment out for the first time in 3 months ... but then settled down, and the ears were mostly working. The good things ... nailed the distance challenges in Ex Gamblers (only dog to do so, pity not enough points in the opening), and Open Agility and Open Jumping.; # 1st place Qs ..Novice Snooker, Excellent Agility and Excellent Gamblers; other than one crazy run, nailed weavers and contact ends .. including the new seesaw, which he had a little practice on the week before, but not in a course at speed. I was able to make use of some of my H360 moves, especially to get tight wraps and to be able to set good lines after a wrap. So we're inspired to get back to our homework and polish up some of the things that are not solid enough in a course. As well as working on his Masters Rally for our first trial in a fortnight, and reminding him about his UD work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I do agility with my dachshund and weimaraner. The dachshund is great, weim has just started and is so different to train lol. Im just not so fast, but working on it;) In June we have our first beginners competition, so not official. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skip Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Love that your dashie is having a run.I had a Chihuahua running and she was so fun to trial with. Big difference there too. I also ran with a mid size dog and then a kelpie, great for learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Yes she loves it, having lots of fun with her. I always love to see not standard agility dogs on competitions instead of all the border collies and shelties. I call her the sports edition, cause she doesnt have such a super long back as most dachshunds and not such a huge front chest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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