Gidget is Back!

Not that she'd been gone very long.  She missed a week of agility due to a cough.  You could tell she'd been gone though, she was very unfocused to start with and our first run was quite messy.  She went around jump 5 the first time, I likely pulled her away just a hair too much, but still not like her.  The turn from the weaves to the A-frame (7-8) was tricky to start with but we really messed it up.  I had to figure out how to get her to finish the weaves without getting so far ahead that I'd get stuck behind the tunnel or accidentally pull Gidget into the tunnel (which was what happened our first attempt).  The instructor said the trick was to converge to the end of the weaves, without going all the way there, then switch and converge to the opposite side of the A-frame, without going too far in front of the tunnel, and not turn until the dog is committed to the A-frame.  Gidget and I couldn't quite get it, so hopefully we'll see something like that again in the future so we can work on it.  The A-frame was only a start to another fiasco.  I turned Gidget away from me to the tunnel (9) which she can normally handle just fine, but this time she thought she'd head out to the tire instead!  She didn't take the tire, but calling her back left me unprepared for a front cross after the tunnel.  So I pulled her in over 10 and planned to send her out over 11 (serpentine style) but after 10 she took off back towards our seat.  Aah!  A second attempt at that ending went much smoother thankfully.

Our second run was much prettier.  A front cross after 3 worked best for us for the jump-jump-tunnel sequence (just the opposite of the ending from run 1).  We had a minor issue 8-9 where Gidget headed for the double jump instead of turning with me to the ramp, she didn't take the jump though and came right back to where I wanted her.  Our instructor reminded us to use an opposite arm pull to call the dog off the jump right in front of them and turn to the correct obstacle.  A front or rear cross before the A-frame would have been tricky due to the spacing and the double jump that prevented giving the dog a straight line to the ramp.  I also made sure to stay far enough away from the start of the ramp so that I wouldn't have to jump out around the tunnel that stuck out the other end.  If I'd been a little faster or Gidget didn't have a running contact, I would have been able to do a front cross between 9 and 10, but I couldn't get there so I rear crossed 10 which wasn't the prettiest, but it worked!  Going from 13-14 (4-5 in the first run) went much smoother this time.  I slowed down, called Gidget's name, and used an opposite arm pull all for just half a second then sped back up and sent Gidget to the proper jump.  It worked perfectly!  So we had one minor blip in the second run and few things to consider, but otherwise it was a very nice run!

Last we did a short little sequence to practice that opposite arm pull to the A-frame and a tricky weave entrance.  Gidget and I had no problem getting the A-frame and I remember to point myself (especially feet!) at the invisible first pole to send Gidget for a perfect right angle weave entry.  I noticed a lot of my classmates bringing their dogs out so they could start weaving from a straight line.  It works when necessary for a dog, but I'm glad I've managed to train Gidget for various angles for a weave entry.  It's fun and handy!

It occured to me when I sat down to catch my breath after our second run, that I'm eventually going to have to run both dogs in the same hour of class!  That'll be exhausting!  Good practice for me though.  It's tough running full speed with Gidget, and Gracie's already faster!  I'm sure glad I work out... now to take on actually running regularly.  Happy agility!