Had class with Gidget last night and our runs were less than pretty. I was a little late, which didn't help, but I was still able to walk the course. Though I thought the course only went to 14 when it actually went to 16 so I had to change my plans while watching others run. Other than that we just seemed off. I do think I need to improve my working relationship with Gidget. I'm able to work with Gracie for at least a couple minutes before all her meals because she loves her kibble so much. Gidget doesn't care about kibble as much, I think she only eats it so that Gracie can't get it. Thankfully their training treats are actually a super soft balanced diet dog food. It comes in a log and I cut it into discs which I freeze until I need to thaw them and cut them up into little treats. So I plan on switching part of her meals over to this food so that I can actually practice with her at meals.
A specific thing I think I need to practice with her is something I learned off of Susan Garrett's Success With One Jump DVD. It involves teaching a dog to find their line at the start line instead of staring at the handler. I noticed that Gidget was definitely looking at me and not her first jump as we started both of the courses we ran last night. And what did she do after the first jump? Go to the wrong obstacle of course. Both courses started with choices after the first jump. In the first course the A-frame was the correct choice but she took the tunnel and in the second course the jump was next but she took the teeter. I can't think of any better way that I could have told her where to go. I had my opposite arm up, pulling her towards me and the correct obstacle, I called her name, I was facing the correct direction - body and feet! I just don't know what else I could have done. Had she been facing the direction that I sat her instead of staring at me though, she would have been more likely to see that correct second obstacle and taken it. That's all I've got for theories on that one.
I had a lot of notes from class yesterday but the rest of them are a little simpler. I did a front cross between 6 and 7, though I did consider a rear cross, the front cross seemed faster. It was a good thing I chose that too because a couple of the handlers that chose rear crosses ended up with dogs in the tunnel after 8 instead of going to the tire. The front cross positions the handler nicely to keep the dog away from the tunnel and A-frame and take a nice straight line to the tire.
We had a little trouble with the weave entrance at 12. Gidget and I were just going too fast! I need to remember to slow down a little sooner and smoother to send her to the weaves. Also I need to remember not to watch my dogs, as pretty as they are, while we're running. I need to be looking ahead to the next obstacle, or in a straight away like that, to the end obstacle so that my dogs are getting the info they need and don't feel like they have to check in with me.
13-14-15 is very serpentine like! Just starting it with a front cross between 13 and 14.
5-6 and 11-12 both involved front cross wraps which I need to work on! Can't go past the jump, stand up straight, and practice from different angles.
Lastly! A front cross was a good idea for 14-15 because a lot of dogs went to the tire when the handler tried to turn the dog to the left into the tunnel.
No comments:
Post a Comment