Agility and Top Rock Trail Day

Today was the day I had planned for Perri to see the sports medicine vet, but we were able to cancel that appointment since she was evaluated on Sunday!   Since I had the day off of work we were able to have some fun instead.

The first thing that we did was to make the drive out to a club offering open agility practice with choice of three footing surfaces.  They had four different courses/rings set up with choice of matting, dirt/felt/fiber and normally an outdoor ring is set up too.  They had the "I" exercise of the alphabet drills set up on the matting as well as all contacts in a separate ring as well to work on contacts.  What a class act!

I worked Molly on a short jumpers course on the dirt footing and then took her over to the ring on the matting to practice her contacts.  Molly's new stopped dogwalk is becoming a fake running dogwalk and I don't want that to keep sliding back into a run and leap dog walk!  It was nice to be able to practice it in two different rings all in one place!  (I don't know if true running contacts are ever going to happen for Molly and I - my yard is very small and I am very discouraged by this.)  Anyway!

Perri was next and we went straight out to the dirt footing.   When I took Perri's harness off she started the typical clown thing that she does on dirt footing - a spin and pounce and staring at me with laughter in her eyes to see what I will do.  I ignored it and we did just a few obstacles in a simple straight line, no handling challenges, just getting her on the equipment on the dirt.  We moved right into the weave poles and she did a really really good job on them but she did skip out at one of the last poles, either 9th or 10th.  I pretended that it didn't even happen and looped around on the course as though we were just continuing right along.   The second round through the weave poles all 12 weaves were done and with speed!   That felt good!  We sat and watched a friend's dog work while Perri caught her breath and she was very relaxed.   We did the Jumpers course that Molly and I had done and then I let her go back out to the car and relax.

I brought Molly back out and ran the Standard course.  It was pretty straight forward but with a few challenges.  Molly was really steady and running nicely today.  She was showing some of the stress over the weaves that she has at trials (being slow), so it was nice to work her through that.   I also did the Standard course with Perri.  The weave poles were not the roaring success that they were earlier but through rewarding her popping out and acting like she had done a wonderful job no matter what, she built up to doing 12 weave poles and earning herself a major ham jackpot.   It's just going to take time with Perri.  I need to control myself at trials - there will be no resetting of the weaves.  Maybe some day, but for now Perri needs me to pretend it did not happen if she pops out.  I do plan to return to our chiropractor within the next two weeks for a readjustment.  I am feeling very paranoid about Perri right now.

I left feeling really great about both of the girls' performance!  A little troubled about Perri's weave poles but the bottom line is that I need to stop thinking so much about them, relaxing and being supportive of Perri will get us back to a good place.

We made a stop at Lake Towhee Park on the way home to try to "avenge" a multicache that I had tried to find there years ago, but did not understand multicaches.   That was a bust, I couldn't find the first stage hide even though I had found it a few years ago, but the girls got to enjoy a swim!

Following that we headed to my main destination for the evening: the Top Rock Trail.  It was only roughly a half mile out one way, but it was ....rocky!   It was a tough crawl up for the dogs but they were game for it.  I just love hiking and I really believe that all of our hiking and rocky/unusual terrain has had tremendous benefits to my dogs when it comes to agility.

The climb back down the rocks was tough.  Molly was scared.  I did a lot of picking her up and lifting her down.  I did feel bad, it was too much for dogs, especially with Molly on a leash (I am holding firm to her staying on the leash - she always seems to hurt herself if she is allowed to run freeeeeeeeeee.)  I would not take them back there.  Perri is surefooted and graceful and seemed to be able to pick her way through any challenge, but Molly was struggling.  She is bulkier and not as coordinated, but that's okay - she had me to help her out.  One thing is for sure, navigating big rocks is confidence building!  When we finally got back to the bottom Molly was walking with her normal swagger and her tail was flying - she was so happy to be back on predictable and good earth!

When we got back to the car each dog got a half of a string cheese stick and crashed into a heavy duty nap for the drive home.  

Obedience Class Dropouts!

My weeks long desire to drop out of Open class only increased after Sunday's Rally-O trial.  And after tonight's actual Open class, I am certain that discontinuing the session is the right choice for Perri and I.

We were to heel slowly and practice our turns around a series of connected baby gates connected in 90 degree angles.  Perri was head down for me and when my instructor took her, she was forgey.  Our instructor diagnosed that Perri does not understand heel position.  This was very discouraging for me but I don't disagree with it.

We then practiced throwing treats over (an 8 inch) high jump and then recalling our dogs back to us.  Perri did this okay about four times.  Our instructor then put a target out there with the treat on top of it instead of having us throw the treat.  Perri ran out and laid down after she nose bumped the target, I can only guess because we have been told to train drop on recall this way.  When neither me or the instructor paid up, she tried to mug our instructor for treats all the while being deaf to my recall attempts.  We repeated that two times before I pulled her from the exercise.  We were not successful and while it looked on the surface like my dog was blowing me off and was not trained to do a recall, I think the real cause was stress.  Perri went to the target and laid down.  That's how the game has worked for months.  I was not holding up my end of the bargain and that was Stressful.  Perri is not a dog that completely ignores me and mugs other people for food.  Molly?  You bet your ass!  But not Perri.

Can I be certain it was stress and not my poodle alien simply acting like a normal dog?  No.  But it certainly seemed like it to me.

But no matter.  It was not tonight's class in particular, this decision has been a while in the making and I have already e-mailed our instructor and I already feel at peace about it.

I also enrolled us in the Bronze Level of Denise Fenzi's Precision Heeling class.  I have heard great things about the online academy, and I am very excited to start this (on February 1st.)  We will have three nights a week where we get to Be Home instead of driving to the training center.  The real challenge will be to actually use that time to train the dogs instead of just reading a book or playing on the internet.

Unrelated but adorable photo of Perri!

Obedience Crossroad

Perri and I did an Obedience match today.  Novice, of course.  I thought that I might see some improvement in her heeling.  After all, she heeled very nicely at the CDSP trial and has been doing pretty well in class and also the Rally ring.

She was a bit of a disaster.  Just before we went in she would not do her "sit pretty" trick, not a good sign.  She was stressing.  The training center is a bit cramped and noisy, there was a mirror on the wall, a wolfhound in the room.  All the normal things that bind Perri's mind up did exactly that today.

The heel free she lagged and did not sit at her halts.  The pretty turns that I have been seeing in classes were nonexistent.  The figure 8 she goosed the ring steward (sigh.) and lagged, although on the second go around she did a nicer job.  The stand for exam I had to re-cue her to stand since she was staring in horror at the steward table ("MY GOD THEY ARE LOOKING AT ME!") but she stayed solid and did not move even a foot.  The heel free was better.  I got a little more dance and connection from her though I had to clap my hands and encourage her to stay with me.  The recall was the only thing that I really liked.  She stayed put and when I called her she thundered toward me with enthusiasm and sat squarely at front with a smile on her face.  She finished promptly and sat straight at heel with a dual verbal/hand cue.  We had two minutes for our ring time so I wanted to retry the Figure 8.  I tried it off leash but she went for another steward sniff and was not heeling with me whatsoever so I put it back on.  Even then she was a bit of a mess.  Her group stays were completely solid.  There were several dogs sitting up and breaking during the long down and even then she held her stays.  This is definitely Perri's strong area.

I feel very discouraged.

The club people were very kind and welcoming and I would certainly do another match here.  I probably will.  I feel like Perri has not improved one little ounce since September.  I feel like I did not support her out there.  I feel like Obedience is so hard and we will never ever "get it".

But then, it was only a match.  I am not planning on trialing AKC Novice again anytime soon... I cannot imagine ever being trial ready for AKC Novice and today's experience only solidified that fact in my mind.  I will continue to do matches and the odd CDSP trial because it is Good For Us.  My discouragement runs deeper, to the point where I want to pull out of Open class and just take a step back.  Perri is so behind with the exercises as it is.  It would only be right for a dog who needs to become confident picking up balls of paper to take some time to catch up to dogs who will pick up a dumbbell, right?  It would only be right for a dog who needs to build confidence doing a plain verbal "down" to catch up to dogs who will happily do a drop on recall, right?

I have continued Open class with Perri to challenge ourselves as a team and to get a foundation hold on the Open exercises, while continuing to work on the Novice exercises (and we do that in class.  The class has vastly improved Perri's "non-stress" heeling.)  But now I am seriously asking myself if it is time to pull out of class and work on what we have learned at our own pace.  Decisions, decisions.

Remediation.

Perri is back to school too!  We started the next session of Open Obedience this evening.  We have a new instructor since our prior instructor has a new litter of puppies to care for at home.

We ran through some heeling practice and some drop on recall practice.  Perri was rather lovely with her heeling (even on the Figure 8!) and so so with her DOR.

When we moved to dumbbells....  Well all of the other dogs were retrieving with varying levels of expertise and Perri "does not look happy about her dumbbell." in our instructors words.  

And that's true.  Perri is really not all that happy about her dumbbell.  Especially not in class.  At home I am rewarding fast running to the dumbbell, snappy grabs and other signs of life/enthusiasm.  They do occur...at home.  Sometimes.

Our instructor was kind enough to come over and talk to me a little bit about Perri.  She suggested that I take a step back and start shaping object grabbing of all kinds.  She would like to see Perri eager to pick up random objects and toys from the ground.  She says this should help "build Perri's ego up."  I agree and I think this is a good plan.  Tonight we started with a ball of paper crumpled up.  Perri was overjoyed to be working with a fun new person!  She shaped looks at the ball of paper and moved up to nose touches.  Nose touching the paper wasn't so easy for Perri. (sigh.)  She did it pretty readily when the ball of paper was being held, but on the ground Perri would peck the air and then wag at our instructor.  A nose touch on a ball of paper?  I guess that's a lot to ask for.  She did do it though when our instructor held out on her and she got a major jackpot and party for her efforts!

I appreciated the customized advice and extra help that we received tonight and Perri and I will work on confidence building with both her hula hoop and object play.  Whatever it takes!  

Forever Clueless

After a two week break, Perri and I were back in our Open Fundamentals class tonight.   Tonight was one of those nights where I felt a mixture of Left Behind and Just Right.  

Left Behind in that every dog fetches a dumbbell but Perri... doesn't.  When we were doing the drop on recall I chose to just do a plain recall to build confidence instead.  Oh well.  There is no time limit.

But the spot where I felt Just Right was a wake up call for me.  Now, I often wonder when my head will get screwed on right.  Tonight we divided the room in to spaces with ring gating.  There was a working dog performing the recalls and drop on recall exercises.  And there was the rest of us, practicing sit and down stays.  We started leaving our dog so that they were facing the working dog and us handlers had our backs to that dog.  We moved on to leaving our dogs and dogs and facing away from the dog.  Perri is good at this stuff.  We've got this stuff.

Insensitive handler.  Clueless.  When we moved our dogs so that their backs were facing the working dog, Perri broke her sit stay.  To be honest I was a little stung and shocked.  Perri broke her stay!  Why?!  I reacted instantly as I had been trained to react in Ogre Obedience Class, "No!" and put Perri back in her sit.

But, in this training center, we think about the Why's of things.  And we move forward accordingly.  We do not just tell our dogs "You will do this or ELSE."  And I love that.  Remember when Perri flunked out in NoviceA because of that horrifying line of Open dogs?  Remember when she google-eyed that terrifying newfoundland in CDSP obedience?  Remember when she struggled through agility class because there were three hulking german shepherds in that class and it was all Too Much?  Now do I have a clue?  Perri is habitually unsettled by other dogs, and leaving her in a stay with a dog running behind her back...well, that was just Too Much.  My classmate immediately (and kindly.) said, "Don't scold her, this is hard for her with that dog behind her.  Stay closer".  So I did.  She would look over her shoulder at the working dog and the second she would refocus on me I showered her with treats and "Good Stay".  Our teacher praised me for staying closer and supporting Perri (I flat out admitted that it wasn't my idea.  I was way too clueless to think of that.)

When I left her in a down stay she actually barked, putting a voice to her concerns.  That's a new one.

So tonight in class it was Just Right.  Perri was working through something that really freaked her out, building confidence.  Building trust.  "I will reward you and support you if you do this for me.  That dog will not come to you, it will not touch you.  Just stay and good things will happen for you."

That right there.  For Perri, that is what we need more than the dumbbell or the drop or agility tunnels or teeter performance.  Unlocking that confidence block will unlock Perri.

When it was our turn to do the recall, I did two straight fun recalls (my teacher suggested this after I told her I didn't think that Perri would do the DOR.) .  Perri's DOR is shaky at best, and if I was asking her to do a job next to a scary line of dogs, I wanted that job to be something that she is fairly solid on.  And she stayed, recalled and fronted beautifully and fast.  Good poodle.  

New Game

Remember that CDSP Obedience trial that I entered Ein and Perri in?   Yeah, it's coming up.
And then there is that nagging weekly Open class that I have Perri taking.   Oops!
These two things help tether me to Obedience and remind me why (I think) I love it.  These things keep me from flying away into agility land and never ever returning to Obedience.

Also, Ein loves to train with me.   It's not like with Perri, she's gotta be in the right mood. (Although that mood is striking her more often than not lately.)  Ein just genuinely enjoys pleasing me and earning snacks.   So when the box arrived in the mail with Perri's new Perri-Friendly wooden dumbbell, there was one in there for Ein as well.  Why not teach him to retrieve a dumbbell?   He will enjoy it!

Tonight was our first chance to work on it, since we just got home from the beach.   Ein did a lot of fast pacing in front of me.  TaterTotTail wagging in furious concentration.  He kept giving me his paw.   He gave one or two eye flicks towards the dumbbell that I was able to give him a "Yes!" for (I don't use the clicker with Ein, the noise used to scare him.)
I ended our session with a dog who consistently looks at the dumbbell.  He's onto this game.  We are going to have fun with our new toy.

Woe is Me! Or, Isn't This Supposed To Be Fun?

Last Wednesday, I started "Fundamentals for Open" class, and the 3 weeks before that we attended the "Intro to Retrieve" class.  Perri's progress has been good in some ways, but in others I feel a little in over our heads.  I tend to overthink everything, by the way.

Intro to Retrieve was great but I am having a terrible time in getting Perri to progress past a short hold on the dumbbell.   I recently ordered a new dumbbell for her - this one will fit her mouth much better and it will be wooden and lighter.  The current dumbbell is an inch too wide and Perri does not seem to like the feel of the plastic in her mouth.  When my instructor presented her with a wooden dumbbell, Perri would not stop latching onto it.   So, waiting for that to arrive in the mail and in the meantime I am feeling defeated by our lack of progress.  (I know, it is not a race.)   Perri has so much fun working when she is feeling confident, but when she retreats into her shell it makes me feel sad.

The drowning-feeling continued at last week's class.  We all introduced ourselves and I admitted Perri's Novice NQs and her lack of confidence.  The instructor told me that this class might be overfacing Perri and I felt a bit discouraged by that.   However, this is me reminding myself, I am not taking this class to come roaring out of it having mastered and perfected all that is being taught.  This is my dog and I learning new things at our own pace.  This is me being taught how to teach my dog.  This is picking and choosing what Perri is capable of learning right now.  I learned with Ein, confidence is built in the tiniest of increments.  Confidence grows when you don't even know that it is growing.  Perri and I are gonna keep on doing what we can do and that's just that.

