Indy's Turn!

Indy says it's (finally) her turn to brag! But first, some pretty pictures I took in some lovely Thanksgiving light...





Now for the bragging...on Friday we took Indy (and that other spotty boy) to a local NADAC trial. Indy hasn't trialed in quite some time, but she did great! Bill ran her in a few classes and even though they haven't had much practice time together, she qualified with 1st place in weavers and had just one little off-course in jumpers. I also ran her in Elite Chances and she had a lovely qualifying run. Good girl!

I decided to try her in skilled which allows her to jump at 16". While Indy is a nice jumper and has no problems clearing 20" (I can probably count on one hand the number of bars she has knocked), I'm hoping that the move to a lower jump height will help bring out some speed. I really think that sometimes Indy is a little too careful of a jumper and would rather look pretty than risk knocking a bar...it's all about the looks, you know!

Here's her Chances run - for more videos, you can check out my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/agilespots.

As for Peyton, we had an okay weekend. I ran him in 3 classes at the NADAC trial, and while there weren't any major issues, we just weren't really connecting. I'll admit that I'm still not a big fan of the courses for Peyton so until my attitude changes, no more NADAC for him. On Sunday we headed up to North Tampa for an AKC trial and had a much better day. Even though we didn't Q, for the most part Peyton was running very well and if I would just stop watching him and start handling him, we might have a chance. This was another new location for us and he seemed really happy there - there were lots of nice shady spots for us to hang out and relax. Hopefully if my entry made it in time, we'll be heading back up there in a few weeks!

Trial Bummer

We headed up to Ocala on Friday night for a NADAC trial - I was looking forward to some good training runs and the opportunity to work on startlines and contacts, two areas that are usually great in practice, but not so great in a trial.

Well, we started off with Open Regular and had a really nice run! I didn't ask for a stay at the start, but his contacts were perfect. He was running fast and happy and would have qualified, but he missed one jump.

Next was Chances - his startline stay was decent, but he bailed on the dogwalk contact and barked at a lone person standing on the far side of the field while he made up his own course with the jumps on that end. He was just a little on the wild side for this run.

Then was Touch N Go - for the first time in a trial, I stopped him when he broke his stay and we started over. I then proceeded to get lost on course and at one point I just wasn't paying attention and I thought I sent him into the tunnel I turned around and he was on the dogwalk. Before I could stop him, he leaped right off the middle! That of course didn't phase him at ALL, but I had visions of a broken spotty dog in my head.

Round 2 of Touch N Go was next and while we were waiting our turn I noticed that Peyton was really anxious and seemed to be worried about the dogs behind him. I decided to just do a running start since it was a hoop-dogwalk opening. Well, he got halfway up the dogwalk and stopped a started bark-screaming at the judge, who was only a few feet a way. It was a very loud rooooo-roooo-roooooo bark - the kind that only happens when he's really freaked out. I finally got his attention and we ran out of the ring - needless to say, that was our last run. In hindsight, I should have pulled him from this run, but lesson learned - trust your instincts!

Usually I am more than happy to share all of our runs here - the good, the bad, and the ugly, but honestly I don't want to look at them again so I thought I'd share a few pictures instead. These are from video so please forgive the quality - the first is of the barking incident and the second is of the dogwalk leap (I think all he needs here is a cape and we could call him Superspotty). Notice the proximity of the judge - Peyton didn't seem to mind when he was *outside* of the ring.

I've been trying to figure out why we seem to have issues at these trials and I think that there are a few things happening. First, NADAC courses are designed for speed and the games classes have multiple tunnels (aka puppy rockets). While these classes are FUN, I think that it's just too much speed for us (me) to handle right now. Peyton gets so amped on course that he stops thinking.

The trials are also usually pretty small. It might seem odd that Peyton seems to do better at large trials as one would think that all of the dogs and people would make for even more distractions and cause for worry, but I think when the trial is small, he notices that one lone person standing on the sidelines.

Yes, it kind of a training issue, but I think (and hope) at this point it's just an experience issue. Hopefully with more experience, Peyton will learn that tall men in hats standing next to the dogwalk are not going to eat spotty dogs.

