A Second Favorite Piece of Barb’s Advice!

Handle each obstacle.

Wow, is that simple.

Handle each obstacle.

Simple but oh so powerful and oh so meaningful.  Barb can be soft-spoken and even quiet, but when she talks, you listen.  She is extremely observant and manages to break down even the most difficult of course challenges into simple lines and movements.  She uses the Linda Mecklenburg methods.  As she explained further, she said that you do have to think ahead and get into position but to be sure to support your dog on each and every obstacle.  So often dogs miss a jump or pull off a tunnel because you began to turn too soon or forgot to hold that arm up and support a jump.

Great advice.

Thank you, Barb!

A Favorite Piece of Advice on Handling

One of my expert trainers, Barb, recently told us to “handle for the obstacle you want, not for the obstacle you don’t want”.  It’s very powerful advice.  So often we worry about a trap in an agility course and end up sending our dog there.

It reminded me of a story someone told me about golf.  He said he had a very difficult shot to make but he felt quite confident he could do it.  He had chosen his club and planned his position and stroke.  As he stepped up to the tee, the other golfer said “Watch out for the pond.” Of course, he then hit the pond!  He was suddenly focused on the water and drove the ball into it.  He had told me that story to illustrate how thinking positively is more powerful than thinking defensively.  So, her advice made quite an impact on me as I remembered the story.

When you walk your course, you do have to be cognizant of all the “traps” and plan your run accordingly; but then as you run it, focus only on your plan.  You do not need to think about the “wrong” end of the tunnel but instead handle only for the “right” end.  When I do this, it amazes me when I see the difference.

In fact, it carries over to life in general.

Handle for what you want.

Prepare for the new “AKC” NMACH!

Yes, friends, it is here!  Finally, a way to celebrate those Double NQ’s!

Before now there was no way to celebrate a day such as I had today.  There was no ribbon or reward for the double NQ, until now!  Yep, for the avid AKC competitor that finds their head in their hands as the Q’s pass them by more often than not; there is a new title championship to achieve!  Just like the little red engine that kept saying “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!” but well…..can’t…..there will be an achievement to be proud of.

Are you ready???

Prepare yourself to be delighted by the new…

drum roll, please………

(Not Master Agility Champion)

Finally, a reward to recognize the handler for all those NQ’s and lost points!   Even more exciting, your future MACH will be even more of an honor if you achieve your NMACH Title first because if you can endure the humiliation and embarrassment of what it takes to get an NMACH then you have persistence, determination and an ability to learn that make you a true competitor.  (Or you are quite wealthy and not too bright!)

Beginning today, submit your results to NQ your way to the NMACH.  Each NMACH will be based on the AKC agility runs of one dog.  Prior results are admissible as long as you are still competing with the dog as of today, January 30, 2010.

Here are the requirements:

• 20 Double NQ’s
• 40 Single NQ’s (not already counted as part of a Double NQ)
• Dog must be in AKC Excellent B before eligible for Single and Double NQ’s
• All eligible runs must be with the same dog
• All NQ runs must be from AKC sanctioned trials
• A single NQ run will be counted as 2 if the following is achieved:*
  • One additional NQ for every run without an official time that ended in humiliation due to taking your dog off before finishing the course including courses where your dog never got off the start line or any reason that you did not receive a time
  • One additional NQ for crying out of sheer frustration, shame or even sadness
  • Although I would also LIKE to give out additional NQ’s for swearing on course resulting in a whistle-off by the judge; my advisors and I  had genuine concern that we would encourage bad behavior thus, no bonus for swearing

*These rules are subject to change as the program gets established.

Once you submit your qualifications for an NMACH and it is finalized, you will recieve a beautiful certificate by email to print and frame for all the “oohs and ahhs” you deserve.  Also, your name will be listed and your photo will be published on the upcoming NMACH website, if you desire.  A prototype is in the works for an NMACH bar as well!  This is being designed with a litter of agility friends and built by a very skilled fellow competitor.  Once finalized, I will post the design on the website for you or your club to build so you can have your very own.

