Gem's progress 2...

     I started seriously training Gem in agility a few months ago. I needed to wait for her to be ready. It has taken time, lots of time. She is still immature, but I see flashes of what the grown-up Gem will look like every now and then. Gem is in no hurry. I have learned to step back and wait her out. This has not been easy for me. She isn't one to be pushed. She is a thinker. She needs to know how things work and tick before she commits. She isn't impulsive and she isn't one to be drilled. Early on, I tried to push her too hard too fast and I paid the price. She shut down and disconnected. Lesson learned. When I signed her up for a 2 hour workshop and she stayed focused and happy, I knew she was ready for real training again.

     So, I began again, only slowly and methodically and allowed her to set the pace. For some things, she likes to learn them quickly, for others, not so much. When I first tried to teach her weave poles, I tried the 2x2 method. I became frustrated with the lack of progress and her unwillingness to offer behaviors. I then tried the channel method, which was an epic failure as well. I stopped teaching her weaves again. What I realized was that she wasn't ready for this particular skill yet. So I focused on other skills and behaviors instead. Eventually, I went back to the 2x2 method, using Mary Ellen Barry's twist on it, which made more sense to me. With the guidance of Gem's instructor Donna Rohaus, we dove back into this method. It has taken several months, but she is finally doing 12 weaves with speed and drive.

     Her jumping foundations are coming along too. She easily gets bored with too much repetition, so I break it up with tugging and retrieving sessions. The lessons she has taught me have been hard won. She isn't like the boys. She is thoughtful, soft and sensitive. The boys are not any of these things, at least in agility. I can see her joy in jumping now, no longer tentative, but joyful and driven. I love that.

     Gem is being taught a running A-frame. At times, I think I'm crazy. I'm about to be 50 years old and a triathlete I am not. Her zest for learning this is infectious. She IS getting it and hits it more times now than not. As I have never taught this before, her missing it really doesn't bother me. She is figuring this out and I am so enjoying the process. I just hope I can keep up with her.

     I recently entered her into a few classes in Level 1 in a CPE trial. We still have lots of things to work on, but this showed me that I was on the right track in her training. She did qualify in several classes and got some ribbons, but that really wasn't the important part. The best was that she was happy, not stressed and having a great time playing the game with me.

     For now, it is back to training. I plan on running her in November in a few more CPE trials and maybe launching her into USDAA and ASCA too. More than anything, I want to enjoy the ride with her. I want her to stay happy. Titles don't really mean anything right now. Her enjoyment and confidence are my goals. The other stuff will come in time. I know that now. Gem is on her own timetable and I'm along for the ride. I plan on enjoying the journey with her...

A smiling, happy Gem

Gem's progress...

I only seriously started training Gem for agility within the last several months. When she was younger, I pushed too hard, too soon and she shut down on me. Lesson learned. I have had to wait until Gem is ready to be trained. She is soft and a real thinker. She needs to analyze everything for the most part until she commits to doing it. This is very different from the boys.

I have had to step back and examine how Gem learns and what the best ways are to plan training sessions with her. After months of training alone and with the occasional private lesson from Donna Rohaus, we finally got into a class taught by Donna. This has done her a world of good, for the most part. Also, being able to take her to other spaces to train has helped her confidence level. I don't expect her to be perfect, because Lord knows I certainly am not. I do expect her to try. This has been a problem in the past. She had a difficult time offering behaviors, but she seems to be more willing to do just that as she matures and becomes more confident.

Gem is learning a running A-frame, which is a blast to teach her. She is only getting better and better each time I train it. She is also learning 4 on for her teeter behavior and 2 on 2 off for her dogwalk. That may change as time goes on, but for now, these are my goals. She is also doing 12 weave poles as 6 and 6, separated by about 6 feet via the 2x2 method and Mary Ellen Barry's great Clean Run article. She is still rather Velcro when it comes to jumping, but her foundation is becoming more and more solid as we work it. Gem is sequencing only 3-4 obstacles, but it is a start.

My goal is to have her ready to trial in February or March 2014. I am planning on putting her in level 1 CPE jumpers in 2 trials at the end of this year to get her used to ring conditions. My goals are simple... to make sure she has fun, is stress free and that she stays in the ring with me. We have a long way to go for sure, but now I am positive we will get there...

Baby Gem at 8 weeks, April 2011

Gearing up...

We will be attending the USDAA Cynosport World Games in October. It will be Piper's last National competition. He is entered as a veteran and I am hoping to make the Veterans Showcase with him. They take the top 3 dogs in each veteran jump height. We get to compete in the team events of snooker, gamblers, standard and jumpers. We compete for ourselves and not with a team. This takes a great deal of pressure off of us both, well mainly me.

Piper by M. Nicole Fischer

Quite honestly, unless I let the pressure get to me, Piper could care less. It is up to me to keep my cool and make sure he has the best time EVER!

 

For Seeker, my goals are a bit different. He IS on a team, a fun and even possibly, competitive team. "Bordering On Golden" is the team name and consists of a Golden Retriever (Canon & Sally Peters), another Border Collie (Kilo & Helen Kurz) and Seeker & me. He is also entered in Bialthlon, Grand Prix and Steeplechase quarterfinals. I would really like to make at least semifinals in those and I would really like to make a good showing in Biathlon with him. My goal in our team classes are to not get an E. We aren't the fastest team, but we are consistent.

Seeker by David Rice

Training is taking precedence right now for Seeker, with some for Piper. At 10 1/2, Piper's skills are what they are, for good or bad. As long as I am where I need to be, when I need to be there, we can't go wrong. I have been working on tricky weave entrances for them both and backsides, threadles and serpentine jumps combos. I love training the boys. They are like comfy jeans and a sweatshirt, always right and always comfortable.

 

This will be our first RV adventure, but hopefully not our last. We are fortunate enough to have a good friend that is allowing us to borrow hers for the trip to Tennessee. It isn't big, but I am hoping it is far better than commuting back and forth the entire time from a motel. Everything is right there, including showers and restrooms. I'm just hoping we aren't stuck WAY in the back, miles from everything. I, for one, am looking forward to the trip with the hubby and the dogs.

 

The girls will be going too and they will also get to have some fun. The National Canine Cancer Foundation will be there with their Lure-For-A-Cure, so the girls can blow off some steam chasing the bunny a couple times a day. Ceilidh loved this in 2010 when we went to Kentucky and she slept like a log every night. I think her and Gem will have a blast!

 

In preparation, I am getting the boys on dirt for a couple of CPE trials. Since they only get to run mostly on turf, this will be good for them. Especially since it is a low key venue for us, I am looking to get some good work out of them both. Seeker is also entered in a DAM tournament in September, another good warm-up for us.

 

As it is Piper's last national event, it may be Seeker's as well, depending on logistics. Next year's Cynosport will be in California, definitely not doable, so we will just have to see where they are in 2015. I did not try to qualify Seeker for AKC Nationals, even though they are relatively close. While I like AKC, I have to travel to do CPE and USDAA, so a decision had to be made. Finances won't allow doing it all. Plus, I really wanted to have money to spend at Cynosport! Eye on the prize!!!

 

I love going to these types of competition because I get to see the best of the best. It is truly an education. Back to work for me and the boys so we can do our very best too...