I've also decided that for now, we're going back to running starts. Yes, it puts me behind and yes, there will probably be some openings that are not feasible without a stay, but I think at this point, it's waaaay more important that I work on building confidence in a trial environment than to try to qualify. Hopefully, Peyton agrees. :)

Night Trial Adventures

Well, after 10 hours of sleep I'm starting to feel slightly human again...night trials are very exhausting! Overall, it was a decent trial - not great Q-wise, but I think we had enough good moments to make up for some ugly ones. :)

Since it was her birthday, I'll start with Indy - she had a pretty good night. We started with weavers and she had a great run with a Q and first place. Since she's been popping out at the 10th pole in trials, I babysat the weaves a little more than usual, but no popping on Friday night. Her chances run was good, but she took the a-frame instead of the tunnel (very typical for her) and she was clean in jumpers, but a few wide turns caused us to be less than a second over time. Darn! Her regular run was also good up until the dog-walk at the very end, but she decided to take the tunnel instead (again, no surprise here).

So even though we only had one Q, again I'm really happy to see Indy running with some enthusiasm. I really wish that she would be as confident with the dog-walk in trials as she is in class, but I'm not sure if that will ever happen. In the meantime, I'm just trying to keep her happy and hope that at some point the confidence will come.



Now for Peyton...where to start!? He was just wild-wild-wild all night...it was like he was running on about 10 cups of coffee! We started with weavers and after a wild start he did very well, but took an off-course tunnel near the end so no Q. Our first run was probably our best run...I think it went downhill from there!

Our chances run was wild, our jumpers run was wild, and both rounds of regular were pretty wild too. Hey, at least we were consistent. :)

Compared to our last trial, I think our biggest problem this weekend was that I just couldn't get Peyton to relax. He was high as a kite all night and way too overstimulated to be able to *think* when we were running. I'm not sure if it was because we were at a new location, or maybe because we were crated next to one of the rings, but in hindsight I think I probably should have moved him to a more quiet area. I also think that our next night trial I should probably just take Peyton so I have more time to work with him...at this point, it's just too much to try to run Indy too and make sure that both of them get the attention they need.

On the handling front, *I* was a disaster. I just couldn't get where I needed to be to give him direction and as a result, I lost him in a lot of places that I don't think I would have if I was in the right position. I know he requires a lot more handling support in trials than in class, but I couldn't figure out how to get where I needed to be. I've also decided that I start to lose my sense of humor after around 11 pm, and since we didn't finish until almost 3 am, there were several runs where my frustration didn't help much. :)

I've always enjoyed night trials with Indy, but I'm not sold on the idea yet with Peyton. He requires a lot more thinking and work that I'm not sure I'm capable of giving so late at night (or early in the morning!).

On a good note, I did decide to work on some short lead-outs with him, and with the exception of the very last run, he held his stay pretty well. And with the exception of his first a-frame, he stopped on all of the other contacts.

After reviewing his videos, I don't think we were quite as bad as it felt at the time, but I definitely had more spotty dog than I could handle!

Peyton NAC!

I didn't think we would be so lucky to have a day like yesterday, but I was wrong - today was even better! Peyton got his third leg needed for his novice regular agility title - he is now Peyton Spots A Flyin', CGC NAC! That was his only Q today, but he was actually more focused than yesterday - not a single little zoomie and almost all of our bobbles were pretty much my doing.

Here's today's recap...

Novice Jumpers: I was behind from the start and Peyton took an off-course tunnel. In hindsight I probably should have started with him on my left and rear crossed jump 4. This is just one example of several this weekend where a lead out would have been so nice...hopefully we can start working on those soon!



Novice Regular Round 1: I really had a hard time trying to come up with a plan for the start of this course since there was 2 jumps followed by a dog-walk/tunnel discrimination. I settled for a rear cross in between 1 and 2 so that I could (hopefully) show appropriate motion to the tunnel. It was tricky, but it worked! I was of course way behind for the jump following the tunnel, but we worked it out and Peyton qualified on this run with a first place and came in 20 seconds under time!



Novice Regular Round 2: This was another great run - we got the dog-walk discrimination near the end, but he knocked a bar and then I (again) ended up too far behind and he took a tunnel instead of the last jump. This video ended up on a friend's camera so hopefully I can post it later.