As mentioned, a website is in the works for you to proudly display your picture and achievement once he/she earns his/her NMACH – the dog’s photo can be used instead but really it is the handler’s award thus a photo of the handler would be more appropriate.  Rankings will be determined based on how long it takes you to achieve an NMACH:  the shorter the time, the higher the ranking.

The official song of the NMACH Club is “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus.  http://www.amazon.com/The-Climb/dp/B001W3T44W

So get out your records and your calculators!  Based on the rules above, submit:

• your first name
• your dog’s registered and call names
• your dog’s birthdate
• breed
• date your dog earned his/her AKC Excellent A title
• number of double NQ’s
• number of single NQ’s
• and any comment you would like to add

Submit the above information as a comment to this blog or send the information to lincolnofflead@yahoo.com.

Run Clean and Fast…or not!

Don’t needle me please!

After this morning, my new term for bad customer service or bedside manner…..”needling me”.

Good customer service or good bedside manner, doesn’t mean red carpets and apologetic servers or providers; it means using common sense to provide an experience the patron wants again.  It means serving someone thoughtfully.

This morning was my first time to an acupuncturist for migraines.  I had such hope but…

There I was, laying on the table in pain from the needles he placed in my shoulders – extremely sore muscle pain -(yet I had felt great before I got there).  He had explained that one of the ways he uses acupuncture was to release tight muscles; also releasing lactic acid which causes muscle soreness.  So I expected some soreness but he said it would quickly dissipate in a few seconds; maybe a few minutes.  It didn’t.  I am on my back, staring up into bright fluorescent lights.  Only AFTER he placed the needles and talked and talked, did he turn down the lights and put on some spa-type music.  Relax, he said.  Oh, but wait, he apparently he had work to do, so he tapped, tapped, tapped on the keyboard.   Meanwhile, I am in some serious pain and nauseated from the needles.  He placed a few more needles for the nausea which helped only slightly.  Meanwhile, I am wondering, “when will this end?”  I was trying to keep an open mind but as time dragged on, there was no improvement.

Whenever we did talk and we discussed my issues or other ailments acupuncture is used for, he would describe patients with horrible outcomes or problems.  Have you ever been nauseated and had someone tell you stories about other nausea experiences?  Ummm…not a good idea.  He also went on about how little respect he gets and how people don’t want to pay out-of-pocket for acupuncture.

Let me say, he is on staff at one of the finest medical institutions in our country and in the world.  Perplexing.

Acupuncture, from what I am told, is an art as much as it is medicine and science.  There are different techniques.  I thought acupuncture would be a little like a spa experience.  I have three friends who had wonderful results from it.  However, for me, several hours after I left I was still in pain and nauseated from the acupuncture itself.  The soreness is still there tonight but minimal.

Maybe his technique is not the best for me or maybe if I tolerate it, it would help; but no matter.  I don’t trust him because of the “service” I got.  The mood and comfort of the room was depleting and his choice of discourse was regrettable.  Better “service” in this instance would have been easy to provide with a little thought and planning, at no additional cost or time.  I won’t go back and am now not sure if I’ll try acupuncture again.  I wasn’t angry, just disappointed.

Customer service; bedside manner; they matter!!!  When it is good, it not only makes the customer or patient willing or anxious to return and recommend you to others;  it also creates trust and respect.

So plan your business around your customers needs; don’t needle them!

Is it My Dog’s Agility or My Agility that matter?

103 Qualifying runs out of 317 runs.  That’s 32%, which is about the same percentage of fat on my body!  Gosh, that’s flunking if I were still in school!  I rarely got bad grades but when I did ONCE get a “D”, and believe me it was the professor, not me, (smile),  because all the kids got a “D”…my Dad said, “I don’t care what the other kids got;  I only care what YOU got!”  Ugh, parents are so right sometimes and I still can’t get that little saying out of my head.

