UKC Rally weekend

This weekend there was a UKC rally trial, held  with the American Eskimo confomration trial.  Magic earned 2 more double Qs and Grace earned one Q toward her level 2 title. Not much great to say about Magics runs, he clearly did not want to do rally this weekend.  He managed to earn placements, but he was lackluster.  Grace was over entheusiastic. Yesterday she did qualify but she was barky.  Today she was quiet for the most part which is good, but she was also much less focused.  She NQd on a pivot as she just squatted and didnt actually sit, and I didnt notice that she was not all the way sitting. My fault as I should have realized it, but, oh well, we know what we need to work on and we have a few months not to get better. There is a UKC trial in July, but its outside and I just dont thinkI can keep her attention outside.  We will see how its going closer to time.

On the flyball front, Magic was very interesting at practice today. We have to work on ignoring other balls as he cant focus on the box. But on the positive side, he did his first full runs down to get the ball and back. He clearly showed us all that he will run much harder when he has competition-he saw the other dog in the other lane and realized it was a race. Or at least is seemed he did because he sure sped up!   He also one time thought he needed to go over to her lane, but just once. 

Also got to watch some frineds dogs in conformation which was fun. Made me sad I hadn't entered Peaceful.I do love showing. Oh well, Premier is not that far away.

First team practice

Magic and I had our first team practice today.   Magic was a very good boy and seemed to be very comfortable working with all those new dogs and people too.  He seemed very confident doing recalls down past the whole line of dogs waiting. He was a little slower doing box work today. Less excited about that.  The only thing we have to try to train out so far is the need to chase balls that the others dogs drop.  He thinks he should go collect those.

I really am enjoying flyball much more than I thought I would.  Actually I am quite surprised at just how much I do like it.

Flyball Level 3

I know I have said it before, but this dog is just so wonderful.  Tonight was our first class of flyball 3 - a big step in training. A new group of dogs, no more barrier between the lanes and practice involving more than one dog at a time.  Tonight for the first time, we did recalls over the jumps going toward the box- simultaneously in both lanes. We did box turn work, incorporating a jump on the way to the box (new) we worked up to the ball being in the hole, and with the box triggered so it would make the noise also new. We did a passing drill where the dogs were not in the same lane but the jumps were side by side and the release was staggered so the dog going the finishing direction was crossing the line as the one leaving was starting. So although not actually in the same lane they were very close.  No hesitation or concern from Magic at all.

Tonight he made his first bobble with the ball actually dropping it before he reached the jump, but he picked it back up and continued on.  The other thing that I thought was pretty good was on one of his first times going over a jump to get the ball another dog was running in the other lane, he swerved away  like he was going to run over there, but then he remembered what he was doing and came back and self corrected and went over the jump.  I am so tickled with how well he is doing.  Such a good little guy.

Sadly though, an hour of flyball is apparently not enough. All night tonight he has been bringing me the ball begging me to throw it.

Training Plan, adding in Flyball

This weekend I sat down and created a training plan.  I have a hard time going beyond generalities, so this is a stretch for me.  I am not sure how this will work as I tend to blow off schedules, but I am going to give it a try.
One change to the plan will be the addition of flyball practices on Sundays.  I met with the team today and I felt really comfortable with them.  They are a friendly group and it seems like their style will mesh well with mine.  I loved the fact that they are very diverse, all sorts of dogs playing and having fun.   Sort of the play with what you have mentality which I appreciate. There is quite the variety of dogs, some all americans, labs, a sheltie,  IG's and a pekenese. There are more who were not there today, but it seemed like a really fun bunch. They have dogs in all levels of training which is wonderful  So next weekend Magic and I will go to practice and see how that goes. Can't wait.

Flyball update

Magic seems to love flyball.  How can I tell?  He is so excited just going in to TCOTC now, he leaves sweaty doggy prints. He waits patiently now though, no screaming and just a little whining and  lunging, but those feet do sweat. 

Last night in class we worked on both retrieves around the cone, with the ball resting on the flyball box, and retrieves around the cone, over the board so that Magic is bouncing off the box, while picking up the ball that is resting on the box.  He is doing pretty well with the box, but its funny to see him think about what he is doing. A couple of times he would look at it and look back at me like he was asking if I was sure that he should do this. But when I sent him, he would go, a bit slow, but the next turn would be faster. Soon it will be automatic I am sure.

Then later in the evening when we got to practicing the jumps, Magic got away from the holder before I was all the way to the end of the line.  He shot down the whole line of jumps right past me with no hesitation. He knows that part of his job, and shows the most speed doing it.  I hope that when we start doing jumps toward the box, he has as much speed. Currently even though he runs to the box, its more of a lope than a run. Again, time and confidence may change that.

 I cant be happier with my boy.  And he is doing so well that we were told we should skip level 2 and move right to level 3.  We were also invited to a teams practice to see if we might like to join them. I will be meeting with them this weekend to ask my questions and to see if this is something we want to do. So no committments made as of yet.  I am making a list of questions for them and I am sure they all want to meet me to see if we can work together.  The thing I am most worried about is that I don't want to give up our other performance events so what if I can't make all practices?  But we will see.  

