Bens 1st agility comp 22/3/2008

Well Ben has only been training since Jan but his club had its spring show yesterday
Although all the dogs were much more advanced than him I thought I would take him along as a training exercise
I had a few secret goals for him
1. That he was calm enough to do his start line stay
2. Not to get eliminated
3. a clear round
4. possibly a rosette

and of course most importantly that he had a good time

As it was not full KC rules I opted to run him as a small dog as he is so young

So there were 4 rounds
Jumping, agility, cricular jumping and circular agility

What can I say - my fab little boy
The 1st 3 classes he got a clear round (1st 2 classes that got him 2 clear round rosettes) 1st 2 were a little slow - winners in less than 30s and we took 45s but the 3rd class he did in 25s - the winner was about 18s but we came about 5th!! out of 50 dogs!!!! (who had all had much more training than us)
4th class we had both been there for 4 hours and were tiered, he knocked a pole down and I ran him past 2 jumps - but we got back on course and didnt get eliminated - 3 faults but not bad

Then the little boy got a full pack of chicken and lots and lots of sleep

Not the best pic - I didnt even know that it was being taken but here is the 1st foto of Bens 1st jump in his 1st ever comp

[img]http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t132/abbeypa m/Ben/benjump.jpg[/img]

Agility 20/3/2008 my 1st birthday

Well mum has been rubish at letting me update my diary
But as its my birthday today she is letting me

Agility has been going great - I can even weave
I dont get it right all the time but I undertand that you go in at one end and wiggle all the way to the end. Mum has been talking about doing something to help me find my enterance

Today in class we built up one thing at a time until we were doing (all in one go)
weaves, then tunnel turn to A-frame, 2 jumps in a line mum does front cross to next jump, another front cross to another jump then another front cross to the dog walk
How clever am I???

For my 1st birthday mum got me some jumps (but the lady didnt bring them yet) and a squeeky rubber newspaper - that I love

And she said that we will enter the compatition on sat - just a fun one but there will be 50 dogs all at a higher level than me
Fingers and paws crossed!!

Agility 14th Feb

Valentines day so I am a good pup
1st running the weave channel and over a jump
Mum noticed I wasnt really bothering with the ball so she stoped using it and I still ran on to the jump
Then we did some jumps with mum running. 4 jumps, she went to 2nd jump, said go and she started running towards last jump
I did all 4 no problem
Then we played with the tunnel - hehe fun
THen the A-frame
1st time I slipped comming down and then when I 'downed' I was slightly squint so mum moved me
Next time I was perfect, nice straight down and I stayed there till mum sent me over the jumps

Great fun, next week is my last of the introduction to agility 1, but the following week I get onto the 2nd course - another 6 weeks, wonder what they have in store for us

And in other training, I can walk backwards much better
We just found out that Clear run also do heelwork to music, but mum cannot afford the classes this year - see how the agility is going and mibby next year

7th Feb 2008 Agility

Yeah - no wind tonight so I could do all my stays and stuff

1st we did the A frame
although I can to a nice down onto my target I didnt do it at the bottom of the A frame so mum just told me down
She is taking me early to sunday agility so we can have a practise at backchaining the behaivour
We did the A frame a couple of times then we did the A frame and onto a jump after waiting for the command

Then the TUNNEL!!! no problem
Tunnel then jump - no problem

Also mum conned me into being quiet
She got me into a sit stay and then stepped away, back and treated, away for longer and treat and she did that for a wee while

When I am just sitting I bark, but when I am staying waiting for a treat I am quiet

I am vv sleepy now!! so much focus for a little pup

Agility 31 Jan 2008

Fun class today
1st on the lead we trotted up and down the weave channel
Then mum put my target at the end and made me lie down at the other end and then told me to go touch
Afraid I had forgot where it was so I sniffed about but when she ran down a bit and I followed her then I saw it and ran ahead

Then I was supposed to stay at the end of the weaves as mum went to the other end, called me and sent me over a jump
It was windy again and I wanted to be with mum so my stay wasnt v good (and after I won a prize for best stay at puppy class only last night) so we removed all but 4 of the weaves
No problem

Then same again but after the jump I had to turn and run down some more jumps away from mum
When she chucked the ball at the right time I was fine

Then away over a jump and round towards mum and over 3 jumps

I got them all and wheeeee it was fun

we didnt have time for the A frame
I think mum was a bit sad about that because we have been playing a game where I run up to a silver lid and lie down with my paws on it
She thinks this might work to make me lie down after my contacts as my DOWN isnt too good when she just tells me to do it.

Hopefully next class wont be so windy and I can show them all what a star I really am!!

Agility 24/1/2008

Well today not quite as good as the last one
We had to wait 2 weeks as the lady had a crash the week before

Mum and me have been working on me lieing down and her walking about and then coming back and feeding me - how easy is that
Then she goes away and shouts GO and I run
fun fun fun

I also now have to down stay to go out the door instead of sitting
And at the obedience class yesterday although I had a barking frenzy worse than ever before I also did a down stay and mum went right out to the other end of the room and back again

Today though it was vv windy and wild and there were 6 dogs instead of 3 in the class
The class was running late and as our barking was distracting the other dogs I was put in the car in the wind for a wee while while mum watched the class

Then our turn
1st we had to walk through a weave channel several times
Easy
Then we were supposed to down stay at one end and wait till mum called from the other end
All that scary noise I just didnt want to stay so I ran to mum
The lady tried to hold me while mum walked to the other end then I cam fine - but dont like that lady holding me so wriggled and wined as much as I could
2nd time mum almost had to drag me to get me close to that nasty lady!
Then mum was facing the other way and I had to run through the channel, to mum and straight on to the treat - easy!