Pepper and me by VW Perry Photography

So, I want the Q rate to be 85% or above and the fat percentage to be at most 24%.  At 31% fat, I need to lose about 8# of fat.  I don’t look horrible but people I am sure, describe me as overweight.  My dog is definitely in better shape than me!  But I knew that and that’s why I entered Fitness Together in the first place.  I visited a number of places but what I needed most was inspiration, and I found it there.  Apparently, my husband, kids, my dog, my agility trainer, my friends, my sister, books, podcasts, Weight Watchers, my doctor and (ha, ha), myself are NOT enough!

Here’s the cool information I got today!!!  By using equipment that requires me to balance, such as a fitness ball; I will strengthen and improve my brains messages to my muscles.  That means I will be more coordinated and have quicker responses and THAT will make a huge difference in running a course with a dog that runs 6 yds./sec or 18 feet/sec.  People of all shapes and sizes compete in dog agility, which is one of the things I love about the sport; but look at the USA World Team – they are in shape!  So I think it matters.

My new personal fitness trainer told me today that I need about 4 months to get into tip top shape.  Of course my fitness is only one variable in our Q rate, but it will show if the change happens within the 4 months – that’s fast and I have a pretty large data bank with all my runs.  So, no matter what it means;  I will keep track of the results.

Question is:  Can increasing my agility and lowering my fat % increase my Q rate?

Tomorrow at 7:15, I begin.

Please let me know if you have done this or will do it with me – I can always use more inspiration!

Everything you wanted to know about rubberizing your contact equipment but were afraid to ask!

Experts. That’s what we are now – experts!  At rubberizing – Wow.  I have to say, it can be fun and now that we have done so much equipment; it can be easy.  So, I thought I would make it easy for you!

Experience:

Good friends and agility enthusiasts, Caryn and Jan, began with a couple pieces of equipment and kits from ContactACoat at Canine University, where we train.  They did the teeter and table.  After that worked out well, I joined them to do another teeter and table for our club, Cleveland All-Breed Training Club.  Next, Caryn and Jan, now experts, tackled the A-frames for the club, this time using bulk rubber and glue instead of the kits.  So now for the biggest job – finishing the equipment at the club.  On Saturday, Caryn, myself and four others completed 2 more teeters, another table, and 2 dog walks.  Jan, boo hoo, has moved away.  Darn, I should have taped it too!

Materials:

If you have just a couple of pieces of equipment, use the kits.  If you have alot to do, as we did, then go for the bulk rubber and glue.  The bulk rubber is also a little finer in size than the kit rubber so it goes on easier and I think it may be kinder to the dog’s feet.  It also looks nicer.  I can’t tell you the cost but I know it is cheaper to buy the bulk.  It might take three weeks to get it delivered so give yourself some time.

To complete 2 A-frames, 2 dog walks, 2 teeters, 1 table and have a bit left over for a small piece or two of training equipment such as a contact trainer and table with almost 1/2 the glue left over, order:

• 1 bag of Pulverized Scrap Rubber (.5-1.5 mm Blue EPDM)
• 1 bag of Pulverized Scrap Rubber (.5-1.5 mm Yellow EPDM)
• 1 pail of NOI Adhesive (Stobielast S 136 Binder) (almost 1/2 was left over)

Ordered from:

1. Bulk rubber and glue:  RTH Processing, Inc., 1430 North Main Street, Delphos, OH  45833  www.rthprocessing.com  419-692-3000
2. Kits:  Contactacoat.com

Problem: we had not ordered red for the dog walks so we used yellow and plan to spray paint that strip.  I would recommend that you order a small amount, maybe as a kit for this.

Labor and Materials:

We had 6 people on Saturday and that was plenty.  Too many people could be a problem.  We decided it could be a problem with more glue on the floor and time in “training”.  We could have done it with 4 people, I suppose, but I think 6 people made it go faster.

One person in charge worked very well!

Time: From entry to exit of the building, it took us 3 1/2 – 4 hours to do all the above equipment NOT including the A-frames.  Jan and Caryn report that the two A-frames took 4 hours.

