Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach.

-Aristotle

Well that pretty much sums up my contribution to DABAD. See ya!
***
Kidding.

But basically, yeah. It takes a special person to be a good teacher. Anyone could run a group of people and dogs through sequences and spout some feedback once a week. Being a good instructor is more than the imparting of helpful knowledge... facts... information. Yes, instruction of this kind matters.  But if you aren't leaving these sessions with more than homework, something may be missing.

Does your teacher inspire you? Hopefully, you've connected with someone that you admire, for whatever reasons. Whether it's their talent and ambition, or simply that they really seem to like their dogs, your teacher should have some qualities that you aspire to achieve for yourself that you can't otherwise achieve on your own. If they've nothing to inspire you, how can they motivate you? How can you change?

Does failure present a challenge, or a conclusion? Failure is an opportunity. It is not a closed door, it is not the end. A good teacher accepts failure as such. Problems are for solving. The best teachers look forward to the toughest of problems with excitement. If a teacher has no interest in learning, how can they expect their student to?

Do you feel as though they truly want to help you along further than even they have been? A teacher will want to see you better. Not just better than the old you; better than themselves. The best. A testament to any good teacher is that they want the next generation to go beyond the first. Lead the way, open the door, and watch their student move forward alone. Celebrate your success with more joy than their own. If your teacher cannot lift you in this way, then they are only holding you down.

What are their reasons for teaching? Einstein said "Love is a better teacher than duty." He's right.
***
Even if it means I travel, even if it means I only work with my teacher a few times a year, what I need is understanding. And as an instructor, I will continue to TEACH, not do, every single week.

Why Weekends Off Are Bad for Your Health

Let it be written that I tried a weekend off, thinking after the last show that surely non-stop agility weekends could not possibly be healthy.

CLEARLY wrong.  There are FAR WORSE THINGS. 

***

I’m assuming at this point most everyone knows what I’m referring to.  If not, well, not sure you want the nightmares so maybe come back and visit another day.

My poor little bird. I keep thinking about it, and what could have been different: how it could have been worse, how could it have been better. These thoughts are unnecessary…torturous…dangerous. Sigh.  Can’t stop them from coming though.

We all remain shell-shocked.  I take the girls for a walk and wince at the site of other dogs with their owners.  Do these people, too, believe their dog is incapable of being a threat? How tight is their grip, how well staked is their line?  I see my once solid, confident, appropriate Dog try to hide from them in doorways.   I am so upset at the site of unattended dogs that I (the world’s most passive of passive aggressives) complain to property management and demand action.   I am so upset that even taking that step, I don’t think we will go for walks here anymore.

I’m sure she will be ok. Only a few weeks and I will have my girl back where in another reality maybe I wouldn’t.  I am buoyed by this. I am satisfied that the property management takes these things seriously and has already formed a plan. I am beyond thankful that my family was there in that moment and that my parents were champions for The Dog when my hands were otherwise occupied.  Grateful too that this meant my Pup is safe and whole.  But it doesn’t stop the heartbreak or the fear, can’t erase what is done and I don’t know what will.  Time makes things like this burn less brightly; fur grows back… but the marks will be there, just under the surface.  I can’t tell yet what this will mean for all of us.

But for now, looking forward, I will try to focus on being proactive and thankful and I am hoping that will move us through the shock and past those unnecessary thoughts.

***

Feelin' much better without the drain. Soooo.... ball? 

Mega holes. Ear on right. 

Damage.

In case anyone would like a drain close-up.

Blackmail photo. 

Why the Silver Medalist Cries and Other Things I Learned Last Week.

Our epic travels are done; a brave experiment was conducted as to whether or not traveling for two back-to-back Regionals was going to be a GOOD idea or a BAD idea.

Well, as most of our adventures seem to go, it turned out that wasn’t so much about the outcome as it was about the journey and what we learned along the way.   

***

Last year, you may recall, the NC Regional was the site of a Major Crisis of Confidence. It was one of those weekends that made me seriously reconsider well, everything.  My handling, my attitude, The Dog’s attitude, our combined mental fortitude, our knowledge, skills, abilities, etc etc… it was all center stage suddenly and not making the cut.  

It was pretty sad-making.

