Studying My Trial Videos

THE "HOWARD COSELL" EFFECT: Now that I have decent video editing software, I can string together, study and comment on a whole trial weekend's performance "in a string", seeing what we're doing right, and note where our mistakes are so I can systematically work on correcting them.

Again, the football analogy comes to mind, with skilled sportscasters explaining the details of every play as it unfolds.  Peggy Flemming and Scott Cunningham do likewise for Ice Skating competitions, naming each element as it happens (tripple lutz, quad, etc.), and even the AKC Agility Nationals have commentators talking thru each run.  It blows my mind that they can be so detailed and fluid in their impromptu commentary.  It's hard to do.

Here's my first attempt, of Maxie's 6 runs in Lake Charles (minus 1 that didn't get videoed), using my new AVS Video Editing Software and Labtec microphone.


SUMMARY: Maxie ALWAYS ran considerably under course time, and his only fault in this trial (except one knocked bar at the start line), was incorrect weave performance.  Twice he popped out at the 10th weave, another time he entered from the wrong side.  Even when he Q'd, he sometimes walked the weaves.  On the up side, he didn't once get distracted by the neighing horses in the stalls or scents of horse poop, as he did last year in this same arena! He didn't once visit the bar setters! He rarely head checked me. We've made progress.

Even in areas where we didn't fault, improvements are desirable.  He should completely ignore the dog walk and A-frame unless I say UP, should accept re-positioning at the start line, and make tighter turns when asked.  I also want a solid DOWN on the table, and runs out to the tip end of the see-saw.

As to my own performance, I'm running a bit faster, my timing has improved, my handling more fluid, I'm getting comfortable with blind crosses, less afraid of front crosses, and I didn't get lost on course even once.  I still have trouble with alertness in the morning, am easily disoriented, and I easily lose focus at the slightest unexpected bobble.  My mental game definitely needs work, as well as my speed and nimblenes.
I plan to do these studies for all 10 2011 trials and will add links to them below as I complete them, identifying our most frequent faults and working on those the hardest.  Thus, I won't be training as haphazardly next year, and I suspect I can up my Q rate faster by working on the biggest problems first.  That's the current game plan anyway.
When I NQ on a run with 1 fault, I sometimes fail to consider we got about 19 out of 20 things right -- 6 mistakes vs. 114 correct moves in a 3 day weekend, or about a 96% accuracy rate.  That isn't bad for a fairly newbie trainer/handler with her first agility dog.
I'm encouraged that our progress is still upwards and onward!

MAXIE: (Going For Our Masters) 

2011, October 21,22,23 Kiln MS SDAC Trial Video composite

6 runs, 2Q's, 2 1st places, MX TITLE, 38 MACH Points

2011, September 23,24,25 Kiln MS MMAC Trail Video Composite

6 runs, 1 Q, 1st place, 20 MACH Points

2011, August 18, 19, 20 Hattiesburg, MS BARK Trial Video Composite

6 runs, 4 Q's, 5th QQ, MXJ Title, 2 4th Places, 36 MACH points

2011, June 23,24,25 Monroe, LA OVDTC Trial Video Composite

6 runs, 3 Q's XJ, XJ, XS, 2 3rd places XS and XJ, 4th QQ, 39 MACH Points

2011, April 23,24 Brandon, MS BARK Trial Video Composite

4 runs, 3 Q's (XJ 2nd place, XS 1st place, XJ 2nd place), 3rd QQ, 42 MACH Points

2011, April 8,9,10 Port Allen, LA LCCOC Trial Video Composite

6 XB runs, 3 Q's, 2nd QQ, 1 1st place, 1 2nd place, 1 3rd place, 38 MACH points

2011, April 1,2,3 Amite, LA Deep South Trial Video Composite

6 runs, 3 Q's (two XS and one XJ), 2 1st places, 1 2nd place, 1st QQ, 87 MACH points

2011, March 18,19,20 Mobile, AL MM Trial Video Composite

6 runs, 2 XJ Q's, one 4th place

2011, February 18,19,20 New Iberia, LA Trial Video Composite

6 runs, 1 Q, XJ (5th place)

LUCKY LUCY (Novice thru Excellent):

2011, October 21,22,23 Kiln MS SDAC Trial Video composite.

2011, September 23,24,25 Kiln MS MMAC Trail Video Composite

2011, August 18, 19, 20 Hattiesburg, MS BARK Trial Video Composite

2011, June 23,24,25 Monroe, LA OVDTC Trial Video Composite

2011, April 23,24 Brandon, MS BARK Trial Video Composite

2011, April 8,9,10 Port Allen, LA LCCOC Trial Video Composite

2011, April 1,2,3 Amite, LA Deep South Trial Video Composite

2011, March 18,19,20 Mobile, AL MM Trial Video Composite

2011, February 18,19,20 New Iberia, LA Trial Video Composite

Goal Setting for 2012

TEAMWORK: I'm finally on a real team!  In a real sport!  And I'm the coach.  Here's my assessment of my team's strengths and weaknesses and goals I'm setting around them:

MAXIE:  Most of Maxies NQ's were only one error short of Q's on his part, or totally my error panicking at the slightest bobble, missing the walkthrough, or getting lost on course. That's not so much of a gap to close next year, so I think with consistent weekly practice and better focus on my part, I can reasonably expect to double the number of QQs next year. This year was 5, so 10 next year seems not too outlandish a goal. 10 trials, 1 QQ per trial. At that rate it will take us 18 months for MACH.

"THINK SNOW": In Lake Charles I was talking with Chip G., a competitor who put a MACH3 on his Papillon, Snow, before retiring her.  He said they did that by trialing every other weekend for a few years, which put them into "a rhythm with a very strong connection" and they hardly ever missed.  Chip noticed that by trialing fewer times a year, the perfect rhythm was lost and QQ'ing was much more difficult.  I seriously doubt I'll EVER go to more than one trial a month, but perhaps as long as we're out on the field practicing twice a week between trials, and short sequences in my yard, I don't see why the team bond won't grow.  But that's me.  I question everything.  Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not.

But this Christmas decoration I've put on my entry table for many years has taken on a whole new meaning this year.  I added 2 Papillon pins, and all next year I'm going to THINK SNOW.

LUCKY LUCY:  My agility goals for Lucky are the same as I had for Maxie last year, her MX and MXJ, and as many QQ's as we can rack up.  She's fairly accurate, but unless a miracle happens and I break the "go slow" code, she won't rack up many MACH points even when she Q's.  But I believe in miracles, especially considering her stride is 4 times longer than Maxie's, she runs like a maniac every day when she feels like it, it's just a question of motivation.  So my underlying goal is to learn how to "transfer value" to agility for her.  (I've never had to do that with Maxie--he's always anxious to take his turn).  Susan Garrett's Puppy Peaks and Recallers courses teach that as a fundamental, and I'm enrolled in both of those, so I should be able to do it.

My other goals for Lucky include finding ways to tap into and exercise her inate "cur" talents -- hunting, herding, chasing stuff, maybe tracking.  I don't want to spread myself too thin.

MICHELE: I'll be NUMBER 1 in my own estimation if I continue taking charge of my health and performance - keep building up my knowledge, skill, stamina, muscle strength, speed, and focus, not expecting it to be given to me effortlessly. A few days ago I took a backward fall and landed hard on my back on our asphalt driveway trying to help John install our new mailbox. 2 years ago I would have been bruised and sore for days, but this time I instinctively rolled like a ball, got up immediately and kept on going. I never got sore.  That's one way I know I'm making progress. I keep running the tape in my mind of the LSU football players whose bodies take such beatings over and over, and they just bounce back uninjured.  I now know this can be trained for.

I know now I can shift from a night owl to an early morning person.  I've made a lot of progress in the latter department over the past 2 years, so much so that I often awaken around 5:30 and am up by 6, and can actually think by around 6:30.  I still don't get dressed until 10:30 or 11.  I do so love paddling around in my PJ's.  But I've proved I CAN make it to the arena by 7:15.  In one case, I was the first competitor there, not counting the course builders who got there around 6 a.m.!

I have a long ways to go, so I can look forward to another year of progress, addressing lots more challenges:

• improve my physical game and handling skills
• improve my mental game
• avoid negatives
• accentuate the positives
• seek out more and wider learning opportunities
• improve my teaching skills, helping other students "get there quicker" than I did
• support the AKC
• learn the ins and outs of running a trial
• Rebuild my dog walk and A-frame
• find a way to afford a motor home
• master my video taking and editing skills
• build an "agility armoire" to house all my dog training/trialing paraphranalia and still look good in the den
• make some more agility friends, and be a better friend
• I plan to be less involved with dog club politics in 2012, more focused on my own training/competing.  Still, I can't help but hope the Red Stick Agility arm of our dog club whips itself into some sort of team spirit.  I've heard we had that when we first pulled the field together. We each train/compete individually but still have a lot in common, sharing a jewel of a field, fully equipped, similar goals, and showing up at many of the same trials. It's another lesson I'm learning from LSU football -- the players do much better when they pull together, which I'm also learning depends on having a great leader (coach).

The ball is rolling. On top of all that, I have to be thinking of my Mom and Dad's health and living situations (he's recently diagnosed with lymphatic cancer and is in rehab with a broken hip).  Both in their 90's and living far away, we'll see where 2012 takes us on that.

Upwards and onward!

Lake Charles Agility Trial - 2011 CKC

Maxie - 6 runs, 3 Q's (1 XJ, 2 XS), 2 1st places, 1 2nd place, 37 MACH points, 5 videos posted
Lucky Lucy - 6 runs, 1 Q (XJ),  6 videos posted

MAXIE:
Well, no QQ's for Maxie this weekend (he Q'd once per day), though I have to say I was running faster and surer, and we were mostly just 1 mistake from Q'ing on each NQ run.  He ran fast and focused, always exceeded course time by 6-22 seconds) and I know for sure now there's a MACH dog in there.  We met our goal of adding at least 35 MACH points to our tally at this trial, but didn't get that 6th QQ we were hoping for. Mistakes were as follows:

• XS Fri - no video, but he was under course time by 17 seconds, with only 1 fault, probably popped out of the weaves as I can't remember any other fault.
• XJ Sat - knocked the first bar - he hasn't knocked a bar in over a year, but I positioned him, then repositioned him at the start.  I've never done that before, so I must have broken his concentration, or else the bar was barely on there (which happens).  Then he popped out of the 10th weave, still under course time by 7 seconds.
• XS Sun - Skipped the 3rd weave. Otherwise a clean run with 10 seconds to spare, but the video shows his time could have been improved by at least 5 seconds with fewer wide turns.

SUMMARY: With Maxie's fast, reliable weaves at home, I can't figure out what to do about his less reliable weave performance at trials. Am I doing something different, like holding my breath, babysitting him, watching too hard?  As to the wide turns, we will practice more front crosses, which I tend not to do to spare my ankles, stronger pulls, and collection drills.

Lucky on the start line, intently watching a fly.

LUCKY LUCY:
Lucky's runs went like this:  "Look a fly, try to catch it".  Flies in the stands, flies at the start line, flies in the ring.  OMG, flies everywhere, and Lucky the only dog I saw constantly lunging at them!  She must have captured and swallowed 3 dozen flies.  I couldn't always get her attention on the start line, nor in the que waving her tug toy in her face, or offering her peeled shrimp, and she HAS NEVER REFUSED THOSE before.  I once had to collar grab her at the start line and push her forward to the first jump, after which she proceeded along.  It must be programmed hard into her DNA to be a fly catcher!  Major distraction work is needed here.

• XS Fri = clean run, but exceeded course time by 4.93 seconds.
• XJ Fri - trotted around 3 jumps in a row, tracking flies, about the 15th obstacle decided to run and finished fast.
• XJ Sat - Q, clean run, under course time by 1 second.
• XS Sat - clean run, but exceeded course time by 9 seconds.
• XS Sun - no faults until second to last obstacle, she leaped over the down contact on the A-frame.  Broke my heart because I failed to say "halt", tho I was pointing down.  Exceeded course time by .62 seconds anyway.
• XJ Sun - clean run, but exceeded course time by 6 seconds.

SUMMARY: Lucky's problem continues to be lack of speed in the ring.  She is mostly accurate. Outside the ring, or in practice when I'm carrying her tug toy, she runs like the wind.  We'll be going to lots of matches next year.  We'll also practice on focus, learning to ignore flies and other distractions.  I also need to discover just how to "transfer value" (which Susan Garrett assures me can happen) from her favorite toys, tugging and fetching, and just plain running for joy, to agility.

THE WEEKEND:
Apparently I wasn't the only one whose entry got screwed up (last post).  Various CKC members proclaimed the situation "intolerable", "unacceptable", etc.  On Sunday they couldn't provide Q'ing ribbons, either, because they were left out on the scoring table and had gotten wet in the driving rain.  They offered to mail them out to us, which got a few serious competitors PO'd.  The trial secretary is going to catch some flack.  But my question is . . . . . has the club bothered to train her to take over when their usual trial secretary became unavailable?????  Here's a perfect example of my oft repeated concern -- clubs ought to be mentoring members for every job.  Never know when some key person will leave in a huff, move, die, have an emergency, etc.  Part of belonging to any club is being in a sharing environment.  One gets to learn things free of charge, or far, far cheaper than taking private lessons or paying school tuition.  Clubs are a natural outgrowth of people wanting to share what they know, meet and do things with others who enjoy common interests.  Sailing clubs, sewing circles, reading and/or writing groups -- all great social inventions that only work well with enthusiastic sharing, teaching, mentoring.

Audrey drove over from Baton Rouge on Saturday, stayed from 10:30 to 3:30, and it was real nice having a family member/best friend around. She brought me some of her famous sweet potato casserole, helped me manage the dogs and gave encouragement, but unfortunately she only saw the last 2 runs, neither of them Q's.

Saturday's Horrific Storm:  The weather was typical Gulf Coast once again -- cold, wet, and windy.  On Saturday about 4 p.m., in blew a horrible storm. The sky turned black, with north winds whipping thru at hurricane force, with trees bent over and heavy rain going sideways.  The dogs and I were tucked into the camper, and within 30 minutes of Audrey leaving the awning envelope was flapping and banging hard and relentlessly against the roof, the canvas walls were bowing in about 15".  Afraid my camper was going to blow over or the telescoping uprights that hold up the roof would snap, I made a command decision that it was better to be wet than crushed or broken, so I cleared the middle area, unzipped the clear vinyl window coverings on either side, draped them down over the couch cushions, and let the wind and rain blow right thru the camper.  I also unzipped the side windows a crack to let some air thru. This relieved enough pressure on the canvas walls, and they held.  We all sat out of the way, dry, on one bed, with all our belongings stacked on the other bed, for about 40 minutes, watching the water pour off the vinyl onto the floor.  Afterwards, I dried everything off with a beach towel, then swept about an inch of water out the door.  I don't know if Fleetwood designed this intentionally, but it was neat that the side windows had a rain flap, and the main window vinyl unfurls down when unzipped so it covered the couch cushions, which stayed mostly dry.  No damage was done, and the floor needed a good mopping anyway!

RV'ers Social: By 5:30, still raining on and off, about 30 RV'ers filtered into the concessions area of the arena and outdid themselves with a huge spread of food.  Each brought a dish, from home-made boar sausage, to shrimp scampi, rasberry salad, merlerton pie, and lots of desserts.  Judge Gerald Marotta attended. The boudin balls I brought from the King's Truck Plaze in Iowa were appreciated.  Tall agility tales were flying around, laughter abounded, I got acquainted with a few more folks.  Very colorful folks. So much talk, I didn't get to tell my harrowing tale about surviving the storm.

My new video camera rocks.  I was able to get vivid pictures, clear videos, and I can't wait to post a composite of all the closeup videos I took of Time2Beat dogs going thru the weaves. I hope to do that later this week, but with our mailbox down, a friend's funeral, weeding and decorating for Christmas needing doing, and this new laptop I'm still getting used to, it may be awhile.

My new laptop ROCKS! I was able to watch HD quality DVD movies Friday and Saturday night while tucked in the camper. Saw the first 2 seasons of Dallas!  Picture quality was great!  The built in speakers are adequate. I can import videos from my camera using Windows Live Photo Gallery, bypassing Sony's Picture Motion Browser, which I despise. 

RAFFLE: I managed to win 2 raffle items again. Paid $10 for 12 tickets, same as usual, and I'm guessing I came home with over $100 worth of loot.  What fun!

1. 

   

   Huge basket was full of LSU paraphranalia,
   including a few more items not shown.

   First, a huge basket full of LSU paraphranalia. I only put 2 tickets in the LSU drawing bag, and only because I liked the blue basket (matches my kitchen decor) for picking garden vegetables, and because Audrey called my attention to the potential Christmas gifts I could give my LSU-loving friends. I find it odd that I start liking football only 2 weeks ago, and the Universe immediately presents me with a huge LSU Flag, mug, dog collar, bracelet, blanket, back scratcher, piggy bank, LSU dog sweater that fits Willow perfectly, and other assorted LSU paraphranalia. That's how it works when one opens doors, (according to various scriptures, as well as my own pagan experience).
2. 
   I also scored 4 christmas hot chocolate mugs we'll surely use, with a Christmas vinyl tablecloth and rawhide chew wreath.  

I was actually not the last person to leave the campgrounds this time. Having figured how to shave off about 45 minutes and several buckets of sweat to camper set-up and take-down. Mostly, I store the shelving boards out on the floor instead of tucking them under the mattresses, I store the awning poles outside under the tongue end rather than the back end of the trailer (saving many steps), and I don't put out any decorative items. Also, by parking the camper with the door facing north, the sun hits the south side of the camper and gives afternoon shade where the table is -- so I don't need to put up the awning for shade purposes (in winter) -- a huge time savings.

Interstate Nightmare: The drive home was strange and stressful!  I left Lake Charkes at 2:30 Sunday with half a tank of gas, expecting a 2.5 hour, 140 mile drive, and didn't get home til 5 hours later, 7:30, because traffic on the interstate came to an idling standstill for 2.5 hours.  There was no news on the radio, so I called John and he couldn't find anything either.  I was watching my gas needle go down and had no idea where I was or where the nearest gas station was, so I eventually called 911 with my mile marker, and she said the Tiger Truck Stop was 2 miles ahead.  I reached it about 20 minutes later with less than half-a-gallon left in my tank - 9 miles worth.  It took another 15 minutes to pull up to the pump because the place was jam packed with people pulling off for gas, bathroom, food, and nobody was directing traffic.  The clerk said they had to call in another gas truck.  Oh, did I mention it was cold, windy, and drizzling? We found out that a cucumber truck had overturned at the Gross Tete exit at 10 a.m. and they expected it to take until 8 p.m. to get the interstate cleared.  I managed to park us in a safe spot, pottie the dogs in a grassy area, and prepared to stay put several hours if necessary.  About 6, though, I could see traffic moving on the overpass, got going, and made it home slowly but without further incident.  We had gas, plus a dry spot, food, water, money, my cell phone, nearby bathrooms, and each other, so I was calm.  The dogs mostly slept thru it all.

I always have done pretty well in a crisis.  I get practical. It was real funny watching numerous men jump out of their idling cars on the interstate, run across 40 yards of ditch, in the dark, to the woods, to pee.  Don't know what I would have done if I had had to pee. Certainly not cross a dark ditch! Probably just maneuver to the left lane, open both car doors on the drivers side, hold up a towel or sweater between them, squat, and pee on the road.

Motor Home Fever:  Of course, all those hours on the interstate and I'm thinking how I have to set the camper up to dry out the next day and what a pain that will be.   And all that while, in the next lane over, I'm idling alongside this beautiful BTCruizer motor home.  It looked small, about 24', with only 1 slideout, and seemed to be saying "Check me out! I'm perfect for you."  I called John and had him Google it, he printed out several sheets, and I Googled it the next day but we couldn't find one smaller than 27' with less than 2 slideouts or under $40,000.  I'm sure this one was shorter.  I'm now following a few E-bay bids.  Yes, okay, hell yes, I still want a motor home.  I can't see me setting up this camper when I'm 70, but I intend to do agility til I'm at least 75.  I want to stay packed and ready.

"The right motor home, at the right price, is on its way to me."

This basket is 15" across,
these grapefruits are 4" across,
a lot bigger than they look in this photo.

Monday evening John heard it was supposed to freeze overnight, so we picked about half the grapefruits (40) off our tree.  My new blue basket came in real handy!  John will take some to work, I'll take some to class and some to neighbors, and we'll be eating a grapefruit a day all thru December.  Mostly, I peel them like an orange, divide into segments, then peel back the thin bitter membrane on either side of each segment to get to the juicy pulp. Monday night got out the electric juicer and tried guessing how much juice was in one of the large ones, John saying 6 oz and me saying 5 oz.  He won.  Mixed half-n-half with Sprite, it makes a sweet dinner drink. Yum, yum!

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Always gas up on the way there AND on the way back to any trial.  You never know when you'll get stuck idling on the interstate for half-a-tank's worth of going nowhere.
• Pee before you leave, and every time you stop.
• Have your car stocked with food and drink.
• Don't bring the camper to Lake Charles ever again!  As someone said last year, you can always count on it being "cold, wet and windy in Lake Charles" in November.
• Camping experience matters.
• Backup Accommodations: The LaQuinta Inn in Sulphur had my reservation, and allowed me to cancel by 6 p.m. on arrival day.  The cost was about $50/night. Red Roof Inn offered some kind of 24 hour special that was about the same price.
• Practice positioning and re-positioning my dogs at the start line. 

Now, with the weather cold and me staying in, I'm on to fooling with the 1st trial videos taken with my new camera.  I'm thinking of putting all of Maxie's videos together into 1 video per trial, with my audio commentary.  Same with Lucky.  Maybe a slow motion evaluation of good and bad points. We'll see how long it takes me to learn how to do that.

Upwards and onward!

Thanksgiving Day Test - 2011

My idea of "abundance". The first year our
Ruby Red Grapefruit tree bears fruit.

9 a.m., Thanksgiving Day, and rather than the usual cooking of turkey, dressing, pies, etc., I'm packing for an agility trial, planning to leave early tomorrow morning for Lake Charles (2.5 hours away), pop-up camper in tow.  John is staying behind this year to work on a few projects around the house and get his new computer set up.  This is my second year breaking with our long tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving with family on Friday so Jonathan (my grandson) can join us, and leaving everyone else free to have their big Thanksgiving Day dinner with other family on Thursday.  This has always been fine with me, but this year, like last year, competing has taken precedence.  I need my Q's to meet next year's goals. John and I will have turkey dinner tonight at Thom and Judy's, and I'll bring them a sack of grapefruit from our very own tree, in lieu of cooking.  Thom will save me his turkey carcass for my traditional turkey soup, which I'll share with everyone after the holidays.  So seeing Jonathan is about all I'll miss, and of course, all those delicious leftovers.

Trial Snafu

Me, in limbo, but relaxing and celebrating a beautiful
Thanksgiving Day. (L-R)
Lucky Lucy, Maxie, Michele, Willow, FoohFooh

Of course, there has to be a trial snafu, and I'm on tenderhooks because I haven't received my Trial Entry Confirmation.  A clubmate received hers and emailed me this morning to say I wasn't on the list (Calcisieu Kennel Club is one of the few clubs that sends out a Running Order in advance).  So this morning I'm calling and emailing the Trial Secretary wondering if I'm in.  Did my entry get lost in the mail? Did she receive it on time?  Got her out of bed and she has to get dressed and go to her office where her records are kept. I had called her weeks ago to say I was mailing in my entry on the closing date and she said that would be fine, and now she says if it's her mistake she will put me in.  So I'm in limbo for the next few hours.

"Me, in well-practiced limbo"

Meanwhile, John's taking pictures of me and the dogs, we're enjoying the beautiful weather, calling family and friends, and basking in the great practice I had at the field last night. Maxie and Lucky were charged up, enthusiastic, fast, and accurate.  My calf feels strong.  I feel mentally ready and focused.  No pressure.  No deadlines to reach a title.  So this snafu is just a test.  Yes, I'm staying calm.  My hunch is it will all work out.
12:10 p.m.  Okay, I'm in.  Sallie found my entry and check, can't figure out how she missed it.  Just received my Confirmation via email.  More snafus. Lucky's AKC number was wrong, and she was entered in Novice on 2 days when I entered her in Excellent B, and only 5 runs when I entered her in 6 runs.  Had to get all that fixed, plodded through it without getting upset, and now everything is OK.  So now, back to packing, and feeling grateful for all my many blessings.  All in all, my pre-competition routine is running very smoothly. The Cognitive Edge training is paying off.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Upwards and onward,

What Does Winning Mean To Me?

John Cullen, an athletic trainer I follow, posed this question today on his The Winning Process program, and asked us to write down our responses.  He says the two basic types of winning attitudes are, in a nutshell:

1. Comparing yourself to others, and feeling you've won only when you beat them.
2. Comparing yourself to yourself, and feeling you've won with self-improvement.

The full list is on his video, which he asked us to share with everyone, so here's the link:
http://thewinningprocess.cognitive-edge.ca/twp-pl1/

He also asked for comments, which I posted there, and am posting here as well:
I relate to both sets and find them compatible, as follows:

My self-esteem comes from Q's, Placement, & Titles. To achieve those, I have to be improving, and keeping my dogs engaged by having fun. Placement in dog agility doesn't have anything to do with "beating other people", but it serves as a good measuring rod for my own self-improvement. How can I know if I'm as good as I can be if I don't compare myself to what others are succeeding in doing? Maybe I can learn to go a little faster, get tighter turns, straighter lines, more focus, better acceleration, improved body language, etc. I am never jealous of others' achievement, just envigorated to try harder, practice more. I am only competing with myself.

This may sound strange, but my biggest life win, by far, has been figuring out how to let people off the hook, and let my dogs fulfill my great lifelong desire for loyal companionship, undivided attention, and someone to share life with, teach and caretake. All the people in my life are busy doing their own things, ambitious with their own achievements, they rarely look me in the eye and say "what do you want me to do now, let's go". They can't give me what my dogs give me, and that is finally OK. After years of disappointment that family and friends were so busy with themselves they didn't seem to notice what I achieved, didn't want to listen or learn from me, I have finally beat the system!

