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Agility Venue Bashing

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I’ve been playing this game for quite a while now (since 1994 – yikes!) and one of the things that’s always annoyed me is agility venue bashing or “neener, neener – my venue’s better than yours.”

AKC, USDAA, NADAC, CPE … I’ve done well in all of them through the years, and I’m game for trying anything new that comes along. When you “cross train” a lot, the first thing you learn is that every venue is different and they all have their pros and cons. Believe me, I can be a world-class whiner and could come up with a pretty good list of gripes about any of them! But to label one “better” than another? Or even more ridiculous, assume that the teams that participate in a particular venue are less skilled than those who compete primarily in another?

I spend a lot of entry fees in two venues that seem to bear the brunt of this attitude: NADAC and CPE. Heck – even NADAC people turn up their noses at CPE :)! Why do I participate in them?

When I started out with my girls, those were absolutely the right venues for us at the time. NADAC’s open courses and smooth flow gave Jayda the confidence and speed she so badly needed. “Sloppy handling” is a common accusation from non-NADAC participants, but I have to say that if anything, NADAC forces me to be very conscious of my handling – a bobble or a spin or even an inefficient line can so easily put you over time (even with a “fast” dog!)

CPE is awesome for babydogs – being able to do short courses like Fullhouse and Colors is a fabulous middle step to decreasing reinforcement density in a genuine trial atmosphere. Both venues are also very accomodating for semi-retired veteran dogs – my old guy has plenty of games he can still enjoy SAFELY in both venues.

Last Spring I went from weeks of nothing but CPE and NADAC to a 3 day AKC trial where Jayda qualified all 3 days in jww – 2x 1st place in Open and again the next day as a move-up on a pretty tight/technical Excellent course – one of only 3 “A” dogs to qualify. Damn, those out-of-control NADAC dogs and their sloppy handlers :).

ARE there teams running in NADAC who lack the necessary control for other venues? Yes. ARE there teams in CPE who “get by” with gawdawful handling and a lot of luck? Of course there are. But each venue brings it’s own particular “flavor” to the table and if you look at them with an open mind and a POSITIVE ATTITUDE, you’ll realize that each one offers something unique that can enhance you and your dog’s teamwork and skills.

At the end of the day it’s the relationship with your dog and how you perform as a team that matters, right? So please don’t assume my dogs and I are “less-than” because I choose to play in a different venue!

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NADAC in lovely New Paltz, NY

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This trial was almost cancelled due to a low early turnout – when I sent in my envelope with a checkbook-busting 18 runs worth of entries I prayed that we at least wouldn’t have monsoons – I wasn’t disappointed! We lucked out with a beautiful weather weekend – still a little warm for September, but no rain and it wasn’t brutally hot. We can do that!

I had entered Bryce in an optimistic 6 runs, which is more than I’d been running him lately. I was a little concerned how he’d hold up, even though it was all shorter novice courses.

He loved it! He started the weekend turning in the 3rd fastest time in the entire Novice Jumpers class – 4.19 YPS for his Outstanding title, then Q’d again in Hoopers and Tunnelers. He was looking pretty tired by tunnelers, but came out the next morning like gangbusters and put down another tunnelers run that left me running my a** off to keep up with him! Close to 4 YPS – by no means his personal best, but for an old man with cancer and assorted achey, creaky parts it was pretty impressive! He went on to Q in his other 2 runs for good measure, beating Raven by several seconds in weavers (she scrambles, but he ran it perfectly) and ending the trial with another good jumpers run. Such a little “pro” :)! He was tired, but happy to have gotten so many chances to play!

Raven had a nice weekend too, though there was an unwanted return of the “cut in front of Mommy and jump on her” nonsense on several runs. Damn – we really need to work on obstacle focus!!!!! Still, she got the last leg of her Novice regular (standard) title, got a Q in Novice Weavers, and Q’d in both jumpers runs to get her Open Jumpers (OJC) title. She made a good attempt her first time in Open Regular, I won’t be moving her up to Elite Jumpers until she gets more independent because between the bouncing and the excessive checking-in she simply won’t make time. Instead, we’ll play some more in Open. Or maybe I’ll start running her in tunnelers/weavers/touch n go for a while and get her Nov. Versatility.

