corbinam
Moderator
Loooove the first picture of the two of you. Very cute. The action shots are great, too.
Agility Trial - Take 2
- Thread starter Silaria
- Start date
People on this site kill me with the cuteness of their pictures! Agility + shelties = my favorite! 
So I will be sure to be watching this thread in case you decide to post a video up. Did I mention that shelties doing agility were my favorite? I especially like the weave poles. I think it's so cute to watch them dash through it!
So I will be sure to be watching this thread in case you decide to post a video up. Did I mention that shelties doing agility were my favorite? I especially like the weave poles. I think it's so cute to watch them dash through it!
Silaria
Forums Sage
Thanks, everyone.
Smudge, I don't know if you saw them but I posted video from my first agility trial (the same one these pictures are from). If you haven't seen them, the thread with the links can't be more than a page or two back.
For those of you just starting out, be patient with your little Sheltie and, perhaps more importantly, YOURSELF. Don't forget to have FUN.
I just started my training last September and Edan is my first agility dog so I'm still quite green. DO NOT push yourself into a trial. Make sure your foundations are solid, including some handling foundations like pivot turns and front/rear crosses before going into a trial. Believe me, your patience will be worth it.
If you decide you want to trial and if it's they offer one in your area, start with a Canine Performance Events (CPE) Trial. They are very laid back, the judges are really nice, jump heights are reasonable (a Sheltie of standard height will jump 12 inches), and CPE is designed so that even a newbie can have success - no weaves or teeter at Level 1. I'm SO glad I listened to all the people at my agility club when they suggested starting with CPE.
Level 2, what I'm mostly running in this time, is going to be a fun challenge since I have to face the teeter and 6 weaves; both of which Edan can do but not 100%.
Smudge, I don't know if you saw them but I posted video from my first agility trial (the same one these pictures are from). If you haven't seen them, the thread with the links can't be more than a page or two back.
For those of you just starting out, be patient with your little Sheltie and, perhaps more importantly, YOURSELF. Don't forget to have FUN.
I just started my training last September and Edan is my first agility dog so I'm still quite green. DO NOT push yourself into a trial. Make sure your foundations are solid, including some handling foundations like pivot turns and front/rear crosses before going into a trial. Believe me, your patience will be worth it.If you decide you want to trial and if it's they offer one in your area, start with a Canine Performance Events (CPE) Trial. They are very laid back, the judges are really nice, jump heights are reasonable (a Sheltie of standard height will jump 12 inches), and CPE is designed so that even a newbie can have success - no weaves or teeter at Level 1. I'm SO glad I listened to all the people at my agility club when they suggested starting with CPE.
Level 2, what I'm mostly running in this time, is going to be a fun challenge since I have to face the teeter and 6 weaves; both of which Edan can do but not 100%.
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shel-t-mom
Forums Regular
What great pics! It is great fun, isn't it? Hannah and I did our 2nd CPE trial on Sunday and I wasn't nervous at all this time. Had a blast!
shel-t-mom
Forums Regular
You sound like me 6 months ago, Fergus.
My hubby can't go with me this time to operate the camcorder because we are going to have house guests. I'm going to take it with me anyway and hope I can find someone to video my runs like I did for the last trial.
I know we are going to have a trial photographer there but I don't know how long it will take to get the pictures or how much they are going to cost.
However, just to tide you over until I get pictures or video from my trial, have a look at these; I don't think I've posted them yet.
Edan - Tire Jump
Edan - Bar Jump
Edan - Bar Jump 2 (I call this one his "Superdog" jump because of the position of his front paws.)
Edan and I just before we run: Picture 1 & Picture 2
What title is TD?
Silaria
Forums Sage
TD is Therapy Dog.
These are great shots, Silaria! Looks like Edan is quite a pro. You've also given some great advice. I've just enrolled Sophie into a beginner Agility class at my local AKC center.
Good luck with Edan in further trials. I've no doubt you will two will get quite far in your goals.
Good luck with Edan in further trials. I've no doubt you will two will get quite far in your goals.
Silaria
Forums Sage
The results!
Well, we had a fairly decent weekend, all things considered.
Saturday was a really good day for us. We even Qed in Snooker, a game I didn't fully understand and was incredibly nervous about trying. The light came on as I asked questions and found out that in the Opening Sequence you can take the obstacles in ANY order except for Double Jumps (and Teeter if it is in play).