Novice Tunnelers: A wild run! At this point my brain was toast! :) I was waaaay too far behind him to give good direction, but I think we both had fun - it was a wild end to a great weekend!



Indy also had a great day - she ended up qualifying in elite chances and elite tunnelers. We had a nice jumpers run going until I got lost (oops!) and would have qualified in weavers but she popped out at the 10th pole. This pole popping still has me stumped since she is usually such a consistent weaver, but I'm not going to worry about it too much. Indy is also back to her smug self since she had two Q's today and Peyton only had one. :) Here's a little video...



Whew, what a weekend! I still can't get over how great Peyton did, and am so happy that he did so well at this location since it provides a lot of future trialing opportunities. I'm also thrilled that he nailed all of his contacts today and I was actually happy to see him check in with me when I fell behind - it showed that he was really paying attention! Again - wow. But most important of all, I really think Peyton was having a blast...he practically dragged me into the ring for each run!

It was also great to see Indy running with enthusiasm again! I think this weekend was just what she needed...no contacts, just lots of running!

Well, the spotties and I are exhausted, but want to again thank all of our friends for your support and good vibes...now we're *really* looking forward to our next trial! :)

I'm Speechless!

Well almost...Peyton got his first Q today! Better yet, Peyton got *three* Q's today along with a first and second place! Woot! :)

He did awesome! And if I wasn't still in total shock (and very tired), I would probably be in tears...I'm so proud of my spotty boy. I couldn't have asked for more from him and he totally exceeded my expectations. Here's a little recap...

Novice Jumpers: A little wild off the start, but I got him back and had I not set him up really badly for a jump he might have even Q'd.



Novice Weavers: Peyton bypassed the first set of weaves coming out of the opening tunnel, but I got him back and he rocked the rest of the course. A very nice run with a Q and second place!



Novice Regular Round 1: A few wild moments - he didn't stop for his first a-frame contact, but he nailed the next two. We ended up with a Q and still a few seconds under time despite the extra running around.



Novice Regular Round 2: A perfect run for spotty boy - a Q and first place! Awesome contacts and weaves. Wow. Wow. Wow.



Needless to say I am on cloud 9 at the moment! It was a great day and we had a great time hanging out with our friends. I think all of the SOTC dogs did great and I am so appreciative of all of the kind words and support. I was so worried the Peyton might run out of the ring near the end since the jumps were so close so I had asked some friends to hang out there, but I don't think he even thought about it!

Indy also had a great day! I ended running her in three classes - our only Q was in elite jumpers, but overall she ran fast and happy - just what I was hoping for!



Again, I can't get over how great Peyton did today. I'm not sure what tomorrow will be like, but at this point - I don't care! Hopefully we'll have as much fun as we did today...any Q's would be icing on the cake! :)

Big Weekend for the Spotties!

This weekend we'll be playing at the Cool Critters NADAC trial in Palmetto! This is Peyton's first trial at this location and I'm a little nervous/excited/anxious to see how it goes. The trial itself is a little bigger than what we usually see in Ocala with two rings running at the same time, and there's generally a lot more distractions. *Breathe* Kim...

We've had a little break this week from our usual classes, but did get in some practice time. Our advanced handling seminar/class was Wednesday and we worked through some really difficult courses - we were definitely in over our heads, but did manage a few moments of brilliance. One change that I'm starting to see is that Peyton is really trying to please and even when we're struggling, I'm not losing him to the environment. That's great progress for my spotty boy. Oh and I've been sneaking back in some start-line stays and he's handling them great!

Peyton has 4 runs each day so this will hopefully be another great training opportunity. My game plan for this trial is pretty much the same as it was for our last trial, although I do realize this environment might be a little more challenging for him. One thing I really need to remember this time is to provide more handling support. I have to remember that at this point I'm not going to get the same responses to my cues in a trial as I do in class - in other words, I really need to *work*!

Indy also has 4 runs each day, but this time I've decided to not enter her in any classes with contacts. I really want her to have fun this weekend and since she can be a little iffy about "foreign" dog-walks, I'm not even going to take the chance of her getting stressed over it.

