Tag: USDAA

USDAA WAG 2016/03/19

Twitch and I attended WAG’s USDAA trial on Saturday at the Linn County Fairgrounds in Corvallis. We entered one day because WAG kept posting how much better the footing was. They said they were raking it each night but IMO it’s not the hardness but all the damn rocks!

Twitch has never run well there and I’m not going to enter him there again. I was going for fun courses and motivation as an I don’t care about these Qs courses and for the most part that is how it went. Until Snooker and the aframe. Which he refused twice. So no more Corvallis trials for us.

Standard I didn’t support one jump enough and he went around it, so we didn’t Q.

Gamblers we were doing well but I was too far forward for the last jump of the Gamble and he came into me instead of taking the jump. Then after going past it I tried to salvage things and he back jumped. Oh well.

Snooker I was going for three 7s which meant three aframe a and he refused the first but I made him go up and then he refused again. I bailed and we did two tunnels instead.

Jumpers he did not start out with any motivation or speed so we looped through 6 jumps and was done. 

I liked the first two runs but the last two were not great. I have work to do. Sigh.

RAT USDAA 2015-11-14/15

Twitch, Kris and I headed up to Elma, WA on a familiar adventure with a new twist. We stayed in a hotel. All three of us. 

The hotel was just down the road from the trial site so super convenient for me. We arrived Friday with a pretty tuned up Twitch. He was raring to go but it was time for bed. The drive was awful with constant rain in the dark and I was tired and ready for sleep. Twitch was not.

The first night was not as bad as I was prepared for but it wasn’t that great. He mostly growled at noises but settled and ignored it with gentle touches and reassurances. At 4 am however he alarm barked and woke both Kris and I from a sound sleep. It was not a super restful night. 

The second night was much better. Twitch slept under the covers at my feet with fewer growls and one alarm bark at 11pm. Hopefully the folks above and below us weren’t also jolted awake.

This was a new site for us and Twitch was distracted. His first run in Gamblers on Sat was pretty good. He ran around the aframe and didn’t stop in his 2o2o for the dog walk but he did for his second aframe attempt. His wide turn over a jump meant he took another jump and good thing because without it we wouldn’t have gotten enough points! He got the gamble nice and smooth! Q.

Next was Standard. That was a disaster. He ran around the aframe and teeter. Popped his weaves and then we skipped a bunch of stuff because he was distracted. No Q.

Pairs. Well it was moderately better but not great. Entered the weaves correctly but then began sniffing. He ran past the teeter again, so two faults and no Q.

We entered Steeplechase for the first time. It was late in the day and we were both tired. We had a pretty nice run but he faulted the weaves and ran around a jump on a wide turn so no Q. But the rest of it was really pretty and his second weaves were gorgeous!

Sunday brought Snooker. He was still distracted with wide turns but we managed to make it through 7 with a Q. That was our third Q in P2 so now we can move up to P3 Snooker and start chasing Super Qs!

Last on Sunday was Standard again. We had a nice run but he was still distracted. I stopped him at one point and asked for his attention because he was not paying me any mind. Then he took the wrong end of a tunnel by going behind me off the teeter! Ugh! So no Q but the first half was really nice and he did stop in his 2o2o for me. 🙂

So a new venue and Kris was in and out of the picture a bit. Not sure if it was Kris or the venue. Otherwise I really like the venue and will go back there again. Crating area was heated which was really nice for a winter trial where it rained all day on Saturday. Plus RAT gives out pretty ribbons for titles.

  

WAG CPE 2015-11-01

  
Twitch and I went to one day of WAG’s agility trial on the 1st of November. It was CPE and we entered four runs. The location was the Corvallis Fairgrounds which they made a big deal about saying the footing was better. I chose to do one day to see for myself. I would say that it was not better. There were still lots of rocks and very loose clumps of dirt and gravel. 

Twitch didn’t run that well there so I don’t think we will go back. He was slow and distracted and maybe because he kept landing on rocks. We did manage 3 Q’s out of four but they were slow and not pretty. I gave up on Standard after a couple icky spots and then he went around the teeter. Sigh.

He was a little weird in class this past week in the first run but his second and third were better.

League this week we did ok. An off course in Standard but our Almost FAST class went very well. We were subbing for Crystal this week.

We went back to the barn today to work on contacts and weave poles. I think we might be getting more clarification of what “spot” means. He has been either not stopping or creeping or leaping in trials lately.