• Plastic sheeting for floor – thick enough to walk on without tearing if your foot is sticky and so it won’t move much.  Hmmm…didn’t measure but I think two or three large tarps are good.  You can rotate equipment – once done, it can be put on the floor to the side to dry.  However, we did not do the A-frames that day, so if you are doing all the equipment in one day, you would need more tarps to accomodate the A-frames
• ~8 Saw Horses – this is to elevate the equipment.  We used 8 saw horses and again, once the first four pieces on them were done, we put them on the floor and put up the next set
• Sandpaper
• 2-3 rolls thin Blue painters tape – use this to tape the sides of the equipment for glue drips – you will need to remove this the same day as the longer it stays on, the harder it is to remove because of glue.  You will probably only use up one roll but with two, two people can tape which speeds things up
• 2-3 Flat wooden boards to use to press down on the rubber to help it set – these can be small measuring about 2 feet by 6 or 8 inches and thickness doesn’t really matter – you are just tamping down the rubber after application.  These boards can be saved and used again for the same purpose
• Large plastic trash bags – to cover saw horses
• Shoe covers optional but would be great to have!
• Large box of disposable gloves – best to wear two pairs at a time so one can be peeled off and replaced without getting the glue on your hands – the glue is almost impossible to get off
• Package of large plastic drink cups for glue and for rubber
• Large plastic ladel that can be disposed of after the project
• Roll of paper towels
• Shop vac or strong vacumn for excess rubber
• Garbage can

Step-by-step Process:

• Wear old clothes
• Collect all your materials
• Start with a clean floor so you can collect any excess rubber for reuse.
• Lay out the plastic sheeting
• Cover the saw horses with large plastic trash bags – it’s okay if not completely covered but it helps
• Choose the equipment you will start with so using mostly yellow or blue.
• Lay the equipment across the saw horses with enough room between each for you to walk through without touching either.  We had 5 pieces set up and worked on about three pieces at a time
• If contact equipment is smooth from use, use sandpaper to rough it up so the glue will adhere to the surface
• Tape the sides with the painters tape to protect from glue drips.  Don’t expect many drips but you want to protect it.  At the hinge ends of the dog walk pieces, we just put the tape over the end carefully as you cannot easily tape that edge.
• Place tape on the equipment where the color changes from yellow to blue.  This piece will go perpendicular to the length of the teeter, for example, to protect the color you are not doing.  So if you start with yellow, put the tape where the two colors meet to protect the blue – it will give you a straight edge.
• You are now ready to apply the glue.
• Everyone puts on two pairs of gloves.
• Designate one person to pour glue.  Keep a plastic cup or ladel with the glue to minimize the mess.  Use that cup or ladel to “spoon” the glue into ANOTHER cup for transport.  Use the cup to pour the glue onto the equipment – maybe one to three feet of length at a time – pour it into the center along the length of one color – stick to yellow or blue sections.  The glue goes a long way.  The glue expands as it dries and raises up the rubber so if you use too much glue, you will end up with thin areas.  I am not sure how to tell you how much to pour except to say, pretend you are pouring syrup on a pancake and the equipment is a pancake!
• Another person can then spread the glue using their gloved hands.  Spread it all the way to the edges and look to the side for the sheen to be sure the equipment is well covered.  Careful at the edges and where you may have taped off the other color to avoid drips.  The glue is very thick so this isn’t hard.
• Discard any gloves with glue on them before applying the rubber or a different person can be ready to do this.
• Use cups to scoop out the rubber – again, try to keep it to one color at a time as then you can collect the excess off the floor and reuse it.
• Use your hand to scoop the rubber out of the cup and as you sprinkle it onto the equipment, break up any clumps of rubber.  Cover the equipment enough so that you no longer see any open glue.
• Have someone go around and check for drips.  Clean up with a paper towel especially on the floor.  Careful not to step in the glue.
• Use the boards to press down the rubber into the glue.  Now I don’t remember but I think we waited a bit before we tipped the equipment to let all the excess rubber fall off.  This will continue to happen even after dried and while being used, at least at first.  Keep this cleaned up as you don’t want the dogs to think the pieces are treats and eat them – they may be toxic.
• So again, tip the equipment to get off the excess.  Clean up what you can off the ground to save.  Once you have two or three colors mixed, this is harder to do but you can use the mixed color to surface training equipment not to be used in competition.  Although, we did do a table with both blue and yellow mixed – mostly yellow to meet the AKC requirements for a light colored table.
• Now, you can change colors and do the other part of the equipment – glue then the rubber.
• Now take the tape off that separates the colors and carefully apply the glue and rubber to that section.  Remember to tamp it down with the wood and turn it to let the excess fall off.
• As you finish a piece, it can be moved to the floor to dry and a new piece can be put on the saw horses.
• Once done, leave 24 hours to dry and then vacumn the rubberized surface to get off even more excess.
• Wait a few days to let the equipment fully dry.  The time needed will depend on the conditions in the building – temperature and humidity.
• Again, the pieces will continue to fall off during use and must be cleaned up.

