The Rewards of Going For It

Many times, when trialing, we short change ourselves by not pushing and trying to get the most out ourselves through our dogs.  As it’s often been said "nothing ventured-nothing gained.”   Recently at the Jacksonville trial, the judge presented the most difficult snooker course any of us had ever seen. We speculated that she would not be able to keep up when things started  moving quickly.  You see,  there were 4 “reds,” each one placed on one of the 4 outside corners of the course, making it a challenging running course.   Four of the numbered obstacles were combinations, and those combinations were comingled.  The highest 7-point obstacle was comprised of 3 jumps which, in effect,  could only be realized if the dog jumped one of the corner “reds,”  successfully meandered through the mine field of distracting obstacles and then completed the 3-jump combination.     If a handler wished to attain the highest number of points by completing the four 7’s, he would have to complete a total of 25 jumps (including the closing) in addition to 2 tunnels.

 There were 51 22" dogs competing, with  Circe as #24 in the running order.  When it was Circe’s time to run, none of the 23 dogs before her  had successfully completed four 7’s and the closing. The majority of the handlers did not attempt this, either for personal reasons or because it may have been an unreasonable request of their dogs.    When we stepped up and looked at the field, I knew it was important to give Circe a chance.   To get to the 1st jump in the #7 combination, Circe would need to avoid a number of inviting obstacles.  She was running like a champ and, by the time we reached the #7 obstacle for the 4^th time,  you could hear a pin drop in the arena.   She completed the #7 combination and we headed for the closing sequence.  We were taking it home, but as she approached #7 for the fifth time, I prematurely moved to the right and Circe moved with me as though she was glued to me.  There was a gasp from those watching; however, I caught myself and moved back into the proper lane and Circe moved with me and completed the course for a perfect score of 59 points. 

Unfortunately, I once again did a “Randy” as I often do when Circe and I have such a spectacular run.  I must have paused, taking in all the excitement and let Circe take a “stroll” to the finish.  Circe earned another Super “Q,”,  but my excitement may have cost her 1^st place, as  Stuart Mah and one other handler running afterwards also achieved a perfect score of 59.

  

This reinforced my belief that I must always push myself and that I must never hesitate to try new things – even in trialing.  This is the way I can learn.  No one will ever hit that home run unless he steps up to the plate and takes a swing.  I have failed many times and will do so many more times, but the satisfaction of running a perfect run is worth the effort and the risk.  Many times you need a Q for a title and you do not want to take a chance – this is understandable.  All that being said, I believe it’s important not to push your dog to do something  that is physically impossible.    By way of example,  I did not ask Justice to attempt the four 7’s on this course, as he no longer has the speed needed – he still got his “Q” and  I  still try new things with him and will continue to do so as long as he enjoys the run. 

I love this sport and my single complaint is that I did not start 30 years ago.  Maybe by now I would understand a little more.  Keep practicing and you will have a great run.

One final thought - It’s important  to put in the time on the practice field and listen with an open mind to those who have more experience - you will not be disappointed with the results and then Go For It.

Randy Hunter

Justice and Circe

Are You READY?

As we all now, agility is addictive! When starting out with this sport, I don't even think I would have called it a sport, but that's exactly what it is. I thought this was just going to be a "fun little hobby to do with my dog." If anyone had told me back in September, as we began our first class, that I'd ever want to enter a trial I would have told that person they were plain-crazy. And now, a little over 7 months later, I know that I definitely will enter. The question is just when?

How do you know as a new agility team when you are really ready to enter a trial? I have thought about this a great deal lately because, in some ways, I am just so impatient to finally compete. I am not sure exactly why this is. I guess it feels like that's when we will have reached some marker of success on our agility journey. Logic and reason tell me that it does not matter when we trial or if we ever trial. But, my heart screams out for us to get out there and earn some rewards! I guess Clementine gets her peanut butter and treats and now I want my ribbons (and maybe even some Qs).

