Well, it’s been a while – USDAA announced their weave pole spacing change almost a year ago (read our original entries here, and here!) and AKC’s spacing has been changed almost two years! What do you think of the changes, now that you’ve had time to get used to them? I’ve heard some dogs are faster, some are slower, and some are virtually unchanged! I still believe it is a good change, speaking as a big dog owner!
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20Jun
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15Jun
Marlene Remington asked My Muffin started competing in April and is doing fairly well (we even complete our AKC JWW Novice title). We are having problems with contact obstacles that are different from the obstacles we practice on at our club field. Our chute has a blue barrel with a blue chute — the venue where we are having trouble has a closed chute where the barrel is nearly clear and the chute is yellow. She absolutely will not go into it — when have been in four events with this chute and can’t seem to get past it. I am tempted to pick her up and push her through it (I know I will get disqualified) just to stop this fear. Help!That is a problem. It’s a sticky situation, too, because practicing on the trial equipment is not allowed. However, maybe you can get in contact with someone at the venue and rent their ring/equipment at a later date, take a few hours, and work on shaping your dog to complete the obstacle. Treat it like Muffin doesn’t know how to do a chute at all. Sometimes an obstacle can look so different in design and in a new place that a dog isn’t sure what to do with it. Don’t shove her through, even though that is tempting! You don’t want her to associate being pushed with an obstacle, especially one she sees often in competitions.
For the contacts on the club field, ask if you can move them around with other members. That way your dog is learning the obstacle not the position of the obstacle. Also keep in mind that if your obstacles are sand-treated and the competition obstacles are rubber coated or vice versa, it can lead to some variation in performance of the obstacle. If you have both kinds of obstacles in your area, you may want to train your dog to perform on both surfaces equally.
Lastly, is it possible that your dog may not be quite ready to compete? I know she’s doing fine, but from the sounds of things there may be one or two obstacles she’s just not ready for or doesn’t fully understand. It may be worthwhile to take a step back in training and review the chute and contacts, with massive rewards and partying.
I hope this helps! Good luck to you and Muffin (cute name, by the way!
) and happy hurdling! -
30Mar
Triple jumps challenge dogs to jump high and wide. This complexity often leads to dogs tripping over these hurdles, or knocking bars. It’s crucial to practice regularly with these jumps, so your dog learns to judge depth and height.How high? Triple jumps are set for competition at your dog’s jump height, with the jump height also being the jump width. So if your dog jumps at 12″, the back bar is 12″ high, and 12″ from the first bar, with the first bar set at 6, the middle at 9.
Where to start? Remember to start the triple jump low – at half height – and narrow. Gradually raise the bars and spread them to the full height and width, and your dog will soar over them with no trouble!
How can I make them more of a challenge? If you want to mix things up with your triple, proof. Work your dog off both sides, and put the jump in different sequences on the course. Practice sending out to it, coming into it, and taking it before and after another jump, tunnel, contact… make the obstacle easy for your dog to complete by proofing thoroughly!
Triple jumps are on sale this week at Affordable Agility! Get ready to rock this summer!
Tags: agility competing, agility obstacles, agility training
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04Feb
This video is simple, and beautiful. I think the snow background really adds to the artistic ‘feel’ of it. Enjoy!
Tags: agility training
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26Jan
Most Agility organizations don’t allow treats or toys in the ring, or even within ten feet of the ring. (I believe NADAC is considering amending this rule, but has not changed it as of yet. They may not change it at all. Do any of you NADAC experts know for certain?) I’m not certain how I feel about that. As I’ve heard pointed out, pockets nearly always have treats in them, and can be forgotten about completely, as evidenced by how many times I’ve washed them in my pockets. I like the way UKAI handles it – you may bring a toy if you want, and it’s a fun run. Treats can just get all over!However, for treats, I think that while they can be allowed on course without providing an undue distraction to the dog (so long as they are not rewarded on course) if they are safely contained in a treat bag or ziplock bag. What do you think? Treats, yea or nay?
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