What Are You Training?

Are we training what we are intending to train?  I know  that we mean well, but do you know what you are training?  This week we are working on a complete course.  Its not the type of training that I like to but I do it once in a while.  What I realized is that while we are running full courses I do alot less teaching.  Its been bugging me as to the “why” for that and I realized tonight what it was.

If we are supposed to be working on our training how do we decide which part of the course to actually train? Let me explain.  We have a standard course with all the contacts, jumps, tunnels and weaves.  We line our dogs up on the start line and lead out.  The dog breaks the start line.  We go back reset and then lead out again.  We open with three jumps into a tunnel discrimination and the dog picks the wrong end – we correct the tunnel.  We go tunnel to the aframe and the dog launches the contact – we correct and continue to a pinwheel – the dog is not jumping efficiently but we go on to the dogwalk that the dog creeps across, again we continue, after all we have a course to complete.

So I think you get the picture.  What are you training?  Yes, putting it all together is fun – but its not training.  The dog has just performed about 9 obstacles, did he perform them as you would like to see?  Are you happywith the contacts? Discrimination’s? Jumping? Startline?  Where do you start?

I feel that you get alot more out of your training if you go into with a training plan.  If you want to train contacts pick a contact and work it, work it into a small sequence – something the dog cannot mess up so that your focus can remain on what you are working.  You cannot work your training when you are working full courses.

Dont get me wrong, there is a place and time for running full courses, just dont be so anxious to put all your training on a course.  When you feel as though you need to take a look at your training to see where there might be holes then by all means put it all together.  Then, go back to your training with an updated plan.  Remember, you cannot get anywhere without a plan, so have a plan.

Happy Training!!!!

Have No Fear – You Are Prepared

I was getting ready to run my young dog this past weekend in his first AKC trial.  When you walk courses you get to hear comments being made by other handlers in reference to things they are worried about on the course.  Its always about skills – ones that you have and ones that you dont.  I started thinking about my own teams skills.  Since we are a new team I am still figuring out what skills we have and what we dont have.

I realized as I walked the novice course how relaxed I was on certain parts of the course and how uneasy I was in others.  I also realized that it was those places on the course that offered the skills or obstacles that I did not have any problems with.  These were the “skills” that we had mastered in practice.  On the flip side of things I realized that it was the obstacles or skills that we had not mastered that I worried about on the course.  Makes sense, I know.  But what I started thinking about was running courses in general.

I always tell my students that they can/should “take it on the road” when they can no longer duplicate their issues in practice.  I started thinking about that – about how anxious everyone is to “play”.  How anxious everyone is to “compete”.  Everyone does agility for their own reasons of course, but ultimately everyone wants to do well.  They certainly do not want to get out their and do poorly, and yet we tend to “rush”.  -

It is always the greatest feeling whenever I walk onto a course and know that I have ALL the skills to get through the course.  All I have to think about is my strategy – not whether or not I can get through the course.  What a feeling running into things that you have trained for!  What a feeling going onto a course and not “fearing” any obstacles or sequences!  Knowing that you have your contacts, your weaves, your start line.  This is not to say that you will get all of these in competition, but to know that you “have” these skills!  One less worry for you in an “overly emotional” situation.  One less thing to put on your mind! One less stressor for you and your dog.

You can “take it on the road” whenever you feel you are ready…. but I encourage you to try it when you can go confidently, knowing you have the skills.

I walked onto my Novice courses feeling good!  I had the skills needed to get through the courses well.  It was what I had trained for, what I had practiced for – we were ready!

Oh, what a feeling to have no fear! 

My Life’s So Bright …

I have to wear shades,  but try to leave them behind when you are running agility.

I am a firm believer in making eye contact with my dog.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone that was wearing shades?  Was it hard to tell what they were thinking, where they were looking?  Did you have a difficult time feeling a connection to them?  I do.  I try to make sure that I remove my sunglasses when I am talking to someone, with one exception… If THEY have their glasses still on I keep mine on!    I dont want them looking into my soul if I cant look into theirs.

My dogs dont run with sunglasses and neither do I.  I believe that it really helps me make eye connection with them.  I also wont run with a hat on.  Anyone who wears a baseball cap knows the feeling of “tunnel vision” when you are wearing a hat.  Imagine that tunnel vision with the additional hindrance of sunglasses.  Double wammy in my book.  I have watched many handlers lose connection on the course under these circumstances and  I have to wonder if  the outcome would have been different if the glasses and hat were not in the picture.

So think about it when you are out with your dog – let them look into your soul and dont forget to look into theirs 

If Its Not Fun

Many of us do the activities that we do because they are fun.  But what happens if you take an activity that you once loved and now find yourself loving it “not so much”?.  You have two choices:  Quit or find a way to fall in love again.