Poor Jayda – she tried, but it wasn’t her weekend. Wrong course in Touch n Go, popped the weaves in Sat. regular, then over time, over time, over time … she got one little 5 pt Q in Elite regular on Sunday. I noticed she was picking up her head in the weaves – I need to target that back down, because if she scans around and sees something, she’ll either pop out or lose a lot of time. I was sure she’d gotten Jumpers on Sunday – it was a nice course for her – but I had a little mental lapse and sent her very wide at one point, and that was probably just enough to put her over. Ugh – I hate when I do that :( !

Still, Jayda did get a very pretty award from NADAC for her Novice Triple Superior the other day.

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OK I’ll do it – 7 things …

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Two posts in two weeks? Unheard of! The other week Bernadette over on the OBay Shelties blog challenged her blogger readers to play the “7 things you may not know about me and my dogs” game and it sounded like fun, so without further ado, here goes!

7 things you may not know about me:

1) I was reading books before I was in kindergarten. I was reading music before I was reading books.

2) I have a BA in music (magna cum laude) – concentration in Jazz Performance and Studies. In retrospect, my guidance counsellor should have been stripped of his license for not talking me into something more practical, but no biggie – I eventually figured it out on my own.

3) I’m also an alumni of the GIA (Gemological Institute of America). I may not have or wear a lot of jewelry, but never let it be said that I don’t know my bling!

4) At one point in my life, I had pet hermit crabs. My first one was Spot (because I didn’t have a dog but I wanted one.) I also remember the two called Martin and Maarten (their names, er, had something to do with their point of origin ;-). ) They were actually kind of interesting. If I had one today I’d probably try to clicker train it to do those Breyer agility obstacles or something.

5) The coolest thing I ever taught one of my furkids was conditioning one of my cats to go into “happy cat” mode on cue. She’s kind of pugnacious – I started click/treating her for ankle rubs and eventually put it on cue. I can still use that cue to pre-empt a catfight. (Technically, I guess what she does is better called “begging mode”, but hey – it works!)

6) I’ve been a vegetarian for most of my life. Many people don’t realize this because I’m not preachy about it.

7) I didn’t have a dog as a kid, I grew up with cats. I can’t imagine not having at least one kitty underfoot!

7 things you may not know about my dogs

(this was tough – I could come up with a LOT more than seven!)

1) Raven sleeps upside down, legs in all directions.

2) At home, the loudest and most ranbunctious of my dogs is … Jayda. Silly, bouncy, dorky and demonstrative – everything she’s NOT in public! She’s always wagging her tail with that big Jayda smile on her face.

3) Jayda also spends a lot of time on her hind legs – a LOT of time. Her default sit is a “sit pretty” unless I remind her to put her front feet down! She can easily go from a sit to a stand and back again, she can walk backwards on two legs … I didn’t set out to teach her this, I think she just likes being tall!

4) Lots of people know about Sally’s singing/tune recognition talents, but few people know that Sally was totally amused by the letter “Z”. I used to have this little game I’d play with her: I’d start by asking if she wanted to go to the Zzzzzoooo? To see the Zzzeebras? There was a lot more but you get the idea. By the time I’d used up every “Z” word I could think of, she’d have the Sheltie version of the ROFLMAO giggles. It was too cute!

5) Bryce makes the funniest yodelling noises when he’s in his crate and feeling unloved. (As if!)

6) For whatever reason, cats are attracted to Raven. I mean, they’re drawn to her like a MAGNET! For her part, Raven’s well behaved around most cats but it creeps her out when they rub up against her.

7) Last but not least, some people know about this, but it’s weird enough to bear repeating…

Bryce has a soulmate. It’s not me, it’s not a dog, it’s not a cat, it’s his ducky, aka the Yucky Ducky – a formerly-white, formerly-squeaky, stuffed duck toy that he’s had for a good 7-8 years. At 12 years old, he still takes it out with him when he goes out to the bathroom. If we’re going anywhere he’ll look all over for it to make sure we don’t leave it home.

It’s been patched multiple times and washing only restores it to a lighter shade of gray – even by dog-person standards it’s nasty, but what can I say? Love is a funny thing!