As David said, "Cool, Magic has been scouted!"

Magics been busy

Yesterday Magic went to his first audition. It was a photo shoot with costumes. He did great, gave me expression and ears, but we will need to see if he works for the client. (Honestly, while he was cute in the costumes, I probably wouldnt hire him for it, he is too big for the medium size and putting a corgi on the large size would probably be confusing for the consumer) .  Then he had a few photos taken with a ball, some just holding it, others catching and jumping.  I was only able to see a few of those, but gosh they were cute. I am thinking that the photographer will probably post at least one, so when she does I will share it.

Today was his flyball class. He is doing so well in that class and he just loves it.  Well he loves it when he gets to work, the rest of the time he waits impatiently. It's really interesting to me how we are really chaining so much of this training.  We are working on retrieving the ball while going around the cone as one part of the training. Then we are working on banking off the board. Eventually they will get put together. In fact tonight Magic got to retrieve the ball off of a lower part of the box off of a bit of velcro.  That too will eventually mutate to the actual ball slot.  Tonights class we also practices a  recall with other dogs moving. Magic has no problem with that. I think they get enough of that type of thing in agility when they are waiting. Such a good boy.

Flyball and Agility

I just love my dogs.  Magic is doing super in his flyball class.  And Grace had her first agility class since I got sick.  Even though its been weeks she did really well.  On our first run, she got a little zoomie, and did try to cross in front of me and almost knocked me on my butt, which she then proceeded to yell at me for being in her way.  The next run was much better. On our third run, she knocked a bar which honestly is a rarity for her. It was so funny she turned around and looked at it and I swear I heard her mumble WTF.  So we re-did that and she did it clean and very nice. Our last 2 excercises were good as well.  I am starting to get some speed out of her, and we may actually have to think about not having a running contact. She was in the yellow, but for the first time ever she did not run off the frame. But really I am so happy with her.

And nothing against Magic, but I am finding I like agility more with Grace than I did with Magic.  Magic is always so far ahead of me that I wasnt enjoying it as much. Grace runs with me and although I know that means we will have slower runs, I really like playing with her.

Flyball Update

Ok, so you were right, I am NOT going to get the barking whining, screaming and pulling out of Magic’s game. Last night he was so excited/nervous/worked up he was leaving wet doggie footprints from the sweat on his feet. Its only week 3 and although we have along way to go, he is sort of a natural for this game.


K-Koira asked how we are learning the turn. Last week we were asked to teach our dogs to go around the cone either left or right depending on the dogs natural turn form. Magic is a righty, always. The homework for the week was to get them to turn around the cones without luring, preferably with speed. This is the one thing so far he is doing without speed. I don’t think he sees the need to race around a cone so my work this week is to try to get speed to the cone as well as back. This next 2 weeks we have homework to work the turns with more distance and adding the cues.

Then this week we added bounce jump work which will also be homework. For this we are to lure the dog to jump/bounce over a small low jump and immediately bounce them back the other side I am thinking that this is to teach them to quickly change direction and to understand what the back end has to do, and how to curve the body into a position to quickly make the change. For Magic with his long body, I find he is a little slower on this than some of the more proportioned dogs. I am guessing that eventually there will be a board to bank off of on the bounce side of the little jump, but that is just a guess.

We also did some dead ball retrieves. Magic is good at this but doesn’t understand why I don’t just throw the one he brought why should he look down there for another one when I have the one he just brought. So the first one out there is retrieves at max speed, but after that he will turn back and look at me for the one he knows I have. I need to figure out how to get him to see the new one on the floor out there and not worry that I might throw the one I have. I am thinking for right now we will not be doing any moving ball retrieves at home. Frisbee or rope toy ok, but not ball. I don’t want him thinking I will throw, I want him focused ahead.

The last thing we did was to start working jump chutes with the narrow flyball jumps. Magic had no problem with this, but most of the other dogs did. So last night we only worked up to 2 jumps. This he does well, he barely skims the tops of the jumps at a dead run, no wasted time jumping big that is for sure.

No class next week. 2 weeks to practice.

EDIT: I ordered him a flyball harness. He is just way to intense to have a collar and leash.  Also, Magic is the worst dog in class for the leaping, screaming and jealousy when others are working. Very intense and eager. Several times I took him behind a barrier to try to calm him down.  Balls are just HIS FAVORITE!

I think we are going to like Flyball

I really think Magic is going to love flyball.  And so far I am liking the class.  Yes, most of what we have learned/practiced in class Magic knows. He knows how to tug and jump and retrieve. Last night in class we practiced going around a cone. A bit differently than agility, but he does know how to do that. (The instructor doesnt want him to wait for me to tell him to go, which might be an issue, because he will stare at me waiting for the OK for a really long time)  He is still preferring to look to me to throw the ball versus look out to find the one on the floor though. It is nice to know play with me is best.  But he left class last night smiling, panting and seemingly happy and tired.  Did I mention there is tugging in flyball? Tugging WOOHOO!!!