I came across this picture today - it was taken last year around this time when we were taking a Control Unleashed class up at Courteous Canines in north Tampa. It was a really timely reminder of how far Peyton has come. A year ago Peyton could barely do anything off-leash...in fact, I'm pretty sure he took off zooming right after this was taken. :) So no matter how we do this weekend, I'm really proud of my little spotted monkey.

Of course, good vibes from my online friends are always much appreciated! :)

We Survived Another Trial!

Peyton had four runs today at the Baldwin NADAC trial in Ocala...I can't say they were *pretty* runs, but I do think they were a *big* improvement over our first trialing attempts.

My goals for this trial were to have fun, make the most of my time in the ring, and try to stick to a plan...overall, I think these goals were accomplished. I do think that my biggest challenge has little to do with Peyton, but rather my ability to think on my feet and try to make the good decisions when running...and while spots are flying all over the place. :)

We started with novice regular (standard) - I was really pleased with this run...even though Peyton was a bit squirrely, I think I took my time and worked through the most important parts. We did have one really ugly moment where I was really late in my front cross and we almost crashed, but otherwise there were some really nice moments.

Next was jumpers - a wild run! Not much to say except we were all over the place...a nice finish though. Our third run was chances and I think he actually did pretty well. We missed the weaves at the end, but at that point I didn't think it was worth trying to correct. Finally, our last run was novice weavers with a tunnel/weaves opening - very tough with a running start. It took us three attempts to get the weaves, but after that he nailed the other two sets. I'm really glad I took the time to work on the weaves...I think it was good for him to really *think* about what he was doing.

So overall, I'm really proud of how Peyton did, especially being at a new location. No Q's, but we did manage *not* to get completely eliminated on our final run. :) My only worry was that he seemed to get a little anxious after our first couple runs, but we also noticed that there was a lot of gunfire in the distance so I'm guessing that played a big part. The fact that he was even able to run after our recent gun shot incident was huge!

Here's a little video:



Sadly, Indy did not have a good day...we had some clean runs, but were over time. She's just not running with her normal enthusiasm. I know the new location was an issue for her, but I also don't think she's very happy about sharing *her* trials with Peyton. We have another trial coming up here in a few weeks and since it's closer to home, I'm hoping she'll be a little happier.

On a different note, after 9 runs today I'm *exhausted* - and sporting quite the farmer's tan (sunburn)...I don't know how people who trial multiple dogs in NADAC do it! :)

Day 3 - Tired Spotties

Well, our three days of NADAC fun is over and the spotties are tired...me too! It was a pretty good day...not really Q-wise, but Indy seemed pretty happy and that's what really counts, right?

Elite jumpers: This was a nice course and we had a pretty good run, but ended up a second over time, so no Q. The opening was similar to yesterday's course, but I didn't quite have the dog I was planning on having when I walked the course so I found myself too far ahead of her in a few spots. I probably could have added a few crosses and picked up a little time...something to think about for future runs.

Elite chances: Even though Indy didn't have to do the dog-walk in this run, the opening had a tunnel under the dog-walk, which I think had her a little worried off the start. We didn't have enough speed coming out of the tunnel and Indy took the wrong tunnel discrimination. I decided to go ahead and pull her from her regular runs - good move, I think.

Open weavers: A nice run and Indy was happy, but she popped out of the weaves early. You can see in the video I thought about starting her over, but changed my mind - another good decision.

Elite tunnelers: Finally a Q and second place. This was a fun run and the perfect way to end the weekend!

Overall, it was a really fun trial and we had a great time. I'm really happy with Indy's performance, even though we didn't have much luck with the dog-walk. We'll keep on working at it, and in the meantime I'll just do what I can to keep her happy. She loves agility and loves to trial...I'm sure with time her confidence will continue to grow.

Day 2 - Dogwalk Woes

Day two started off great - we had a lovely jumpers run on a challenging course and managed to come in over two seconds under time for a Q. It was probably one of our best jumper runs ever, and unfortunately I didn't get it on tape - why does that always seem to happen? :)

I usually don't use long lead outs with Indy, but today I opted to do a three jump lead out since there was a tunnel just beyond the third jump that I knew she would take if I used any forward motion down the line. For once, my plan worked out nicely!

