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!
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!
My three private Agility Aha! moments!
Last night’s lesson was “da bomb” if I talk in teen speak! I had 3 “Aha!” moments! Private lessons certainly cost more and because Lisa is so experienced and trains in the Awesome Paws way (Linda Mecklenburg’s method); they are much more costly than a class, but well worth it. And here I am giving you all my new secrets! 
)) Aren’t Agilty folk nice? Here’s the disclaimer though…all handlers, dogs, and the team itself are different so these moves may not be as helpful to you as they are to me.
My “Aha” moments:
- When walking a course and planning your crosses, remember you need to keep your eye on your dog. Therefore, when you “memorize” the visual of where you will be when you cross, use the view that includes your dog. Normally, I would visually mark where I was going NEXT but Lisa explained how I need to visually mark where Pepper is coming FROM. So I am visually marking the view of the last obstacle she is coming FROM as I make the turn. Because I will plan the turn so I am in the right position, as I turn I can begin to run knowing I have planned a clear path. Make sense? Sounds backwards, but it keeps the dog in your view allowing you to adjust your action as needed. It also gives you uninterrupted eye contact – very important. AHA!
- People often tell me in exasperation, “You’re LATE!” meaning with my cross or position. To me, that has meant “run faster or get to your destination faster”. When “late” happens, I can feel a disconnect but until last night I didn’t understand it. Crosses are actually movements that for me break down into three parts: get to the spot—turn— go forward in the new direction. I would walk a course, plan my crosses and then while running the course I would feel like I was keeping up; but then with Pepper at speeds of about 5.5 yds./sec, my brain couldn’t make all three movements at that speed and I would be “late”. I realized last night that I sometimes pause after my turn instead of going directly into forward motion. So I need to prepare better. I can isolate and practice the crosses on a course (as best I can with 5 million other people walking the course) at least 5 times to get enough muscle memory to do it smoothly or it may be resolved now that I understand it and will make the effort to eliminate the pause. Either way, I am much more confident because I realize it is that movement that I have to make more fluid. AHA!
- This AHA! is about a rear cross. In the “cross on the flat”, the handler brings up the opposite arm to facilitate a turn on the ground but in a rear cross the dog learns of the turn as they are committing to the next obstacle – sounds the same but it is quicker. Instead of the “pull” and the arm change, the MOVEMENT/DIRECTION of the handler cues the turn and direction in one movement. So in this movement, you use the hand closest to the dog OR even NO hand! As the dog approaches the jump, you turn your body and move in the desired direction. Then the dog will turn. As the turn is completed, you bring up the other arm (the one closest to the dog) so although the moves are similar, it is really a timing issue with the hand or arm. It’s not so much that you don’t use an “outer arm swing”, it is more about relying on your direction of motion instead of your arm to cue the turn. So Lisa showed me how, even WITHOUT your arms OR hands, the dog will still turn if you turn and run behind them. WOW! Pepper had learned to watch for that arm before she would turn but Lisa set me up on a course that made that VERY difficult. To make a turn on the flat, you need a little more time and space butagain, Lisa made the course too tight for that. I had to do it her way to succeed. We actually had to retrain Pepper to watch for my motion, not my arm, and it worked! Very exciting! AHA! Rear crossing your dog using your direction of motion is faster, smoother and takes less room than an outer arm swing but the dog must be trained properly.
Lately, Q’s have been scarce because of one or two errors in an otherwise beautiful course. Oh, how I hope these solve at least a major portion if not all of my problems. Private lessons have no distractions and we slow things way down and mostly talk. AHA!
Joan Rivers is supposed to make me laugh; not CRY!
I have managed to put quite a few things on my plate…hmmm…makes me think of the weight watchers rule that says you should still be able to see some white space on that plate… In this case, the plate is my life, and well, white space…not so much! But some things are just worth the sacrifice which brings me to Joan Rivers and the Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. Should I apologize for watching the silly show? The feud between her and Annie Duke was probably all set up but it was entertaining and my son and I enjoyed making fun of it! Also funny, the show excuses its antics with charity.
However, as I watched Joan Rivers Sunday night, I saw that for her, the charity was real and my tears flowed with hers. As she described her passion for her charity, I thought of mine; ADAI, Assistance Dogs of America, Inc. http://www.adai.org/ The dogs that graduate and serve under this program have far reaching effects on many lives in ways that cannot be quantified and I believe, in ways nothing else could.
For this program and my part, the dogs are first trained and live in a prison. It can be a little creepy going in to a prison and scary to think the “system” knows so much about me now. Yikes. They had me fill out forms that made me feel so exposed. At first I thought I would be on the good side of something you definitely want to be on the good side of! However, now I see, I am just another person moving through – it is a “system”. But, I feel enough warmth knowing how much ADAI’s program means to so many, that it is worth it (well, until one of those inmates gets pissed off at me and comes looking for me when they get out!)
I don’t know if Joan Rivers truly goes door to door for God’s Love, We Deliver, but I hope so. In the video she provides meals to home bound people. It’s wonderful to send a check, run a race, pack lunches, go to a benefit or write a letter. I have done those too. But being there with the people who directly benefit is something else indeed; for you and for them. It is personal and I saw in her what I feel in myself when go through those prison doors or meet a graduate and their new assistance dog.
So working with ADAI has been worth the white space on my plate. Through ADAI, the dogs provide services, yes, such as moving laundry from washer to dryer, opening doors, helping someone rise from their bed or navigate a busy street; real independence but as important, they provide companionship. The dogs, Jax or Kodiak, or the others don’t care if you did your hair or feel like talking; they love you all the same. The companionship is soothing when times are difficult and helps prevent a loneliness that could be heart wrenching; especially for children. The dogs are empowering, giving people the desire and the faith they need in themselves. They are warm and engaging, with a sense of humor.
The dogs likewise bring a gift to the inmates who care for and train them. Prison is not a place any of us seek in life and even if a person’s attitude is good; life is tough. The dogs are a “job” but more so, they are therapy and perhaps rehabilitate by providing purpose and love. I hope I can get some photos to share which may convey far more than my words, how calming a dog’s presence can be on their minds and spirits.
And, last but not least, rejoice for the dogs as they get more love and life experience than most. They get the best in veterinary care, excellent food and living conditions AND they get to go to ball games, the mall, libraries and anywhere their people go!
Anyways, thank you Joan Rivers for sharing that deep emotion. Here’s a big woof woof for you!
National Poem in Your Pocket Day Dogging Me
I love this day! Love folding the poem littler and littler and littler into squares and secretly stuffing it in my pocket to share later; opening and closing it over and over. The twitters have been fun too. My favorite twitter:
RT: Is that a poem in your pocket or are you just intellectually aroused? (via @mrharrybay)
Of course they – as I have two because I am so indecisive – are about dogs. I got them from Southern dogs & Their People by P.S. David & Roberta Gamble. It is a sweet little book published by Algonquin Books, that my sister gave me. She works at Algonquin as an editor and of course, has great taste in books. The photos are precious.
Here are the two poems I am carrying, interestingly by the same author. Let me know which one you like better!
…through briars had scratched maps
across the back of my hands
and stumps were aimed like mortars
straight up for a last stand,
it was not my war.
the five warm lumps at my back
were quail minus their heads
the setter had swallowed intact,
spoils for having had the nose
that turned to steel before they rose.
-D. C. Berry
We call him George
Maestro Handel. He thinks
he’s a conductor, wags
his tail constantly as
if every direction he turns
he’s got an orchestra
back there.
-D. C. Berry
Recent Comments