# Learning Agility



## Sibe

We have been in 7 weeks, and hope to continue until at least the end of next March.. if anyone knows of agility training in San Diego let me know!

"I can't see!" *stops*









Keep those back feet on the yellow!



























Sequencing last week


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## Jacksons Mom

He looks great! Totally adorable. I've recently become obsessed with agility too, LOL. Jackson's 8 week class ended on Saturday and I miss it already.


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## LynnI

Really nice, looks like you have had some excellent instruction, nice solid contacts


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## Sibe

I saw Jackson's video, I love the little guys running! Fortunately classes her are ongoing (in 6 week sections) so we don't have to take a break for winter. It's also indoors which is nice considering Colorado tends to be blanketed in snow in the winter.

We've spent a lot of time on contacts. The instructor's dog will actually stand on her front legs, pull down the teeter, and put her back feet on it with front on the floor, and wait to be released/rewarded! The power of treats.


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## So Cavalier

> if anyone knows of agility training in San Diego let me know!


If you want to PM me with details of when you are going to be in San Diego, I have a really great trainer and can get names of several more if mine doesn't work out. My trainer does all levels, from beginning foundation through dogs working on their MACH.


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## Sibe

Video from today




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cana0hRSX6A

Whoops! We're having trouble overcoming the EVIL BLACK POSTS on the teeter. She's never hit them or anything, but hates going through them. She has no issue at all with the *bang* though.









"I haz stand rite here and I gets treats?! Dat is awesum. I do that."


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## MissMutt

Hmm.. I've never seen posts like that on a competition teeter. Do they have another teeter laying around that you can use, maybe?

She looks awesome! And she's going to be really fast. Contacts look like they're shaping up nicely!


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## Sibe

The teeter isn't at full height I believe is why. When it's lower they poke up. I'm confused though because she's had no problem with it at first, and the last couple weeks it's been an issue for her. Such is training!

Oh and scary story from today! A sheltie fell off the dogwalk. Owner happened to be right next to him and caught him. Not so lucky the second time. Exact same spot he slipped before, he fell off and she was a step ahead. He tucked his head and landed on his head/neck/shoulder. Made quite a smack because there are wood boards under the mats. Everyone stopped what they were doing as he was checked out. Didn't need any other commotion. He scuffed his chin a bit but didn't seem to have hurt his neck. They immediately had him do the walk the other way (he is a slow dog, just trots along anyways) and he was fine. Went back the "bad" way and he tried to jump off in the same spot. They worked him for a solid ten minutes with treats and not forcing him to do it, just having him stand there and give him treats, walk back and forth with treats. He ran it once pretty well, though still crouched lower than usual and slowed down more than his already slow pace. Strict orders to watch him closely for signs his neck or back are bothering him. I was so glad he was ok, and also very glad they had him work it so intensively after his slip!


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## agility collie mom

MissMutt said:


> Hmm.. I've never seen posts like that on a competition teeter. Do they have another teeter laying around that you can use, maybe?
> 
> She looks awesome! And she's going to be really fast. Contacts look like they're shaping up nicely!


I agree. If those are bolts sticking out on the uprights they would be a hugh safety issue to me. Especially when teaching a green dog. It's just a accident waiting to happen. Also ask the sheltie's owner if he/she clips the hair between the pads on the bottoms of her dogs feet. If not that could be the slipping off the dog walk issue because the hair on the bottoms of the feet is like walking on ice. You both are doing great! Love her expression in the photo of the 2o2o.


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## MissMutt

Yes, a competition teeter, even if set to that low height, will not have those poles sticking up at the side.


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## Kyllobernese

The teeter looks like they made it so you could start out with it really low, then gradually raise it up. A good idea if you could figure out how to avoid having the supports stick up higher than the teeter when it is on the low setting.


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## MissMutt

Our competition teeter can be lowered so that it's flat on the ground, but doesn't have those poles, just a chain at the bottom to control the height.

If this teeter is your only option, you're probably better off setting it to the highest height so that the bars aren't there and then putting a table under the tipping end so that it isn't technically at full height.


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## Sibe

Whew, after a month off we're back at it!
She spazzed a little at the end (I was stiff today, I think I threw her off) and knocked over the last bar, but otherwise I think we did pretty well! I didn't think she'd do the turn from the tunnel to the walk nearly as well as she did. Proud of my girl!




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ukfyoNWtd0

We also learned serpentine/snake jumping. Right to left (away), about to do left to right (towards me), and another away.


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## Sibe

January 20th




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqYQzhmwzUI





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSG7YQunLw


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## MissMutt

Nice! But, if I may make one suggestion - compared to your previous videos, she seems a bit slower. You need to really drive drive drive to the obstacles - like on the jumps after the tunnel in the second video, you're just walking her through them - I wonder what'd happen if you ran!

