Varied Handling - Back Side Jumps

A really well-trained agility team can perform any sequence in a variety of ways.  While one technique might turn out to be optimal, advanced teams should have an arsenal of moves committed to reflex.  First, it keeps the dog guessing and focused on the handler. Secondly, you never know when you might need to do something different than planned, including having someone else run your dog like I did in Monroe last weekend.

To this end, after my students have more or less mastered Handling Fundamentals, I get them handling each sequence in 2 or 3 ways.  So far, so good.  But this video, by Steve Schwarz, Agility Nerd, tops all I've ever seen.  With only 2 jumps and a tunnel, he musters 11 different ways to send his border collie over the back side of both jumps. It also demonstrates clearly the PUSH and the PULL.  It's called Double Back Side Exercise and can be practiced in a tiny space. The tunnel can be replaced with a see-saw, the bar jumps by other jumps.

I hope others will set this up and let me know how it works. WARNING: Steve makes everything look effortless. When I get around to setting it up for myself, I plan to video myself, perhaps getting a laugh or two.  I do so wish to be funny. :-)



Upwards and onward!

Volunteering At Trials - Blog Action Day

Clean Run Magazine had an editorial by Monica Percival in their July 2011 issue called "Help Wanted", about volunteering at trials.  It seems it is getting harder and harder to get volunteers.  Yesterday I emailed Monica in response.  Today, I noticed on the Agility Nerd's blog that he initiated a Dog Agility Blog Action Day, inviting all agility bloggers to discuss volunteering on their blogs so other agility enthusiasts could hear their views.  It's a VERY HOT TOPIC, and bloggers first chance to group discuss! So I'm posting my views here, too, an expanded version of my letter to Monica:

I’ve only been competing for 14 months. I run one dog at 8”, another at 20”, 4 runs per day. One running Excellent B, the other brought up from Novice thru Excellent A this year. I'm not an experienced handler.  Every run is a personal challenge. My only options to volunteer this year have been the FAST classes I don't run, Novice after graduating from that one, Open when I no longer had a dog there. Short, easy stints, however, the entry level classes run at the end of the day, and now that I don’t have to run those, I only hang out to watch Novice and Open runs if one of my club mates/students is coming up through those ranks.  By then I'm exhausted!

Plus, I video the runs of most dogs in my club, plus some other notable teams I follow. Most high level trainers recommend videoing every run and studying them afterwards, which I do.  This is an invaluable training tool and I notice more and more people ring-side with video cameras.  I can't video and volunteer at the same time.

Also, trials are so loud and stressful by nature, so nerve-wracking, I find I need to conserve my energy. Without PA systems to announce what's going on, I have to concentrate hard on not missing my walk-throughs, memorizing my courses, preparing me and my dogs for our runs.  I now tend to avoid people because all it takes is one snide comment, one rude look, to mess with my concentration and set my whole day on edge.

Gate Keeping is my favorite activity but everyone has their own opinion how it should be done, thus volunteering for this job is always a gamble.  The problem, in my opinion, is that there is no standard. Gate-keeping, Timing and Scribing are skills which could be taught in a methodical manner, but everyone is making it up as they go. I don’t like feeling I’ve offended someone at the gate. I certainly don’t want to be responsible for messing up someone’s score.  But where do you learn how to scribe, read the judge’s hand signals, not watch the dog, what to do when in doubt about what you saw the judge do?   And Timing, while easy, requires some knowledge of electronic equipment and the responsibility of not transposing numbers.

Leash Running, Bar Setting, Scribe Sheet Running, and Chute Straightening are easy enough, they could/should be looked upon as opportunities to introduce non-competing volunteers to the sport. Girl Scouts, 4H’ers, volunteer firemen, computer clubs, etc., could set up their promotion tables for free and wear their T-shirts at our trials in exchange for working these easy positions.  Many community service organizations are looking for exposure, and need community service hours.  However, they all require some training. For instance, if you see a divit alongside the weaves, do you leap out between runs to go fill it in, or wait for a bar height change?  Or is course condition strictly the competitor’s responsibility?  Shouldn't every leash runner be taught not to pick up the leash while the dog is still on the start line?  I've filmed several dogs who become distracted watching a stranger make off with their leash.

Since every job is so important, why doesn't each organization put out an e-course on how they want everything done, standardize it, and make it available to their Ring Stewards. Clubs steeped in the old “learn as you go” system would balk at it, but more progressive clubs might gather their helpers for an orientation before the trial and show the video, explain how all the jobs fit together, how every piece matters, make “Bar Setting” seem important. Set a professional standard.  We're not an infant sport any more, operating in a "wild, wild west" manner.  We could even use such training sessions to popularize our sport.

My bottom line, I attend trials to run, hopefully to Q, and earn titles. I have to take care of my business first. Between check-ins, pick up armbands, listen for whistles and judges that don’t project their voices, walk throughs, potty the dogs, potty myself, run, cool down, eat, hydrate, cheer on my club-mates, check and record my scores, file my move-ups, help orient new competitors, take the videos, try to remember new friends names, stay positive, develop a tough hide, don’t take rude comments personally, and learn from others’ handling techniques, I’m mostly stretched all I can stretch.

