Scout's progress or Agility brag????

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Scout's progress or Agility brag????

Posted : 4/6/2009 8:25:44 PM

This will be Scout's second AKC trial but will be his third trial he has been to. First two trials (AKC & USDAA) we only managed to finished ONCE in each of them. The goal this time around, finish more than once. He is a terrier and their work ethic isn't the same as a BC. The herding breed makes this so much easier.

I was not expecting to Q or even place. I just wanted to finish at least once each day. That was the main goal.

Note to self: I have a GREEN DOG, this is not at home or class. Expect something out of the ordinary.

Friday

This day was only for Excellent class competitors so I decided to be a slave to the club by volunteering for the first time and to video record runs. I requested to be a bar setter and course builder but Denise thought otherwise to let me do more. So I ended up not only doing what I requested but also a scribe and a timer. Typically the secretary is suppose to give you the information ahead of time on what the job entails but I had no such luck because did all of this while her and I were 'email chatting'. So Michele explained what I had to do for the scribe job and Wally - Denise's father-n-law - explained how the job of the timer. I was just 'rolling with the punches or flowing along'.

Its its interesting though how I was just working when only the small dogs were running! :) Because I was asked to record her dogs which were in the big dog classes (20, 24, 26) LOL

Saturday

Scamp was showing this weekend and I always watch him to base Scout's performance, not kidding. If Scamp gets bouncy, expect the same out of Scout. Scamp does not train at home because Jan is a 'horse person' and she just does the dog stuff for fun. Anyhow, Scamps first run was a scratch and he is all over the place. Bouncing and trying to nip. Second run he is focused.

STD:

Scout doesn't hold his starting line stay (***! He has the case of what I call the "Zach's" because I worked on Zachary's starting line stays which he held all weekend! Zach's start-stays were horrible in the beginning), he blows by the weaves and I did put him back in it and pop out of them. Ugh, go back in there and do them right. He he wanders off course and visits a bar setter and I reel him back in. And we finished!

I actually assumed at this point that he wasn't going to leave the ring this weekend.

JWW:

This time I jacked him all up to get him focused onto me. Denise told me to get him really high. So I did. He was growling at a high pitched that some people got scared. LOL We line up and he holds his stay! He visits a bar setter but doesn't miss the weaves. He isn't running at full speed and I look at him his eyes are wondering - freaking terriers! LOL - his ears are moving in weird positions. And then, he finds a hole in the fencing and goes under the scorer's table. Heather did not know he went under there and he scared the living crap out of her! He came back into the ring and so much for thinking he was not going to leaving the ring! But we finished! And we Q'd and got 2nd place.

Recap: We finished TWICE.

First ribbons! A q & a 2nd ATTA BOY SCOUT!

Sunday:

Scamp's runs: Std. He is a spaz and had a clean run until he put his foot back on the DW. Second run, JWW, he is clean and manages a 27.48. Prior to this run, Shelly (who runs a soft JRT in EX B) and I were talking and joking about Scamp. I came to a conclusion that the reason why he is so crazy is because of his hair. He really needs to be groomed! I said it could be that his hair is so braided or matted up so tight that its driving him crazy. Denise told Jan to take Scamp to her groomer's shop or she'll go over there and cut his hair. You have to see Scamp, he has long hair and it looks like they are dread locks! Jan doesn't want to touch it because it add personality to me. So I told her that I think he is telling you that "Scamp is having a bad hair day!" LOL

This a picture of Scamp: http://www.cindynolandphotography.com/tam1108/satopenj/tam1108_3001.htm

His hair is far worse now! Yes, he was jumping at 20" for a brief moment. Jan has a hard time staying with him so they figured to make him think and slow down by going up from 16.

Scout's runs:

STD: Learning from the last run, I jacked him all up. When I sent him to the table someone forgot to put the fencing back up and he found the opening. He walked right by the bar setter and Denise - she was on her knees. He managed to walk all the down in front of the crowd and he came back! I mean he walked right past the back room door. He did beautiful contacts except the DW. He managed to do a 4 on the floor. We finished! We got another unexpected Q and a 2nd place.

