It is always good to have brakes

You know a car without brakes could be deadly :( Eks the thought is almost just as scary.

Agility sorta works the same way. Of course the caliber of breaks needed are not as great, but not to be ignored.

I have always felt that giving the dogs a break was good. Sure dogs like to do rewarding things and thrive on something rewarding, just as we humans do. Just like us humans though we get bored, burnt out, or annoyed with it at some point, no matter the level of reward we get from it. It starts to feel like more of a chore rather than a fun activity! Once that sets in-it is really hard to come out from it. A break almost becomes required.

Recently I did this with AMP. It wasn't needed,but just something I felt would be good and to see where we were at. Along with life wasn't really allowing any training anyway. I gave her about two weeks of just being a naughty little doodle pants :) She enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, and everybody was happy.

Tonight I decided that I would go out and get back at it again :) I was SO proud, words can hardly describe. We didn't do anything tricky. Did a little pin wheel and even had a jump at 22" and she didn't even care. Biggest break through was the weave poles. We have been working on channels and she was doing well. She wasn't exactly getting that she had to stay in them once they are to the spacing that she has to almost have a weaving rhythm. I decided (after a duh moment) that I would try to just name them. Did it and VOILA she knew what I was talking about. I could even run with her :) sweet. She drove though like a pro, so if that follows through to the next session I will move them in again :)

She did a lead out too :) By a lead out I mean three steps of course, don't fool yourselves ;) Most important fact is she took the jumps in front of her without me being there :) It is the small things right?

Also the table was a success..mostly. She tries dearly to stay on it, but just comes boinging off...haha either way she gets rewarded for effort since one dog with a table hatred is MORE than enough. I am sure she will get it in all due time :)

With AMP and trying a new mentality and seeing how it works. With Jinx if he didn't do something right I didn't reward it and slowed him down to almost force him to get it right. That back fired like one would suspect. He then did everything slow to be perfect :) YAY good boy you listened so well!

With AMP I am not doing that- actually the opposite. If she screws up I still reward it ( I know it sounds weird- bare with me) and then we just do it again. 99% of the time she gets it right the second time or closer to right, but most importantly the speed and drive is still there :) To me that is most important! I am not in it for the Qs, titles, or perfection. I want her to be having fun and trying her hardest and I am confident that the rest will all fall into place :) I already know that the first time we step in the ring I will be laughing at the silly things she does and telling her she is good for every thing that happens!

On that note I am thinking you might be seeing her in the ring soon :) That's all I am going to say at this point!