We ran the dog walk today and he stopped near the top of the down ramp when I said spot and I was 15 feet off the side. I said it again and he moved two feet and stopped again. So I waited to see if he would move into position but he didn’t. Just stood there. For over a minute. Then I started trying to figure out how to fix it. So we went back to close work where he was a foot from the end, spot, cookie. Then two feet up the ramp, spot and cookie. Switched sides, repeat. Then later in our practice I repeated the dog walk with me 15 feet off the side and he moved into position! Yay! So hopefully this is going to help.

We do USDAA with RAT (Rainier Agility Team) next weekend in Elma, WA and I would really like him to get his contacts. We do Steeplechase for the first time and I am excited about that! Too bad it’s at the end of the first day. It will be our first time at that location and our first time staying in a hotel. I am truly hopeful that the hotel is quiet and Twitch settles down well. Fingers crossed!

CAT USDAA Ridgefield Oct 2015

Twitch and I went to Ridgefield this weekend for two days of CAT USDAA. We drove up Sat morning bright and early.

First run was Gamblers P2. we had a fun run and we got the gamble. I planned a pretty good course and it flowed well. Q.

Next was Standard P2. Our run was fats and smooth except for the off course tunnel I sent him into. I was so pleased he got his weaves to teeter all in one go I was celebrating too much and don’t get my front cross in to indicate the other tunnel entrance. NQ.

Then we ran Snooker P2. We got two 7’s and a 2 in our opening and made it through all 7 in the closing. He was a little pokey but not too bad. Q.

Last for Saturday was Pairs P1. My Pairs partner was a 16 inch Aussie named Rumble. They ran the first half and Twitch and I ran the second. He was pretty tired and that was showing but he did well. Q. 

We camped overnight and I had dinner with some agility friends and one of the judges in Vancouver, WA.

Sunday dawned early and we didn’t run the first two classes so we had some time to let breakfast digest. 🙂

First was Standard P2. Another flowing no mistakes course. So proud of this weekend and my handling and his focus! Q.

Next was Gamblers. Now we had a nice course and we’re doing really well until Twitch decides it was time to start leaping contacts. So he left too early in the dog walk so we didn’t get the required opening points. Then he leaped the aframe above the yellow in the closing and negated our gamble. Little brat. NQ.

Last for the trial was Jumpers P2. This was a fun course. It was fast and flowing with no mistakes. Lovely run and I calculated that he was running about 8.7 mph. I know he can do faster, just gotta figure out how to tap into it. Q.

So overall my goals were:

– weaves first try. Check!

– keep moving and support every obstacle. Check!

– don’t fix any mistakes. Check! (There were none!)

– get his contacts. Oops.

He has been solidly in the yellow until now but he hasn’t been stopping. In class even, I didn’t ask for the stop and he stopped! So we are going to try a different rewarding tactic and see how that goes. Oh and practice on a taller aframe too!

  

Two Venues, One Weekend

This weekend Twitch and I competed in two different agility trials. K-9 Sports USDAA in Longview, WA and Fleet Feet CPE in Turner, OR.

The USDAA trial was outside on grass and the day turned out to be chilly and drizzly. Twitch loved it! I loved being outside with the room and space! Just wish I’d worn pants and a coat!

Our first run was Gamblers. I meant to send him through the tire over a jump then up the aframe. Instead he veered to the teeter so I had to adjust my plan but it worked out very well and we got the pinwheel gamble.

The second run was P2 Standard, our first go of it. I did not run it like I walked it. Oops. I started on the wrong side and then didn’t front cross before the aframe, so did after and then bobbled the weaves a bit. Coming out of the chute was not pretty since I meant to pull to the landing side of the next jump but instead ran to the take off side. We still managed to get over the right jump going the right direction. Then didn’t give a clear signal and pick up for the second to last jump but again salvaged it. Oi! We got that Q too.

Last run was Pairs. We ran with Nikki and Fancy. Twitch was a little growly when they came in for the handoff but refocused nicely. Aside from me momentarily forgetting the course, that run went pretty smooth.

Today was Fullhouse and Standard. He ran fast in Fullhouse accumulating 39 points (we needed 25) for a first place in Level 4. He did miss a tunnel but I didn’t cue any collection or come in to me over the jump preceding the tunnel, totally my fault.

Standard was a loopy course that was a lot of fun. We bobbled the weaves because again, I tried for a front cross and didn’t cue collection for that first pole well enough. The rest of the course was ok except for after the teeter where I forgot the course again.  We got back on track without too bad of a handling error and pulled in the 5th Q. 

Sheesh, not a good weekend for me handling wise!

Overall he did well and enjoyed himself. So proud of the little guy!!