JWW: He pulled a "Zach". UGH! I am going to nip that in the bud in class. He caught me off guard but he nailed his weaves. He visited more bar setters and we missed a jump but we FINISHED! If I was anal, I could have redone the missed jump to get that Q. Michele was a bar setter and he certainly knows her!

Another one, this for std

Conclusion:

I met my goal as we finished more than once. Q's were nice and that means we need 2 more legs to move up to Open JWW and STD. Overall I am happy. Scout wasn't stressed at all. In fact, he was smiling on all his runs. Michele couldn't stop smiling watching him.

Now being a terrier, there was a Great Dane there (they drove 6 hours just to run in NOV STD) and he was curious about it. He wanted to get on top of the big boy on the first pass - you know, "what is that? I want to get on top of it. Second pass, he really wanted to know what it was. But I could not fulfill his wish because of a fear aggressive GSD was also showing. Sasha has come a long way. She use to attack anything that broke her 10' bubble! Denise told me to watch Scout because he will go visit Sasha...

Chloe was with us all weekend as well.

KarissaKS

Posted : 4/7/2009 7:56:35 AM

First of all, good for you for volunteering! I firmly believe that everyone should volunteer at trials as often as possible and try their hands at all of the available positions. It's the biggest learning tool available to you and it's FREE -- heck, you often get rewarded for your help with vouchers, meals & prizes -- what could be better? I volunteer at every trial I go to -- it makes the days go faster and my dogs appreciate the down time to rest in their crates.

Congratulations on such huge improvements and meeting your goals! Those terrorists can be a handful when they're green, but they are unstopable with a bit more experience under their belts -- and it sounds like Scout is on his way! He looks great in his pictures with his ribbons, but I think he's wondering what all the fuss is about. lol Big Smile

You're always so nice by videoing everyone else -- you need to talk one of them into videoing YOUR runs so that we can see Scout go!

Was Chloe just there as your cheering section this weekend or did she get to run, too?

jdata

Posted : 4/7/2009 7:16:28 PM

Volunteering. They were short through the trial so I got asked on Sunday to help out but I was not needed when the big dogs ran.... I wonder why? :) It was a nice a experience as it was my first time. Denise loaded me up and she is telling me that I am going to work the table the next time. I plan to do more that's for sure.

Scout could careless about the ribbons he just wanted to tear into his "Q toys" which won't last long in my household. They are 'stress relieving' toys I suppose. Haha. I hope I get him more focused towards me in the next couple of trials. Chloe left the ring on her debut but hasn't ever since. Of course, she is softer and her nose is on the ground and her speed is like... gone... Scout.. he goes where he pleases. The instructors were watching him and noticed how happy he was. He wasn't even stressed. I was pleased when he came back to join in the fun. Shelly (she use to run Aussie, beagle and now a JRT), she was running the scorer's table, she told me, "they're terriers and just push him through Excellent fast! What's happening is that there aren't enough obstacles and now they are people sitting in the ring. It isn't like class where everything is on the floor so he sees all this space and has no idea what to do but be a terrier."

Denise's Zachary and Chloe debut about the same time however, Zach has been in more trials and I can clearly see the changes in him. Mind you, Chloe is 3-6 months less in experience than him but we progressed so fast in the classes that Denise was constantly moving us up fast. Anyhow Zach is getting at lot more confident and getting very speedy. I hope in time both my jacks will show what they have like they do in class and at home. Denise calls them 'bullets' in class and rides me to run them more at trials so that they experience. She is really impressed with Scout since he was a rescue that I got last February because of his skill level is equal to excellent level dogs - it was one of the best compliments I got from her because we are a lot alike, she scolds and rides me hard in class.

People started to come up to me to videotape them and asked for price. So now I have that coming in. You're right about footage. The last two trials I did not get recorded because I was trying to get a 'pre-run ritual' started with Scout. I keep forgetting to ask people but I am so preocuppied. I'll do it at the next trial.

Unfortunately, Maria Duthie hasn't cleared Chloe to run yet. She got some inflammation on her left rear hip and left lower back area this is causing sporadic lameness. I have been working on it. Then I have to work on Scout. After seeing other dogs going through massage and chiro, I am firm believer in it now. I am just happy it wasn't a partially torn ACL that some Vets were suspecting and were ready to cut her!