Which brings up this important point. I love it that AKC provides a framework for competing, and keeps a record of our Q's and Titles. It makes me feel that someone besides myself is watching me, caring how we do, providing benchmarks for measuring our progress, and thinks I'm achieving something "certificate worthy" when I do. My wins are their wins! Hooking into that venue has been very satisfying, and I am always walking around with gratitude in my heart for their significant efforts in organizing this sport. (I only compete in AKC but I presume other clubs provide similar support.)

Thinking this through has been helpful with my mental game, so that's another Upwards and onward for me!

My 65th Birthday

John, Michele, Nathan, Allison, Audrey

Taking a break from the doggies, I invited friends and family to join John and me in MidCity for "White Light Night", touring the shops and art galleries for their annual open house (which happened to fall on my birthday), culminating in cake and ice cream at Audrey's, who lives just 1/2 block off the art district.  Weather was cool, crisp and clear, and breezy. "Standing room only" trolleys were running every 15 minutes up and down the strip, crowds of people were strolling about and excitement was in the air.  Shops were serving wine, cheese, grapes, gumbo, dip & chips, and other assorted snacks.

Nathan, Allison, Audrey, John and I started out together and took the trolley down to Circa 1857, but we played phone tag with the others and never hooked up until we met up at Audrey's at 9 p.m.  She had cooked chili and salad, which turned out great because nobody got enough free food.  Turns out, most of the spread was at the other end of the line in Jefferson Plaza. Circa 1857 had a cash bar and restaurant open for business, but we weren't buying, and the music was so ear-splitting loud and the crowds so thick, we left there quickly.  My nightclubbing days are definitely over.

Nathan brought 2 fancy birthday cakes (one chocolate and one rasberry), and some adorable candles, there were gifts and lovely cards despite my saying "NO GIFTS", and everyone took photos with their iPhones, from every angle, including taking iphotos of people taking iphotos.  The only photos I took are these two, and they're the only ones I have at the moment.  If I can ever round up the others, I plan on creating a Windows Live Photo Slide Show and seeing if I can embed it here for Mom and Dad to see.  I'm always looking for material to experiment with.  Oh, and the cakes were from Fresh Market and especially the Rasberry one was "to die for".

Nathan and Allison gave me a gorgeous Miyabi 600D chef's knife to replace my broken MAC knife (which lasted 25 years), a knife sharpener, and a lovely pot of Paperwhites. Of course, John gave me my new Camera, and I gave myself this new laptop.  Audrey contributed cash towards my new video editing program. Alice sent a most delicious smelling candle. Laura promised Atlas Shrugged, the movie, when it comes out in Blueray, and I promised to give another party for viewing that so it looks like my birthday ain't over yet!  Mom and Dad, Sis and several others called or posted birthday wishes on my Facebook wall, wherever that is (I've never been there).  Lots of cards.  So it was a very pleasant event.

While none of my dog club friends showed up, several sent regrets and Birthday wishes. It's nice to know I have made some friends in the club, but nothing beats the neighbors upon whom I rely for support at any time of day or night, for any kind of problem whatsoever, and who never forget my birthday nor miss my parties. Audrey, Laura, and Schuyler, you're the best!

Some gifts come in strange ways.  In Circa 1875 I saw the perfect large cabinet for hiding away my doggie gear in the den -- unfortunately it was a Louis XIV era piece with a price tag of $4,800!  A gorgeous old cabinet with deep shelves and solid doors, which finally gave me a mental picture of what I want.

One kind man said he couldn't believe I was 65, said "you look 50ish", and that was a fine present, too!

Had to feed the dogs their dinner at 5:45 instead of our usual 8 p.m, so this morning they were up at 5:45 pestering me to roll out of bed.  I finally figured out they were starving.  12 hours is about their limit between meals.

65, still feeling girlish, and looking forward to at least 30 more years of fun and self-improvement no matter how old I look! 

Upwards and onward!

Dog Walk and A-Frame Bite The Dust

The A-frame side boards are what rotted, where the chain pulls
the most tension, and close to ground level.

This fall we discovered that my wooden home built A-Frame and Dog Walk are no longer safe to use.  From tiny cracks, they have finally rotted through in several places.  They only lasted 3 years outdoors despite caulking, several coats of paint, and no excessive use.  Oddly, one could not see the rot from a casual visual inspection.  I accidently pushed my thumb clean through a board trying to move it, then checked everyplace else.  Thank goodness the dogs didn't get hurt because they're on the equipment all the time.

I've been waiting for cooler weather to rebuild, but now that it's cooler weather I always seem too busy.  But I took the time today to assess what materials I need to repair them, and took a few i-photos to illustrate where they gave way on my push.  Seems it was always at the water collection points or where a few pernicious wood mushrooms grew and cracked the wood.

Anybody who doubts the wisdom of getting aluminum equipment for outdoor use if you can afford it, show them these pictures.

I thought I did a good job building my equipment --solid wood, clamped glue, caulk wherever water might gather, primer, several coats of paint, screwed not nailed, reinforced at all the stress points.  But I didn't use pressure treated wood, to save on weight.  On my rebuild, you can bet I'll use pressure treated wood.  My A-frame is on wheels anyway so weight doesn't matter.