Your equipment will be beautiful when done!  We also think it is safer for the dogs and easier to maintain.

If you done this yourself or use our instructions, please comment to give others the benefit of your experience.  Perhaps you have a better way and everyone would love to know.

Oh, I think I forgot to tell you to turn on the tunes!  How about a playlist of dog related songs!  :)

Happy rubberizing!

Is raising kids like raising dogs?

Not when it comes to adolescents.  Dogs want to please you; adolescents want to conquer you and mine are closing in.  I have 4 teenagers – well, one is technically 12;  but believe me, she makes it call for a new name – twelveteen.

I want to use positive reinforcement;  I really do!  In fact, my 17 year old told me I should use my dog training skills with them.  I want to ignore bad behavior because then it will extinguish itself;  I really do.   Actually, I am successful with these tactics much of the time but I still fail miserably and find myself yelling or taking away something important from them to make a point.

Of course, I hear over and over from others “how wonderful”, “how smart”, “how thougthful” our children are and I suppose I should take some consolation from that.

I think it is funny that when I got a third dog, my oldest sister, thought I was crazy.  What I had to explain was how much easier it is to raise dogs and how rewarding it is to love them.  That doesn’t mean I am not crazy but I had good reasons!

The puppy I want but can't have - foster dog that needs a home! Don't you just love him! "Ty" for "Ty-Dye"

Kids just aren’t the same when they’re teenagers – you can click to that!  Now about that fourth dog……..;)

I did it my waaaayyyy…Frank you’re right!

Yep, I did it my way! “Trial like you train”, Helen said to me.  I was frustrated enough to quit.  I got up Saturday morning with the intention of skipping out on the agility trial after Friday’s performance; lost all my passion.  But a look at Pepper’s excitement rubbed off on me, it looked to be a nice day and before I knew it I was off in the car listening to my ipod.

I felt good walking and then did my leash running so I had a good view watching all the 24-26″.  I saw the traps.  So when I walked for the 20″, I had a good plan.  It actually was a nice run and my errors were because it was a really tough course.  Judge was Janet Budzynski.

From 6 to 7, Pepper got to the end of the A-frame first so she curled to look back at me and although she has a 2 on/2 off contact, she was pretty much off on the floor by then.  When I put my right arm out with “turn, tunnel” she went back up the A-frame just a couple feet and then into the tunnel.  Enough for a wrong course or is it an elimination – I don’t know.  She was one of a number to do this, so folks – watch out.  I have had this move on many courses and this hasn’t happened to me before but the judge was clever and got us going at a good clip.  Once out of the tunnel, she curled to me again and big R – REFUSAL for the panel – 8.  Now this happened to lots of people, if the dog was fast.  Some crossed after the A-frame and then went on the right side of the tunnel.  That helped but if your dog is fast, you are now doing a rear cross and then its tough to then catch up with them.

My entrance to the weaves was GORGEOUS!!!  Ha!  Not many could say that that morning!

But then there was that last jump – a double.  Many dogs missed or knocked it.  I was deflated by then and out of breath.  I didn’t keep up and she too turned to me and missed the jump.  Not fair to her as she saw my disappointment.