But as sad as I was, when the time came that I chose to continue or not, I picked continue.  I was not immediately rewarded. The Nationals dealt another blow shortly thereafter.  (I know this comes over as very dramatic- I realize none of this is life or death and in the end that the joy is where I make it. But- and I know I’m not alone- there IS a lot of joy in attainment and if you aren’t emotionally invested to some degree, then I’d ask you- why bother?)

***

After the Nationals, it became clear that we needed Change. There was no way I’d reach the level of Attainment with The Dog that I wanted without it. 

Enter: Daisy Peel, mental management and the best piece of throwaway advice I’ve ever received.

One changed the way I approached the course, one the way I ran the course and the other the way I felt about the course.  The end result was that, at least sometimes, and with growing frequency, we could run to our potential. And when it mattered!

***

Coming full circle then, after a year of what I would call True Investment, we land back at the NC Regional.  I had hoped there would be some amount of redemption- that I would be able to say THERE. Hard work pays off. See how different?  Truthfully, it was different. But the end result on paper? The same.  No byes. Still a sad car ride home, feeling very upset.  And then angry with myself for feeling very upset because I’d set a goal of getting through the weekend with a happy dog who could hold her own against some good competition and we had achieved that goal.  SHE did great. We had no melting or bad runs with Es and actually had some frickin’ fantastic moments with just some plain, old fashioned Bad Luck in the runs that really mattered.  But I could not stop thinking “a whole year later and I’m still sad in the car???” Silent Screaming and all that. 

So, while I initially thought the Russian gymnasts were being dramatic, crying over their silver medals, I sort of get it.  Because you HAVE to invest big if you’re going to even get to the Olympics.  Big investments = big disappointments if you can’t make it the most amazing performance of your life when you need it to be.   I decided that it was okay for the silver medalists to cry.   But then what?

Now again, I was at somewhat of a crossroads. After doing literally everything I thought possible to set myself up for a great weekend, and not (on paper) having the outcome I’d expected, I could likely look to the second Regional as DOOOOOOM…

But luckily, the night I arrived back home, I read “Freedom Flight,” a story of sorts that was a thinly veiled mental management guide.   The story was weak but the message was oh so strong. And appropriate.  At the heart of this book is the reminder that sometimes, it is just not your time…Yet. But if you want it enough, doors open.   Events do fall in line, but not until they are supposed to and until then you get what you need.  The first Regional…not ours.  But not time wasted. I learned exactly what to do to have success the following weekend.  Sure enough, from the moment we arrived, everything fell in line.  Doors falling open. I wasn’t worried about the outcome, because I already knew what it would be. 

Maybe it’s My Time to play the lottery too?

*** 

Pup and her Cat

Cat Wuvs Pup!

Whaaaa? I get to spend THREE DAYS WITH MY CAT??

The Very Serious Sheriff of Rm 108

Black Dog! Big Mouth!

Reunited! 

Solidarity!

More Big Mouth

Wittle Mouth

Posed for pouncing.

Artsy medal pose.

Medal jealousy and photo crashing.

Hi!Great!You?Thanks!BYE!

That’s pretty much all the quality conversation I have time for these days.  If you see me, insert above! Please rest assured that though my 'out of office' is on, I’m thinking of you.

                            

I don’t know when things got so runaway busy again. I tried to slow down? Didn’t I? I thought I did? Hm. Maybe The Pup stepped on the “FF” button of my life remote- she has a knack for doing that in reality. Poor remote.  She also has an uncanny ability to hit the combination of buttons that puts on the PIP, SAP, and breaks cable forever. 

Anyways, quick update:

Dog:

Awesome. Cuteness. Fluffy.  Physically sound (knocking on wood).   Wrapped in bubble wrap for two weeks to remain so. Chicago Regional this week.  Kansas City, MO next week.  Feeling good, not like barfin.

Dogwalks of amazingness.  LOTS of actual training, she may now understand about not bailing off the side early. Shocking. 

Show last weekend= fast smart Dog- Minus her Teeter of Horrors.  Discovered extended spread to be mortal enemy.  Two things then to work this week from within bubble wrap.  Snooker GOLD (8 Q’s from ADCH GOLD! 11 from LAA Silver! WOW!). Start line of Magic continues to be magic.  Very happy with jumping, wrapping, post-turning, and a$$-passing.  Mad Skillz. We gots ‘em. 

