Learning and Laughing

Over the past 2 weeks, Tana has grown and learned so much! I've been trying to balance the things we work on with lots of fun and relationship building. It's so easy to forget she's young and can't work for very long! Some of the big things we've worked on (and still have lots of work to do!):

11.5 weeks

"Under" Day - we focused on getting under or through things

• Under my legs (learning how to stretch back legs out, learning how to crawl with all legs under her body)
• Under the covers (pushing at fabric and exploring in the dark)
• Through a tunnel (Sam helping! They were having so much fun)
• Under the coffee table

Puzzles - we played different games to make her think and challenge herself

• Treats under tennis balls in a muffin tin
• Lotus balls with treats
• Empty water bottle with treats in it

Body awareness

• Fit Bone - getting all 4 feet on the bone
• Standing on objects (anything!)
• Paw touch
• Nose touch
• Wraping around my leg
• Tucked Sit
• Folding into a Down, with legs tucked in

Obstacle awareness

• Mat work (finding it and a little duration work - 3 seconds)
• Going around a bucket - introduction
• Going through stanchions/2x2 weave poles - start searching for them
• Looking and investigating what I look at
• Toy/Treat race games

Handler focus

• Lap turns and Tandem turns
• Blind crosses and front crosses on the flat
• Recalls - lots of treats!
• Tugging, releasing
• Re-engaging with me and asking for play without me asking her.

We also got to do a little photoshoot and have fun in the sprinklers (check the flicker link in the bottom right)! Who knew water could be so much fun!!! Loving this little sprite, even though she is a little terror at times.

Are you smiling?

"Relax people, it's agility! It's supposed to be fun!"

 There's always that person at a trial or in your classes, the one reminding you that you shouldn't take things too seriously. Well, often I'm that person :) But... I'm also a hypocrite (sorta)! I look pretty serious while walking my course and I'm pretty focused before and during my run.

Maybe that's why I love training the breed I do, Flatties don't let you get too serious. Rosey is ready to split or run slower if I get too serious. She says "This is supposed to be fun!" I can't stay upset at myself for too long with her around. Every day is a blessing and each run such a gift.

Veuve

But there is a difference between being serious & enjoying yourself and being serious & not being able to see the big picture. Agility isn't easy (at least not in my own experience), it takes a lot of mental concentration, a lot of training, and a lot of understanding how to communicate with your canine partner. So if your way of trying to learn and keep your mind on task is to be serious, go for it! Just don't forget to step back on a regular basis and enjoy what you've accomplished!

Fun. It's a loaded word for so many people in agility. It has baggage, something we should be doing, but sometimes hard to grasp. When you dog goes into the tunnel for the 10th time instead of the dog walk, or when your dog knocks one bar in every. single. run. and it's been a year since you've had a Q, it's hard to see the fun. These moments suck and they're frustrating, but it doesn't mean the run was garbage... what went well? Dogs aren't the only ones that need positive reinforcement, we do too! You are always free to praise yourself for the good moments, the better connection, the 15 other bars that didn't come down. 

Ginger is one of the happiest handlers I know. Luna is one lucky pup!

I'm a glass-half-full kind of person, and I know my students appreciate it. Training isn't linear, sometimes things just aren't going your way. I try to remind them that it's ok to have a bad week and that they are always lucky to be able to take the time to come to class and build on their relationship. It's easy to stop seeing the fun if training is hard and there's very little progress. It's at this moment, where you are frustrated and ready to give up, that's most important to step back and evaluate. Step away from the immediate goal and play with your dog :) Go for a little walk or play a few little games. Reconnect with your relationship and find the joy. Often your dog is just as frustrated as you are and needs that same break.

Happiness is a tricky business and we all seem to seek it. I found a group of ted talks to have really helped me understand some paths for my own happiness, maybe you can find some little golden nuggets to help yourself. (I especially love David Steindl-Rast, being grateful for our moments gives you permission to be happy.)

Now get out there and have some fun!

For a few more blogs about happiness, check out the topic of Fun at Dog Agility Blog Events.

Nosework - Continuing having fun

Over the spring and first part of this summer I took Nosework 101 and 120 from Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and Loved it! I did the first class with Sam and the second with Rosey. They both learn so differently and it was interesting to see how different their drive is for the game! Sam is so timid and so worried about doing the right thing that she will try and mark every box and forget the game is about sniffing. Rosey on the other hand is so driven to find the scent that she forgets to mark a the scent and would rather just destroy what ever is holding the scent to get closer. For entirely different reasons, I think these classes were perfect for them!

The second class started putting different search elements and moving the learned behavior outside. I found that I was having trouble remembering to keep things simple. The goal at this point, and like any new behavior, is to keep reinforcements high and encourage drive. I kept wanting to make the scent harder to find to really see her work and have fun finding it. Keep it simple and fun!

This is something we say all the time in foundation agility courses, Simple and Fun. I don't know how many times I've had to remind students to keep the reinforcements high, especially when adding a new distraction. Interesting that I'm having the same exactly problem when I start something new. Its just so fun! :)