Weekly Agility Challenge

[sheena]

Ok...all taken on board....no more tyres in serpentines :) Although I do try to train the group to meet all challenges. Better to confront them & train through where we can break the course up, then to suddenly get one in a trial. But if you think they would probably never get one in a trial then that is it. I remember once getting them to send their dog to the weaves from all sorts of angles including almost from the other end & someone said "why would we need to learn that stuff, you would never get it in a trial" I tried to explain that maybe that might be true, but all the same it is good training...same goes for when I put weave poles in an exclusion at training.

So here goes with the course reversed. The biggest problem they had here was most dogs pulled out at the last weave pole, because the handlers started to move towards obstacle 11 before the dog had completed the weaves. Ideally they should be able to put the dog into the weaves then move away to do a front cross at 11, & the dog to stay in the weaves...but maybe we need to work on that a bit more. Cricket can do it, but he didn't on the night...too excited. Once again, obstacles were set out a bit further apart than on the map :)

Edited March 31, 2015 by sheena

[Tassie]

Glad it wasn't just me being a worry wart about the tyre angle, AD - I was wondering if it was meant to be rotated.

Totally agree about your classes being lucky to have you doing all this for them, sheena. People at my club are grateful to you too :D .

[sheena]

Glad it wasn't just me being a worry wart about the tyre angle, AD - I was wondering if it was meant to be rotated.

Totally agree about your classes being lucky to have you doing all this for them, sheena. People at my club are grateful to you too :D .

The tyre was a bit further away from the tunnel than what shows on the map...no-one had any problem with it, nor did they comment on the night. I sort of believe in training them hard, so that when they go in a trial, especially novice, it's a walk in the park :laugh:

[J...]

I had some concern about the tyre angle as well, and to me it's not about preparing my dogs for that kind of challenge. I refuse to run courses I deem unsafe, especially with my crazy baby dog who has little regard for his own safety. His older sister isn't much better. Legal or not, just because you can doesn't mean you should. :)

[Tassie]

Yes - tyre and spread in particular I worry about appropriate angles of approach. I will usually raise safety concerns with the judge, but if nothing is changed, I just don't run the course.

As a general principle though, have no problems with setting up challenges - angles into weavers are a good example. Reminds people to do some more challenges in their training. :D

[sheena]

No training Easter Monday as I am putting on a Mock Trial. I am only doing the Agility part & someone else is doing the Jumping. All the courses are nested, which saves time. We will start with Advanced, then Novice then Beginners. Trophy & Prizes for all events. To make it more fun & so that dogs can go in more events, I let the more advanced dogs run in the Novice events, but they are "not for competition" . Novice dogs can run & compete in the Advanced if they wish. :) Now just to hope that it doesn't rain

Here is the Advanced Course

Novice Agility

And Starters Agility. With the starters, they have no weave poles, all the contacts are lowered & the jump heights are lowered & only dogs that have been training for less than 12 months can enter. Their competition is the one that can do the most obstacles before stuffing up, in the quickest time. I usually give them a couple of chances with the start line.

I think Mock Trials are a good idea as it is not only training for the dogs, but training for scribes & stewards as well & all competitors have to fill out an entry form (& get it in on time) So good training all round

[Tassie]

Sounds like a super idea - and I particularly like your idea of letting the advanced people run Novice as NFC - great learning opportunity all round. for good weather for you.

[Agility Dogs]

What a great idea - hopefully the Easter weather gods smile on you!! I love the courses, they are a good mix of letting the dogs opening up and a couple of challenges to make the dogs and handlers think.

Hey, just a thought that might be useful - you've got some really difficult approaches to the DW in there. It might make things a bit nicer if you moved the jump prior to the DW out a bit so that it shapes the approach/straightens it out a bit. Ideally you don't really want a dog having to turn to get onto the DW or hitting them at an angle - quick dogs in particular are at risk of heading straight across them and causing injury.

Can't wait to hear how the night goes!! Have a blast!

[Agility Dogs]

Thought I'd share a couple more videos from this week. Not all perfect, but it does give us things to work on! Mr is six months. He's going to be BIG!

Tunnel and wit wit - bit of a fail.

One jump wrap.

Pivot box with jump bumps.

Restrained Recalls with a blind.

[sheena]

What a great idea - hopefully the Easter weather gods smile on you!! I love the courses, they are a good mix of letting the dogs opening up and a couple of challenges to make the dogs and handlers think.

Hey, just a thought that might be useful - you've got some really difficult approaches to the DW in there. It might make things a bit nicer if you moved the jump prior to the DW out a bit so that it shapes the approach/straightens it out a bit. Ideally you don't really want a dog having to turn to get onto the DW or hitting them at an angle - quick dogs in particular are at risk of heading straight across them and causing injury.

Can't wait to hear how the night goes!! Have a blast!

Thanks AD... I will make a note of that & tweak it when we set up the course

[sheena]

Thought I'd share a couple more videos from this week. Not all perfect, but it does give us things to work on! Mr is six months. He's going to be BIG!

Tunnel and wit wit - bit of a fail.

One jump wrap.

Pivot box with jump bumps.

Restrained Recalls with a blind.

He's going great AD What is the idea of the pivot box & the two jump bumps??

[Agility Dogs]

He's going great AD What is the idea of the pivot box & the two jump bumps??

Thanks. I just love him to bits. He's going to be scary fast! (Is already, but we aren't running yet....)

The pivot box to start with is a shaping exercise.

Then once you've got that you add in rotating with their font end on the box and back end just walking in circles. Then the bumps get added in.