Throwing the treat out in front of you after completing a sequence can also help.

How is she doing with the teeter?


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## Sibe

I admit I was lacking energy today. The household 9 month old baby (my nephew) is VERY loud and likes to scream and "talk" and pound on things at 8am. I'm not a morning person at all so it wears on me. In the second vid I was much more focused on doing the front crosses than hurrying it up and was like meh, we're good, go over the jumps, ok, yay. And then when I clapped for her it startled her. Blah. I'm drained! I'm sure if I'd been running and excited she would have been much quicker and enthusiastic. We've also been biking a bit the last few days, I'll have to remember to lay off for a day or two before class for both our sakes.

We didn't do teeter today, but we did a bit last week and she's over her issue with the black posts that stick up. Still not to full height as she's a bit young.


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## LazyGRanch713

Sibe said:


> I admit I was lacking energy today. The household 9 month old baby (my nephew) is VERY loud and likes to scream and "talk" and pound on things at 8am. I'm not a morning person at all so it wears on me. In the second vid I was much more focused on doing the front crosses than hurrying it up and was like meh, we're good, go over the jumps, ok, yay. And then when I clapped for her it startled her. Blah. I'm drained! I'm sure if I'd been running and excited she would have been much quicker and enthusiastic. We've also been biking a bit the last few days, I'll have to remember to lay off for a day or two before class for both our sakes.
> 
> We didn't do teeter today, but we did a bit last week and she's over her issue with the black posts that stick up. Still not to full height as she's a bit young.


I know how it is when you just. can't. run. at agility. Last summer I had a horrible, horrible week and I barely had the energy to stand, let alone run! My dog was running laps, and everyone was screaming "RUN!" and I said "I CAN'T!" lol. I made a boo-boo last night and figured Tag knew more distance than he did and did what I always do--slam on the brakes and point at the next obstacle. My dog stops and stares at me. I GOTTA get out of that habit.


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## Sibe

Denali did AWESOME today! The extra practice between classes is really helping 

Coming out of the tunnel she is looking for a treat on the ground. Instructor had tossed one as she was coming out earlier today so she was expecting one.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8hTwjPQW3s

In this one, notice right before the top of the A-frame she coughs hard and a treat flies out. She decided inhaling the treat for doing "feet" off the dogwalk was better than swallowing it. She coughed it out, and it was right in her line to finish the last jump which is why she's slow off the A-frame to find it.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSic8xASRiY


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## kadylady

I just wanted to comment and say that I really enjoy watching your video's and seeing your progress with Denali. Thanks for sharing!


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## Sibe

Thank you! I know it gets a bit repetitive to watch but I'm always so proud of her I can't help but share. :redface:


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## Sibe

Instructor said "Today is about running!" and sent us around the outside obstacles 4 times.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijPktj2cDb4

She knocked 2 bars in this one! First one I believe I had her too close to the jump at the start line, the second I'm not too sure, maybe I/she was turning in too tight?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUgqLuGAMnk

This one she hit the teeter down so hard she bounced off..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSn3l5PNlQs


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## Shandwill

Your videos are great! Keep up the good work. (My dog coughed out a treat in obedience class last night, lol!)


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## agility collie mom

You are correct that she was too close for a good take off at the first jump. The second bar is just a green dog trying to learn her take off point. Very nice videos. You are a great team! One other thing I would suggest don't run with her leash around your neck you or your dog may get hurt by the snap if you accidently step on the end.


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## Sibe

I tried the leash for a few weeks and don't like it. It trips me up and gets in the way.

Her first runs were good today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Yrkd80Ss4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbRd9-O-cFk

And I could use some advice on this jump at the beginning of the run. We go jump -> tire -> jump, and the jump after the tire was the trouble. There is a tunnel and another jump on the other side of the tire so I need to pull her in tight, but the first time was way too tight and she skipped the jump, second and third time she knocked the bar. I guess I need to push her out just a liiiittle bit more. Any tips on how to turn and move my body to push her out but keep her tight?





and the second try


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## Charis

I am enjoy the videos too! We don't have any agility around here so I enjoy watching what I can!


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## Sibe

Haven't updated for a while. We did our first fun run a few weeks ago and she did awesome, it was very different since the course was so spread out compared to what we practice indoors but she did very well. Her first run was kind of all over and she stopped chest against a jump to bark at one of the helpers, but her second run was fantastic. Still waiting on vids.

Our last class here in Colorado is tomorrow, and we'll be starting up again in May in San Diego. 

These are from the 17th, she'd just turned 13 months.

Run #1




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JSK18nh8c

Run #2 (second try on this one I pushed her out more from table to A-frame, she jumped up on the side a bit too much in this run)




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0cAHXH0yJA

**SHE WEAVES!!**




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv_mUUvbVuk


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