Not to mention, I spend upwards of $3-500 for a 3-4 day trial, including motel, entry fees, gas, food, etc., and while I’m only attending about 10 trials in 2011, and only within a 4 hour radius of my house, that's still about $4,000. Some of my club mates are trialing every few weeks at much farther distances! Some hold jobs just to pay for their agility addiction. Then there are the classes I attend each week, and the seminars, another $500-1,000 a year. And countless hours of volunteer work for my club. I can’t even imagine the money or the nerves required to trial internationally! Are they expected to volunteer?

Agility is an adrenalin rush, truly addictive, rapidly growing, an explosion happening before our eyes . . . . quickly becoming a business. People are getting more and more serious about Q’ing, everyone I know seems to be adding new dogs to their families – border collies for a greater challenge, mixed breed rescues, etc. Some people run 3-6 dogs a day! And there is a lot of networking going on around the rings. Volunteering is eventually bound to take a back seat with participants who consider themselves "competitors" and "customers", not just folks out socializing and "having fun with their dogs".

For our own club's trials, we rarely lack for volunteers because of our "25 Volunteer Hours per year to qualify for reduced rates on our classes".  Club members who qualify get to take our club's Obedience classes for free all year, and Agility classes at half-price.  Non-qualifying members pay $75/class.  That's an enormous motivator for local people to join our club as well as volunteer at our trials, seminars, and other club activities.

With all that said, I do feel a twinge of guilt about not volunteering. The offer of lunch doesn't tempt me much because I eat light when competing and bring my own food -- V8, grape juice, fruit coctail, Powerade, crackers, chips.  I can sometimes persuade my grandson to set bars if there’s a free lunch ticket, or even a drink ticket, in it for him. I tell him he needs to earn his lunch. When my husband attends any trial with me he helps set courses, and appreciates a hearty lunch.  Other incentives -- run tokens, raffle tickets, reduced RV parking fee, a nearby restaurant or motel coupon -- are all nice!  Being able to choose between them would be nice. This year my husband got drafted as our club's chief course builder when ours had an emergency, and he worked his tail off all weekend from 6 a.m. to close (4 days), without even so much as an offer of a club T-shirt!  I bought him one myself @ $10.  Special incentives for those doing extraordinary things above and beyond the call of duty should be proffered, I think.  Who gives the volunteer Gate Steward or Trial Secretary a prize?  I hope they get to run for free!

But mostly, I thrive on feeling included.  Being invited to an organizational meeting, asked my opinions, assigned tasks or problems to resolve, being actively recruited, actively mentored by people eager to teach me, is what makes me feel good.  Being on the outside looking in, wondering who's calling the shots and why them, where nobody makes eye contact when I offer to help nor asks my name, and frowns when I ask a question, does NOT inspire me.  Every trial, I think, needs a "Happiness Coordinator", someone with exceptional people skills who does nothing but circulate, see if folks need anything, if they're being treated right, smooths out wrinkles, never gives out dirty looks or says ugly things like "Ugh, I don't like small dogs?" or barks orders like "Get this crate out of the walkway" instead of "This isn't a good place for your crate.  Let me help you find a better place."

Bottom line, I think everyone at trials is somewhat stressed.  I don't notice it so much while I'm there, but when I get home and review the videos, I can't believe how much noise there is -- dogs barking, barking, barking, air conditioners whirring, people laughing, clapping, shouting, things clanging around. All the milling too and fro. Elation at Q''s.  Disappointment at NQ's.  It's a nerve wracking environment that takes some getting used to.

If the sport can’t survive without a large team of volunteers, then something must be done to inspire more volunteerism. We certainly don’t want to drive up the costs!  Along those lines, I really do like the idea of breaking up the longer classes into 2 or more height divisions, so the ring workers could sign up to work only half a class, and run their dog in the other half.  It would also help if the Ring Steward wore a special hat, vest or arm band, so you could tell who to talk to about volunteering and scheduling conflicts.  I rarely know who the Ring Steward is.

Sincerely,
Michele Fry

Since writing to Monica, fearing I'd be viewed as a negative nay-sayer, I was most gratified to read all the posts from other agility bloggers (see link above), who shared similar feelings and offered some great suggestions. I had no idea there are so many agility bloggers!

Upwards and onward!

Monroe Trial 2011

Maxie:  6 runs, 3 Q's XJ, XJ, XS, 2 3rd places XS and XJ, 1 QQ, 39 MACH Points Videos Posted
Lucky:  6 runs, 2 Q's, 1 1st place, 1 2nd place OJ, OPEN JUMPERS TITLE Videos Posted


Lucky, Maxie and Willow cozy in their crates,
bedecked with ribbons, and finally, me in a "crate space" picture.
The black X-pen propped up behind Lucky's crate, rugs
 draped down the back and sides, and the cooler,
gave them a "front view only and almost complete privacy.