I've talked to many of you about this decision of when to trial and I found it interesting that there seem to be at least two camps of thought on when to first trial. I've heard from some that an agility team shouldn't enter a trial until they are more than ready to do so. Then, there are those who say "what the heck? Just go for it!" and suggest not having expectations for the first trial but using it as a gauge to see how we do as a team in the trial environment and to help direct further training. When making my final decision about the March trial, I took all of this and more into consideration. I found all the advice I had received to be valuable and I could see the truth in the differing points people had made. I wavered back and forth many times.

In the end, the advice that I heard repeated and what rang most true for me was to do what I thought was best for Clementine. I also heard repeated how SCARY and nerve-racking the first trial can be (of this, I have no doubt). When I took a step back and looked at my dog, I realized that she literally could not care less about when we first trial. This was all about me.

I was ready to trial but agility is about a team and I needed to look to the most important member of my team to find my answer. It's not for lack of practice that my team isn't quite ready. I take Clementine to the field any chance I get. Sometimes I feel like we might be "in the way" as we aren't at the level of many others at run-throughs and practice sessions but we just keep showing up.

We have already learned so much on our agility journey. Clementine is having a blast! She doesn't even know what a trial is. She just enjoys going out to the field, playing with her mom, visiting with pup and human friends, and learning new things while enjoying tasty treats! We've certainly had our challenges and she has had to overcome some fear; but we are getting there. I see her confidence and understanding growing. It is so rewarding to see this transformation take place. And that is the real reward in agility, I think. Many a human may be too competitive and too flawed to realize that the real rewards of agility have nothing to do with trialing, Qs, titles, or ribbons. The real rewards are the ways the sport of agility enhances this beautiful relationship that we, humans, are so blessed to have with our canine teammates.

So, the question remains: Are we ready? And the answer is: I'm still not sure. Come out in April and see! Maybe we will be running or maybe we will be cheering for all of you from the sidelines. I'm going to leave it up to Clementine!

One final question:  How did you know when you were ready for your first trial? Looking back did you make the right decision about that? Do you wish you'd waited or trialed sooner?

Tell us about it in the comments!

Katie Lynch

& (more importantly) Clementine

Leaps and Bounds

Through my dog Rascal I discovered the sport of dog agility. Years later I started training my second dog, an Australian Shepherd named Abby, to compete in dog agility. I quickly found out that Abby was a completely different brand of crazy.  After a couple trials and a summer hiatus filled with triathlon training, I made the decision to pull her out of competition. We needed to go back to the basics.

I made a plan for Abby’s training and decided she would not compete again until she could perform each obstacle with enough proficiency to avoid getting faults. We started taking a beginning handling class (again!), worked on skill sets with friends, and endlessly worked on obstacle performance. Slowly, but surely I began to see a difference.  Better yet, other people started to see improvement. Of course, we had our terrible days of training, but those were often followed by brilliant days. Finally, the March trial came and it was time for her to compete. Not only did she run the courses better and with more confidence than in the past, but she received her first “Q” ever!  It felt amazing to hear everyone comment on her improvement. We worked so hard and it showed.

Recently I started teaching the introduction to agility classes and I see owners getting very frustrated with their dogs and getting discouraged.  I am able to tell them my story that started very similar to theirs. Just like any sport, dog agility takes a lot of work. You can’t expect your dog to read your mind and understand what you want them to do. The complexity of the weave poles alone is astounding. Some dogs don’t understand what you want them to do, some dogs are less motivated than others, and some dogs just don’t have the coordination or strength to do what you are asking.  The more you run and work with your dog the better you get to know them and know their abilities. Even if you don’t have time to go train at the agility field, find ten minutes to take your dog on a short run around the block.  YOU get exercise and you can practice lefts, rights, and speed changes with your dog.

Every dog is different so listen to advice you get from other people, but realize that it may not always work for your dog. Try something before you rule it out, no matter who the advice came from.  It doesn’t matter if the handler is a beginner or an international champion. It was, in fact, a beginner handler that helped me realize why Abby was having so much trouble with finishing the weaves. Don’t forget to trust yourself when it comes to your dog because who knows them better?