All that bravado aside, we covered in class: heeling around a turn, jumping into a heel pattern.   Both things that Perri has trouble with, of course.
We laid the groundwork for the Drop on Recall.  I am to leave Perri in a stay.   Place her target on the ground (Perri is good at nose targeting.  Thank you, agility!) and have her recall to me, touch the target with her nose and down.   Here is where I really did want to run away screaming.   Perri does not have a good Down.  At all.  She has been and still is my most difficult dog to teach the Down cue to.  So that pesky little job of re-teaching Perri "Down" with a new cue?  I really really wish that I had not procrastinated that. ("Down" is oft abused by my husband and everybody else that Perri encounters.)

 We were given instructions to practice all of those things and By The Way, Bring Your Dumbbells To Next Class.    Eek!  You mean the dumbbell that Perri doesn't like or the one that hasn't arrived in the mail yet??  Of course, these are my problems that have left me feeling like once again, I have bitten off more than I can chew.  Why did I procrastinate getting a proper dumbbell??

To make matters worse, I decided to go on my mini vacation and therefore ate up 4/7 of the days available to practice our daunting list of "homework".   Ahhhhhh!  To be fair, I did make several attempts to train Perri at the vacation-cabin, but she was overwhelmed and distracted.  So much for that.  

So imagine my delight when class was cancelled tonight!  A whole extra week to work with Perri!  And truly, since we have been home from vacation-cabin Perri has been very into training.   We are working on "Platz" (our new down cue).  Slow and steady.  Eternally working on our heeling but Perri does seem to have a good step-out with me when we start on a heel pattern.   My dumbbell has still not arrived in the mail but I have every confidence in Max200 that it will arrive with a few days to spare some orientation before next class.  And next week we get to play with the Broad Jump, so that is something to look forwards too!

So, I just need to calm myself down...remember this is at our pace...and enjoy myself.  Right?  RIGHT.

I further took advantage of class being cancelled tonight to schedule Perri's second Therapy Dogs Inc observation visit!  It was a quick one.   Many residents were not interested in a dog this evening.  There were a few that were really happy to see a dog however.  Perri was worried over the elevator again.  She approached the residents with more of a waggy tail this time around, and some residents she would just stand there and allow her whole body to be petted.   One woman had very advanced dementia and did not respond when we asked her if she would like to meet Perri.   She stared off into space.  But when Perri walked over to the bed and laid her head down, the woman's hand immediately reached out and petted Perri gently all over her head and ears.  Another woman, in the hallway, exclaimed "What's that DOG doing in here?" We explained that Perri is a therapy dog and would she like to meet her?  "God, no."   Can't please 'em all!  
One more observation visit and Perri will be official!

And if that isn't enough talking for one post, I am trying my best to groom Ein for the CDSP Obedience trial in November (Perri is entered also.)  We have been concentrating on the Figure 8 heel pattern, because that is Scary.  Heeling in a strange way around Scary People?  I don't know how that will go.  I have also noticed that Ein's fronts are crooked.   In Perri's Retrieve and Open class, we are working on Front position as well.  We bring the dog to front and then reward out of right and left hands.   With Ein, I have only rewarded from the right hand.   The result is that he comes in very crooked, anticipating receiving his reward from my right hand.   So, we are working on that.   I say it's all fun and games with Ein, that I will get what I get with him.  But Ein loves working so much, why not polish his fronts off to be more reliably straight?  After all, I trained him to come into front crooked due to my own ignorance.

Bad Corgi, Good Corgi.

P.S.  Einey will also be getting a dumbbell in the mail!  I really think that Ein would downright enjoy learning a dumbbell retrieve and I am pretty excited to work on that with him.