Anticipation

This weekend, Beckett and I had a fun trial at Red Gate Arena. Tucker came along as a spectator; I think he enjoyed being with us but was a little miffed at not getting to play, a few hot dogs helped him get over it. It was really cold in the arena and it was snowing outside all day but we had a good time.

The runs at this fun trial were a Standard course and a Jumpers. I had decided before going, we would do the Starters level and the Masters level for my two runs on each course.  We ended up doing the Masters Jumpers twice.  Unfortunately, only part of the Starter Standard run was videoed, Beckett did great except for taking the wrong end of one tunnel and not wanting to do off side weaves.  

 

Masters Standard

Masters Jumpers

In the Masters Standard run, he wouldn't stay in the weaves. We've been having some difficulty with off-side weaves but I was happy that he got his entry from a tunnel.  He also didn't get out to the number 8 jump but did really well getting out to the tire and wrapping the number 16 jump.  The tunnel-jump-tunnel combination, I had seen in our Starters run and both times Beckett took the wrong entry but do you think I changed the way I handled it.  No, why would I do that, so he still took the wrong entry. Bad Momma! We are working on get-outs in class and I can see that is still an area where we both need work.

The first time I ran the Masters Jumpers I led out to the wing of jump 2 which made Beckett go straight for the tunnel. Good dog, Beckett! I realized after watching a few other people run the course, that a lateral lead-out was needed. I knew I couldn't go as far as some people did, but tried leading out between jumps 1 and 2 with lateral distance towards obstacle 3. It worked and Beckett barely glanced at the tunnel. I again saw that we need work on get-outs when Beckett had difficulty from the tunnel to jump number 5. I saw a lot of dogs having the same difficulty though, probably because the dogs turn back to where they knew their handler was when coming out of the tunnel. In the video, we run the course twice. The handling, serpentines and rear crosses, at jumps 5, 6 and 7 and again at 11,12, and 13 gave Beckett a little difficulty but he was much improved on the second go around. I'm amazed at how he read the rear cross from jump 7 to the tire and that there was no hesitation the second time we took that same jump as number 14 and he was straight on to jump 15 and the tunnel. 

Next weekend, we are anticipating good things at our first official agility trial.  I hope the weather will be better than it was for the fun trial as it makes for a long slow drive when we get a lot of snow. Beckett will be in a Starter Jumpers, Starter Gamblers and we just this week added Starters Standard since he now can weave.

I've told Beckett that next weekend, he's no longer an agility puppy in training but a Starter Agility Dog!!! It will be exciting to begin the next stage of our agility journey.