November already? That was fast! Besides being Fall with an abundance of colorful leaves making their way onto the yard, time was nearing as the grass cutting season was almost over - well thats the theory anyhow. Oh yes, there have been several hints of frost in the morning but the stubborn green stuff at one side of the house refuses to obey thus continues to stretch to the sun lit heavens.
I hope this will be the last time I would bring out Mr. El Toro but I am not holding my breath that's for sure. The Wx man says next week that Jack Frost might hint a sprinkle so that green stuff better heed the warning!
But whats so grand is having a yard free of leaves, that gorgeous tidy it possesses after it has been groomed. The chore itself usually takes me an hour and quarter and yesterday wasn't any different. Its just there are more things to shuffle around in the yard if you get my meaning. 
Chloe sat idly by atop her couch at the window and gazed as I appeared in and out of her view. The times I stepped into the house to get a drink she would bring her football and drop it at my feet then to gaze into my eyes to tell me she wanted to play some fetch. Her facial expression changed when she noticed that I did not pick it up, she was disappointed but I told afterwards.
Once I finished doing yard work and cleaning the mower, it was time to a break and then give Chloe some attention which basically involved getting something to drink and work on some 2o2o and some attempts at tugging. Once my legs recouped, it was time to take the speed demon outside. First things first, I need to put on her back pack - now it has 1lb in it from a ½ lb, 30' lead, football, and her treat bag.
My rule is before we go out she has to be calm before we go out that door and before she leaves the porch, I want eye contact. Then she gets rewarded with a treat. I keep her next to me now because of her prey drive so I want her focused on me. Her adrenaline is amped up she's beginning to shake and bark telling she wants me to throw the ball now. So I throw the football, recall her and repeat. After about 15-20 minutes of this workout play, I then removed the 30' lead. Now you can tell she is hampered by that lead because now shes showing more agility and snap in her movements. With her back pack still on, I started to slowly work on the table-down, break (like a heel), tunnel, 2o2o on the teeter, and the introduction of the chute barrel. Every third attempt or so, I'd throw the ball to keep her awareness and focus tuned on me. About 10 or so minutes, it removed her backpack.
Once I take that off, she is bouncing and springy, meaning she is very, very light on her feet. So now it is time for some running. So I have her run on my left and right for a bit or as long as I can take it - I really hate that I put all this weight on myself after I quit smoking. Now I start trying to use some speed by putting her in stays and and making run the a sequence obstacles at full speed. Nothing special here just straight line stuff at first and then starting to add some 180 turns. Our sequence goes like this, I put in her a down stay and lead out somewhere in the middle of the yard, break, then command a table down, pause and then lead out about 20' or so. Then I call for a break in where she has to jump then walk-it (A-Frame) and the chute. From there, I need to go to the tunnel which is going to be a 180 turn from there and I need to perform a front cross so I can set her up for the next obstacle which are 12 poles. After the poles, I can send her over to jumps that are situated side-by-side and I have a decision, I can run back through the poles or the teeter to finish.
We had some stumbles either caused by me as I moved too early and she skipped the obstacle entirely but for a first day with 3 new obstacles, it was a good positive day so far. She was smiling that was for sure. I figured she wanted more so i figured to give her a break to get a drink and for me to step in to get the rest of the chute.
My goal was to familiarize her and see what she do. I started by rolling the fabric up and leaving about a quarter exposed and call her through the chute on my left and right side several times, my secret weapon first was the football. I used the football or the soft disc when I was training her on the obstacles, if that failed, which is rarely did, there was the treats. She would only go to the treats if she started to get hungry. As I called out the command, I would throw the footbal and she would to the obstacle to get the ball or come back for a treat. Anyhow from there, I'd unroll more fabric to a third and repeat. Then two-thirds and finally all of it. She did very well.
Then I wanted to just work on the tunnel and the chute so I was basically sending her in a oval. I first warmed her up by just standing several feet from the tunnel and her either on my right or left and saying the command. She would run through and then see the football crashing down on the other side before she made it out. Then I integrated myself to navigate her to the chute. Success!
Then we did an intermission for a bit and just played fetch and then proceeded to work on the teeter and 2o2o for several minutes. And then I just wanted to see something and send her to the chute, nope! Oh well, I have to roll up a bit and then she remembered what it was.
I decided to finish off the day with some fetch and then she had the zoomies! I just stood there and watched how fast this dog was running. She was smiling when she was running and so I thought about something. Since she has the zoomies what if I take her through the poles. OMG! That was a good difference, I had no stopwatch but for sure it was tad faster than the fastest shes gone through them. I wish I had it on video!