Agility class

Last night at class we worked a full course. Often we just work on specific sections, and don't always do a whole course, but last night we did. The course was probably close to an excellent level course, except no weaves. We were working on some harder approaches including a jump with a wrap back around to the a frame. I found that Magic really doesn't see the sense in going around the jump wings when it is so much quicker to just back jump. When we practice figure 8 type wraps around a single jump he gets it, but apparently he wasn't making the connection last night. I realized though that I don't have a command for that wrap, so I may need to give it one. Or just not try to handle it from behind the jump with a wrap, if I handle it from the side, he wrapped correctly. Need to practice that.

The course also had a teeter, with the next obstacle being a tunnel, with the opening at about the midpoint of the teeter. Since Magic has had teeter issues, we haven't done many teeters, so last night I let him take it. He did really well stopping in the middle and controlling the teeter drop. I much prefer that for a cardigan than driving to the end and having the body take the pressure of the hard hit. We have some teachers who have tried to make us drive to the end, but I don't think they have enough leg to absorb the shock. I don't plan on ever competing to the point where that extra second will be an issue.

We also had a serpentine with 4 jumps, but were supposed to pull the dog out between jumps 3 and 4. Magic loves to jump though and although we saw his ears flick when I called him off jump 4, he seemed to ignore the call off. Both Michelle and I felt that I gave him the call off and pull between the jumps properly, because he seemed to take one step toward the area between, then he seemed to decide to take the jump anyway. He did sort of give me the "Later Mom" look that he gets when he is selectively listening.

However, when we put the whole course together at the end of the class, Magic had a very nice clean run. Too bad at a trial we can't have 2 tries!