We gots a QQ recently too. Drought has seen an end. 

Pup:

Naughty. However. Will suck it up and run her in Starters Jumpers in a few weeks. Gulp Gulp.  This video may include evidence that she exists still. I forget what's in it. 

Has achieved Mad Crazy Hose Killin’ Bad A$$ status.  Best weekend of her life. 

Boiling Point

So...hot...

No Channing Tatum, I'm not actually talking about you (though everyone else on the planet is. Enjoy your moment.)

I knew we would pay for that mild winter. KNEW IT. Karma is a record lack of snowfall followed promptly by record heat. As in, there was a moment that MN was the hottest place to be in the country. Barf. So wrong.

The thing is, ugh, I just don't do heat. And humidity. Not together. So this heat wave led to another impromptu break from any and all outdoor training. Annoyance at this status increased with the realization that I actually trained more in the WINTER than this SUMMER so far.

***

As of Friday last, the boiling point was reached. Tempers as high as the heat. Snapping doggies. Button pushing doggies. Every which one getting all fat. This would be 'crazy-making' for those of you already familiar with sad-making.

And then, for five minutes, it rained.  Not a moment too late. The world is no longer an oven. Now we can train.

***

Saturday morning we hit the field at 6:30 am.  Taking NO CHANCES with the heat.

Our BIG challenge for that morning was finally trying to work out some agreement with The Dog on exits off the dog walk. After hemming and hawing for ages I finally decided what I want: run over then off. Straight.

Uh, not earth shattering I know, but the alternatives are teaching turn cues or teaching her to interact with the board further down or adjust her stride depending on what I'm doing. So there was a choice to make and what I truly want it for her is to just go straight off. Running. Still not okay to leap. Not okay to cut out early off the side. I'm trying to finally incorporate a "go" too, that will mean it's ok to power off as far as you want, and take what's in your path as the case may be. Mostly for helping her into nothingness.

I really want that she doesn't check in until after the DW. I would like her independence to increase a bit since her responsiveness overall has increased too. This has made her exits more manageable but definitely don't want her trying to respond while ON the obstacle.

So. How to train this?

The issue so far has been that she gets clever fast and predicts what is coming. I don't think I ever want her to get predictive. Go off straight, look for your cue. In my mind. So at the last seminar, when the predictor starting showing up, I received a great suggestion for proofing I had to try.

Hence- Crazy set up with every possible exit! No way Dog knows what's coming next!

That's not a bug, it's the dogwalk!

It actually worked quite well. Reward finishing the board before she moved on commitment-wise. And it gave me great information on when she is taking cues and what she is taking as a cue. General rule seemed to be NO abruptness on my part. The old adage holds true- treat the last board like a jump. If I cue something big during that section, explosions! But I CAN subtly decel and accel. And I CAN get good response when waiting until after she is off to do something big. That felt good.

Our two tricky exits were the abrupt turn away to the tunnel (with that jump there luring with its siren call) and the weave entry. We had to break down the tunnel turn (NO BAILING OFF THE SIDE!) but eventually worked it out. The weave entry wasn't as hard, that was all about well-timed decel coupled with a strong, supportive weave cue. Otherwise, she did really well with sends and pulls. And awesome discrimination!

***

Then there was The Pup.

She.

Was.

A.

GENIUS!!

Seriously. She gets it. She gets it all. Thou shalt not leap. Thou shalt not ever leave the board early. She will zoom off straight if I ask. She will pull tightly. She will turn away tightly. Or less tightly. Whatevs. Without ever being really taught to, she will adjust her stride to interact with the bottom most section of the board JUST to make sure she never departs prematurely. Like there was a tiny pole at the end for her to wrap around. One time we had to work the abrupt turn away twice, but it was because she turned in instead. Such a good girl.

I must get video. You must see this. It is a tiny miracle  coming from the ADHD baby who gets all this but doesn’t get that there is not a lingering kibble bit under the stove.

You ate it already Pup. IT’S GONE.

***

Anyways, good training day.  At least there was one.  The Dog went to class last night but she was being full of herself.  I think she is REALLY tired of the downtime lately. One or two training days in three weeks are ok for me and The Pup, but The Dog needs more or she acts like an @$$; at least, as much as any good doggie can.

Solemn promise to The Dog: Fear not. The time-sucking trial is this weekend. After this we will have doggie smart time again.  We will go swimming  instead of answer emails. We will go for walks and not sort scribe sheets. PROMISE.

Just in time. Regionals, just around the bend. Only a few short weeks to garner her favor again and bring Queen Uppity Fluffy Pants back to earth.

And after that maybe, MAYBE, The Pup will re-debut.

I mean, you GOTTA see this dogwalk!

Sorrow is not getting to chew on the NEW bone. 

Waning and Waxing

Like the moon, my goals seem to change monthly! Ga!

While it seems to be good to evaluate and re-evaluate goals per my mental management class, I wonder if what I do would be considered THAT or like… giving up.  

Or being flaky. Uncommitted? I don’t want to be those things but I am a bit transient.  I’m famous for very big ideas and little follow through. It’s not like I am not adverse to hard work. But I feel like reality kind of catches up to me.  Oops, out of money.  Ru-roh, you really can’t show every weekend.  And then I get to thinking…eh… is this really what I wanted? And I wane… 

Here is where I’m coming from today.  Last year, The Dog was really doing well in AKC. Minimally showing and we could have gone to the nationals.  So I thought, YEAH! Let’s go to Tulsa! Show a little bit more, and we are THERE!  Granted, I had the 26” venture (another diverted goal) but we are so not there.  QQ wasteland.   EIGHT MONTHS. 

I sat there Saturday and Sunday, really trying to figure out what the heck the deal is.  She and I are gelling. Her contacts are spiffy.  Her jumping has improved greatly since I improved my handling.   I don’t feel nervous, or bored, or like I am doing any of the weird pinchy over/under handling of yore.  I have found a way to approach AKC that allows me to engage in every course. What gives?  

Things that came to mind (this is the waxing part I think)- well, ok, she was slower.  Not too much but could be a factor. And per the ‘cycle of training and trialing’ we are technically in the preparatory phase not competitive. But the big one:  last year I was running much more in survival mode (aka weird pinchy over/under handling).   Watching runs over the weekend, I saw a lot of that.  My reaction was never again. Then I thought beyond that, so what do I value?  I value the best run possible and I do NOT define best by qualifying or winning or fastest. Just quality.  I am learning now how to have quality on demand.  My hope is that with time that will result in things like qualifying and winning and fastest, but for now, a quality run by my standards will do.  Based on that, I’m not sure my values realistically align with that organization.  After a serious THINK, my thought is that I just don’t care enough about qualifying every single run. Which is kind of the point in AKC; they don’t make a lot of room for the wildcard. 

So anyways.  I think I will take a break from AKC and see what we can get together as far as quality on demand.  I’ll move our nationals goal to 2014- see, not giving up! Just giving time to align with reality.

***

Speaking of preparatory phase- oof-da! Super unglued on Friday.  Two very wild and crazy runs.  One positive was a nice running DW, right off the bat.   Saturday’s only goal was to reconnect, which we did.  Her JWW run was my favorite of the whole weekend, very fast and tight.  Another rocking DW in standard, this time into nothing.   Yesterday the judge hated our contacts and I wildly contest the calls on her teeter and DW (into super nothingness).  I guess that being "in" doesn't count if you don’t have stopped contacts. Hm. I stand by the run though and only frowned upon the dropping of the panel.   Our last run in JWW was fair, one insane off-course call-off hear the end.  She was all of a sudden very excited about a line of jumps, and adorably sheepish when she came back.

So, thanks to all that, some training comes to mind to get to our quality on demand state:  Everyone’s favorite- Jumping grids! Including but not limited to: jumping into me! Bounce into extension! Speed circles with spreads into tunnels!  What fun.  Also, teeter as always and some tough weave entries. I discovered one we really haven’t worked much.   

Insanely elated with her dogwalks and start lines though.  Driving both! Even breaking the start line, little bugger! 

Our one run on video. The contact-hater judge getting her upper arms workout.  I still like it, happy (almost broken) start line, drivey contacts and an @$$ pass at the end for fun.  

And The Pup's weekend of pouting encapsulated in one picture: 

"SCREW YOU! Not sharing, it's all I have in the world!!!"

She was very angry at no fun time. At one point she got all "WTF" over only getting to do the practice jump and escaped into the ring. Luckily they were just course building, but she definitely wanted more action. Maybe I'll show her again someday. 

What a Way to Spend 3 Weeks!

Alternate title:

“Why My Dogs Hate Me and Act Like Insane Prison Escapees.”

***

So I volunteered as trial secretary for my club’s summer AKC show.  I thought it would be good for learning, giving back, and something that capitalizes on my skills.

Ugh. I mean, hooray for volunteering!

It IS a learning experience.  I am learning to decipher cryptology… I mean, handwriting. I think. That is a “b”… right??? Could be a “z” but gosh neither makes any sense in the context.

I am CERTAINLY giving LOTS AND LOTS back to my beloved agility club.  ALL the free time. For free!

It DOES capitalize on my skills of NOT killing others or needing much sleep. 

***

But I’m ok. I’m still glad to do it (or will be glad to do it in the future when everyone’s information is in the database and I never ever have to do THAT part again…shudder…). 

However. THREE POINTS THAT WILL AVOID SAD-MAKING!!

1.  When someone puts in three weeks of ALL THEIR FREE TIME to put dog/owner information in the database… please at least take three minutes to check the confirmation that asks you to check the confirmation. Like, right away. Not after you’ve received three confirmations.   It is sad-making when you report errors or missing information or want to add random things AFTER the Queen Secretary believes your entry is done because she sent you three confirmations and hadn’t heard about any of those things.  And now has to edit again. And send confirmation number 4.

So many entries, so little time for The Dog

2. Penmanship. Learn it. If not… Fill-able forms are online!  And then- use a printer cartridge that HAS INK.   It is sad-making for the Queen Secretary if she can’t make out the misspelled foreign words that comprise Fluffy’s registered name and then you are angry because the misspelled foreign word is misspelled.

The Pup can't read that writing either...

3.  It is sad-making when we are on closing day at noon and you would like to enter by mail. I don’t like saying no.  Even if I am the Queen Secretary.

I am confident that the NEXT trial everyone will abide by these three simple rules for no sad-making.

***

And if clear begging doesn’t work, maybe sad pictures of sad doggies that didn’t get to do squat for three weeks will make more of an impression.  I’m not kidding when I say that they hate me or liken them to prison inmates of the escapee variety these days.  

Sad sepia doggies

The Pup has especially suffered. At least The Dog had one day of showing and one seminar day. The Pup had absolutely nothing.  At first she was terrible to deal with; constantly stealing envelopes, trying to eat vouchers...

NOM VOUCHERS!

 and getting barky at the laptop that took up her resting place. 

Stupid laptop has to die sometime...waiting...

But towards the end she just became dejected and depressed.  Sad doggy.  

Super sad!!

Her one joy was being allowed to act as the ‘official shredder’ but even that seems to have lost appeal.

NOM ENVELOPES!!

***

BUT she did FINALLY get to play Tuesday! She was a bit of a prison escapee (meaning, wild animal on the loose) and came away with a sore throat from trying to strangle herself.  Though overwrought most of class she did manage to focus nicely a few times. Her contacts were REALLY GOOD and in fact she has decided that running the dogwalk at warp speed is awesome (even though she runs REALLY FAR OFF).  I am trying a Tug-it with her, which is a revolting toy but seriously genius. She gets food and toys at the same time!  And drive that comes from toys! And attention that comes from food! Hooray.  She even started unsticking from me and sending. Oooooo!  The best part is that I can toss the Tug-it and, while she doesn’t bring it back, she doesn’t run away with it. I’ll take that.  Finally, getting better in a crazy class setting!

Now if she would just stop stealing and running away with our classmates’ toys…

***

Iz can help!! Please let me help!!

The Dog remains a perfect angel.  She wasn’t happy with all the downtime, but she is a super helpful secretary assistant. If I dropped ANYTHING, she would gently bring it back.  Not run away with it and start eating it, like SOME dogs.  Tuesday we did some contact repair and while the teeter is still poop, her DW has been so pretty.  Really powering straight off and having good interaction with the end of the board.  My favorite part is that she is becoming manageable after the DW, not merely running 50 feet ahead and then checking in.  So much is working between us now!  I am so excited to show tomorrow and apply it.  I’m even looking forward to JWW.  Yes, you heard it, I want to run a jumpers class and will have fun doing it! 

Hm. Maybe I am delirious from all the sleepless nights?