Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Trial Ramblings

We had an absolutely phenomenal weekend. The weather was unreal. Not unreal like the rest of the country. Quite the opposite. No snowpocalypse for us.

Heatpocalypse

I’m not complaining.

I think it was 77° in San Jose on Sunday. Not quite as warm at our trial site, but pretty damn close. It was warm enough to warrant running the AC in the hotel room because I had panting dogs! Odd to be playing the agility in short sleeves the first weekend in Feb.

Bella had a great weekend. We are overcoming our weaves woes, which is to say I am trying very hard to keep my damn mouth shut and let her do her job. I don’t know why I yammer at her so much. I am, generally speaking, a fairly quiet and introverted person. On course at a trial, however, I can’t keep my pie hole shut. At our prior trial, we had a straight tunnel (a Bella fav) next to the A-frame. I called her once, she adjusted her line perfectly and was clearly committed to the A-frame.

What do I do?

Called her again.

She goes “boom-boom” as she hits the A-frame like a flyball box and comes right back to me. Why must she listen so well?! I need a little less obedience and little more mind reading.

Get to working on that, Bell.

Yeah, start holding your breath now.
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Kate did well this weekend, too, although she was having some stressy moments. She seemed to be either really on or really over it. I didn’t realize what was going on until I was thinking about it on the way home.

When Kate is stressed she gets sort of disconnected. She’s not looking for the next obstacle, not looking for lines, she looking for the point at which This Will Be Over.

I don’t see no nothin’
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She doesn’t shut down like she used to, which is great, but still, we should be enjoying ourselves, yes? This trial was a one-judge one. The lower levels are always small classes, but even smaller at the one-ring jobbies. Like one or two dogs small. The classes she was being weird in were the ones that I didn’t have time for our normal pre-run routine. It was walk the course and grab your dog ‘cause you’re on. Didn’t have time to prep her. No getting her in play mode. No tugging and tricking and practice jumping.

She really needs that time to loosen up mentally as well as physically.

Good news is that’s a super easy fix. When we run into this time issue again, which I have been lucky to avoid so far, I will just make Kate’s time my priority. If that means scratching runs for one of them, then so be it. No point in putting her that situation, right?

We don’t want to see Stressy Pants
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We want Happy Pants
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4 comments:

  1. Do you live in San Jose? I live in San Jose.
    Love Noodles

    ReplyDelete
  2. What great pictures. The dogs would look good in dog outfits too. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete