"Did you call me, mom?" Andi it's time for school. Let's get going.
When it is just Andi and me going to agility class, he rides shotgun (in the passenger seat). He sits up very straight and watches where we are going. He loves his agility class and he takes it very seriously. Somehow I was rather taken by surprise at how quickly he is learning. I don't know why it is such a surprise except that Journey was such a natural, I guess I just thought that the odds of that happening with another dog would not be likely. Andi has been to 4 classes now. I probably won't be able to post many pictures of him, as I have my hands full, training. Our class is at Mary Crittenden's barn in Ridgefield, Washington. The class starts at 5:30 PM and now that we are into fall, and the days are getting shorter, it is getting darker much earlier. We leave home around 4:30. By the time we get going in our class it is already almost dark. The lighting in the barn is not great and it is pretty dusty from a long dry summer. So unless a friend of ours decides to visit the class and take some photos; my verbal descriptions are about all I can supply.
Last night we started with the A-frame. It is Andi's favorite. It is set a little lower for the puppies. The apex is only about four and a half feet high. He loves it and he will run over it and back in the other direction, again and again. He loves the treat on the plastic lid at the bottom of the ramps. Stopping for the treat at the bottom of the ramp is a guaranty of touching the contact. (That is the yellow colored area at the bottom, that contrasts the rest of the blue surface). This keeps him from just running off of the board which would be a fault in competition.
We practiced on a few tunnels next. We started by scrunching the tunnels so they were shorter and making sure they were straight, so that he could see his way out the other end. This exercise also involves little plastic lids with a treat on either end. After the first couple classes we were doing curved tunnels and even tunnels arranged in a u-turn.
We started the weave poles with the two lines of poles separated so that our dogs could run right down the middle. We gradually close the two lines so that our dogs have to actually weave through them. Andi is doing well with the weave. The two lines of poles are now set at about six inches apart, so he really gets to do some weaving action. He starts with 12 poles. We used to start with 6 poles, but then as soon as our dog progressed to 12, it required more training. By starting with 12, it gives him more time to just learn the 12, without the confusion of changing them just when he gets pretty good at the 6 poles. Andi is very good at weaving and he seems to enjoy it.
He really enjoys about everything he has learned so far. We are not increasing his jump height from 8 inches at this point. In the spring, when Andi reaches two years of age, he will be having his hips and elbows x-rayed and he will be thoroughly examined to be certain that his growth plates are closed. Once that happens he will be allowed to jump higher jumps. I run all my dogs in "preferred" level. The height of the jump is not the point of the exercise and with a big, heavy dog, I believe it is just as well to take advantage of the preferred level jumps. He will also be doing the tire jump, at the same height. That height will be 20" in the preferred level in AKC, once his growth plates are closed. In the mean time I take every precaution that he not be run hard, and that he does not do any strenuous exercises that cause extreme twisting of young bones just forming. Damages caused during the initial formation can cause problems for the rest of a dogs life. Andi weighs 94 lbs. I will keep him at between 92 and 96 lbs. during his training. After he turns 2 years old, as he puts on muscle, he will probably increase by up to 8 lbs. As long as that 8 lbs. is muscle, all is well, but it is essential to keep your dog slim and trim in working-dog weight. Extra weight puts strain on your dogs joints and his body and can cause serious injuries.
One of the more difficult obstacles is the teeter. It usually makes a dog a little nervous the way the board moves when he is on it and makes a "clunk" when it hits the ground. Our instructor puts a couple sand bags under the descending end of the board. The bump is softer this way. and not quite as frightening or strong a jolt.
Andiamo is not having any problems with any obstacles, so we are beginning "sequences". Last week we did 3 obstacles. Last night we did 2 jumps, then a curved 15 or 20 foot tunnel, followed by 3 jumps back to the beginning. I place Andi in a stay right in front of the first jump. I walk out to just past the second jump and call him. He takes both 1 & 2 jumps, and I direct him into the tunnel. I meet him at the other end of the tunnel and direct him over jump 3 and run with him to jump 4 & 5. So the sequence involves 6 obstacles. Pretty good for a beginner! He is so proud of himself! We do lots of praise, with hugs and kisses.
We have a BelgianTerverin in our class; an Australian Cattle dog (Austin); a small mixed breed (Frodo); a Shepherd mixed breed; a young Doberman Pincher the same age as Andi, (Tristen) and us. That is six dogs, which is the most young dogs Mary allows in class. There are two instructors, Mary and her helper, Donna. The class goes fast and we learn a lot. Its a lot of fun.
Mary asked that all students have a reliable recall and a good stay. Most of the dogs had those things down very well. "Tristen", the Doberman did not seem to remember either of those things, though according to his owner he had been in obedience classes. Fortunately he is good natured though, so not too worrisome, just distracting. "Frodo" is a barker, and sounds fairly fierce, but I think he is bluffing. The other dogs are doing very well. "Austin" and Andi are best friends. She is very friendly and pleasant.
When we get in the car to go home, he curls up on the seat, usually with his chin on my arm or my leg. It is very mentally tiring for him. But by the time we get home he is ready to share with his brothers. He is a very happy guy. I am planning to set up a couple obstacles in the lower level and we will practice. Winter is not too good for outdoor agility in the northwest. I keep most of our equipment in the shed (picture above) by the agility field at the top part of our property. I can bring it out on nice days if I have a little help, but to set up a whole course is not an easy project for one person. The jumps can stay outside, but the wooden and metal equipment does not fair well during our rainy days in northwest America.
Agility is a lot of fun and enables a bond to be built between you and your dog, which in my experience, is like no other. There is so much trust to be learned by both you and your dog. I must trust him to do the things I tell him to do and he must trust me, in that he knows I will not ask him to do anything that he is not ready for, or that can hurt him. I normally start competing with my dogs after they are at least 2 years old, but when they are dependable and consistent on the equipment.
