2x2 Weave Training

After 8 months of not training Ryddick on the 2x2's, I decided that it is time to start again. I made is very simple and started with one, then two, then three. He not only picked up very quick from where we left of last year, but he seemed to have a better understanding of what to do and I was able to move forward within minutes. When he doesn't do it right I don't toss the toy and he knows to try again and correct himself. He is so damn smart. Raygen and him are the most operant dogs I have ever met.

Swimming

Our pond is full and Ryker has been going swimming in it every day. I open the gate and let him in and go back into the house and either read a book or do some household chores and check on him every once in a while. He mostly swims, but every once in a while runs around the pond. I brought him back in after a bit over an hour. He never slowed down. If we ever move away I would have to get a pool for him. I believe he is reincarnated from an aquatic animal.

Herding Lesson

After over a year I finally decided to take Raygen herding again. Shauna took him in and he was listening very nicely to her while they approached the sheep. They approached a few times and she asked him for a sit and stay and he was so attentive to her. She then ask him to stay while she moved away form him and then released him to "go get the sheep". First he charged a bit to wild and got 'em going to fast, but withing a few minutes was circling nicely. He does bark, bark, bark, bark. I am really looking forward in the next lesson.

CU Class

Session two for the CU class has started. Ryddick was in his crate for quite some time during the class and he was very good. I was suprised. He was getting a bit upset towards the end, so I have to start timing it right and take him out before he gets upset. I will bring some yummy chewies for him to keep busy while I won't be able to be with him. We had two new students and their dogs and we will be getting two more.

Group IV Terrier Club

Ryddick and his BFF Chocolate

I had 4 dogs at the trail this weekend. Raygen and Ryker were entered in the trial. Ryddick came along for the ride and I was babysitting Chocolate from Friday to Tuesday. Ryddick and Chocolate are BBF. Everybody though he was cute as a button. With only weighing 7lbs he isn't even bigger then one.Anyway, Ryddick did really, really great. We were sitting next to the ring while dogs were running and he did a lot of the LAT game with me. He loves LAT. We also did some mat work and he got to see some more horses and lots of people. He really likes people. All this hard work has paid off.

Agilty Training

Ryker is currently enrolled in an Agility class with Shauna. My main goal for him is to hit those darn weave pole entries at the trials. He has been doing really great at home, but can't seem to get in the first time at the trials. Shauna gave me some more ideas to work on with him. One of them is weave-jump-weave. Interesting to see him pop out of weave 4 and take the jump. I worked on this this evening and made it easier and then started to reduce the distance of the jump to the weaves. He got it and stayed in. I will train some more tomorrow.

Group IV Terrier Club

No Q's at this trial. I had some hopes for at least getting my last JWW leg. Not knocking bars has very much improved. He still does not get the weave entry. Seems like the first part of the course he is out of control and halfway through he gets a hold of himself and runs perfect.
Oh, and he fell of the dog walk gain. This dog walk is very slippery, so is the table and A-frame. Hope they are going to fix that before next trial they will use it on.

Group IV Terrier Club

Phew! What a weekend. We had some really great runs and earned some more points, however no DQ's. He Q'ed one time each of the 3 days, but twice (in JWW) popped out of the weaves. First time I think was because he was concerned about the jump setter that was sitting near the weave poles. The second time I think he was distracted by a Golden that was near the ring. I made him do the weaves again and he finished them. I hope that this isn't going to become a pattern. The weaves have become one of the more reliable obstacles he has been performing.
There were some highlights... out of 30 dogs in his class he earned 4th place out of 6 qualifiers and 3rd place, out of 4 qualifiers. Both in Standard. Very fast courses, with lots of little traps. Harder to run for the faster dogs.

CU Class

Tonight was the last night of our Control Unleashed Class with Ryddick and I really liked it. It is very relaxed. This particular class was by invitation only. It was a first in Utah and I am going to continue to hold classes for the next session with some Agility excersises. One of the pre-requisite was that we all had read the CU book and have an understanding of the exercises. After we arrive, the first thing we did is set up our "station", a mat, a crate and maybe a chair. We also set up a "box" with ring gates. Then we brought in our dogs and start. I love doing passive attention on the mat with Ryddick. It has always been active attention in class and sometimes that is just not what he needs. Note in the seminar section, the club is sponsoring for Leslie to come in October. I am signed up for a working spot with Ryddick. I am so excited. I am making a huge sacrifice by not going to the DOCNA nationals, that is scheduled on the same weekend.

ASCA Trial May 17th and 18th

We had a great weekend in Pleasant Grove. I like ASCA since they allow training in the ring. Ryker needed some start line stay training and he responded well to it. He gets so exited to run and can hardly wait to start and breaks his starts. Not so good if there is a lead out necessary. Most courses that I have run into do not need a lead out, but it is always a good idea to have a solid stay.The highlight of his weekend was earning a leg in Gamblers Novice and an amazing Jumpers run. 117 yds in 17.88 seconds = 6.54 yps. It was smooth and we were a team. Can't wait until next weekend.