Princess takes a nap

Princess takes a nap, originally uploaded by marj k.

Agilily - for all breeds

ADAA Wallerawang Trial

The action was fast and furious, keeping spectators riveted.

Dusty BAAD

We had a wonderful weekend at the ADAA Wallerawang trial. The weather was brisk but fine, and Nicola's brazier and large quantities of mulled wine kept the frost at bay.

Many thanks to judges Wayne and Jody who were marvellous, particularly with green dogs and nervous handlers.

The cold made Thommo rather stiff, so he had only one run. But he enjoyed the gamblers course, deciding to do an A-frame a third time instead of starting the gamble.

Dusty got several quallies and a first place against some stiff competition. She earned her BAAD title at just her second ADAA trial, and is 3/4 of the way to her AAD.

• Beginner Australian Agility Dog (BAAD) - Dogs that have gained four Clear Round certificates in Combined-Elementary Agility/Jumping Tests with at least two being gained in Agility Tests.
• Australian Agility Dog (AAD) - Dogs that have gained four Clear Round certificates in Combined-Starters, Intermediate and/or Open Agility/Jumping Tests with at least two being gained in Agility Tests.

Though BAAD does suit her!

Weave action

Canine Chiropractic

The August issue of Clean Run magazine has an article entitled,"Is It a Training Problem or Is It Physical?" by Tracy Sklenar. The first paragraph reads, "When agility dogs slow down, act stressed, avoid obstacles or leave the ring, we often look for answers in our training program. Perhaps there has been a low rate of reinforcement, or the dog does not understandwhat we are asking him to do in competition. Maybe the distractions are overwhelming,or the dog lacks motivation for the game. Sometimes, though, the answer is not to be found in training - it is only uncovered after a systematic and thorough medical workup. Many medical problems can affect our dogs' performance that are first seen (or only seen) on the agility field."

Australia now offers the highest level of Veterinary Chiropractic training in the world, through RMIT university in Victoria. The 2 year post-grad diploma, and 3 year Masters degree are available to qualified Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Veterinarians only.

The Chirovet website has some interesting articles on The Role of Chiropractic Therapy in Small Animal Medicine and Chiropractic and Acupuncture for Dogs & Cats plus a detailed FAQ and a guide to locating members of the Australian Veterinary Chiropractic Association.

Ag Ch Brenilly Wynona Ryder

Le and Rabbit earned the last 1st place ribbon needed to gain them their Agility Champion title on the weekend at the Coffs Harbour trial. Once a dog has Masters titles in both Agility and Jumping they require 20 additional qualifying certificates in both Masters Agility and Jumping classes (40 qualifying certificates in all) with 10 qualifying certificates in each class being a 1st place.

Pre-emptive cues

When I have finished sweeping, I tap the broom on the floor a couple of times. I've probably done this for thirty years, but I didn't know I did it until Dusty told me.

Duz wants to chase the broom. So I place her in a down stay, sweep a section and then tell her "Get it." She casts around and grabs the broom for a tug. This worked well for a while, then she began to consistently race for the broom, before my "Get it." She was predicting that the broom taps would be immediately followed by "Get it" so that became her cue.

This has sent be back to start line 'routines'. If I'm to have a set routine then I need to proof it so that she waits for the final cue - not one of the actions that precede it and therefore predict it. If I'm not going to go this route, then I need to vary what I do at the start line so that she is not picking her own cue from the chain.

I think I distracted him :-)

I think I distracted him :-), originally uploaded by marj k.

At training today we were doing a number of exercises involving a send to the table.

Thommo

Thommo, originally uploaded by marj k.

My Thommo - he's such a sook at the vet, everyone there loves him.