This was my second visit to the Ike Exposition Center in West Monroe.  Last year it seemed huge, so this year I made sure I arrived early on Wednesday so I could position my crate space with some privacy.  To my surprise, the arena seemed smaller!  Still, it's a 4 day trial, away from home 5 days,  with 2 rings going at once -- very stressful.  We stayed at Motel 6, a roomy ground floor "handicap" unit with king bed, microwave, fridge and desk, very comfortable, and only 1/4 mile away from the arena.  It was $44.75/night, including tax, and no pet fee. My cooler was packed with 4 Ocean Spray bottle blocks of ice, which actually lasted thru all 5 days.  As it melted, we drank our own Baton Rouge water.

GOALS FOR MAXIE:
1-3 Q's XS, if 3, he earns his Masters Standard Title (3 chances).  DONE! Earned 2
1-3 Q's XJ.  DONE! Earned 1
1-3 2Q's.  DONE! Earned 1
A few Placement Ribbons  DONE! 2 3rd place ribbons, 1 QQ ribbon

GOALS FOR LUCKY:

1 Q OJ, earning her Open JumpersTitle OAJ (3 chances)  DONE!
2 Q's XS - A, earning her Excellent Standard Title AX (3 chances)
More Q's if possible, of course.   DONE! 1st Q in XJ
Improved time.
A few placement ribbons.  DONE! 1st place in XJ, 2nd place in OJ

However, I had another goal . . . . . . .  to run my dogs at all.
Nursing a 3 week old calf injury, I went to the doctor Tuesday Morning, who okayed me to run (nothing seems torn), but fixed me up with Naprelan 500 mg. anti-inflamatory and Metaxalone 800 mg muscle relaxer.  Supposedly, both are non-drowsy.  I took my first pills Tuesday around noon, and by 3 p.m. I was so loopy I tripped and fell once, and felt tongue tied all evening.  But by Wednesday my calf was only slightly tender.  Things were looking good. Left at 10 on Wednesday, and had the highway to myself the whole 200 mile, 4 hour drive.

My strategy for the weekend, therefore, was to take these pills after settling in for the evening, let them work their magic overnight and leave me pain free and alert the next day.  Secondly, recognizing myself as a complete wuss where pain is concerned, I primed myself to ignore any pain I might feel.

This didn't work at all!

THURSDAY: Maxie was the 9th dog to run.  The XS course was easy enough, I walked it several times with no discomfort, and felt confident.  But 3rd jump into the run, I felt my calf rip, pain jammed thru my leg, I winced, Maxie got confused and missed the next jump.  I managed to hobble thru the rest of the course without fault, but of course we NQ'd, and my weekend came to a screeching halt. 

Maxie was perfect, and there he was prancing around expecting a treat.  But the crate area now seemed blocks away. The arena seemed enormous again. My face felt like a water balloon, filled with tears, but none came out.  My heart was so heavy I could barely lug it around. Tracy, who was videoing us, came up and said the camera misfired, so more bad news.  I didn't catch any more videos this day.  That night I discovered the memory stick had become dislodged.  I pushed it back in, and we were good to go.

All of my aforementioned goals -- down the toilet.  All my entry fees lost.  My weekend ruined. Or so I thought, until Tracy offered to run Lucky in XS.  They have never run together but Lucky has played with her at the field.  So, after a bit of bonding and tugging, they headed onto the course, and miraculously Q'd!  It was a beautiful run.  MOST UNFORTUNATELY, I didn't have the good sense to hide, so when Lucky crossed the finish line I screamed for joy, she heard me and leaped over the ring gates to me . . . . . . . and was immediately disqualified.  SHIT! SHIT!  SHIT!   It seems I have to learn each and every single lesson in this sport personally, at cost.

.
I caught this run on my Sony Cybershot, and will certainly add this blooper to my ever-growing list of WHAT CAN GO WRONG IN THE RING.  Here it is:

On their second run of the day, Open Jumpers, Tracy took Lucky around the ring like the pro she is, Lucky Q'd and my first goal of the weekend was miraculously met -- Lucky's Open Jumpers Title.  Plus 2nd place!  Lucky walked thru the weaves and her time was a few seconds over SCT, but she Q'd.  I made sure I was hiding this time, and only screaming for joy on the inside.  My heart was pumping, though.  What an adrenalin rush!

Noel offered to run Maxie's second run of Thursday, and they did amazingly well, too, but not a Q.  Noel has never run Maxie, but she pretty much taught me how to handle so we handle similarly.  They warmed up awhile, Maxie pretty much paid attention to the hot dogs in Noel's mouth, but a few times during the run it seemed Maxie was looking for me and missed a few of Noel's cues. She did manage to catch him after the run.  I videod this with my little Sony Cybershot, but I can't find it now.  Bummer!  I'll keep looking.

Went to dinner with clubmates at El Sombrero Mexican restaurant, next door to Motel 6.  Wonderful enchiladas!

