Agility Warm Up

There just isn't enough warm-up happening in agility! Especially dynamic stretching.

Many get confused with the stuff that goes on while you're waiting your turn to run as being a warm-up. That stuff, IMO, is to rev, ready, and focus your dog.

I also see good intentions happening on the first day of a multi-day trial, but the energy usually fades by day three which is when your dog needs it the most.

Warm muscles can keep a slip from turning into an injury.

Five minutes of trotting is the minimum warm-up to do.

Dynamic stretching routine:
- Standing high fives
- Sitting waves
- Toe-kicks
- Figure 8 through legs
- Circle work
- Walking backwards, etc .

Multiple reps of each AFTER the 5 minutes of trotting.

The practice jump is not a dynamic stretch its a ballistic event. Ballistic events require dynamic stretching. So if you warm your dog up and then do the practice jump to get your dog's "head in the game" great, but it can't replace a dynamic stretching routine.

A dynamic stretching routine consists of activities that increase the body's temperature and increase blood flow to the muscles so they can be ready at a moments notice. A good dynamic stretching routine uses movement patterns that require muscles group activation, muscle groups that will be used during the trial, but activities that don't replicate the actual activity you're going to do in the trial. You want to save the "bang" for the competition, don't waste it on the warm-up.

Robin Pelletier
www.poodlesinmotion.com

Success in Agility - Silvia Trkman

1. Develop a firm, trusting relationship with your dog.

2. Properly condition your dog (2 hrs off leash running in woods / day, 1 a-day hike / week in mtns)

3. Teach your dog tricks - achieves total body awareness

4. Teach your dog obedience. Teaches you about motivation.

5. Boost your dog's confidence. Always let her know she's a champion.

6. Don't be afraid to do it your way. Trust your intuition on what is best for your dog.

7. If something goes wrong, remember it is always your fault - your training or your handling.

8. Never forget that results don't count.

9. Dog's work best when they work for themselves.

10. Go out and have fun with your dog.

Training for Speed - Silvia Trkman

'Speed is certainly my major focus right from the beginning and I won’t do anything until a dog is showing the attitude I want. Many people choose to do things slowly first to let a dog understand the job and then try to add speed: those with good drivey dogs with no problems – but an average drive dog might never add speed. And even if he does, very often adding speed to the picture changes that picture that much that a dog can’t do the job correctly anymore, then a handler re-does the exercise before rewarding and by that, gives a dog a message that going fast is not good."

"A dog can be slow if they worry too much about being right and their handler fails to give them a clear message that they ARE right."

"Forget about that start line stay. Run with your dog. You should reward right away when a dog shows more speed. I know it’s hard because it’s just so much fun to run a fast dog, but if you reward anyway, this will happen again. If not, it might never happen again. Rewarding is your only way to give a dog an information that fast is good. If you keep running and then even comment the possible mistakes that more speed brought, you’re giving your dog an information that speed is bad."

1. Make sure your dog understand agility is about running, not about doing obstacles. To beginners, I teach running first and then we include an obstacle or two that are on their way.

2. Keep agility training short and fun. Do all the necessary drilling outside agility field – no drilling allowed on agility filed.

3. If you want a fast dog, put is as your priority and act like it. Be happy and reward enthusiastically everything that is fast or at least faster as usual. Don’t worry about skipped or additional jumps.

Cip / Cap

Most people think running contacts gains the most time, but as there are maximum two occasions to do running contacts per course (none in jumpers), that’s not really true. You can gain the most on turns. Tight turns make the biggest difference, especially in nowadays 3rd degree/masters courses where it’s all about the turns…

Teaching cik & cap is the best investment to: 

• improve your course times
• make handling and timing easier for you
• improve your dog’s obstacle focus, distance skills, sends and independent performance
• take lots of stress off your dog’s joints
• make turns more fun for your dog

Five Steps:

1. Tightness
2. Adding Speed and Distance
3. Sequencing and Multi-wraps
4. Adding Height
5. Including it in normal courses

Sounds a little like zeek and zap.