Then mum took me away from the noisy doors and I did the really great down stay that I am so good at

Next we had some goes over jumps where mum faced the wrong way and I had to go over 3 (very low) jumps to mum and on to the treat
I was a little better at the stay so the woman kept out of the way

Then we had to go over the A frame
weeeeeee I love them - but the lady says I am already jumping the contacts

we are now practising me DOWN just off the contacts - boring!! I like the flying jumps best
Mum was trying to train me running contacts but the lady said that she preferd the down because if there was a good obstical infront of the frame or walk that I was not to take it would be difficult to control me

I know that I would get the hang of lefts and rights but mum has decided for now to stick with what the trainer is saying

Wonder what next week holds? hope the wind has gone a bit!

10th Jan 2008, Real agility

Well mum did it and got me into a proper agility class and tonight was my first night

I was really happy (and barky) when I went into the barn and saw all the agility stuff set up
The class before was running late so mum tried to watch them while I tried to have a hello wrestle with the dog next to me
Then when it was our turn there were only 3 of us in the class

1st I had to lie down while mom went round the jumps then came back and gave me a treat
I mean how easy is that?? Lie in one place and not move and she brings food back to me
Then she went to the other side of the jump and she called OK - and I ran
The woman told mum she wants her to use a GO command instead of OK - but we had been practising GO to mean run to mum and keep running - so it did work OK

Then we got to do 2 jumps. That is where mum learnt that its all about her handling (I know what I am doing) when she called me over the jumps 1st time I did the 1st one, ran a bit to the left and then sorted it out and jumped the 2nd one
The woman said that it was because mum was facing slightly off to the left so thats why I ran that way (I am just too smart for mum)
Then the 2nd time just before mum was going to call she leaned towards me and I ran to her
I think mum was going to send me back but the woman rightly told her to treat me because I had responded to a body signal for go

3rd time we were perfect (mum can be taught)

Then she said we could have a shot on the dog walk - cool thinks me
But the crazy woman takes it off the supports and puts it on the ground!! but I still trot over it

Then mum gets her homework for me - and apparently next week the dog walk is going up a bit (and I have to do a lie down at the end of it - mum wanted to d running contacts) and we might get the tunnel

Fun agility starts up again this sunday - I think mum is planning to try the down at the start and after the contacts just for practise

No new tricks at the moment cos mum thinks we need to make sure everything we do is a little better (and I think she has run out of ideas for tricks at the moment)

Agility 18th nov 2007

Last class before the christmas party
There were lots of dogs and it was pretty noisy. today with me were Lucy, Teesh, Tibby and Dot
Lucy is getting much braver with her nerves and her mum let her do the course off the lead - she even did one scary tunnel

I of course was a little star (modist too)
I am getting quick now so we catch up with the dog infront and have to wait
Because there is a new floor to work on all the jumps were set out in a semi-circle but that was no problem at all.
I have started to jump the long jump instead of just running over it and I did all the other obsticles really well except 1st time I jumped off the A frame missing the contacts
But mum kept a better eye on me next time and I was good
This week the course had lots of twisits and turns and mum had to think what side she had to be on and when to cross over but I think she did well crossing when I was on the obstical so I didnt get confused - and of course I was really good at going on the side she wanted me to be on

On the way home me and Lucy were a bit full of beans and had a long play in the park
Mum laughed because she said she looked away and looked back at me and I had gone from a white and black dog to a brown and black dog in no time at all

Now I am sleepy - cant wait till I can join the propper classes

At the puppy class on wed I was really good to- starting to focus a bit more
And we had to do the bit where mum made me stay and then told me to touch the wee plastic thing she had put on the floot
I ran right up and SLAMMED my paws onto it - like the star I am :o)
Tibby was doing better to cos a crazy t-touch woman said she likes something round her chest so they put a harness on and she concentrated much better
(I like her I think she is my new best girlfriend)

4/11/2007 agility

Another class and again I was a wee star

Tibby, Teesh, Dot and Lucy came along
They are getting along OK, Lucy is a bit spooked with the bangs in the sky and Tibby us a bit hyper but they all had fun

Games were a race over jumps to sit and get a letter then back over A frame and tunnle
I was fast and our team won - Yeah
Then the agility
The jumps were staggerd but I fiured them out
Only messed up when mum went the wrong way but I did all the obsticals no bother
Did jump off the contacts so mum is thinking about the 2 on 2 off for me :o(

Really getting good

No new tricks this week as mum and granny have been going shopping :o(

But Granny asked mum to see if there was an agency to put me on TV - how mych fun would that be??

31/10/07 puppy class

New puppy class started today
Yeah
And my palls Tibby and Dot came along too
We did lots of games with sits stays and some recals
I was v good at the staying while mum opend a gate thing and went through
as usual vv good at the recals
Not so good at the game where i had to sit on a black dot while mum got another one, walked passed me, put the dot down, called me over got me to sit on it while she went back and got the other one
BORING!!

Fireworks have started - a bit loud but I bark back

and Grannie is here - she is fun - she wants me to do tricks but I have found that if I give a paw as soon as the treats are open I get one :o)