Tracy/Lucky with OJ TITLE ribbon,
1st and 2nd place ribbons

FRIDAY: Again, Maxie was 9th dog to run in XS, only this time Sandy R. ran him.  He ran wonderfully for her and Q'd . . . . . .  BUT, afterwards she couldn't get his leash on, he kept backing up and eventually ran out of the ring looking for me, and got eliminated.  Another perfect run gone awry.  Later, she ran him in XJ and they Q'd with time to spare.  She had practiced slipping the leash over his head beforehand this time, and he sat for her.  Another goal met.  It was a QQ day in my estimation.  AKC disagrees.

Lucky fared about as well, with Tracy running him, and me hiding up in the bleachers.  It was her first XJ - A run and a difficult course.  She ran 3 seconds over SCT, so 6 points were deducted from her 100 score, but she was the only dog to Q at 20", so she got 1st place.  What a frickin' shock!  Another goal met.

Went to dinner with club-mates at Outback Steakhouse.  It was Brittany's birthday (Noel's friend). The spinach/artichoke dip was a big hit.

SATURDAY:  With 4 runs to go and my leg no better, Tracy and Sandy agreed to run my dogs again on Saturday.  Both claimed they were enjoying it, though both were running multiple dogs of their own!



Noel and Sandy pose with Maxie,
wearing his QQ ribbon, 2
3rd place ribbons, and 3 Q's.

To my great joy, Maxie double Q'd with Sandy, and both were 3rd place runs.  So 2 more goals met.  Sandy said Maxie was "lots of fun to run", so now somebody besides me knows that!  I did hobble through the courses with her and gave a few handling tips, such as calling Maxie hard off the dog walk or he will take it every time, not front crossing after the A-frame because Maxie shoots down that sucker very fast, that he sends to the A-frame, dog walk and see-saw from a great distance, and that he has good "go outs". I learned later than one of Maxie's 3rd place wins was only by 1/100th of a second!  If the 4th place dog had exactly tied, there would have had to be a runoff!

Lucky didn't fare so well.  No Q's.  She just couldn't seem to focus, ran around jumps, and walked thru the weaves.  Her time was terrible.  Tracy chalked it up to "doing that hound dog thing".  Plus, by the 3rd day Lucky is always tired.  Tracy didn't seem quite herself either.  I myself was so tired from all the adrenalin pumping and stomach churning, not to mention trying with each step not to limp and make other body parts sore, I fell asleep by 4 p.m. watching TV and icing my leg, and didn't make it to dinner at Olive Garden with the gang on Saturday night.  I didn't even have the energy to download and watch the videos I took, and I always look forward to that!

MUSINGS: RUNNING EACH OTHER'S DOGS:
All of these goings-on this weekend, with the Noel/Maxie, Sandy/Maxie, and Tracy/Lucky teams demonstrating that dogs can run for multiple handlers,  led to various comments among LCCOC clubmates about running each other's dogs once in awhile at practice, for insurance purposes. 
Reactions were mixed:

• Some claimed their dogs would never run for anyone else.
• Others opined that they didn't want to confuse their dogs with different handling techniques.  In my classes we practice each sequence several different ways. How can one know what what works best for you, until you try them all?
• One person claimed she could never concentrate well enough to do the close handling my dogs take. 
• Another said she would never let anyone else run her dog, because she didn't want to be shown up!   Oh, contrare!  I am so happy if someone can show me up, Q my dogs. I have no grand illusions about my skills, and what better way to learn how to improve myself.
• Someone summed it up that dogs who enjoy agility will run for just about anybody, and dogs that don't enjoy agility just do it because they are velcroed to their handler. 

All I know is, Maxie will follow anyone who offers him food.  Lucky will chase after anyone carrying her toy. The hussies!  And having someone else willing to run my dogs this weekend really saved my ass!  All my goals were met!
 

Maxie, Willow, Lucky, Michele

TRIAL SITE SUMMARY:  See links.

LESSONS LEARNED: 

• Make sure to train my dogs so anyone can grab their collar, and put on their leash.
• If someone else runs my dog, disappear.
• Don't tug too long with Lucky before a run -- it tires her out.
• Lucky does best with a long lead-out, where she can see H standing on the landing side of the jump.  If not, she tends to go around the first jump.
• You never know where your help is going to come from.  Someone you might not have expected to be there for you, can suddenly save your day.
• Travel with instant heating pads, and instant cold packs. 
• I learned that for inflammation or swelling, use cold packs (makes sense to reduce the "flames"), for tight muscles or charlie horses use a hot pad (makes sense that a hot bath relaxes you).

Packed up to head home, I wheeled us thru the arena and heard lots of comments how cute Max and Willow look tucked in the caboose, how awesome my red wagon is.  I finally got someone to take a picture of me by my wagon.  On the way out, I discovered Lucky loves to pull the cart.  I had her leash attached to the upright pole (by my shoulder), and she just steadily walked by my side and pulled, pulled, pulled all the way out to the car!  Is she a cart-puller?

