to lead out or not to lead out?

Uh....well....AMP would say NOT!

Apparently leading out isn't much fun or too much or maybe it is secretly overrated :)

AMP just really doesn't want to take jumps when I lead out, she would just rather run around the jumps and get to me the faster way...ha...ha..haaaaaa...not funny AMP :) I really do love you, but darling no stay and lead out is going to kill me :)

She is slowly getting it, but I am thinking it is definitely going to be no lead outs at the first couple of trials- since 1) she isn't going to probably stay long enough with all the energy around 2) *if* she does stay the chances she will take the jumps at the point is probably pretty slim :) BUT...alas she is AMP and I still love her :) She always makes things a challenge :) soooo BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

Missing out?!

I suppose you feel as if you are missing out on something. Or perhaps you are thankful that there are no more damn running contact videos :) I understand.

Well truthfully I haven't done them the last two days :/ whoops! Real life (ya know that thing that doesn't involve dogs? weird.) well it has decided to intervene a bit. dang.

However the plan is still intact from our last session (which also I don't think made it on here), I will be moving the board up again. After using some sort of small intelligent ability that I have, hey I have my diploma that gives me some credit right? realized that raising the board like 4" really isn't going to be a whole heck of a lot. It is like a mouse to a coyote or a crackers to a giant. You get my point right? In case you didn't, she doesn't probably really notice the difference all that much. I am going to move it up more now- can't really say how much, but probably try and make it enough to be noticeable :)

I have also decided-whether it is right or not I do not know- but I am not going to spend a lot of time at one height. If we are having some huge issues then I will spend some more time there and once we get more height I will take more time, but as long as things are moving smoothly I am going to be trudging along. I just don't feel that stay at one spot when she is doing well, to just further verify it really isn't helping me. Again who really knows if it will work?

I am not entirely sure that I will even keep them. I am liking the challenge though :) mostly. Yes there are days that I want to just throw in the towel and call it quits. About the time that I feel that way though the next day she is giving me better strides and showing me that maybe this is working and I just have to keep going. I am pretty determined to get them, but not enough that she could spend 5 years training before she gets to show in agility. Not gonna happen. To me that isn't really worth it when she can have a 2o2o and it isn't like the girl is going to be slow or anything. I will definitely try for the A-frame as I see that being pretty possible :) Still going to focus on the dogwalk though!!

Besides that training she is going REALLY good with jumping :D It was like a light switch. She didn't know what to think of it and didn't want to go to jumps on her own. Now? She will commit to jumps and even take them if I am not telling her :o I am SO proud of the girl! She is definitely maturing and getting into the swing of things of agility. It really goes to show you that with time and patients some things will just settle into place :)

We still continue to do tricks of course :) We are adding a few more to our bag as the weeks go on and am looking at other people for ideas!! This by far is still my favorite thing to do with her. She just gets to, well...AMP'D up for tricks :) Basically anything gets her excited, but shaping is her things. She was raised on it and almost knew nothing besides it for learning!! Her enthusiasm in anything is enough to bring a small to my face- of course we couldn't forget her goofy faces, silly personality, and the things she does too!!!

I am still going to continue and work harder on getting her and ALL the dogs (plus me) more physically fit! After hearing from a friends after her dog went to an eval it really made me see that conditioning, strengthening, and stretching is most important, so that will be just what I am going to try and achieve :-)

So we are off to our healthier life style!!

Oh session 6...maybe

Today was session 6 I think..right?

Made a step forward with raising the board :) Yippeey!! Only raised the board about 4 inches to start with and I think she did well! Had only about 2 bad ones and 5 goods and one "eh". I also even rewarded them correctly too! That is probably the more amazing part. I had mom help, suppose I should add that :) Going to do the same thing tomorrow and hope we get the same or better results. If that is the case then I will go up on the following session :) Just going to keep going with the pattern since staying in one spot too long doesn't seem to work well for us!

Having a drink now to celebrate our success :)

Enjoy the video...

Troublesome road

Another session of RDW and not very impressed :/

it seem like since the first couple of sessions she is doing all these weird stride things! I don't know if she just doesn't know exactly what to do yet (I am sure that is part of it) or if she just tries new things because she is a shape aholic?! But I am going to raise the board. I am hoping that this will cause her to try a better stride. We will see I guess! There seems to be a consensus that keeping it low too long doesn't really do any good, so maybe that is our only problem.

Still not sure I am a fan of this running contact stuff though ;)

Session 4 brings good things :)

yesterday we did a RDW session and she had 5 not so great hits :/ bummer! My first reaction was to get down about it and then I wanted to get mad. However, I decided to ignore that first and second reaction to just blow it off! Bad session happen and will happen- tomorrow is another day.

Well today was another day and we had better results :D YAY!

She is doing something odd with her stride- she does a big leap-ish/extended stride in the middle of the plank, but then it is almost like she knows she has isn't suppose to leap, so she puts in a stride at the very end of the plank?! Weird. I rewarded it because she is trying and that is what counts. she definitely had some REALLY nice ones though :)

see for yourself :)

Also did some jump collection drills that my private trainer suggested I try with her. At an earlier date she would of never been able to do these. She would of viewed it as too much at one time. Now? She did AWESOME :) She is getting it more and more everyday :)

PROGESSing inTWO

Session two of AMP's RDW were superb :) I couldn't of been more proud!!! She missed 2/7 (I accidentally deleted one that was bad while editing, but it was similar to the first one). I am still ecstatic!! This is the BEST results we have had in all our RDW training! If her next session goes similar to this one I might trying moving it up a smidge. I can always go back down!!

Man is she flying over that plank though..whew--LOL



Enjoy the video

Of ALL days to get it...

AMP would get her running dogwalk plank on the last 2 days before the world ends :) I guess this is my world ending gift..LOL!

Did more running dogwalk plank with her today and actually got video! AFTER arguing and bickering with Youtube it decided we were worthy enough to get our video passed OR it decided this was my last video and would caught me a break! Whatever it is thanks :)

Used the guides again-of course and still a huge success :) I am liking it and I don't care what anyone says :)

AMP gets and she runs. end.of.story :) At this stage I don't have to worry about her staying on the board, my bad throws, or anything else- just let er' run :)

Granted yes the boards are giving her no other option but to stay on and they won't be there in competition- I have thought about all that. The plan looking into the future (if the world doesn't end) as I raise the board first I hope it becomes obvious to stay on rather than jump off and second as the board raises the guides will become less and less noticable and it will be a gradual fade :) Problem solved-in my brain!

In regards to the video- I rewarded every single one. Were they are perfect nope- really only the last 2 were, but I just want her to like running the board. The last two were also better because I started moving her back further allowing her to get more speed onto the board as well! I am going about this more Silvia's method with the run full speed rather than more Daisy's slow and learn then get faster with confidence just because it seems to work more with AMP's style. We shall see though :) Enjoy the video and you will be seeing RDW videos for the rest of your life until you can't handle it no longer!!

Doing what everyone else does, doesn't garauntee it's right!

I tried again to do AMP's plank work- thought I should probably get going on that if I want to show her in standard someday :)

Everyone said don't do guides- reward the plank, build value and get that first. I say NO! AMP didn't get, she still doesn't get it, and I am not sure she ever will. It doesn't work to her strengths and her understanding I guess!

So I did it- I made a plank chute. Plank in the middle with these wooden garden gates on the sides. I thought what the heck do I have to lose?!?! nothing!

I set her up in the middle tonight threw the ball released her and she got it. Brought her to the start of the board thew ball. released. She ran the board and went and got it :) Cool. Slowly worked her back and she ran the board with no issue or hesitation EVERY.SINGLE. TIME :) Even if I threw the ball off to the side she would STILL go and get the ball after running the plank :) Sweet!

Will this bite me in the butt down the road? Maybe. Does it matter? Nope because what I was doing wasn't working at all! This is working so far! If it does kick me in the butt later on..fine, I will deal with it then and only then. Daisy says "Make a decision and deal with the consequences later" that is what I am doing....I think.

Hoping that it plays out that I just keep raising the board inside the guides and eventually they will be too low and won't guide her to stay on, bit only as the board raises. This in its self will be fading out the guides :) Saying that once the board gets to that height it should be pretty obvious to stay on the board. If she can't then I am going to assume that it isn't going to work and if that happens, we will just do a 2o2o :) Not a big deal!

We will see what the road ahead brings, bit for now I am living by the saying:

"If your friends jumped would you?" my answer is NO :)

I *think* Einstein has risen from the dead...

I think he could have possibly done so. I never met the man (obviously), but judging by the pictures and all the talk about him I have a pretty good idea. So, here he is except there is one hitch- he came back as a girl? I Can't explain that one....


Here it is......

Einstein- the Original

Einstein back from the dead!

I can clearly see the resemblance- Tongue hanging out, lots of hair on the head, big ears, and a mixture of white hair too :) Yup clearly he well or she has!

AMP says it is no big deal or anything she just happens to be a look alike and basically just AS smart! Probably do to her just be generally awesome :) No biggie.

