Monday 26 January 2009

Getting not a lot done

Sunday morning I have to say I was knackered and didn't get up 'til 8am. Despite having lots to do at the house I wanted to give all the dogs a really good run and ended up heading up to Hest Bank Kennels for Teals' beginner Agility course. There's a long waiting list for the beginner courses and we were lucky to be offered a place and I really didn't want to miss it so while the timing was terrible we went anyway. She was ok, she has done a few bits at Joy's house...a line of jumps, tunnel, mini dog walk etc but she just didn't get the 'doing jumps on lead' concept. I don't really blame her, Teal is so rarely on lead and she's never asked to 'work' on lead so she just wasn't sure what was expected from her. Her tunnel was great and we did some contact work on a down plank...she was driving really nicely down to her toy. I am planning to train Teal a running contact as opposed to the 2on2off that I have taught Faith. I am hoping to buy a dog walk to have in the garden at the new house which will really help with training. We'll see how we get on with that! lol I took them all for a good run on the 'beach' before we went home. I say beach but it isn't really, it's more of a foreshore I guess but the tide was in so they got to have a swim in the sea. You can see on the photos how much the seawashed turf area is being eroded by the sea. There are little channels and gullies cut up into the grass area all the way along...the dogs have great fun charging around and jumping the channels and pools but they're all so 'gung-ho' I do worry someone will break their neck! I feel much happier on the sands at St Annes!









We got home just in time for puppy visitors, lovely people who chose one of Lori's boys. Just one boy left to find a home from Lori's litter now. They're are a lovely bunch of pups. I can't believe how quiet they are, it really doesn't feel like we have 9 of them in the kitchen. They're just really happy, contented puppies. Must get some new piccies of both litters!

2 comments:

Kerena and Jordan and The Cocker Circus said...

What a time you are having. We hope all goes well for you this week. I have never used a lead for agility training. Cockers hate it and I feel it gets a message of stay by me. I use a ball for with me and throw go on away form me. Teal might enjoy this. I've used it for jumps, run contacts and weaves. Keep the ball with you when she needs to focus on you and throw when she needs to go on and you can build up direction. I use the flyball harnass and a lead handle for initial contacts - only used once on each with Magic, never with Rupert. Magic wants to see his mum do agility!!!

Nat said...

I never use a lead for training anything apart from the first few times they do the contact equipment. She's already been running down a line of jumps to a target toy but in this sort of class situation the first couple of weeks does involve lead work, I'm sure she'll be better once we move outside. She's a very bright and attentive little dog so off lead work won't be a problem for her. What she hasn't really 'got' yet is that the jumps are there to be jumped, if you know what I mean. She jumps them at the moment because they happen to be between her and her toy but I'm sure this will come with more jumping work at home.