Dog Walk rotted under the slats, almost clean across.

The dog walk rotted on the edges just below a feww slats, and was rotten almost clean through under the slats.

I feel naked without my dog walk and A-frame.  The see saw, by the way, is doing fine -- I think because it doesn't have slats holding moisture on the board.  I think I know what I'll be doing the whole month of December.  That will be my Merry Christmas to my dogs.

Upwards and onward!

Canine Good Citizen Test thru AKC

Jo Beth Britt (Evaluator), Lucky and me.
She congratulates me for passing the test.

Lucky and I passed our Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test two Saturdays back, plus our TDI (Therapy Dog International), which adds another component to the test.  Several of our club members' dogs were being tested, I videoed them all with permission using my brand new HD camera, and used a trial version of AVS Video Editor to edit the best one below (of Blair and Torren) to illustrate the disciplines tested for:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger
2. Sitting politely for petting (including the paw touch)
3. Appearance and grooming (including brushing)
   (These 1st 3 are combined in what looks like one exercise.)
4. Out for a walk on a loose leash (left turn, right turn, about face)
5. Walk thru a noisy crowd
6. Sit and down on command/Stay in place
7. Come when called
8. Reaction to another dog test (should be no reaction)
9. Reaction to distraction (loud noise and jogger going by)
10. Leave it (TDI only)
11. Supervised separation from handler (3 minutes)

It was nice weather, cool. windy and sometimes noisy at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield parking lot.  Not everyone passed.  It's a wee bit more difficult than it looks.  Lucky and I had a few bobbles, like her collar being too tight, her trying to visit with the other dog in "Reaction to another dog", and veering toward the food bowl on the first pass, but I got blamed for those, not her. I had over-tightened her collar for the test, I forgot to say "Sit" as we approached the other dog, and passed within 2' of the bowl instead of 3'. We nailed it the 2nd try. 

A few additional points:

• Dogs need to be clean, nails clipped, well groomed.
• Handler is also being evaluated. Should be neat and clean, calm and pleasant, attentive to and obey the judge immediately, no smart talk, harsh talk or goofy behavior.
• No treats allowed during testing.
• You can talk to your dog all you want.
• You can touch/pet your dog.
• No corrections such as snapping the leash, saying "NO" or AAAH, or anything like that. Certainly no whacking, bopping, or yelling.
• Loose leash at all times.
• Dog should be paying attention to you, following you.
• No jumping up on people, even in greeting.
• No visiting with other dogs.
• Evaluator observes dog's behavior the entire time they are on premises, not just when they are being tested.  Lunging, growling, fighting, whining, jumping up on people, being highly distracted at any time can disqualify them.
• Dog's collar should be loose enough for a collar grab (2 finger space at least).
• The title covers both dog and handler, and if a different handler wants to take a CGC certified dog to pet therapy venues, a separate title must be earned.

CGC can be added to the dog's official AKC name along with their other AKC titles, so Lucky's official name now is:

LUCKY LUCY LU-LU VON FRY, AX, AXJ, CGC

Nothing is added to the handler's name.  I'm still just Michele T. Fry, NP

Our club provides 6 weeks of "training to the test" prior to the judge arriving, and while it isn't required, the class really helps.  One learns a bunch of tricks to help your dog pass.  Lucky, for example, often growls if you touch her paws.  But she will shake with anyone.  Tracey coached me to say "Shake" at the same moment the judge was about to take her paw.  It worked.  Forewarned, she didn't growl.

The class was open to the public, $25, all of which applies to the cost of the test if you take it, plus an $8 processing fee to AKC to be sent in with the paperwork.

THOUGHTS:  I may never do Pet Therapy with Lucky, but I want her to have the title and know the drill.  She and Maxie are both comfortable in crowds, and both have a very good "leave it" when I set food on the coffee table -- unlike my older dogs FoohFooh and Willow who rush at oncoming dogs on our walks, can't resist any available food, and make pests of themselves with begging.  A few sessions of early obedience training has made all the difference with my younger dogs.  They are beneficiaries of going to school and my improved dog training skills.

Upwards and onward!

P.S. Maxie earned his CGC/TDI back in 2009 and has made quite a few Pet Therapy visits. Willow, who could NEVER pass the test because she won't sit/stay or walk on a loose leash, accompanies us and is a wonderful Pet Therapy dog as well. Everyone loves her, she is soft, pettable, and friendly, and our club's Pet Therapy program allows non-certified dogs to participate.  So why did I bother getting Lucky certified?  Because it's good training, very cheap, so why not get a certificate along with it!

Acorns Galore

What the mower, with vacuum attachment, left behind.

My agility yard has developed a new problem -- ACORNS GALORE.  We've always had acorns, but this year it's like hail hitting the house day and night, for weeks on end.  I've been thunked on the head a few times, too, and that hurts.  Squirrels are scurrying too and fro in massive numbers. One can hardly walk under the oak trees without skidding. The crunching nose is wierd.  Afraid they were dying, I called Naylor's Hardware and Johnny said no, it's just a nationwide bumper crop like few he's ever remembered.  In my 38 years at Old Hammond Hideaway, I don't remember anything like it.  When I Googled "bumper crop of acorns" I ran across this Boston Globe article and discovered it's a nationwide phenomenon.