The most important lesson I have been taught when running agility is to smile at your dog. Most likely, the reason you continued agility after your introduction class is because you enjoyed agility and spending time with your dog. Don’t become so focused on “Q”ing that nothing else is good enough. There are small victories in every run. If you give yourself the chance you will learn more and become a better handler with each run whether it is in class, run throughs, or a trial. This weekend I learned that hard work pays off. What did you learn?

Lindsay Shuler

Rascal and Abby

Happy 4^th Birthday to my sweet, crazy Aussie – Abby.  I am pleased someone gave her a brain for her birthday :) 

Agility Sportsmanship

We are agility competitors.

We give applause, not a cold two beat clap as we introduce our competitors.
We sincerely congratulate those who beat us, not merely give them a dull high-five.

Why play alone when the two of us can run as one?

There are no coaches yelling at us from the sidelines; only the cheers of fans and supporters as we cross the finish line.

We may have messed up, but we aren't scolded or punished.
The only "back talk" we receive is the excited barking from our partners as we run the course.

Boys or girls, neither we nor our partners are discriminated against by gender.
Me and my dog are the team; there is no such thing as a "clique" in our pair.
One mistake and we don't qualify.
We take the blame for all mistakes on the course; we don't blame our teammate.

Our teammates are extreme athletes.
Pivots, crosses, wraps, and precise timing outshine running with a ball in a straight line with an occasional cut or turn.
We train and prepare for competition all year long; not just a season.
We get championship titles after our names forever; not just a plaque declaring that we beat a few schools for one season in high school.

We work our way up to the top, taking the time we need.

We don't push beyond our limits to try to outdo the other competitors.
The people we compete against are our BEST friends.
We never back talk our referee (judge), because they're our friends too.

We're recognized no matter where we are on the agility field.
My partner and I aren't pressured and overworked to achieve our best, because we're both out there to have FUN.
Most importantly: Our dogs don't talk behind our backs to other teammates and complain about us. They're just happy to be there.

Agility is a sport.

A sport, that no matter what, makes us feel great at the end of our run.

Disaster or not, it's impossible to get mad at our teammates when we look at them looking up adoringly at us.

Agility is a sport.

Our sport. Our passion. For the rest of our life.

Agility Tryouts

Think back to when you were first getting information about participating in dog agility.  You may have seen one of the trials at Palmetto Islands County Park or maybe stumbled upon our website.  You were intrigued, excited, and ready to start so you could hurry up and make it to nationals!  That may have been years ago or just a few months ago.  Still, agility has made an impression upon you an your dogs.  Sure it has been frustrating and not to mention EXPENSIVE at times, but you have made great friends and grown close with your dog.  Now it is time to share that joy with your family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. 

On Tuesday March 6th at 7pm we will be having Agility Tryouts at the LCDA training field.  Anyone is free to come, no agility experience needed.  A group of instructors will be testing dogs to determine what class would be best suited for them.  PLEASE spread the word about this great event to everyone you can!  It was an awesome success in the fall resulting in TWO, count them TWO, full introduction to agility classes.  Many of the participants from these classes are now members of our club. 

If you know someone who is interested in coming please have them email LeAnne Meyer at lpmeyer@comcast.net.

Happy Training!
Lindsay Shuler
Rascal and Abby

Time To Play

Life is busy. We work, go to school, have family, go to church, and play sports.  Every member of our club has multiple different options for how to spend an hour, and yet we choose to go to the field to play with our dog. Marital negotiation is often involved: (If I can have this hour to play at the field, you can have 3 hours to bike tomorrow! If I sign up for the 8pm class, can you be home by 7:30 to take over bedtime parent duties?). Negotiation at work happens: (Hey guys, if we take off this Friday for a trial, can everyone work Wednesday instead?). We skip yoga or leave work a little early because it’s a beautiful day outside, and those eager brown eyes are staring at you with a questioning wag of the tail: “Can we go?”

As a parent of a young child, I have tried to incorporate agility into our family regimen without making it seem like “my time”.  Most of you know my son Reed- many of you have held his hand during a run through or have found an errant tractor in a tunnel. At this point, he is very agile himself.  He knows how to weave, perform the teeter, scoot through a tunnel, and lie on the table. He is learning to recognize numbers and help me label a course!  Because of this, we go to the field at undesirable hours, not because we are anti-social. While Hunley and I are drilling contacts, there is often a soccer game with husband and child being played on the field, jump poles turned into forts, and a buffet lunch of Panera being served on the fence. Sometimes there is a kid under the A frame that pops out just at the wrong moment (and people wonder why Hunley generally sticks with me?!).