Purpose of the whole exercise is to teach them to think where their back end is and to use back end and front end independently. Basically another body awareness exercise.

Then we also do stuff like this.

I tend to reward with his head too high when I'm using food.

[sheena]

The other thing I do with the Mock Trials, is I don't have a SCT. Instead I put a maximum time in the ring of 2 minutes. Not only does this stop someone going out & taking up ten minutes getting their dog around the course, but it works in reverse. If they want to just go out & practice something special, then they have a whole 2 minutes to use up, if they wish. They can't use food, but can use toys :)

[Agility Dogs]

The other thing I do with the Mock Trials, is I don't have a SCT. Instead I put a maximum time in the ring of 2 minutes. Not only does this stop someone going out & taking up ten minutes getting their dog around the course, but it works in reverse. If they want to just go out & practice something special, then they have a whole 2 minutes to use up, if they wish. They can't use food, but can use toys :)

GREAT IDEA!!!! IMO If you can't get something done in two minutes I think it kind of classifies as lumping or drilling depending. ;) That's really sending the right message to the guys.

[Tassie]

Thought I'd share a couple more videos from this week. Not all perfect, but it does give us things to work on! Mr is six months. He's going to be BIG!

Tunnel and wit wit - bit of a fail.

One jump wrap.

Pivot box with jump bumps.

Restrained Recalls with a blind.

Got to be happy with how he's doing. :laugh:

But not surprised you had the WitWit fail - that was HARD - bad daddy lumping LOL . Haven't tried that with my tunnel yet - will be interesting ... might do some more wit-wit work before I try it. :laugh:

[Schatzi'sMum]

No training Easter Monday as I am putting on a Mock Trial. I am only doing the Agility part & someone else is doing the Jumping. All the courses are nested, which saves time. We will start with Advanced, then Novice then Beginners. Trophy & Prizes for all events. To make it more fun & so that dogs can go in more events, I let the more advanced dogs run in the Novice events, but they are "not for competition" . Novice dogs can run & compete in the Advanced if they wish. :) Now just to hope that it doesn't rain

Here is the Advanced Course

Novice Agility

And Starters Agility. With the starters, they have no weave poles, all the contacts are lowered & the jump heights are lowered & only dogs that have been training for less than 12 months can enter. Their competition is the one that can do the most obstacles before stuffing up, in the quickest time. I usually give them a couple of chances with the start line.

I think Mock Trials are a good idea as it is not only training for the dogs, but training for scribes & stewards as well & all competitors have to fill out an entry form (& get it in on time) So good training all round

I'd love to borrow your novice course for my novice people for this week if that's OK

[sheena]

No training Easter Monday as I am putting on a Mock Trial. I am only doing the Agility part & someone else is doing the Jumping. All the courses are nested, which saves time. We will start with Advanced, then Novice then Beginners. Trophy & Prizes for all events. To make it more fun & so that dogs can go in more events, I let the more advanced dogs run in the Novice events, but they are "not for competition" . Novice dogs can run & compete in the Advanced if they wish. :) Now just to hope that it doesn't rain

Here is the Advanced Course

Novice Agility

And Starters Agility. With the starters, they have no weave poles, all the contacts are lowered & the jump heights are lowered & only dogs that have been training for less than 12 months can enter. Their competition is the one that can do the most obstacles before stuffing up, in the quickest time. I usually give them a couple of chances with the start line.

I think Mock Trials are a good idea as it is not only training for the dogs, but training for scribes & stewards as well & all competitors have to fill out an entry form (& get it in on time) So good training all round

I'd love to borrow your novice course for my novice people for this week if that's OK

No problems. After you set it up, just have a look to see if jump no.10 needs a bit of tweaking to make the angle to the dog walk a bit smoother. I have taught my group to take the dog walk from all angles. You might even like to add another jump in there. :)

[Schatzi'sMum]

No training Easter Monday as I am putting on a Mock Trial. I am only doing the Agility part & someone else is doing the Jumping. All the courses are nested, which saves time. We will start with Advanced, then Novice then Beginners. Trophy & Prizes for all events. To make it more fun & so that dogs can go in more events, I let the more advanced dogs run in the Novice events, but they are "not for competition" . Novice dogs can run & compete in the Advanced if they wish. :) Now just to hope that it doesn't rain

Here is the Advanced Course

Novice Agility

And Starters Agility. With the starters, they have no weave poles, all the contacts are lowered & the jump heights are lowered & only dogs that have been training for less than 12 months can enter. Their competition is the one that can do the most obstacles before stuffing up, in the quickest time. I usually give them a couple of chances with the start line.

I think Mock Trials are a good idea as it is not only training for the dogs, but training for scribes & stewards as well & all competitors have to fill out an entry form (& get it in on time) So good training all round

I'd love to borrow your novice course for my novice people for this week if that's OK

No problems. After you set it up, just have a look to see if jump no.10 needs a bit of tweaking to make the angle to the dog walk a bit smoother. I have taught my group to take the dog walk from all angles. You might even like to add another jump in there. :)

Cool, I thought it would make a good challenge for them to try and do that approach, will see when it's up how it looks.

[sheena]

A long time since we trained it, but we trained it using a pool noodle.

[Tassie]

The other thing I do with the Mock Trials, is I don't have a SCT. Instead I put a maximum time in the ring of 2 minutes. Not only does this stop someone going out & taking up ten minutes getting their dog around the course, but it works in reverse. If they want to just go out & practice something special, then they have a whole 2 minutes to use up, if they wish. They can't use food, but can use toys :)

Great idea