FridayToni Dawkins came over to run a three hour training session for us. I did a little with Hoaxey first of all and she wasn't really very good. She missed every weave entry and was stopping late on her contacts. I never get angry with my dogs but did feel a bit despondent. I got golden balls (Boo of course) out and he is so lovely! He was great, a few naughty contacts where he didnt stop, and some handling stuff we couldnt do but nothing major. Toni, as always, perfected and neatened our handling. I really enjoy training with her as she will make sure I dont accept anything messy without making me feel like I'm rubbish. Toni gave me a few things to think about as always.
That evening I went through some things Toni had said to me. Firstly she told me her 'theory on why Hoax does the things she does (weaves, naughty startlines/ contacts). Toni thinks she might be messing me about because I 'baby' her too much. I broke down my issues...
STARTLINES Hoaxey can lack confidence so everything I do I try to keep positive, on her first competition season she would worry about the dogs behind her on the line so would be unsettled. I let her move a bit as I put it down to nerves.
CONTACTS I want really fast contacts with her, as she worries if I faff too much I have accepted fast contacts even if she stops a bit late sometimes. So now, she stops late (four off) more often than she keeps back feet contact. I also dropped her 'target' cue a while ago and was just pleased when she 'tried' to stop.
WEAVES I dont really know what I have done here except maybe praise when I shouldnt. Toni has told me off before as when she mucks up I quite often say 'good girl' without thinking. I should probably have 'tested' her more at home aswell and ask her to do really tough stuff.
THE FIXES Toni has already helped with my startlines- Hoaxeys 'Sleepy' which gives her another behaviour to think about and something for me to wait for when I have led out. With her contacts I think I just need to only accept her stopping with her back feet still on and also do a little more awareness work for her back feet. Weaves I think will come with proofing, more practise and not always being so soft. In fact Toni is totally right. I baby her and it's no help for her at all, when I accept 'good enough' it greys everything and in fact probably makes her worse. She wont crumble if I make her get it right or even say "uh uh" every now and again. The clarity needs to improve in my training with her and in turn I think she will get much better.
TUNBRIDGE WELLSI took a leisurely drive down to Ardingly on the Sunday morning with no runs first thing there was no rush. Finally my 4/5 jumping was ready for walking, as I was walking it they announced walking Medium Crufts teams… then Crufts 6/7 Agility Large swiftly followed by Medium Olympia qualifier and G7 jumping. Havinng walked all five courses back to back and very briefly.
I had to get Hoax to run 4/5 jumping as there were only 30 in the class. She missed her weave entry but flew round the rest of the course. Straight over to Crufts teams and our medium merle team managed to hold it together enough to just get 5 (Hoax weaves again). Then Hoax went back to the car and Boo came out for G7 jumping which Id walked round ONCE. I messed it up but took him straight to the Crufts Qualifier. He was lovely but couldn’t see the weaves which were set behind a wall past the Long jump, tunnel and DW, we lost a lot of time faffing but still were clear!
Boo went back into the car and Hoaxey came out for her Olympia Q. My little bullet shot off the line- lovely DW then ran past the weaves three times, she didn’t even attempt them! Just wiggled her butt a bit as she ran past them- she is v naughty. I took her out the ring and once we find out if she is pregnant or not, if she isnt then I will start doing some serious weave training. I am more than happy to pull my dogs from competition if I need to to sort out an issue and I WILL do that. I worry that if I keep competing her then it will become an issue for us both and I dont want that. I've always thought that in agility, it's the dogs job to complete his contacts, keep bars up and work his weaves, it's my job to show him where the course goes. At the moment Hoaxey isnt doing her job. I know it's my lack of proofing with her weaves at home/ training so I will start asking more of her at home now.
I finished with Boos G7 Agility we trained contacts but he still ran well. The great news was that our medium team won the teams qualifier which means SBCC (southern border collie club) have qualified for Crufts! The team is an all girl team (handlers AND dogs) we have me and Hoax, Jo & Jinny, Toni & Minx and Kathy & Kizzy- they are a good team and lovely people to be team mates but Im already scared!!!