We have all taken our passions to the edge, I know I have – you start out with a little and like it so much you do it more and then you’re in love and doing it all the time.  But sometimes there really is such a thing as “too much of a good thing”.  Sometimes you need to step away and do something else for a while.   If you find yourself not enjoying your sport as much as you used to its okay to take a break.  A little time away may help you renew your passion.

Maybe a break is not for you – but how about if you just step back a little.  Lets take agility for example.  When you started agility there was playing and goofing around and a little bit of serious stuff.  It had to be this way because you only knew how to do two pieces of equipment and not in a row!  So you played ball, played tug, ran around being silly with your dog trying to get a connection.  Then as time progressed you learned more equipment and you learned how to put it together, so you played ball and tug and sequenced.  More time goes on, bigger sequences, more serious skills needed to be practiced…. only now there was not enough time for play.

The problem is all sports need play.  You need a time when you dont have to be “on” – “serious”. Where you just goof around and it doesnt matter how you perform as long as everyone is smiling.

No matter how “serious” you get in your passion you have to remember to play.  And not just at home when no one is watching.  Play around others, play in your class – show others how to play and have fun, be silly!   Its contagious – play.  So do it more, dont take yourself so seriously… I think when you do you will find yourself falling in love all over again with your passion.

And even if you dont?  You will have remembered how to play again!

Its Not ALL About Agility

Sometimes you have to see past the agility ability to see what is really important.

How many of you would know what to do if I told you that for two weeks you could not do any agility? Feeling like it just got harder to breathe?  Some of you eat, breathe and sleep agility – I know.  I dont happen to be one of those people but I do understand.    But to truly feel a bond between you and your dog?  It takes more – it takes hanging out, teaching tricks, playing ball, taking walks.  I feel the most bonded with my dogs when we are just out doing things together.

For those of you that really want to improve your agility, go out and play!  No, not agility.  Agility has expectations and requirements – go do something that requires nothing.  You will be surprised at how doing nothing will give you something.

Food For Thought

Being good enough takes no practice at all

To be good? Takes a little push. To be really good?  Takes a big push, at a lot of practice  

And having an instructor that cares wouldnt hurt!

Just An Instructor After All

and we are just human.  Sometimes we dont always do what is right.  But I would l ike to think that we (as instructors) are only trying to do the best for our students and their dogs.  We only want our students to do their absolute best.  Sometimes they whine, sometimes they get mad and sometimes they even quit.  But sometimes, sometimes they get past that and take themselves to the next level.

I pushed a student last week, I made her mad.  I didnt try to, I wasnt being insulting or rude, I just kept asking her to try again, I knew she could do it.  But I upset her….  I didnt know she had had a bad day, I didnt know she was tired, I didnt know that she needed to take it easy.

When I come to class I have to leave all my emotions at the door.  I can only take what I need to do the best job I can.  No matter what my students bring to the table that day, my job is still to instruct them.  Sometimes I am really good at reading them and I know when I should just let them go.  But sometimes, I miss the signal.  For that I am sorry.  But please just know, your instructor is only trying to make you better.  And for my students?  Yes, its my job to push you – and sometimes that push is past your confort zone.  But you know what?  That student did do it again, and they got it!  And they were so happy with themselves and their dog, they got the feel, they understood what I was saying… they didnt give up – and I didnt give up on them.

It was a good day.

Game Called On Account Of Rain

Dont I wish.  We played out in Utah this past weekend.  We did by the way have a great time.  But when the weather turned nasty and the field got dangerous I got to see human nature at, well, lets just say not its best.  I watched that the contacts were soaked, the ground was soaked, the chute was soaked and sticking together.  What I didnt see were people pulling their dogs from competition.

I am a pretty quiet person normally – these runs? Made me scream!  In fear mostly.  When I watched the third dog hit the table and try like hell to stay on to no avail and land on his back on the ground, I screamed!  When I saw the first little dog attempt the chute and get stuck, then twisted – I screamed. When I saw a dog crash the through the jump into the wing and take it out I screamed.  You would think that people would begin to scratch their dogs.  I mean even the most precious Q is not worth your dogs career.

My thoughts were two fold for my dogs – I have Baby who is 8, at the end of her career, is this one more run worth an injury at this point?  And then I have Ice 2, who is at the start of his career, is this one run worth an possible career ending injury?  I just didnt get it!  I couldnt understand why people continued to run, continued to do the table (as if to say “oh, it wont happen to my dog”.  and continue to put there dogs through this sealed shut chute.  The dogs would come out and literally shake the water off them before continuing.  I heard people chuckling about how cute it was.  I didnt think it was cute at all.  I think people got lucky thats all.