My results for Saturday:
Standard - Level 2: Q & 2nd place. Standard Course Time (SCT): 76, Run Time: 67.31
Game: Wildcard - Level 2: Q & 3rd place. SCT: 50, Run Time: 39.03
Game: Snooker - Level 1: Q & 2nd place. Game Time: 50, Run Time: 56.66, Points: 31 (26 needed for Q)
Game: Full House - Level 2: Q & 4th place. Game Time: 40, Run Time: 38.96, Points: 23 (21 needed for Q)
Edan had an incredibly rough day on Sunday, not feeling 100%. We went out for our Standard run Sunday morning and there was NO energy in the poor little guy. He started off at a quick trot which turned into a walk in the last 1/3 of the course. He flat out REFUSED to clime the A-Frame (didn't want to run fast enough to get speed to climb it). What did I do? Had him walk around it and over to the next jump. We finished the course, over time, but we finished the last two jumps and tunnels on the course. As I waited for him to walk out of the last tunnel, the judge said to me "Thank you for doing what was right for your dog."
Honestly, I WAS NOT upset at the refusal, the off course, or the over time run. I was worried about how lethargic he was; to the point of near tears which surprised me. Quite honestly, I LOVE the people in my agility club. They provided me with some supplements, Glyco-gen Energy Bones from Clean Run and a chicken broth mix with honey, salt, potassium, and honey (basically an electrolyte drink for dogs), to try and help his energy levels. They also suggested I go sit with him in the car with the AC on to help cool him down. (It's been very hot and humid here and while the facility we were at was air conditioned it was still very warm.)
By the time we were ready to run Colors, I had decided that based on how he ran I'd determine whether or not to scratch him from the rest of the day, just from Jackpot, or try to run the fine two classes (Jackpot and Jumpers). Well, he ran Colors very well even though I took the "harder" course with the Dog Walk over the "easier" one with the A-Frame. (The "harder course had 10 obstacles and a slightly more challenging layout. The "easier" course had 9 obstacles and a 5 jump jump chute to the finish.) Edan LOVES the Dog Walk so I figured I may as well go with something he likes.
Well, something worked and Edan got a bit more pep in his step; though he still wanted NOTHING to do with the A-Frame. (We needed the A-Frame as part of the Gamble in Jackpot but he didn't take the tunnel from a distance so we weren't getting that gamble anyway so I didn't force the issue with multiple attempts at it.)
So, now with that long explanation, the results from Sunday:
Standard - Level 2: Refusal - A-Frame, Off Course Over SCT all equal No Time (NT)
Game: Colors - Level 2: Q & 1st place, SCT: 44, Run Time: 27.25
Game: Jackpot - Level 1: NQ & 2nd place, Points: 29, No Gamble (12 points in opening + 20 points Gamble needed for Q)
Game: Jumpers - Level 2: Q & 1st place, SCT: 43, Run Time: 39.47
These courses were TOUGH! At points I really wasn't sure how I was going to run them, even while doing my walk throughs. On some of them I changed my strategy a few times after walking the course and waiting for my turn. I did learn something about planning my runs during some of the games though; look for combinations that are easy to loop through twice for high points and take full advantage of them.
I also learned more about what Edan will need, health wise, during a trial. After someone told me about it, it just made sense! Human athletes need electrolytes and other supplements to keep their muscles healthy and hydrated effectively, why should canine athletes, who are also mammals, be any different in that regard.
I also learned that I really need to work on distance training before trying Jackpot again. I spoke to another trainer who also handled a Sheltie, the owner didn't run her dogs. (Post about this encounter will be made later in a different section of the forum since it's off topic from this post.) She gave me tips on how to use target training, similar to what I used for contacts, to help build distance.
For Sunday's Standard, the judge ran Levels 2 & 3 together with the maximum number of obstacles. The advantage was to the Level 3s because they only had to deal with 1 set of 6 weaves instead of 12. Even though Edan had issues, I'm quite proud of how we ran that course because if he was feeling better we would have Qed on the near-equivalent of a Level 3 course.
YIKE! This got REALLY long. Quick summary: even though we had some interesting personal trials to overcome this weekend, looking back it really wasn't that bad. I don't know if I'll do another trial this year or not. Work really threw a wrench in that when they pushed back some project dates but there's always next year!
Well, we had a fairly decent weekend, all things considered.