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Return of the Lazy Blogger

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No, I haven’t abandoned my blog (though it may look that way!) Been busy, haven’t had much to blog about, and it’s so much easier to write a sentence or two on Facebook than compose a big blog post. But I do have some catching up to do, so here goes:

Bryce – celebrated his 12th birthday on July 10th, his 3rd since his cancer diagnosis. It’s a sobering thought that he’s now survived longer than some people with his type of cancer! He’s still doing agility – 4 Q’s away from his CPE Jumpers Championship and picked up 40 pts in NADAC this past weekend. I can potentially run him in 2 1/2 more NADAC trials this season and am wavering on what to enter. He needs 105 more points for a lifetime 1000 points. Or, 3 Q’s in Open Weavers would give him his Open Versatility but jeopardize our chances of getting the points, because one missed entrance or popout will put him over time in Open Weavers.

It may seem strange that I still have goals for him and maybe some people think I should just enjoy running him. I DO enjoy every run with my wonderful little guy (and he’s still loving it too), but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a few more goals! I wish the dance would never end and it keeps my focus off the inevitable.

Jayda and Raven (aka JayVen)The girls are doing well. Jayda is 2 Q’s from a C-ATCH, finished her AKC OJP last May and got her first AJP Q the same weekend. We’re (gasp) doing TWO AKC trials this fall, hoping to finish her OAP and maybe the AJP too. Down on the table problems were the only reason she didn’t get her OAP in May so the rule changes have me feeling quite optimistic :). In NADAC, she finished her Novice Triple Superior in May, got her OAC and her first OJC Q this weekend – the girl’s on fire! OK, maybe it’s a slow, smoldering fire, but a fire nonetheless. Love my big Jayd-Jayd :)!

Raven’s growing up and starting to run really nicely for me. I can’t believe she’s almost 3 already – she’s still very “puppy.” She’s also quite the little Princess, but that’s a blog post in itself! Distance work is an issue – she’s the “stickiest” Sheltie I’ve ever had – but she’s getting better. That’s going to be our winter project. Jayda could benefit from some work in that department too, especially if I want to get her Open Chances title! While NADAC Novice was cake for her, Open’s just a little outside her comfort zone.

Kitties are all doing well. Things got ugly for a while after I brought in Hat, but they’ve finally settled down a bit. Biki still doesn’t like him – nothing personal, just because he’s a CAT and he’s in HER house – but she seems to have resigned herself to his presence. His old BFF Cassie’s become my new porch cat and become pettable! She also likes the dogs, especially the girls, who are disgusted but tolerant of all the enthusiastic PDKA (public displays of Kitty affection.) She’s pretty and petite with a tiny little voice, and once she finally got brave enough to let me touch her she can’t seem to get enough of it! Anyone want a kitty? I hate thinking of her spending another winter outside and would be happier if she were inside somewhere, safe and loved!

I’ve been busy with work and pouting and crabby lately because I trashed my lower back 2 weeks ago. How? Possibly moving storage boxes around earlier in the day, but I really don’t know. All I DO know it that sitting is bad, standing is OK. Fortunately, walking and running seem to be good so I can run my dogs – priorities, ya know! I actually feel a bit better after the trial this past weekend. My new trial job is Gate (because I don’t have to sit or bend.)

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Two Years …

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It was March 31, 2008 that I got the results of the routine bloodwork that eventually led to Bryce’s cancer diagnosis.

In dogs, Multiple Myeloma has an average survival time of 540 days. We’re at 730 and counting and I’m thankful for every single one of them. Bryce is in clinical remission and as of his latest bloodwork his globulins were about where they were back when he was healthy. For today, life is good.

They say there’s a positive side to everything, so sitting in traffic yesterday seemed like a good opportunity to ponder this. Aside from the stress and vet bills, what has Bryce’s cancer given him and given me?

Possibly the strangest thing that’s come out of this for me is in agility. Sometime during the course of Bryce’s cancer I’ve finally developed … a mental game! Prior to that, I had a long history of getting nervous and screwing up any time something important to me was on the line. And believe me, there’s nothing to put on the pressure like knowing you’re running on borrowed time! But somehow the need to come through for Bryce, knowing that I might never have another chance, has helped me break past that better than any imagery exercises, affirmations or other sports coaching tricks have ever been able to do.

As for Bryce – Bryce is never taken for granted. Ever. Two years of extra attention, extra love, extra cookies … OK, he was always a little spoiled and now he’s gotten REALLY spoiled :). But when life’s busy and you have a houseful it’s hard not to sometimes just let things chug along as you go about your silly human business while some illogical part of your brain reassures you that they’ll always be there and there will be plenty of time for them “when you’re done”.

They won’t. And you’ll never be “done”.

I’m not taking my others for granted as much as before either. Or the people in my life.

I think that’s all good.

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