Unfortunately our good start ended there. In our next run, Elite chances, Indy nailed the hard part - a double tunnel discrimination, but then refused the dog-walk at the end of our run. When I went in for a second attempt she refused again and started running around in avoidance mode. Since the remainder of our runs today all had the dog-walk in them, I knew we were in trouble.

*Sigh* - I really thought we were past our dog-walk drama, but I guess not. It's hard not to get frustrated when I know she can do it, and is usually happy to do so. But at the same time, I don't think it's fair of me to get upset with her since it's clearly causing her stress.

I'm considering pulling her from her regular runs tomorrow, but I think I'll wait and see how our chances run goes - if there's a dog-walk in it and she refuses it, there's really no reason to keep trying when all it does is stress her out, and will likely slow her down in our other runs. :)

On a good note, I checked our records and Indy got her Elite jumpers title today! She is now Indy OAC, OCC, EJC, TN-E, TG-N, WV-N. Good girl!

Oh, and I almost forgot - Peyton is tagging along this weekend (as the official spotty cheerleader) and he has been sooooo good! For the most part he just hangs out quietly in his crate, but when I do get him out to work him around all of the distractions, he's been giving me some really great attention. I think he really enjoys seeing all of his friends from class, and he's even crated right next to his best friend Riley. I think it's been a really good experience for him. :)

3 Day NADAC Trial

Today was day one of the annual three day Thanksgiving NADAC trial held in Palmetto and Indy and I had a great day! Not only did we have some really nice runs, but since this is a local trial we have several SOTC friends competing too, which makes for a really fun weekend.

Here's a brief recap from today...

Elite Jumpers: This was a nice course and we had a good run going until the last line and (I think) I sent her a little wide with my front cross and she went around a jump. I made a really ungraceful and ugly attempt to save it at the last second, but with no luck. Note to self - don't do that. A good reminder at the start of our weekend that I need to *keep on handling* even when we're almost through the course.

Elite Chances: A BEAUTIFUL run! I think we were one of only three teams that qualified on this course. Indy handles distance work so nicely...I'm almost tempted to run all of our courses this way. :)

Elite Regular: Another good start, but at the end we missed the dog-walk/tunnel discrimination and I don't think she was entirely sold on the idea of doing the dog-walk so she added in a few jumps before she decided to be a brave spotty and just do it.

Open Weavers: A clean run and a Q, but slow.slow.slow. We barely made course time. I swear she must have been half-asleep on this run, but hey - a Q is a Q and I think we just need one more for our open title.

Here's a little video!

Teeter Drama

Well, our trial on Sunday started off well enough - Indy had a nice run in Elite jumpers and we came in just under time for a Q. Our second run was touch n go and it was u-g-l-y...Indy decided she her plan for the course was much better than what the judge had in mind. OK, so I thought she was just a little wound up and excited to be running.

Then came our third run, which was elite regular. It was pretty much the same...wild spotty girl running in the direction opposite of where I wanted her to. It wasn't until our fourth run, elite regular round 2, that I realized that she had noticed that there was a teeter sitting just outside the ring...and was afraid that I was going to ask her to do it.

*Sigh* - Indy hates the teeter. Even though she does it at home, she thinks about all other teeters are completely evil and does her best to avoid them. Oh well, at least I realized that there was a reason behind our crazy runs.

Our final run was elite tunnelers and we had a nice run, but one wide turn cost us the Q as we were one second over course time. NADAC sure does have some aggressive course times once you start running in elite - for even a relatively fast dog, there isn't much room for any mistakes.

On a good note, Peyton did very well on our little trip - he's getting much better about staying in the hotel. He did however, think that hanging out at the trial was b-o-r-i-n-g. I keep telling him that if he would get his act together, he could play too. :)

Another Trip to Ocala!

Indy and I had another NADAC trial in Ocala on Friday night and she did awesome! Even though we only had 1 Q, she ran fast and happy and we both had a great time.

We started off with elite regular and had a nice run going up until the weaves, which were the next to last obstacle and she popped out a little early - and on our second attempt she ran through the tunnel (off-course) and popped out of the weaves early again. I'm not sure why she's been missing the last few poles lately, but I'm thinking it's just because she's excited and not paying attention. Since she loves the weaves and rarely misses them in class or at home, I'm not too worried and we'll just have to see if they continue to be a problem. Here's our first run:

Our second round of regular was clean!

