Kaiser's first agility trial was this weekend. We entered a TDAA (teacup agility) trial, as they allow dogs over 12 months (he's almost 15 months) and in NADAC we have to wait until he's 18 months. Thankfully, I have video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrXJQXA4NO8
Only of Saturday, unfortunately, as my mom wasn't able to come on Sunday and the trial was too small to really be able to wrestle anyone into doing it.
Kaiser Q'd his very first run and got 1st place in our beginner tunnelers class! It was SOOOOOO cute! I couldn't help but keep giggling the entire time I was doing the course walk. People brought some teacup tunnels along with them, so we had four itty bitty tunnels and two big ones. The distances are so, so close compared to a NADAC tunnelers course. As a handler, you barely have to move to direct your dog around the course -- and you're tempted to step right over the itty bitty tunnels (which, I guess, is actually allowed if you're so inclined!).
Kaiser is still very new to the chute, teeter & tire -- and on Saturday he didn't really feel the need to go through the teeny-tiny tire when he could fit right under it! Thankfully we did conquer that one for Sunday...
The trial affected Kaiser mentally more than I expected, especially on Saturday. I could pretty much see him starting to shut down before my eyes. Sunday went MUCH better and he Q'd in his first three runs! (A game called Shamrock hunt and then both of his standard runs.)
Because it was such a small trial, they added another standard run both days. I declined to enter Kaiser on Saturday because he was so very "done," but I greedily entered him on Sunday since he'd been doing so well -- and he only needed one more standard Q for his title. He did a fly-off on the teeter after I revved him up a bit too much and this scared him into another mental shut-down. Bad me!! I stuck him in the final class because it was a game with just tunnels and jumps, but it had been a very long weekend for him and he said, "Uh-uh, I'm done," about half-way through.
So we ended our first TDAA trial with 2 beginner games Q's and 2 beginner standard Q's. Just need one more of each for his beginner level titles! The next TDAA trial here is May 2 & 3, so hopefully we'll be able to move up to Intermediate, where the courses do more than travel the perimeter of the arena.
It was so interesting watching all of the tiny dogs run -- we had lots of Yorkies!! I used to think that Teacup was just silly, but after watching these little dogs run, I can definitely agree that this venue is more appropriate for dogs of that size than NADAC might be. I have faith that Kaiser will prefer NADAC, though, which will allow him to run more. The distances in TDAA are quite short!