[FinnAlva]

Pulma and I started agility class a week ago. Well, I had a dog-less lecture before that. Tomorrow, we'll have our second class together. I just cannot wait!

Some dogs retire but others begin. Are there other new teams stepping on their road to a new sport?

Pulma's pic here as an attachment.

 

[Kyllobernese]

I have just started with Bonnie, my Golden/Poodle cross. She loves Agility but at her second trial a dog ran out of the ring and attacked her. That was last year and I have been working on her ever since to try and get her confidence back. Ran her in her first trial this year, last weekend. She did well, no Q's but close but all it takes is for a dog to snark at her and she spends the whole time in the ring looking everywhere for it to come after her. If everything goes good, she runs great, almost got her first Gamblers Q, did do the final Gamble but I miscalculated so she was two points short.

 

[agility collie mom]

This is my new hopeful partner. Only time will tell if she really loves it.

 

[FinnAlva]

Oops. Forgot to update.

We had our beginner's course in the summer and now we are on a class. It is only every second Sunday. Every other I go to the club to practice on my own. She still hasn't seen all the equipment but I want to do everything properly so she doesn't have to, yet.

Pulma is fast and smart. I have to learn a lot. She gets very excited, hates to wait for her turn, and I am struggling with calming down exercises. But at the obstacles? It is a pleasure to train her.

Pulma knows tunnel and jump, and is learning weaves and contacts. I am practicing different handling things with her and working on directional cues.

Here, on the video, I am testing her weaving. Six poles, finally. Only six more to go.

https://youtu.be/l6Hbh5BVF4A

 

[FinnAlva]

Update, update...

Pulma can now weave all twelve poles if there is no distraction like me running or a ball lurking somewhere. I am working on that.

I am trying to figure out how to define my directional cues and where to use them. I also decided to pay more attention in actually training them. This is difficult because Pulma is my first agility dog.

Pulma was also introduced to the A-frame. At first, she was scared of it. I used a bit of luring and some shaping and now it is just another rock Pulma has climbed on.

Agility is tricky because there is no laundry list of things I should train and then try in a trial. In obedience, I know that if my dog can reliably heel, stay, retrieve, and whatever else it says in the rulebook we can get enough points for a title.

Pulma seems to like agility. She didn't want to leave for home.