Saturday was a really good day for us. We even Qed in Snooker, a game I didn't fully understand and was incredibly nervous about trying. The light came on as I asked questions and found out that in the Opening Sequence you can take the obstacles in ANY order except for Double Jumps (and Teeter if it is in play).
My results for Saturday:
Standard - Level 2: Q & 2nd place. Standard Course Time (SCT): 76, Run Time: 67.31
Game: Wildcard - Level 2: Q & 3rd place. SCT: 50, Run Time: 39.03
Game: Snooker - Level 1: Q & 2nd place. Game Time: 50, Run Time: 56.66, Points: 31 (26 needed for Q)
Game: Full House - Level 2: Q & 4th place. Game Time: 40, Run Time: 38.96, Points: 23 (21 needed for Q)
Edan had an incredibly rough day on Sunday, not feeling 100%. We went out for our Standard run Sunday morning and there was NO energy in the poor little guy. He started off at a quick trot which turned into a walk in the last 1/3 of the course. He flat out REFUSED to clime the A-Frame (didn't want to run fast enough to get speed to climb it). What did I do? Had him walk around it and over to the next jump. We finished the course, over time, but we finished the last two jumps and tunnels on the course. As I waited for him to walk out of the last tunnel, the judge said to me "Thank you for doing what was right for your dog."
Honestly, I WAS NOT upset at the refusal, the off course, or the over time run. I was worried about how lethargic he was; to the point of near tears which surprised me. Quite honestly, I LOVE the people in my agility club. They provided me with some supplements, Glyco-gen Energy Bones from Clean Run and a chicken broth mix with honey, salt, potassium, and honey (basically an electrolyte drink for dogs), to try and help his energy levels. They also suggested I go sit with him in the car with the AC on to help cool him down. (It's been very hot and humid here and while the facility we were at was air conditioned it was still very warm.)
By the time we were ready to run Colors, I had decided that based on how he ran I'd determine whether or not to scratch him from the rest of the day, just from Jackpot, or try to run the fine two classes (Jackpot and Jumpers). Well, he ran Colors very well even though I took the "harder" course with the Dog Walk over the "easier" one with the A-Frame. (The "harder course had 10 obstacles and a slightly more challenging layout. The "easier" course had 9 obstacles and a 5 jump jump chute to the finish.) Edan LOVES the Dog Walk so I figured I may as well go with something he likes.
Well, something worked and Edan got a bit more pep in his step; though he still wanted NOTHING to do with the A-Frame. (We needed the A-Frame as part of the Gamble in Jackpot but he didn't take the tunnel from a distance so we weren't getting that gamble anyway so I didn't force the issue with multiple attempts at it.)
So, now with that long explanation, the results from Sunday:
Standard - Level 2: Refusal - A-Frame, Off Course Over SCT all equal No Time (NT)
Game: Colors - Level 2: Q & 1st place, SCT: 44, Run Time: 27.25
Game: Jackpot - Level 1: NQ & 2nd place, Points: 29, No Gamble (12 points in opening + 20 points Gamble needed for Q)
Game: Jumpers - Level 2: Q & 1st place, SCT: 43, Run Time: 39.47
These courses were TOUGH! At points I really wasn't sure how I was going to run them, even while doing my walk throughs. On some of them I changed my strategy a few times after walking the course and waiting for my turn. I did learn something about planning my runs during some of the games though; look for combinations that are easy to loop through twice for high points and take full advantage of them.
I also learned more about what Edan will need, health wise, during a trial. After someone told me about it, it just made sense! Human athletes need electrolytes and other supplements to keep their muscles healthy and hydrated effectively, why should canine athletes, who are also mammals, be any different in that regard.
I also learned that I really need to work on distance training before trying Jackpot again. I spoke to another trainer who also handled a Sheltie, the owner didn't run her dogs. (Post about this encounter will be made later in a different section of the forum since it's off topic from this post.) She gave me tips on how to use target training, similar to what I used for contacts, to help build distance.
For Sunday's Standard, the judge ran Levels 2 & 3 together with the maximum number of obstacles. The advantage was to the Level 3s because they only had to deal with 1 set of 6 weaves instead of 12. Even though Edan had issues, I'm quite proud of how we ran that course because if he was feeling better we would have Qed on the near-equivalent of a Level 3 course.
YIKE! This got REALLY long. Quick summary: even though we had some interesting personal trials to overcome this weekend, looking back it really wasn't that bad. I don't know if I'll do another trial this year or not. Work really threw a wrench in that when they pushed back some project dates but there's always next year!
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