NEW GOALS:

• Maxie is 1 Q away from his MXJ title, and 4 Q's away from his MX title.
• Lucky is 2 Q's away from her AXJ title, and 2 Q's away from her AX title.
• Need to attend at least 2 more trials before November to reach these 2011 goals.
• Not exactly a goal, just a fact, Maxie needs 2 more QQ's and 189 more MACH points by November 30, 2011, to qualify for AKC nationals next year (6 QQ's and 400 MACH points required). It would be sweet to qualify, whether we go or not, but I don't think I'm up to that level of stress yet.  
• Heal my leg completely before any more running!  Give it 6 weeks, at least.
• Learn to teach my Wednesday night class without running!  Nedra says I demo too much anyway, just let them run the sequences and figure it out for themselves.
• Get signed up for the Hattiesburg trial on August 18-21, only 8 weeks away.
• Get signed up for the 2 Kiln trials in September and October.
• Find some first aid cold packs and hot packs.  Need a box of each. 

What a weekend!  I will never forget the friendly support extended to me by my clubmates, and their professionalism, which saved our weekend and made it possible to stay on track with my 2011 goals.  They told me to disappear, get lost, etc., and I never worried that they would forget to go get my dogs out of their crates, warm them up, treat them right, do their best.  Even with Sandy, who was running Tango in the same 8" XB class, I was totally confident she would do her best for Maxie, and she did.

Upwards and onward,

Preparing for Monroe Trial

It's Monday, I leave on Wednesday for 5 days in Monroe, and I'm not the least nervous about my packing.  This makes me nervous!

Perhaps I've finally got the drill down, or have I just gone blank?  Let's see. 

• Monday I pack my gear, charge all batteries, make ice.
• Tuesday I pack the dog's gear, trial paperwork, maps, shop for food, confirm hotel reservations, etc. 
• Wednesday I pack the car, gas up, check tires, etc. 
• Thursday I pack the coolers and take off.

Only this time I'm leaving on Wednesday, a day early, the car is in the shop til Tuesday afternoon, the A/C is out in the den so I'm waiting for the repair man instead of packing.  I've got to get everything done in 2 days.  Still, no nerves.

It may be because now I keep all my equipment gathered in one place.  To wit, I've simply commandeered the dining room table, the first flat space I come across when entering the house, and that's where I keep everything "dog".  It's an eyesore, but absent a convenient closet to store everything, I gave up appearances for convenience for 2011, and that was a major step forward in organizing this dog agility obsession of mine. John hasn't complained.

Still, I've got a hint of a toothache so I should be nervous about that.  And, I got a really bad charlie horse last week, which flared up tonight at practice, so bad I couldn't run either dog.  So I'm hobbling off to the doctor tomorrow to see what to do about a "sports injury", and call the dentist for some antibiotics and pain killers to see me thru the weekend.  For some reason, I'm not even upset about all that.  I should be in tears.

Since I couldn't get in my last planned practice tonight, I asked Sandy R. (who runs both her dogs in the same classes as I run mine), to try and run Maxie.  You always hear people say "Oh, my dog won't run for anyone else!", but from watching Sandy's videos in the past, I already knew we use mostly the same handling signals, and I surmised Maxie would run with anybody carrying his treats around.  And so he did!   He ran very well for her and much faster than he does for me.  It was a joy to watch.  Sandy came back breathless and amazed at Maxie's speed!  In exchange for running Maxie for me, I gave her my next turn to run Tango, her daschund.  Maxie and Tango usually vie for placement at local trials in the 8" class, but now we both see Maxie can easily outrun Tango.  The sad fact is, Sandy can outrun me!  Looks like it's true, then . . . . . the dog keeps pace with the handler.

After that success with Maxie, I asked her to try running Lucky at 20" on the other course.  I had her tug with Lucky a few minutes, then run with Lucky's tug toy in her hand, and they both zipped around like they had been running together forever.  That, too, was a joy to watch.  Lucky ran fast and sure (it was cool and breezy out).  Sandy says "STOP"  where I say "HALT",  she says JUMP where I say OVER, she says A-FRAME where I say UP, but it didn't matter to either dog.  They understood exactly what to do based on the body language and hearing any kind of "oink" coming from their handler.

Oh well, enough of this musing, I really must go serve dinner, kick back and watch Twilight Zone with my sweetheart, and put a hot pad on my calf.  I'll think about packin' tamarraw!

Upwards and onward!

Backward Front Crosses

A few weeks back we set up a course with a very unique sequence that ran best with what I am calling "backward front crosses".  It was my first experience with this maneuver, felt very weird at first, but worked great.  It's a maneuver where the handler is moving forward thru the sequence while walking backwards and sidewards the whole time.  I tried my best to capture it with CR Course Designer.  Since that experience, I have incorporated a few more backward front crosses into my routines, and it feels fairly normal now.

It definitely takes getting used to.  It messes with your mind at first, and I haven't noticed many handlers in competition videos moving backwards more than maybe 1 step now and then.  But the dogs don't seem to question it.  They respond beautifully.

Learning, learning, learning, always, always, always, moving

Upwards and onward!