I justify these activities by thinking that this has made my dog a better agility dog. Hunley has to focus on me or our game is over for the day. It lets me spend quality time with my child and my dog together in the outdoors. I’m hopeful that my child will bond with animals the way his parents have- dedicating his life to their health and welfare.  And hey, if a large ball ever rolls on the field during a trial or the judge hides under a contact, I am fairly confident that my dog will keep running with me!

I appreciate being a member of a club that is family friendly and willing to hold a little hand while I run a course.  I appreciate that I have a healthy, happy dog that will run with me despite most distractions. I appreciate that I have a child that is pretty flexible about his parent’s extracurricular activities. Most of all, I appreciate that I have found the time to play with my dog! 

Anne Cook

Hunley

Chute Setters, Ring Crew, and Leash Runners, OH MY!

 An introduction to some volunteer jobs at an agility trial

So, you have completed the intro to agility classes (or maybe a couple of them), loved the handling classes, and finally, here you are ready to enter your first trial. As you complete the registration form, not only must you decipher the form, you also must indicate what volunteer jobs to work. What? Volunteer??  Well, this blog is all about those “little” jobs around the ring which help so much in keeping a trial running smoothly.  First, let me state a couple of facts about these volunteer/ring crew positions - pay is terrible, for our Charleston, SC club, most of them take place in the hot sun, and finally, the work is very, very appreciated but with thank-you's not said enough to those who do volunteer. 

Let me start with Ring Crew. The ring crew actually gets the honor of sitting inconspicuously around the ring to replace fallen bars and change heights on bar jumps, spread jumps, the table, the A-frame, and swing-tire between the runs of various heights of the dogs.  Did I mention it is also a great place to get a tan, relax, and watch other people run the course? Bar setters should be prepared to move swiftly to reset any fallen bars during a run (at the Judge's discretion) especially if the jump is used multiple times during a run.  The judge or the gate steward announce the jump height to which the bars are to be set.  This job requires up and down sitting, bending, and walking.  

Chute Setter: Not too hard here - this job is exactly as it sounds. What can be rough is when those speeding fast agility dogs run thru the chute like a bullet and tangle the end of the chute upon exiting.  This job requires lots of bending and fluffing of the chute.  

Leash Runner/Scribe Sheet Runner: The leash runner moves the leash of the dog running the course from the Start line to the Finish line (after the dog/handler have begun their run). Wow, that sounds easy and one gets to check out everyone's cool leashes. Ok, so while admiring that leash and watching the dog run, don't forget to actually walk the leash from point A to point B, not disrupting the dog while it is still on the line, or during the run. Better to wait until the dog has crossed several contacts or jumps, then retrieve the leash and either lay it on the ground or hang it on the leash holder near the exit. Scribe sheet runner takes the completed sheets from the scribe (who/what is the scribe will be discussed in a future blog) at the end of the run and hands them to the scorekeeper. Both of these jobs require standing, some bending, and walking. 

Course Builder: These are the individuals who actually place the various jumps, contacts (table, dog walk, A-frame, teeter), and/or tunnels on the field as per the Judge's course maps so everyone runs the same specified course. This particular job is an all day trial job: you'll be working in between each change in the level of competition (Masters/PIII to Advanced/PII, Advanced/PII to Starters/PI and vice versa), and between categories such as Jumpers, Gamblers, Snooker, Steeplechase, etc. This job requires a lot of manual lifting of jumps, A-frame, teeter, dog walk, the table, etc. and requires knowledge of how to read the course map (what each symbol on the map represents, how to determine distances and positions on the field from the map, etc.)  

There are other jobs like timer, scribe, and gate steward, but these jobs are more complicated and may not be the best for your first trial.  I hope this helps when it comes time to indicate your volunteer position at your first and subsequent trials' registration form. 

Sue Tetanich
Domino