Agility
Wow! We did some agility today :)
Sat up a small sequence consisting of four jumps and the seesaw. The dogs enjoyed doing something else than long walks in the woods for a change and here's a video to proof it.
A weekend of WC live streaming
Friday I had planed to skip the day's lecture in pathology so I could spend the whole day in from of the TV watching the live streaming.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Since Dania cup and BCC 2011 I haven't really been enjoying agility - I've been feeling burned out agilitywise. I have never felt this way before.
Dania Cup & BCC 2011
In the past two weeks we have participated in two big international events. First Dania Cup and this weekend Border Collie Classic.
Agility Quick Fixes
One of the things I have learned over the years is that there are no lasting quick fixes in agility. If you want a fast and accurate performance you need to work on skills.
WAO Belgium 2012?
A couple of months ago I wrote to the Agility committee at the Danish kennel club regarding Crufts and World Agility Open. I was puzzled as to why there weren't any Danish participants at these events, but I never received an answer.
Amazing weekend
Wow! What a weekend. It was everything I had hoped for and more. Zap and Bob did so amazingly well. Of course there was moments of chaos, but there were runs that amazed me as well.
Birthday
My birthday was on Tuesday this week and I had my pharmacology exam that same day - lovely way to celebrate turning 25 for the third time ;)
Only Eight Days Left
. To Zap's first show and the first outdoor trial of the year. I'm so excited! This will also be Bob's first outdoor trial as he competed once in November indoor on carpet.
New Agility Leashes
Last year during a competition I was corrected, over the speakers actually, for having Poncho's tug toy attached to his leash. Supposedly you are not allowed to bring toys into the ring.
April Issue of Hund & Traening
Here's a preview of the videos for my article written for Hund & Træning magazine. The topic is obstacle discrimination. How to handle it and how to teach the dog to discriminate on a verbal cue.
The Mental Part of The Agility
Doing well in agility competitions is greatly affected by our mental management and what we say, think and do. Not many realize how sport psychology can improve your agility performance. I know first hand how big a part mental management plays in the game of agility.
Christmas Gift from Tim
Finally! My Christmas gift from Tim has arrived. A long jump made out of aluminum. Tim knew it would take awhile for the long jump to be delivered so he also gave me a Clean Run magazine digital subscription. He thought I shouldn't spent Christmas without a present from him.
Why Aren't We Participating?
Puzzled once again. How come agility world championships are held without Danish participation? Since the first FCI world championship took place Denmark has each year elected a team and has won both the individual title and the team title.
Weaves and Contacts
I took advantage of the awesome weather we were having last weekend and painted the dog walk. During the week it dried enough for us to use it in training.
Open Spots - Ledige pladser
There are still a couple of spots available on the contacts seminar held at Hund & Træning, Skibby. The seminar is not only for those experiencing contact related problems in training or competition but also for beginners. Go to Hund & Træning and fill out the entry form.
Where to buy agility equipment
To those of you who have been asking for it; here's a list of distributors from whom I bought my obstacles.
Competition Ahead
Had a training session with all the dogs today as my parents came by with Bob and Liva.
Back to those running contacts
I know. I said I was sticking to 2on2off on the dog walk, but I still suck at maintaining criteria in competition! So I spend the last two month retraining Poncho to a running Dog walk.
Fionia Cup 2010
Home from a wonderful week on gorgeous Fyn. Similar to the previous Fionia Cup Tim and I combine agility with vacation. we rented a beautiful house with a location to die for: in a forest with no neighbors near by - just the kind of house we would love to live in.
Teaching the 2on2off
It's always a good idea to have a plan when training dogs. It helps you to think of every aspect of the behavior you want. Before the training actually starts you'll know which behavior you'll reward and what you will ignore and you'll always know what the next step is.
Weave Poles and Contacts
Zap is now 15 months old and I started teaching him the 2x2 weave this week. He's almost weaving 4 straight poles, but I want to work more on entries and he's getting next week off -his brain and body needs a break.
Trialing Debut
Poncho had his debut trialing yesterday and I couldn't have been happier about his performance. Even though the weather was absolutely awful I was on cloud nine.
Manners Minder training session
After introducing the Manners Minder to Poncho's running contacts training, his rate of success has increased with 10 %! That is a pretty great progress.
Final Countdown
Only 4 days to go and we're of to out first trial. I'm very exited because this is the ultimate way to proof our training and because it's been a year since I last competed and I've really missed it.
Finally! My very own Manners Minder
It came all the way from the UK. It was pretty expensive, but I already like it very much and so does the dogs. With the Manners Minder I will be able to reward only the correct responses of our running contact training, given I manage to only press the remote at the right time.
Agility Zone
I recently subscribed to a new agility magazine - Agility Zone. It's been a year since they published the first issue, and considering they've only been in the business for a year they've come a long way.
Zap's Running A-frame 1
I decided to use Rachel Sander's box method with Zap. We've been working the box on the ground during the winter. Given his progress I tried adding the box to the A-frame.
What do you get an agility nerd for her birthday?
When I turned 12 Fille was present from my parents (Not in a 'Lady and the Tramp' kind-of-way). On my 14th birthday Fille and I entered our first competition. Last year I spend my birthday competing with Cosmo and Zap was a present from Tim and my parents.
When To Add Heights To Jumps
Last Saturday I drove to Horsens to give the first of two lectures on jumping skills. Many of the dogs participating was only one year of age and very new to jumping. This brought up the subject on when to increasing jump height with young dogs.
Weblogs I follow
Many people ask me how I know so much about agility and what's going on with new training methods and so no. So since you asked here's a list of some of the blogs I find educational or inspiring.
Teaching the Tire
During the years I've practiced and taught agility I have heard about, seen and tried many ways to teach the tire - some with a better result than others. One method is to cover the space between tire and frame. Another method is to lure the dog through the tire with treats. But common to all these methods have been that they never really pleased me.
Running Contacts 1
I decided to defy the snow and went out to train the dogs. Because off the snow our running contact training has been proponed with almost two months, but I decided it was time for our very first session today.
A-frame and rubber stuff
As I mentioned earlier we added an A-frame to our agility obstacles. It was made in Germany by WT-metall. The shipping to Denmark wasn't cheap, but we ended up paying 6600 kr. overall which isn't much compared to others.
Rehearsing an Incorrect Response
I love watching YouTube videos; it gives me great inspiration on dog training from all over the world while I sit on my couch with a cup of tea. But one of the things that always comes to my mind is; Why do people rehearsing mistakes?
How To Keep Track Of Your Training
It is known that to get the most out of your training it is a good idea to keep track of each training session. In order to do so I have made these logs that helps me keep track of my dog's progress. Furthermore it helps me think out a plan on how to reach my goal.
Leadership...?
I often hear dog people talk about leadership. It is always like 'you need to let your dog know who is the boss' or 'the dog should not get it's dinner before you have had your supper - the underdog eats last' and 'you should be the first one to go out the door' and so on. There are many more statements like those I have listed. It is almost like people think that if they don't watch out the dog will take over the family today and the hole world tomorrow. Agility people have also adopted this theory. They believe that if the dog leaves the contact to early it is because the dog do not respect you, not because it does not understand your criteria. To me it is just a way of blaming the dog for your poor dog training skills. All this leadership stuff has never made any sense to me. The subject really made me wonder and it led me to this question:
