Agility Practice

Last night, Maggie's agility class got rained out - or rather - hailed out, so a few of us got together tonight to practice for a while.  This was our first practice since the trial last weekend.  After a trial, I always have a lot of things that we need to work on.  So tonight Maggie and I worked on contacts.  "Why is that", you ask?  Well, this picture from last weekend's trial says it all:

"Yikes!"

Maggie should be running all the way to the bottom of the contact.  This is NOT what running to the bottom looks like:

So tonight we did very basic contact work.  I did the "happiest place on earth" game with Maggie, which she loves.  Then I started asking her to do the entire piece of equipment, asking for a bottom.  When I am standing right with her, she will run to the bottom, but as soon as I start moving, she jumps off to run with me.  This will be a work in progress for a while.

I also did some table work with Maggie.  She is still slow to lay down on the table during trials, so I am trying to make the table really fun for her.  We have a CKC agility trial coming up in a couple of weeks and in CKC the dogs are sometimes asked to to a "sit" on the table.  Maggie has never been asked to sit on the table, so I thought I would try it.  She was very confused at first and would sit but would lay down again right away.  I am sure she was convinced that I was trying to trick her.  Anyway, after a few tries, she was sitting on the table with no problem.  I actually think that she thought it was some kind of game because she suddenly became very excited to "sit" or "down" on the table.

I also worked rear crosses with Maggie.  I need to do rear crosses so rarely with Maggie, because I can usually get ahead of her, so they are awkward for both of us.  By the end of our little session tonight, Maggie was really catching on and I think that my timing is getting better.  We still need lots of practice though.

Bosley came out to do a bit of practice too.  I also worked rear crosses with him.  I want to make sure that when it is time for him to trial, that he can do front and rear crosses equally well.

Bosley  did some teeter work.  He really loves the teeter now, and he did not fall off or try to jump off at all tonight.  He also stops at the bottom and waits to be released!  

Bosley also got to practice the weaves.  He is really getting the hang of weaving now and is trying to pick up speed as he goes through them.   His entrances are very good, and will usually get the entrance on the first try.  He will still sometimes miss a middle pole, especially when he gets going fast.  He really tries hard in the weaves and next to the table, it is probably his favorite agility thing.

As you can see with Bosley, I am really working hard with him on the areas that Maggie has the most difficulty with.  Contacts, rear crosses and a quick table are all things that Maggie and I struggle with, but these are some of Bosley's  strongest areas in agility (well so far anyway - we will see what happens when he starts sequencing more).