Mid-week agility training

Went to agility training last night, I was late what with one thing and another but as it's a fairly free session it didn't really matter, just meant less time to do stuff. I took Faith back for the first time in 4 months and it definitely showed! I just wanted to kill her! lol She had completely 'forgotten' her 2on2off position on the contacts so she went straight back on lead and suddenly remembered! Fact is, she had the attention span of a gnat and was totally preoccupied by the other dogs working, putting her lead on made her concentrate on what she was doing a little more. I wish I'd just done that in the first place instead of getting cross with her...live and learn! I ended up tying her up and working Teal instead (the nice focused little dog who hangs on my every word...or maybe it's just the toy I have in my hand! lol).

Teal worked really nicely, we did lots of jumping exercises and I worked on my position and timing at getting her to turn tightly and come through, my god can that little dog turn tight! (if I get my timing right!). I don't know why this should suprise me, it's the very reason she always beats the collies to the ball when we're out! Her long lean body is perfectly designed to wrap around jump wings! :) We finished up doing a long run down 4 jumps into a box out into a curved tunnel offset to the right of the box, back into the box and then a long blast back up the line of jumps. I got Faith out to do this and she loved it, worked on ahead to the tunnel really well allowing me to stay in the box to put the reverse turn in to pick her up on my right to go back up the line...she was flying and really having fun. For the time being I think we will concentrate on lots of these fast flowing exercises for Fi and get her concentraion and interest re-sparked. It was good to finish on a positive with her though. Doing this exercise highlighted my biggest problem with Teal at the moment...if I have her toy on me she is reluctant to leave me, this meant that I struggled to send her on ahead into the tunnel and stay in the box for the pick up. I ended up placing her toy at the end of the tunnel and sending her on into the tunnel, each time I ran a little shorter but encouraged her on with my voice. I think we may just need to lose the toy for a while and just play with it at the end of each exercise. I also think I need to start using my arms more to encourage her on ahead. I think a trip down to Joy's is probably in order! lol

So much for my 'two free weekends'...they're almost fully booked already!