Fine.  I still felt good but yet another day, another NQ.  So, now nervous about the jumpers course (jpg below), I got more advice from three people.  What was I thinking!?  I got too much advice, I did things I didn’t fully understand and that I hadn’t really trained enough to do.

Don’t do that!

It was a mess.

Dropped this bar, missed another, missed another…ugh.  I was defeated and declared my intention to quit agility…..for now……

Helen said “Trial like you train!  Don’t do things you haven’t done before or don’t feel confident doing.”  She continued, “You know your dog and how you run.  You can’t do some things with Pepper that those handlers can with their Borders.  I wouldn’t ever do some of those things with my dogs.  I am not saying they are wrong;  it is just not right for you unless you train for it.”

The next day, I took her advice and although I didn’t Q, I felt more confident and my runs were much better – well maybe not my jumpers…..Pepper challenged me at the start line (I held my ground though!) so I didn’t get a good start and that bodes poorly for me on a course.  Really, when I did what I knew I could do, it worked.  Can’t wait for the next trial!

Yikes, its this weekend!

Guess it almost a life lesson – do it your way!  Just like the Frank Sinatra song.  Perhaps I should make that my power song on my ipod and listen to it before the next trial.  Lyrics below.

Here’s the jumpers run which was a real challenge and lots of fun…lots of …fun!

My Way Lyrics

And now, the end is here
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and ev’ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
“Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way”

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows and did it my way!

Yes, it was my way

Clicking away or carried away? Too many clicks?

Click, click, click, click, click….way too many clicks.  That’s a problem and something we thankfully went over with the ADAI group, Assistance Dogs of America, today at the prison where I help train the dogs.  We all need this reminder from time to time, don’t we?  Too many clicks like too many commands start to fall on deaf ears and when you click too much, your clicks can be badly timed and/or sloppy.

Today, Cali from ADAI, compared clicking to taking a photo and that was a great analogy.  If you are a too early or a little late, you will miss the shot as clicking a little too early or too late – even by perhaps a second – gives the wrong message to the dog.  So pretend you are taking a photo and that should help with your timing.  For example, if you want the dog to sit, click as soon as the dog’s rear touches the ground.

Next, only click if the behavior is correct.  Too often, I see people clicking every time they ask for something even if the dog didn’t do it – to keep the session positive.  It’s okay not to reward.  If the dog doesn’t perform the task as requested then just ask in an upbeat tone for the behavior again.  Reward when the behavior is given properly.

It’s good to refresh yourself on the principles of clicking every once in awhile because not all is intuitive.  When used correctly, it is amazing how fast the dogs learn!

The Prison needs a gift shop!

That’s what I was thinking when I left today.  All upbeat and happy on this beautiful day after training with the inmates outside.  Two of the inmates are leaving to go home next week and there was this general feeling of ease and happiness in the group.  Other inmates were happy for them.  I was rather surprised.  I thought there would be jealosy; maybe even sabotage.  But there was gentle laughter and an upbeat conversation about it.

And our class had been productive with the dogs doing really well.  In fact one of the inmates has been orchestrating group times to practice heeling each others dogs and doing “meet and greets” to prepare for Good Canine Citizen testing, which will happen this month.

So as we are leaving, my two “associates”, ( if you will), we are jabbering away about this and that with a beautiful scent from  some flowering bush in the air and it all felt so good, that I thought, hmmm…where’s the gift shop!  HA!  Would that be funny!?  Whatever would they sell?  Little Beanie Babies with chains on?  Files?  Maybe t-shirts with “I went to prison and all I got was this lousy t-shirt”!

Yes, prison is a dreary place but I do enjoy seeing the dogs making progress and the effect it has on the inmates.   Today I worked with the puppies and you just couldn’t find more adorable ones.  They are playful, affectionate and sweet; and astonishing when you see what they are capable of doing at just 4 months old.

Whatever wrong the inmates did to get in there – they are doing a lot right.  I will miss these two inmates; they were so nice and genuinely good trainers.  I wish them the best of luck.

So maybe I should just order my own t-shirt!