A run is NEVER worth the safety or well-being of our dogs.  When we put them on the line they trust us that everything is okay.  They trust us when we send them into a tunnel that they can make it out the other side.  When we send them to the teeter they trust that it is safe to do it.  We know the ground is wet, they dont.  We know its when its dangerous, they dont.

We should damn well know better – we are the care givers, the provideds,  mom and dad.

We should know better.

2009 April 16 – Can I Interest You In A Venue?

Choosing a venue to compete in  is almost as important as choosing when to compete.  There are many choices out there and not all venues are created the same. 

NADAC is a good venue for a “starter” -  Open to all dogs.  NADAC courses are wide open, straight forward (with not alot of sharp turns or places slow down).  If you like to work distance there is lots of opportunity here. Their courses are made for speed and distance.  NADAC does not have a tire, chute, table or teeter.  There is training in the ring, you can redo contacts and sections of the courses – you will be eliminated, but you can continue and finish your course.   They also offer games that can allow you to focus on specific skills or just perform those things that you like best such as weavers (just weaves, hoops and tunnels), touch n’ go (just a-frame, dogwalk, hoops and tunnels), tunnelers (just tunnels), chances (usually approximately 12-13 obstacles that include a distance challenge).  Their times are pretty generous and they offer many jump height choices.

Another good venue for a “starter” is DOCNA. Open to all dogs -  DOCNA courses are also pretty open, their focus is safety for the dog, speed and flow.  They will not have any sharp turns or places for major slow downs.  DOCNA has all the equipment except a table and also offeres many height choices so you can jump what is comfortable for your dog.  There is training in the ring, you can redo contacts and sections of the courses – you will be eliminated but you can continue and finish your course.  DOCNA offers some games as well such as Gamblers (with a distance challenge), Stategic Time Gamble (much like gamblers only with a timed gamble rather than a distance gamble), Snakes and Ladders (a 9 obstacle stategic course consisting of all the contact equipment, weave poles and tunnels) and a group game called Trigility (consisting of three dog handler teams each working one of three mini-courses – a jumpers course, a standard course and a gamble. Its biggest course is the North American Challenge.

AKC is a venue currently open to only registered purebreds (coming in 2010 mix breeds will be able to play in this venue as well).  AKC offers handling challenges with flow.  They may have tight turns and places for speed increase and decrease.  The jump heights are pretty set (only giving you a couple choices), times are relatively generous. There is no training in the ring, you cannot redo contacts or sections of the courses (if you do you will have to leave immediately).  AKC offers Standard, Jumpers and a game called FAST which offers a distance challenge.

USDAA is a venue open to all dogs.  I consider this the hardest of all the venues.  It has the highest jump highest, the tightest turns and the hardest courses. There is no training in the ring and you cannot redo contacts or sections of the courses (if you do you have to leave immediately). USDAA offers standard courses, jumpers courses, snooker (which is a stategy game similiar to the pool game), gamblers, pairs (made up of two dogs and handlers, each one taking on half a course and passing a baton).  Its biggest courses are Grand Prix and Steeplechase.

So based on the different “flavors” of venues you can chose one that will best fit your skills and that of your dogs.  If I were starting a baby dog I would start with either NADAC or DOCNA first.  If I knew that I wanted to compete in either AKC or USDAA in the long run I would not stay with NADAC for very long.  The reason is that NADAC allows the dog to run opened up – the other venues will require more collection.  It is much easier to teach your dog to open up than it is to teach them to work tight.  You can always return to NADAC when your dog is more skilled if you would like.

However, starting with NADAC will allow you to build confidence, train things if you have issues and work on less equipment.  They are also smaller trials.  DOCNA will offer the same things only with more equipment.

This is the simple version of how to decide.  If you would like additional information for you and your dog specifically speak with your instructor.  Happy trialing!

Training For Yourself

For your reasons, at your pace.  I realized the other day that this is a big problem for me.  I train my dogs by myself. I work with them everyday and am very proud of their progress… that is until I talk to someone else (whether its reading a blog, watching a video or in person) and see where they are with their progress. Suddenly I feel like I am not accomplishing what I should, Im not as far as others . Why should what someone else is doing affect my training?  Why would my training mean less because someone else happens to be somewhere different in there training?  It shouldnt.  You shouldnt worry about where someone else is.  We will all arrive at the same place regardless of the path that we take.

Your path might not even be the same as someone else… everyone wants to get something different out of there agility… Some want to be world team members and for some, just having fun with their dog is all they want.

Be proud of where you are, wherever that is.  Be proud of the accomplishments that you have (and they all count, no matter how big or how small).  Compare yourself to no one – no one has the same life or walks the same path.