Agility Woes

[Serena+Eluane B.C.]

We actually had a very interesting debate about treats versus tuggy at the Agility forum that I belong to. In general, the fastest border collies are the ones that build focus around the tuggy because it involves direct handler and dog interaction. The tuggy involves body movement and play between dog and handler, there's so many advantages with the tuggy-- the close hand and arm contact, the eye-to-eye gaze as one is playing with one's dog, those things truly engage the dog. Whereas treats, the dog's focus is on those treats. Treats are important though for dogs with fear issues with tires, teeters, for example. The ideal is the dog that does agility because they love the speed and interacting with you. That is their reward...and what you gradually work towards. Interestingly, when I go to competitions, I pack lots of real chicken treats, lol! because I figure all this waiting in the crate is not fun for a border collie. Plus there are rules as Carla mentions about not having squeaky toys and even growling with the tuggy can be a distraction to other dogs. Competitions are not as fun in our area and locale. Tons of intensity and seriousness, and lots of grouchy competitors who are ready to bite your head off if you accidentally get in their way. And usually being a clueless individual, I always have a way of doing stupid things--- like leaving tags on my dog while running, lol! The judges are sooo sweet and they always remember my Sweet little E when they return back to judge every year. One of them instead of saying YOU ARE OUT! let me finish my run. And only later while she was nonchalantly writing up her scores at the table, did she say "ummmm, did I hear some tags on a dog" right in front of me. And yes, she did not! Eliminate our run with an E score, but just wrote down how we did as a complete run. So yes, the trials do have nice people who can tolerate the "oddballs" in the ring.

 

And here Agility is a matter of life and death. If you fail to qualify, the consequences are most dire and permanent.

 

:P

 

Lol, folks, I'm one of those who always feel like it's a matter of life and death each time we run. We only go to AKC trials-- no NADAC, no UKC, no USDAA. In September 2009 we first started competing- a one-day trial, and then the following week a 2-day trial where Eluane got her 1st place ribbon.... Then we had to wait alllll the way until the following January 2010. In 2010 we only competed 3x, because I missed out on a very crucial trial. I was so disappointed! 2011 will be our record-breaking year of 4 full trials and a one-day trial, no thanks to me not turning in my entry in time, lol! So every time we get to win, it's a Lord-blessed true miracle, a once-in-a-million lifetime shot! I also owe a lot! of my training to my special friend in Chicago, Tim Dyer who helped train me just by online correspondences, phone calls, and texts and he even mailed me his class setups as well. Locally, I went to one fantastic agility class-- then the architectural industry crashed and I was out of a job. So no classes, just Eluane and I doing the best that we can, and the Good Lord helping us all the way!

 

It's really tough trialing so few times a year, the pressure starts to build up. Eluane is my first dog, first B.C., first agility, first in everything! And what a Total Sweetheart she is, I really. really lucked out in having such a great Girlie. I never, ever!!!! take our wins for granted with the Good Lord, but sometimes I do take my Girlie for granted, and I expect perfection out of myself. I expect the distance work, obstacle discriminations, independent weaves, the proper leadouts, the solid timing of the hand signals, I expect myself to run fast and smoothly with my dog. I get infuriated with myself each time I let my arms not stay within control, and what I practice must translate, and yes, I do get very upset when I mess up. But it's better being honest, then pretending what I'm not...

[mum24dog]

There are people who are super competitive and for them nothing less than a Q will do. But you know, the majority of people that I know in Agility aren't like that. Most really are looking to have a good time with their dogs. Q's are wonderful icing on the cake.

 

Difficult to get a true impression from sites like this. It seems to me that there is a lot of stress to conform to this technicality or that, but I guess the people who are able to take it as it comes don't tend to post their concerns on line. No internet board should be taken as a representative sample.

 

I'm sure you lot will be getting the idea that agility here is free for all chaos, which would be equally wrong.

[Mary&Sully]

Thanks guys for your advice - sorry I've been absent for a while, its been quite busy. I have been doing some focus work with Sully outside of class and working on it during class as well (when we have down time he does tricks to keep him from becoming focused on someone else). Things have gotten MUCH better. I am taking a focus and control seminar soon with Sully that will hopefully show me some new games and things to do. I can read about techniques all day long, but I don't truly get it until I've seen them implemented... So this should be good. I actually like this class layout for us at the moment. We used to be in classes where only one dog did anything at a time, and there were very few distractions. However, Sully has some fear of the teeter (which projected to other contacts) after a trainer pushed him too fast on one; let me tell you I could have punched her. Because the Contacts and Weaves class is a little unstructured, it allows me to prop the teeter and sit it on, clicking and treating for any interaction. The instructors come by and give me some advice, and move on to the next dog who is working on whatever they need to work. I LOVE this, because at my other training place I always felt rushed and we could not sit and take things slowly, which is what Sully needs. I've found that the higher level classes are much more structured, with one dog running at once, on 'full' courses.

 

Gotta run though - Thanks again for the advice!