"Pick-Up" Handling Maneuver

The "PICK-UP" is another maneuver I sort of made up myself.  It is very reliable at getting D past a wrong choice, particularly on green dogs.  It's an exaggerated "Here" (includes both arms), with the addition of a running/throwing action towards the next obstacle.  Not quite a post turn. Not quite a pull through or a lead out pivot. A pick-up is when, while running a course, you need to guide D through a tricky turn sequence, so you lean forward with both hands extended, as if grabbing the dog's head, only you are 3 feet away, "pick up" the dog and throw them into the path of the next obstacle.


Sounds violent, but of course it isn't.  You are just exaggerating your motions a bit, in a way D clearly understands and responds to. 

I am teaching this maneuver using the diagrams below, and after the students do it it a few times, it improves their performance.  It feels graceful, like a dance, and makes the run more fluid.

  No flatwork needed.  It is so intuitive for D that when they see both your arms outstretched together, and you inscribing an arc, they just follow it.  It's a very powerful signal.  It is intuitive enough for H that it only takes a few times to master, and once practiced a bit, everyone's performance becomes more fluid.

TRAINING:

Upwards and onward,

"HERE" Command

"HERE" is a command I use to mean, "Veer off to where my finger is pointing, right now".  It differs from the "COME" command in that HERE always implies a "moving come", mainly used on the agility course.  It's a type of "CALL OFF".  You and the dog are running a course, you need D to make a sharp turn around a jump post (as in a threadle), or out of a tunnel, or to avoid taking a wrong course.  You are essentially asking them to look for you, collect (slow down), and change course a bit from where they logically think they should go.  It is somewhat similar to Steve Schwarz's Verbal Leash

The hand motion is unique -- an outstretched arm with index finger pointing to the ground while the body bends down and forward.  D is trained to respond immediately to that index finger pointing towards the ground.  I've seen handlers on video actually snap their fingers as they point.

You see this command being used at high level competitions, but nobody ever taught it to me.  So I made it up myself, and it works great.

I've drawn up a few simple example sequences where the HERE command is useful.  Notice, neither of these examples call for a front or rear cross, but both call for a slight change of direction.

The HERE Command is easy to master and highly intuitive.  In fact, it is so intuitive I have seen experienced handlers, as their dogs take a wrong course, yelling "Come here, come here, you goofball idiot dog."  and they fall to their knees and begin pounding the ground where they wanted the dog to come to."  And their dogs come right over to see what the new game is!

I presented HERE in last Wednesday night's classes, to 5 students, and once practiced a bit, both dogs' and handlers' performance became more fluid.

TRAINING: I train the HERE command with large visible tasty treats, 3 in each hand (kibble won't do, cubes of white bread works great because it shows up in the grass). Sit D. * Walk 10' away. Begin running sideways to D, call HERE, point to the ground with the hand closest to D, look intently at that spot with your whole focus, and when D reaches where your finger is pointing, drop a treat on the ground. Sit D again. Repeat from * on both sides, going both ways. Interject a jump. Send D over a jump, then run backwards a few steps, HERE, point to ground, D makes a b-line for your pointed finger. D becomes convinced that treats are falling out of your finger and he quickly learns to pay close attention and get there very quickly.
Begin dropping treats intermittently, about half the time. When you don't drop a treat, continue running just as D's nose drops towards the ground looking for that treat. He will forget the treat and follow you, hoping for another chance to score a treat.  End the sequence with another HERE, and be sure to treat this one.

Upwards and onward!

Waste Fairies!

If you measure life in terms of "hours expended earning money", then wasting money is equivalent to wasting hours of life.  Now imagine every time you come home from the grocery store and offload, say, 6 bags of delicious groceries at roughly $25 each, some gal walks in out of the blue, grabs one bag, stomps it to bits, throws it down the garbage disposal, then leaves without explanation, without even taking anything for herself.  Just comes in and throws $25 of your life away, not to mention the time it took you to plan and shop for those groceries and bring them home. Senseless, pointless waste.

I suspect you'd feel outraged, as I did this morning making a huge pot of cauliflower soup, and imagined the Kitchen Waste Fairy descending upon me. (Often, when I cook, clean or do chores, I talk to myself, muse, day-dream.)    She watched me pull the leaves off the 3 cauliflour heads, then pull the flowerettes off the stems, then chop both leaves and stems to add to my soup.  She watched me cut the choicest stem parts into radish thin slices and store in a Zip-Lock bag for adding crunch to a future salad (they taste just like a mild radish!)  And our dialogue went like so:

"Why don't you just throw that stuff away, like everybody else does?", she said.  "Not a chance," I replied.  I told her I didn't throw away the tips of whole green beans either (they are perfectly edible, so WHY DO PEOPLE THROW THOSE AWAY????????), never throw away dry crusty bread (makes great croutons), and am bound and determined to figure out what to do with my sour milk besides throw it away. 

Dog Treats: Those tough asparagus ends that everyone throws in the trash, I feed to my dogs as tasty crunchy snacks, which they adore and beg for more.  I give them the apple and pear cores too (including seeds), let them lick the gravy off our plates as well as that last bite we simply cannot finish (which others scrape into the trash), not to mention letting them lick the stirring spoons, pots and pans, measuring cups, etc., with all that scrumptuous residue.  I feel positively weird at restaurants and other people's houses when I see all the wasted morsels my dogs would relish, going in the trash.  I have to bite my tongue not to ask for a doggie bag. My dogs' very happiness revolves around these little treats, and I use them as invaluable training aides, requiring a sit, down, stay, wait your turn, leave it, share, or no-begging posture, before dispensing.  Saves a bundle on doggie treats, and ensures that daily training takes place.

