A bit less rain!!

Elliot:
We started on his weaves, he went back a little bit, we worked on the weaves on the edge of the tape and it took him a while to get there, we then tryed to push him to straight but realised we pushed him a bit much so we have decided to spend the next week just really working on him with them on the tape and get that really strong before then trying them straight!! It was still a bit wet to try putting his jumps up but he did really well, he only ran under one jump when we first started and then he jumped them all :) at this stage i am happy if he knocks them because at least he is trying to jump them and not going under!! We worked again on distant and close bits and he did really well!! We then finished on a little bit of a-frame work, he is fine if I hang back but as soon as i speed up or am forward of the end he runs off so this is what we need to really work on!!

Jemma:
More course handling work today and we both did very well, I was getting a lot better and working out how to handle courses which is good. Jem is however having huge difficulty with pull throughs so this is something i need to do a lot of work on!! She did really well with her weaves though, although I still feel we need more work on the REALLY difficult entries, although I know we are a long way off these in courses. W e didn't do any contact work with Jem today but hopefully will next week when the weather is better!!

Think thats it for today!!

Rain, rain and more rain!!!

Well today it rained A LOT!! but that didn't stop me, I still went training!!

Jemma:
We spent all lesson just working on different more difficult jumping courses. She did quite well, it was mainly me that struggled with working out the best way to handle the courses and then getting where i wanted to, especially with the ground being slippy (that was my excuse anyway!!). I think this is definately what we both need more work on, especially me, I want to get the handling techniques etc really sorted in my head ready for when I go back to bristol so i dont end up forgetting it and confusing both me and my dogs!!!

Elliot:
My little boy is really improving and enjoying himself, its great to see. I can't believe what he did today; 6 weaves ......................... in a straight line!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it, I am so chuffed!! Tomorrow we are going to try him on the competition uprights!! We also did jump work, we did both long distance work and close work and he is getting really good, I can work quite a distance from him, the turns are the bits that need more work. Tomorrow we are going to try to put a few jumps at full height and just see what happens!!

I shall update tomorrow on how everything goes!!

Before I get in more trouble!!

I didn't realise how long it had been since I last posted and got in trouble for it last night so thought I best actually write something!!

I have had quite a few agility lessons since Lansdown, I just kept forgetting to update, so I will try and give a quick catch up and then remember to update properly after my lessons next week!!

Jemma:
Jem is now doing 12 weaves perfectly 90% of the time and 6 100% of the time once she goes in. We have been working on angled entries and she is getting pretty good at them and also on actually working the weaves in a course as up until now I have always worked them as a separate task. We are also retraining her contacts to try and get her to really drive to the bottom, on both the dog walk and a-frame she dawdles on the way down so we are doing some work clicker training (amazing for Jem I know!!) the nose touch at the bottom. We are also practising more difficult courses in terms of the handling, definately something that needs work as she has suddenly started deciding she knows the best course and not only that but she has started going behind me, something that she has never done before and something that I feel shows a fudamental flaw in the training I have been doing with her as I feel this is something she should know never to do!! I shall be working on this with my own jumps once it stops thundering and the bird scarer in the next field shuts up!!!


Elliot:
He has come on a really long way since I last updated. He is now doing weaves down at 2inches and i can walk on either side and cross behind him and after another session I think he will be ready to go down to 1inch!! He is also now jumping a height in between medium and full and seems to be enjoying it more - the main thing we need to work on with this is the lead out, if I go too far then he runs under the first one, little tinker!! We are also starting to do more sort of courses with his jumping just to try and improve his (and my) understanding for positional cues and body language with regards front crosses etc. He has improved a lot though! As regards contacts, he has learnt to do the seesaw in a week, and he is really driving over the dog walk and a-frame and 80% of the time does the nose touch straight away at the other end!! I can't wait till the 22nd Aug - his first competition - it should be interesting!!

Well thats it for now but I promise I will try and remember to update after each lesson now!!