Our remaining runs were all pretty good too, but a few mistakes cost us the Q's. In tunnelers, I pulled her off a tunnel and even though we were clean we were slightly over time. In chances she took the dog-walk instead of the tunnel in the discrimination (which is funny since she used to be afraid of the dog-walk), and in jumpers she took an off-course tunnel. Finally in touch n go, she had a lovely run, but missed her dog walk contact.

Overall though, she was great! I think we need to spend some time working on discriminations and probably our running dog-walk as well since this is the second trial she got called on the contact.

I'm not sure if it's just coincidence, but Indy seems to run much better when I bring Peyton along. I'm not exactly sure why, but I have a feeling she gets jealous of him and works a little harder for my attention. She was sooo funny last night - she wouldn't let me out of her sight and a few times when I left her I could hear her whining from the other side of the complex. Silly girl.

And speaking of the spotty boy, he did pretty good too. At this point, he's just a spectator, but I did work him a little bit on the practice jump and he gave me pretty decent attention all night. Who knows, maybe our first trial might be in 6 years, rather than the 8 I'm currently shooting for! :)

He was also much better at the hotel this time. We actually managed to get about 4 hours of sleep before the early morning risers started to make noises in the hallway. Still not great, but better than the 1/2 hour I got last trial. :)

Trial Recap & Videos

Friday
Elite regular round 1: Our first run was a little rough...Indy decided to take a few extra jumps before the dogwalk and then I sent her the wrong way coming out of the tunnel. Oops!

Here's our first regular run:


Elite regular round 2: This time Indy went out of her way to take the off-course dog walk. I guess she wanted to make sure she got it this time. :)
Elite jumpers: A decent run, but for some reason Indy decided to veer right on a straight line of jumps and went off-course.
Elite chances: This was a very doable course for us. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm thinking we were both half asleep because that run was just u-g-l-y.
Novice touch n go: Finally a Q! This was a nice run that earned Indy her title AND was the last run we needed for our novice versatility award.

Here's our touch n go run:


Saturday
Elite regular round 1: A decent run, but Indy pretty much ran into me to take the a-frame instead of the tunnel. I think we need to revisit discriminations. :)
Elite regular round 2: Nice run, but we got called on the dogwalk contact.
Elite chances: A really great effort on Indy's part! This was one of the toughest chances courses I've seen and we almost got it. Since I've pretty much stopped working any distance I was pretty impressed.
Open weavers: A great run, but she popped out after the 10th pole.
Elite jumpers: A clean run, but we were over time.

Here's our jumper's run:


Overall, it was a pretty decent weekend even though we only had one Q - hey, at least it was for our title. I'm really happy with how Indy is running, even if she still sometimes thinks her course designs are best. :)

NADAC Weekend

Well, Indy and I survived a rather long and tiring weekend! We had a two day NADAC trial on Friday and Saturday night in Ocala. It was definitely not our best weekend Q-wise, but we did have some pretty nice runs, and other than some rain early on Saturday the weather was beautiful.

The little spotted monster stayed at home this weekend - as much as I like taking him along, I couldn't bear the thought of two nights without sleep - since last time he decided the hotel was not for sleeping. I really do need to work with him though, so he'll probably come along for the next trial.

I hope to post a few videos soon, but in the meantime here are some random pictures from this weekend. Poor Indy - she was so tired that she slept most of the day on Saturday. I don't think she was very happy with my attempts to take pictures... :)

NADAC Trial Video!

Here are a few short clips from our runs last weekend. Due to some technical issues, I didn't get our first regular, chances, and jumpers runs on video, which is too bad since they were our better runs. But anyway, first up on the video is open regular (our only non-Q), next is elite tunnelers, and the final run is novice touch n go.

Our last touch n go run was a little pokey, but in our defense it was 2:30 am...so we'll just call it sleep jogging. And speaking of jogging, I really need to learn to run a course without looking like such a big geek (I really can't blame that one on the time factor). :)

A super big thanks to my videographer (mom) who joined us! She toughed out a really late night at the trial and an even later night - er morning - at the hotel (courtesy of the spotty boy who wouldn't sleep). What a trooper!