And this is only the Kitchen Waste Fairy!  There are Office Waste Fairies, too, whom I scoffed at later today as I used the clean back sides of printed copy paper to print out a 68 page manual (one I need only for myself, and will probably read only once).  John and I save reams of paper per year this way, at absolutely no inconvenience to ourselves. 

There are Yard Waste Fairies,  Hardware Waste Fairies, and Energy Waste Fairies.  Waste Fairies are everywhere. On this latter, I remember one of my pet peaves running my summer school was parents who stood in the doorway waiting for their child to finish playing, or chatting with an employee or another parent for 10 minutes with the door propped wide open in 95 degree temperatures, letting out all the A/C I paid a fortune for to keep their kids cool enough.  "Come in or go out, but shut the damn door!", I wanted to scream.  Senseless, thoughtless waste.

DAMMIT!  Oh, I could go on and on about WASTE, especially the kind that requires little to no effort to avoid.  John's and my parents grew up during the Depression, they lived thru rationing in WWII, they taught their kids how to conserve, and considered frugality a sign of high moral intelligence. My mother never threw away a garment before cutting off the buttons, and I have fond memories of her letting me dump all the buttons onto her bed, and sorting them by shape, size, color, number of holes, etc. My grandmother took "waste not, want not" to extremes, extracting the thread from the hems of any garment before folding it into the fabric drawer, wrapping the thread around her finger, and keeping dozens of little bundles of colored thread in a small cardboard box.   I never saw her use that thread, but I am sure she felt proud of herself and wealthier knowing she had it handy "just in case". 

I'm proud of their frugality, too, and I'll be damned if any Waste Fairy is going to claim one thin dime of my life either.  "A penny saved is a penny earned", Grandma would say.  I do draw the line, though, on saving used Christmas wrapping paper unless it's a large sheet, or hand-made.  And I refused to recycle until they finally let us put cardboard, glass, metal and plastic all in one bin.  I can't let the Conservation Fairy eat up all my time or space, either.

Upwards and onward!

Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke First Aid

Agility/Obedience instructors should all know what to do in case any person or dog in their class suffers from Heat Exhaustion/Heat Stroke.  For people, the Mayo clinic says here's what to do:

PEOPLE:
Signs and Symptoms (for people):
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion often begin suddenly, sometimes after excessive exercise, heavy perspiration, and inadequate fluid or salt intake. Signs and symptoms resemble those of shock and may include:

• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Nausea
• Heavy sweating
• Rapid, weak heartbeat
• Low blood pressure
• Cool, moist, pale skin
• Low-grade fever
• Heat cramps
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Dark-colored urine

Remedies (for people):
If you suspect heat exhaustion:

• Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
• Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.
• Loosen or remove the person's clothing, including any hat.
• Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine, sports drink if available to replace electrolytes.
• Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning. Place cool compresses (moist towels) on the forehead, armpits, groin, chest and shoulders near surface arteries.
• Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke. If the person isn't feeling better within 60 minutes, call 911.
• If fever greater than 102 F (38.9 C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, call 911 immediately.

People exercising outdoors in heat should:

• Wear loose fitting clothing
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non caffeine fluids, even if not thirsty.
• Use sun screen
• Wear light colored hat

DOGS:
Canines only have sweat glands on the pads of their feet and on their nose, which are inadequate for cooling during hot and humid days. Panting helps dogs cool themselves but they still aren't as efficient at cooling themselves as people.

Signs and Symptoms (for dogs):

Heavy panting, tongue turns bright red or purple.
Dog begins huffing and puffing or gasping for air, often with rasping sounds.
Thick saliva
Strange facial expressions, bug eyes
Hot skin, temperature over 104
Diarrhea, vomiting
Dog begins to weave when it walks due to dizziness
Dog lays down or collapses and can't get up
If left untreated dog will slip into unconsciousness and die.

Remedies (for dogs):
Cease all activity.  Before heading to a vet (which is most people's first reaction, but wrong)

• Get dog out of the sun, out of any hot vehicle, into air conditioning if possible, at least in the shade.
• Give it water, but not too much nor too fast.
• Plunge dog in water, or wet down with a hose, or rub liberally with a dripping wet cloth, especially under arms, legs and belly.
• Place before a fan, or hand fan, to increase evaporation.
• If available, place ice bags around the dog's head and neck to cool the blood.

When a dog's temperature has reached 108 or 110 degrees it can only take a couple of minutes before brain damage occurs. The car ride could take five to 10 minutes, so the owner needs to cool the dog down BEFORE taking it to a veterinarian.

The main cause of heat exhaustion in dogs is being left in a hot car.  Even with windows down, there is not enough circulation on hot humid days.  Don't coop your dog up in a car, especially in high humidity.  Overweight and/or older dogs, and dogs with pug noses, are especially succeptible to heat exhaustion.
 
