Crufts Streaming live

I have the streaming video feed from Crufts playing on my computer as I work today.  They just had the novice jumpers course.  Not an easy course, but great to see novices out there including a couple of young people.  Earlier we had flyball.

Help needed- how do you mat train?

Grace needs to learn to go to and stay on a mat for her new agility class. I have never trained this.  If anyone can direct me I would be very greatful.  Thanks!!!

Grace goes back to agility

I got word today that Grace and I are going back to agility.  Its been almost 2 years, since the last class she had was before puppies, so I wanted to get us back into a beginners class, and I was able to get into a class with Annalise. I am really excited.  I loved our classes with Michelle, but with her new facility 45 minutes away, its harder to schedule time to go there.  I am really hoping Magic and I can get back to agility with Michelle, but with finances the way they are, and gas going back up, the closer classes for now will be good.
I am really looking forward to this.

its Home!

My wonderful old sewing machine went out on me, but its finally home.  Guess what I spent the night doing! 
Thank you for coming home, Lily, I missed you! I had about 8 inches worth of quilting left on the picture frame for Holly.  Its done now and will be in the mail tomorrow or Wednesday (depends on when I can get the right size box!) 

Yeah!

Thoughts on Magic

I debated all day today about doing an ad in the Cardigan handbook for Magic.  The rising stars theme just seemed to me to scream Magic. Even though he hasn't earned bunches of upper level titles yet, he has the ability, and I think those will come.  He has oodles of titles to show his versatility. But I decided not to. He is a great dog, but I guess I would rather spend that money in more classes or trial for us, than to advertise a fluffy, neutered boy. After all its not about the titles, it's the journey together.

I got the pictures from the photographer who was at the APDT trial.  She did a great job getting some really nice working pictures of the boy. There were even a few where he is IN heel position, paying attention and looking happy. Nice to see. Sometimes I wonder when we are doing obedience if he really likes it, but in looking at the bunches of pictures Laurie took, he looks happy.  He looks most happy in the level 3 pictures. Maybe he really prefers the challenge of those harder exercises?

On the other hand I am having a really hard time with him on the bow and the head down exercse from our class this week.  Those have not clicked yet.

Magics Class

Last night was night 2 of Magics acting/tricks class.  Last week we just worked on fine tuning our clicker handling and working on a touch command, both hand touchs and touch stick.  Magics touch had gotten rather sloppy so this was a good refresher, on the stick touch I had let it get bad to where he thinks he can touch any part of the stick, so we worked on touching the end only.

Last night we worked on several things. starting work on a 'go out" to a toy to touch.  I have not started teaching Magic a go out yet, so this will be good starter work for that too.  Next she talked about teaching the dogs a pick up and return with items.  Magic is already pretty good with that, but we will do lots of practice this week anyways. We also worked on shaping a head down down, and a bow. Neither of these were easy for Magic to get- some dogs at class had it before class was over, but not Magic, so I know we will have ample work to do this week.

I am not good at breaking down a behavior so this is challenging for me too. But fun. Very fun. The class is not large, we have 2 pugs, a shih tzu mix, a rat terrier/BC mix, a labradoodle, a golden and my favorite dog in class a fluffy english mastiff.  She is quite the character, and just so unique looking, and is just full of personality.  I just LOVE those big dogs.

An explanation of APDT Rally

For those of you who haven’t done APDT rally I highly recommend it. It is quite a bit different than AKC rally. The courses are longer and the exercises are bit different, a bit more challenging. Courses also include a bonus station where you can earn an additional 10 points, making the course value 210. Also, the judges in every trial we have attended have been great, they walk you through the course, explaining what they need to see, answering questions and even taking feedback on placement of the signs. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard at a trial as I had at the Mixed Breed Clubs event a couple of weeks ago, just walking the courses with Judge Hornfisher. Challenging courses, but presented in a way as to really make them fun.




APDT has married stations, where there are multiple signs at the same stop. You also have the option of rewarding your dog at any of the stationary signs-either food or touch rewards. The exercises in each level are a bit different as well, as is the performance of some exercises. For example, unlike AKC, on all pivots the dog moves with you. Additionally, the exercises are considered by some to be harder, but in my opinion, they are much more comparable to the things you would want to practice for traditional obedience. Such as in level 3 you have true moving down, a moving stand with some distance handling, as well as a send to a jump. And a bonus exercise with a marked retrieve which about knocked Magic over as it was the first time he has seen this game in a trial. He was so cute, he looked at the toy, looked at me almost as if to say REALLY! That made for one happy dog.

If you want to see some course maps, let me know because I have kept all of mine. Next time you see a trial near you, think about giving it a try. I will tell you that I am much more excited by Magic’s APDT RL3 than I am about his RE!