Today I decided that it was time to go and do some training with AMP :) I have heard that the only way they learn agility is to train..weird right? Kinda like the only way to Q is to enter- not that you are guaranteed anything :)

So I gave into the thought and acted on it. I have been changing some things with the way I was training her, for example:

Jumping- I started with working her on being tight and wrapping, serps, threadles and collection. Which I am sure AMP could explain all that with one word BORING! I realized this at the Daisy seminar. I changed that and now we just work on her liking jumping and driving over the jump, even if it isn't tight- don't care and getting her to drive good out of the turns ;) It is working like a charm :) She is really starting to enjoy jumping and drives MUCH faster over the jumps as well :D LOVELY- besides the girl has a natural jump to her anyway! no worries. Still have a few issues with her thinking that going around is FAR faster and easier than jumping..ha It is becoming less frequent though, so a plus there. Also have been working on teaching her a back side command since it is becoming more popular! She gets it :)

Everything else is really falling into place nice as well :) I like her work ethic and she puts such a great deal of drive, fun, enthusiasm into it, it makes it hard to not enjoy it :D best thing is the women is bomb proof when working. Doesn't matter what is going on she is working and that is it.

Haven't worked her running contacts...why? Haven't really cared to. Would like to have them. Do I HAVE to have them? no. I am going to try, but honestly if they don't work they don't work- it doesn't give you an automatic win and it is more for me, the challenge of getting them. If I can get them cool- means I have done something which has definitely been a challenge, but I am still capable of teaching a 2o2o too :) Love having options though!

AMP also feel awesome since she got her new K-9 Julius Power harness and we LOVE it :) Click HERE to check them out and get one for your pup too :)

Teeter ;)

Don't get all excited for anything, but I would like to bring attention to the fact that I am updating this blog TWO days in a row!! gasp :)

Anyway THE princess will be mad if I talk about anyone else besides her too much on here.

Did agility with her tonight- wait let me re-phrase that we goofed around in the agility arena and managed to get a few things accomplished..hee hee :) We have a hard time focusing on agility since running around and being total nerds is just THAT much more fun :D

Figured that I would try working on her teeter again, since who know how long it's been? first few reps just running to the end like always then added a small-micro drop in after she was to the end- no problems there :) Then added a larger drop and no problems again! Lastly added a even bigger drop and not a problem there either :D Very proud of her since she wasn't all that "into" the teeter thing at the beginning. Oh did I forget to mention that the biggest drop was about 4 inches max..HEE HEE- it is the thought that counts!

I think that they should also invent an agility class at trials for young dogs with only a table, tunnels, small jumps, and a teeter that only drops a few inches ;) AMP agrees!!

AMP also gets to go to World Team tryouts this weekend to just hang with the "big shots" :) We are very excited and she gets to meet her long distance friends too!

Gone with the winddddddd

Apparently my want or motive to train THE princess has been blown away in all this wind we have been having!

It doesn't have to do with the lack of skill THE princess has because she is definitely a great little worker, but I think from what I have gathered after thinking about it is that I just like her as a companion SO much ;)

Everyday she makes me laugh with her crazy faces , the things she does, or the even the naughtiness she comes up with! She's definitely one of those dogs that I could just sit and watch all day long do whatever she does and be perfectly content!

However, she would probably not agree with me so much on no agility! She likes agility now and thinks it is a lot of fun! She loves tunnels, thinks it is super funny to scoot and break her startline, and to run around jumps because it is the fastest way :D

I have truly been in ZERO rush to get her started. I mean honestly at this point the girl can do a jump maybe two in a row without going around, tunnels, and a table successfully :) She has just started weave pole training, and still only does a teeter raised on one end, and I haven't worked her running contact training in months! Sure she is turning 18 months at the end of May and would AGE wise be able to compete, but everything concerning she isn't ready! I am sure she will make a debut this year at some point, it will probably be in jumpers because then I don't have to teach her as many things..lol..lazy I know! I really don't have any worries though of her being different at a trial- AMP has been to SOO many trials and cares so little about really anything but me that I don't see it being an issue! I am sure she will as most dogs do have issues with new equipment, but so what the only way that will be cured is with time and experience- starting her now or later isn't going to really change such things!

I also have changed my training ideas I have had with her a bit since the Daisy Peel seminar. I was getting so caught up in her wrapping and being tight like Jinx is now. I forget that Jinx started out wide and orbitie and THEN I started to tighten things up. SO instead of wrapping I let her wing out and take the jump wide I would rather at this point she be putting in as much drive and focus on just jumping before I am asking her to jump, turn, and wrap too! I want jumping the jump to become natural and subconscious for her first ;)

I guess I should maybe do some stuff with her then and move past just teaching the good ball a bunch of tricks :) I am thinking that a circus is going to be calling us soon wanting AMP as one of their acts :D

Notice her ear hair make an upside down heart in the middle :D