So since the middle of September we’ve had a short but fairly-busy agility season – 2 CPE trials, 2 NADAC trials and 1 AKC trial. I ran both Bryce and Jayda all season, Raven isn’t ready for prime time yet. I’ll report on all 3:

Raven

Raven’s in class and HAD been her crazy, fearless self until one week when she left me for the umpteenth time to run BACK up the A-frame … got near the top and for some reason that apparently seemed like a good idea to HER at the time, bailed off the edge, landing in a scary face-plant on our mats! My heart was in my stomach and I immediately ran over to her – she limped for a second but fortunately there was no major PHYSICAL harm done. Thinking about all the things that COULD have happened, that was VERY fortunate!! However, she now has avoidance issues and contact phobias contacts to work through .

There’s a method of teaching contacts some instructors are using where the dog is initially encouraged to turn around on them, reverse direction and go back over them, even jump off the ramps early-on, treating the contacts like a jungle gym. The theory being that the dog builds strength and gets confident on the obstacles. Raven’s first classes used this method – I was skeptical, but I was in the class, I tried it…

Verdict: I HATE it. I’m convinced that this early conditioning was responsible for the accident. It’s definitely responsible for her thinking it’s OK to turn around and go BACK over contacts! Sorry, I don’t care who’s promoting this or how many Machs/Adchs/Nationals/World Team placements they have. Contacts are a one-way street and IMO should be taught that way from day #1. Never again.

Jayda

What can I say? Jayda continues to surprise me and be the Big Black Q Machine. I take some good-natured teasing from people about her leisurely take on “running a course” – I laugh about it all the way to the ribbon tent.

And she’s not just qualifying – she’s occasionally WINNING her classes! I’m not quite sure how we pull THAT off except that she makes very few mistakes and usually runs a nice, efficient line. And occasionally she has a burst of speed – there were a couple of NADAC trials where she was feeling good and I realized mid run that I was working pretty hard to keep up with her!

I do wish she wasn’t so nervous at outdoor trails though – she’s OK in the ring and in the car but in between she gets SO stressed :(. I feel bad for her – at home she always has a non-stop smile on her face (see photo), I would trade all the ribbons in the world to see her smile like that at a trial.

Anyway, this Fall she earned a shoebox full of ribbons and finished another fistful of titles (5 of them) – I’m too lazy to try to list them all here, but the girl’s doing alright for herself :)!