Agility Field Management

After LCCOC's monthly meeting last night, Nedra, Polly and I discussed my suggestion for how we might leave a course set up for 2 weeks, letting the yard man mow around the course and me push mowing under and between obstacles after the 1st week.  Nedra said nobody wants to run the same course for 2 weeks.  This surprised me.  Some people, like me, would love it.  I need the repetition, and maybe those who don't could run it backwards the 2nd week.  But hey, they're calling all the shots, and if they want to tear down and set up every week, so be it.  I'll help where I can, but I'm usually not available on Saturday nights when they set up.  Nedra, Polly and Loralie, who usually set everything up, are all single so their evenings are probably freer than mine.

We did discuss leaving the A-Frame and Dog Walk up (the heavy pieces) and using a weed eater or  push mower under those.  Also, Nedra said when the folks were together in Hattiesburg, everyone was asking for more drills rather than always running full courses, so she's decided to set up more Backyard Dog exercises out of Clean Run Magazine, and a full course only every 5 weeks or so.  These exercises are designed by high level trainers and competitors, usually don't include the contact equipment and only about 8 obstacles.  They target specific skills and are easy to set up.  It's exactly what I need, although I usually set them up in my back yard anyway.

Polly said she used my XJWW course last night with her Beginners class and "didn't find it difficult".  That surprised me, too. It must be because they ran alongside their dogs, whereas I'm trying to handle from a distance and work within a "handler's corridor".  All I can say is, almost nobody at the trial Q'd on this course and I've got the videos to prove it.  I think Kay was the only one from our club who Q'd.

Nedra said we'd have to bring our own weed eaters because we can't keep push mowers or tools out in the shed because they always get stolen.  She said we don't even lock the shed any more because thieves break off the lock and damage the door getting in.  People even sleep in the shed.  They climb right over our 6' high chain link fence.  All this is pretty disturbing and makes me less willing to go out to the field alone. 

I will get John to show me how to use our gas powered weed eater. I could put it in my trunk once in awhile to use after class.  Maybe Nedra has a weed eater, too.