Monday, March 24, 2014

Gidget AKC and TDAA Part 3

Gidget and I gave an AKC agility trial another try after almost a year away.  We went back to the location Gidget earned her only Exc Std Q.  It's a smaller crowded space, but Gidget seems to like it. 

JWW was up first.  It was a nice course with multiple pinwheels and a straightaway right across the middle.  I had considered a front cross here and there, but Gidget was so quick I only got in rear crosses except after the weaves.  I am perfectly ok with this since Gidget didn't seem to mind one bit.  Her attitude was great and she got her weaves!  She was highly tempted to go visit the ring stewards, especially her best friend Judy, but she came right back and stayed on course.  Gidget is now only 4 Mas JWW Qs away from her MXJ and she got 7 more MACH points!


STD was next and looked like a good course.  Really it went quite well.  Gidget's attitude remained high, she didn't go visiting, she hit all her contacts, and once we got the entry she did all the weaves.  We only missed the weave entry and I think it was because I was too focused on the dog walk contact.  I wanted to be sure she touched the yellow and ended up out of position to support the weave entry.  So NQ, but I was overall happy with the run.


So I think Gidget and I will keep entering AKC agility trials, but I'm in no rush to do a ton anytime soon.  We're headed to La Crosse in May, and though I prefer to keep Gidget and Gracie's trial days separate, I think I'll make an exception for La Crosse and see how it goes.

Gidget and I also went to part 3 of the Teacup Serial trial.  We signed up for part 4 in April too and then it starts up again in June! 

The game for the night was Cha Cha.  Based on the dance, you had to collect bars of 10 points.  A bar consisted of 2 slow obstacles (anything but a bar jump) and 3 quick obstacles (bar jumps).  Gidget needed 4 bars to Q.  I had a plan for 4 bars but then Gidget went and took a tunnel that wasn't in my plan and I had to improvise a new first bar (this is the part the video starts at).  We went on to complete our last 3 bars close to as planned and got our Q.

The Std course was fun.  It had a double serpentine in it!  Gidget did not fall for the tunnel trap again thankfully.  She also hit all her contacts.  Another Q for Gidget.  I thought this Gidget earned her TSAD with this run, but I got an email the next day saying Gidget earned her TSAD back in Feb.  So this was actually Gidget's first Q towards her TACh!  In Apr. Gidget can hopefully get her TG3. 

That's all for now.  Happy agility!

Monday, March 3, 2014

Teacup Serial Trial Part 2

More teacup for Gidget and I last Fri. night.  Another game and another standard course. 

The game was Jackpot, which means a distance challenge.  Gidget and I have never specifically practiced distance work.  The hard part, coming out of a tunnel going away from the handler and to the tire, had already caught several dogs.  Part way through the superior class they started using a buzzer/whistle to mark the end of the opening sequence.  Well this noise was a little too close to the sound of the fire alarm at home and I suddenly had a shaking pup sitting in my lap.  I was worried she wasn't going to run at all!  Thankfully she proved me wrong and ran quite nicely.  We easily gathered 41 points in the opening (should have been 46 but someone jumped the A-frame contact) and heading for the closing, the Jackpot.  Gidget handled it like a rockstar.  Teacup sized distance isn't a problem for her!  Another game Q for Gidget!  Sorry, no video.

The standard course was fun, and Gidget must have just managed to get a toe in the yellow on the A-frame.  We got a Q and now we're only 1 standard Q away from Gidget's TSAD title!  This one I have video of.


We'll be working on that A-frame contact and getting ready for Gidget's upcoming AKC agility trial!  Happy agility!