Disaster!!!

If its not one thing, its another. Paul has slipped a disc in his back. Disaster! Especially as we are supposed to be leaving in 7 days time! Keeping everything crossed that he is well enough to come (although he says surgery is the only thing that would stop him! :-)) But it won't be pleasant for him if he is in pain, and he certainly won't be very mobile.

This also means that he won't be able to run Scooby for a while, so the poor dog might have to put up with me (I am not a good Scooby handler!)

Why now!?!?

Not long to go!!

Another weekend has gone and Crufts seems just around the corner!!! Scary! Maisie does seem to be a bit better, thankfully. The video below was taken on Saturday. I love how fast her little legs move! She tries so hard for me!

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Saturday we tried the '2 jump minuet' with Smudge. Goodness does it make you dizzy and confused! No video of that, but today we did manage to take some. We have been working hard on his contacts, trying to stick to the principles tha Bernadette showed us, and they are getting there I think. Sometimes they are fantastic, but then it all seems to go a bit pear shaped! We will keep going back to basics until he has it 100%!

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Latest Training Update

Sorry no video again! But I still like to post my updates, mainly because it focuses my mind! Who cares if you lot want to read it!?! Haha!

Start Line Set Up
Much better! He is getting excited about the set up routine now, which is what I was after. And he is learning that it means we are about to do agility, so focuses his mind (and mine!). I realised last night that I am probably not consistent enough with this. It is always roughly the same, but I need to make sure it is always exactly the same!! Watching old video back has made me see that although verbally I always say OK, physically sometimes I release him with a hand signal, sometimes I bob my head (what!?) and sometimes I do nothing at all!! It would be better to do nothing that something different every time! So I have written out exactly what my start line routine will be and I now need to stick to it!

Weaves
Breakthrough!!!!!! Previously we had a 'last two poles' problem. It was suggested that I was moving off too soon. My thoughts on this were that it shouldn't matter what I do, he should stay in. After lots of hard thinking I realised that maybe I was sticking too close to him, watching him and making him feel pressured. Then when I did move off the sudden change in my pace pulled him out. So we tried the theory........I was right! I need to trust him more. If I just let him find the entry and then leave him to it (I run off in whichever direction we are going next) then he weaves fine. Having me watching him and being too close was making him nervous!

Contacts
Getting there. We still need to do lots of work on the down plank to build even more speed, but it has come on leaps and bounds! And he was tested last night as a loose dog came running over to him right in the middle of his target.......Smudge still held his target position and carried on working even with a large black lab (not mine incidentally) running around. What a good boy!

Maisie didn't seem herself again, but I am starting to wonder if it is me. Perhaps I am worried about her, so I am running her differently, she is feeding off my worry and the result is that I think she is worse than she is?? Perhaps psychologically I am causing a bigger problem than there is? On the other hand, last time she was so ill that we thought we would lose her and the last thing I want is to put it all down to my head when there are actually signs there! Unfortunately until she actually starts showing definite symptoms there is nothing we can do apart from keep a very close eye. But last time I knew something wasn't right a few weeks before she went downhill, and I am nervous that is whats happening again. But as I said at the start it could all be just me!!! Someone shoot me! We can only take each day as it comes, but if she isn't well she will not be running at Crufts.

Scooby was......well.....mad! As usual. I ran him for Paul and I think my arms are now longer than my legs....he is so strong at tugging!!

Enough waffle. Off to do some work!

Scooby

Paul has pointed out to me that Scooby has been a bit hard done by on the blog.......and after all is is meant to be the 'Macfarlane Dogs'!! So to put things right, here is a short video of Scoobys jumping from the PAWS show at the start of Feb. Not the tidiest of runs! Lots of areas that could have been much tighter and cleaner, but still clear and to get Scooby round a fast course clear is quite something! Haha!

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Training - Jumping

Video from the jumping section in todays training. I was pleased with this. His turns are nice and tight and he is working independently. More to follow later!

Putting it into practice

We have started trying to put into practice what we have learnt. Easier said than done! Haha!

Tuesday night we went to obedience as usual, but I took the time to do lots of work on our targeting and playing with his toy/pencil case! Hehe! I thought it would be good to get him targeting in such a noisy and busy enviroment (the hall is always packed!). We also did some clicker work getting him walking backwards, but driving from his back legs, not pushing from the front. He really has got the hang of this now, so hopefully along with his elephant trick this will improve his back end awareness.

Wednesday night was agility. We started off with some start line set ups, away from the equipment. I was working on getting him into position, then asking him to wait before releasing him to a toy (using his OK!). This went well and he was getting really excited about getting into his start position and about his release so hopefully with more work this will improve even more.

Contacts - The A frame was great!!! We did some targeting on lead at first, making sure we kept tension through the lead and getting him really dragging me down to it. After a few times doing this we moved on and did the whole A frame. Wow! The difference a few days can make! He really ran up it, and was way ahead of me, nose down, and nicely into position. Fantastic! We then did A frame, jump, A frame with the target out only on the first time. He targeted nicely both times, even without his target out. Result! With lots more work like this I am feeling optimistic about his contacts!!

The dog walk wasn't quite as successful. He got the contacts, but I didn't feel that drive from him that was there on the A Frame. So lots of on lead work on the dog walk first I think.

Jumping wise we ran a few snakes, but with me trying to back off him a bit and distance handle more. I also shut my mouth (quite an achievement wouldn't you agree!? No comment please Chris) and let him read my body language. He ran it really well so just shows how little I actually need to speak! All I do when I over command is divert his attention to me (however briefly) and that will cost us time.

Finally, weaves. Much quicker, and a little manic at times (manic is better than slow I suppose!) Occasionally he pops the last two poles, so when he does this I am saying nothing, turning around and starting again. I am really pleased that he weaves so independently though. I wouldn't want a dog that needs guiding throug the poles, and I am so glad that I learnt that from Maisie!!

No video I am afraid as Paul was training at the same time. Will get some on Saturday though.

Maisie was running very frantically. We didn't feel like a team. This worries me as she just doesn't seem right. I wonder whether this is a start of a relapse in her shaker syndrome. On the other hand it could be because it was the first time I have ran her since I went away. Will have to keep a very close eye on her. I really hope it isn't as we are off to Crufts in 21 days!!!!! But who really cares about that? As disappointed as I would be, I just want her to be well. Guess we can only wait and see. Keeping everything crossed.

Comments?!

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