Possible problems;

1. Saying it too late.
2. Not enough generalization
3. Adding height too fast
4. Not enough proofing
5. Not enough rewarding once the training is finished.

Front Cross Timing and Placement

Remember:  Front Crosses should be done closest to the next correct obstacle.

Watch for right and wrong way for the front cross.

Interesting Teeter Idea

To speed up slow dogs on teeter. First of all you need two teeters and one must be adjustable. First use just the adjustable one on the lowest or next to lowest level. Do this low teeter a bunch of times in a row over and over. Getting faster each time, since it's low it's easier and less scary and they will soon be getting pretty fast. 

Now you bring out the 2nd teeter and place it a little ways straight in front of the first teeter and at full height. Now run the first short teeter and straight to the 2nd full size teeter. And do this a few times. Now supposedly this method somehow works by muscle memory, which does make sense to me. 

I think it will most likely work best on just a slow moving dog not a dog that has a real teeter phobia but who know maybe it would work on them too. I guess the idea is by doing the little teeter over and over and over really fast. The dogs muscles get used to that speed and then when you stick the bigger teeter in front you should get the same speed. It's worth a try.

Perch Part 3: Zelda's Final Results

The Perch Part 2: Zelda 4 months

Perch Part 1: Zelda at 4 months old

Zelda's Beginning Running AFrame: Part 2

Zelda Beginning Running AFrame

Training the Chute - Zelda 7 months old

Zelda's Beginning Running Dog Walk

Crate Games Part 3 - Zelda 15 weeks

Crate Games Part II: Zelda 14 weeks

Crate Games Part 1: Zelda 13 wks

Running Contacts

Silvia Trkman Running Contacts

Making Mistakes

Welcome to the first of my series on being a Good Student.

 

Ever wonder why two people can go to the same dog training workshop or class and not leave with the same information? If learning meant just showing up to class then we would all be Einsteins!

 

Being a good student involves developing skills you may not have previously considered.  Over the next several emails I will share what I feel are the main characteristics of someone that is a good student. 

 

I really believe by adopting these concepts you will help maximize every learning opportunity that comes your way.

 

Key Concept #1

Be yourself and embrace the opportunity to make mistakes.  Try not to be self-conscious about how"good" you and your dog look in front of the instructor or your peers that may be watching.  We all make mistakes and by exposing your faults you allow the instructor to glean some insight into why you and your dog are having troubles.

 

All too often people allow their fear of failing or the fear of being embarrassed in front of someone they respect, to hold them back from making the most of an opportunity to learn from someone that can help you improve. It might be that you are learning in a group that includes some of your own students. It might be that you have had some past success in the area you are studying so you feel"pressure" to be brilliant.  Whatever the reason. Let go of your ego and allow yourself the privilege of making mistakes.

 

You don't need to justify your performance with comments such as;

 

          I have been away so my so my dog and I are rusty

 

          or

 

          I haven't been sleeping well so my brain is a bit foggy 

 

or whatever!

 

Just be yourself. We are all human. We all make mistakes it is okay. If you try to put on a"performance" your mind will be focused on showing and you close your brain off from taking in all that is being offered to you. Go to your next seminar with mindset of learning  that is available. Don't even consider what you or your dog look like, just open yourself up to all that is available and allow the learning to come to you.

 

I leave you with some of my favorite quotes on Failing. 

 

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure can be avoided only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and in the end, being nothing.
~ Denis Waitley

 

Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, "I have failed three times," and what happens when he says, "I am a failure." 
~ S.I. Hayakawa

 

And my all time favorite on this subject;

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
~Robert F. Kennedy

 

Happy training everyone. Part two in these series is coming your way soon!

 

Susan Garrett

Say Yes Dog Training Inc

www.clickerdogs.com