Don't leave home unprepared for your outdoor outing.  Plenty of water, snacks, wash cloths, first aid kits (one for people, another for dogs).  Carry the phone number of a local 24 hour emergency vet with you at all times. 

We should all follow the Girl Scout motto:  BE PREPARED.
 
Upwards and onward!
 

Keeping Cool In Hot Weather

Last night at 7 p.m. the temperature reading on my car thermometer was 99 degrees (and by 9:30 it was still reading 95), so I gathered my agility students around (both classes) and took several minutes to prep them how to cope with this scorching heat.   I've been mulling over this problem since last summer when one agility student swooned and fell to the ground, when I almost had to quit taking classes myself last summer in the midst of competition season, and lately I've worried how I might survive teaching classes in temperatures approaching 100 degrees.  So today, I decided to share my heat survival strategies with everyone I can reach, because heat stroke is serious business. 

So far, my "keeping cool" methods include:

• Freeze 2 small (8-10 oz.) water bottles ahead of time.  Add these to the dog's water jug (I got an Igloo 1 gallon wide-mouth at Dollar General for about $6, but you can pay about $12 other places.).  The water bottles work just like ice, without melting fast or letting the dogs eat the ice cubes.  When you get home, just rinse off and throw the bottles back in the freezer. 
• Fill 2 or 3 16-20 oz. water bottles about half full, freeze tilted almost on their sides.  Fill the empty space with water just before class.  The ice melts slowly and is mostly gone after a few hours, but is still very cool.  Can substitute water with gator aide, freeze that, refilling the small bottles from a large one at home.
• Treats - freeze your dog treats, such as liver brownies, gizzards, Bil-Jak. Of course, keep these in a small cooler, right next to your half-frozen drinking water bottles.
• Electrolytes - preferable to water, drink Coconut Water, Gator Aide, or other fluids that replace electrolytes. Target and Wal-Mart sell all kinds of sports drinks now. Freeze them a few hours before class. Someone suggested upping Potassium in the diet, like "a banana a day keeps the charlie horses away".
• Bandana - 100% cotton, wet one down and tie it around your neck.  Use to wipe your face and arms, re-wet often, and keep tied around your neck.
• Wash cloths - wet one down to dripping wet and and wipe dog's underarms, belly and behind their ears several times during class. Rub them all over.
• Introduce the swimming pool and encourage dogs to hop in between their runs.  Keeps their feet cool.
• Spray Bottle - I have an orchid spray bottle that puts out an extremely fine mist.  Spray your face, neck, arms, clothes, between runs, even the dog if they will tolerate it.
• Sweat band - made of thick terry cloth, 100% cotton, like tennis players use.  Keep on your forehead to keep that salty sweat out of your eyes.
• Clothing - wear 100% cotton, breathable fabrics, preferably patterns or colors that look the same wet or dry.  Drench your shirt in water or lots of mist to keep yourself very cool. I can go in the grocery store wringed out wet and nobody can tell.
• Hat or cap - make sure heat can escape from the top of your head.  If you wear a cap, let it be open on top (sun visor) unless you're working in direct sun.  We give off heat from the top of our head.
• Pull hair back into pony tail, or at least up off of the neck.
• Canopy:  Stay in the shade during the day, under a canopy if no natural shade is available.  Wonderful, sturdy 10' x 10' straight leg canopies, by First-Up, are available at O-Neal Wal-Mart for around $80.  Suggested retail elsewhere:  $249.  Wal-Mart also offers both screen and opaque sides for this model, at about $40 each.  A total bargain.  One person can put this up, and it folds down for compact storage to 8" x 8" x 4', which is on wheels.  (Ingenious design).  Replacement parts are available.   I wish they made these canopies in the 6' x 6' or 7' x 7' size.  I would set mine up over my crate space at trials in cold weather, with a heater inside to keep us all warm.
• Portable fans - needed in the car, with windows open, if any dog must be left in there. Also great hanging on any wire crate. My brand is the little Ozark Trail O2 COOL, very popular, available at Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc., at around $25-30. It runs on 8 D-cells, and also has a 12 volt cord for plugging into a car's lighter socket. It stands up on its own, also has a hook for hanging. Mine hangs from the passenger side visor. 10" blade.  3#. Folds small. Lo-Hi settings. I like it. There are more expensive versions now, with rechargeable batteries. Here's the link, and their ad.
  We checked into a bit larger/heavier Ryobi fan with 8 hour rechargeable lithium battery from Home Depot (+-$100), but I'm happy with my O2-COOL for now.
• Dog Cooling Coat: And then there are the dog cooling coats, which I'm looking into.  Lucky really shuts down in the heat. Jerri has ordered one for Kyra and it should be here next week for me to check out.  Meanwhile, a Google search offered one from Wal-Mart for only about $35. You just dip it in water 1 to 2 minutes, for hours of cool.   Check it out: HyperKewl Canine Cooling Coat, Blue   Do they have these for humans?

Stayin' cool!