Yesterday we tried mowing/vacuuming them up, but the mower just picked up leaves and left the acorns behind.  This morning I took some pix and put together my first Windows Live slide show as a way to explore the built-in software on my new computer.  After some experimenting, I found I had to upload the video to YouTube rather than directly to the blog, then embed it here to get reasonable picture quality.  It's a huge HD file.  The "for the web" file that uploaded here was horribly grainy, and this one seems to be messing up the contrast.  The acorns seem sunken in instead of protruding --not like the original photos.

A Giant Problem - Acorns Galore

Now what?  I can't very well rake 'em up, as the small acorns go through the tines.  John voluneered to push broom the entire area under the trees, about 1/3 of my agility practice yard, and bag them.  But, they are still falling like hail when the wind blows, so there's no point in all that work right now.  I'll have to confine my training to the grassy parts.

Which is doable if I move the weaves and carpets over there.  I hate to kill my good grass with the carpet, but I need it to practice my Weave Relays before the Lake Charles trial.  Unless I can improve Lucky's speed, no way she will ever get qualifying scores in Excellent B.  I also improve my MACH points with Maxie, and chances of QQ's if he doesn't pop out of the weaves.

Always something else to resolve.  Upwards and onward!

Now I Like Football. WHY???

LSU/Alabama Game

Everyone knows I have NEVER liked football. Mostly because my Dad made our whole family miserable as he simultaneously watched on TV and listened on the radio to EVERY football game he could get near.  Sometimes he had 2 TV's stacked on top of each other watching 2 different games, then listening to another one on the radio, while his guests went unnoticed.  When you picked him up at the airport for a rare family visit, or he met you at the airport, all he wanted was to get to a TV screen.  Couldn't even say Hello first.  And, he'd get irate and grumble if anyone talked or blocked the screen so he missed a play, or, if he appeared to be sleeping and Mom turned the volume down.  It never ended.  There was always another game.  If not football, then baseball, as though he were playing the games himself.  All of which scared me silly as a girl, and disgusted me as an adult. While his 3 boys were in college over a 10 year span, Dad had season tickets to all the home Tulane and LSU football games.  We would drive the 200 miles round trip from Slidell nearly every weekend to attend the games.  I sat with him and Mom in the stands, often surrounded by drunken, screaming louts, and Dad yelling at them to "si-down".  By the time I went to LSU, he and Mom had mercifully moved to Florida.

It was not a festive atmosphere, so as soon as I could get away from that oppression, I did.  My student ticket went un-used. I never tailgated, never married nor ever dated, nor ever even hung out with any friends or acquaintances who were football fanatics.  To this day, I steer clear of sports fanatics.

HOWEVER, now that I'm trying to develop a few piddlin' skills as a dog agility handler - like running for a minute without panting, executing front crosses without twisting an ankle, trying to commit handling moves to muscle memory, not lose my focus at every distraction, pick up my feet when I sprint, put a little speed on when I run, I've come to notice, to appreciate how the players can twist and turn and stay in an explosive game for 2 hours without collapsing, how they seem to know where the ball is and which direction to run in amidst the blur of human flesh, how they fling themselves through space with 100% resolve, arms and legs flailing, land with a horrific thud, and get right back up like an inflated punching doll.  How 6 giants can pile on top of a 7th one, and he doesn't come out flat as a pancake with 12 broken bones.

How do they do that?  It's begun to intrigue me.  Besides innate talent, testosterone, macho, and team pride, it's clear to me now that there's a whole, whole, whole bunch of training going on, as in this video of the daily training schedule posted in the LSU Atheletic Department's website.  Agility students will recognize the laddar.  Yes, our novice dogs do laddar training for "rear leg awareness", but our handlers don't!  We barely address the moves required of our "handling skills", certainly never by rote like football players do, much less "handler fitness".  We don't even warm up before our runs.

It's inspires me to contemplate that football players can't play at all, much less win, without constant training.  I have begun to marvel at their dedication. And then, there's the development of their mental game, learning to adjust instantaneously to constantly changing scenarios, rude jeers and taunting, without getting disoriented or shook up.  I take heart that these skills can all be learned.  It's marvelous, really.

LSU intersepts Alabama's
ball on the 1 yard line.

With my new-found perspective, I'm beginning to enjoy watching football, especially with friends, especially the "great plays" like this one at last weekend's LSU/Alabama game.  Whew, that was something!  I'm not to the point of insanity.  I don't stoop to rudeness (though I might choose not to attend a party at a home without a large HD TV).  I don't care that much who wins (except for LSU), so long as the uniforms are attractive, the cameras catch great video and show lots of instant replays.  I won't be bringing my wireless to an agility trial and listen to a game in between all my runs, nor cruize the arena looking for anybody who knows the current score, like some agility competitors do.  But I've begun to appreciate a good game once in awhile, and especially a spectacular play, even if the people around me are gasping and screeching, cussing the coaches, referree's or players, and in some cases, all blotch faced and crying.

I've also come to realize that football fanatacism is a prevelant disease -- so I've more or less forgiven my Dad for his addiction.  Why, Naylors Hardware practically threw me out last Saturday at 4 p.m. as I was choosing my lettuce plants.  They were closing 2 hours early for the game.

Yes, I've come a long way. And that's another Upwards and Onward for me.

GEAUX TIGERS!