Flying Poodles

Progress in training

I have signed up for barn time, and for the first time I am systematically practicing on my own.

This requires that I actually do my own planning, and since I’m training this summer, not trialing, I want to focus on cleaning up our team weaknesses.What are those weaknesses? Well, Dancer’s contacts. Both girls’ weaves. Elly’s start-line stay. Elly’s general fitness. Motivation is always a challenge–I need to make sure neither of them thinks agility is work, rather than the most fun you can have.

I have been working on what I think of as the “five-year plan.” That is–the plan for when Dancer is five years old. To my mind, the most successful agility dogs are five-to-seven years old, and I want Dancer to be there at age 5. Her father is still competing at age 11… I don’t see why Dancer can’t be doing that, if I plan for it now. Part of the five-year plan is for me (skinnier, faster); part is for Dancer (better contacts, faster weaves, more distance).

Establishing a regular training routine after a year of coping and chaos (it started with my daughter’s bicycle accident, continued with the fire, went on with the move… and I’m hoping that’s it for a while) is a part of the five-year plan.

SO: for the next few weeks, this is the plan: work on contacts, weave entries (and weaves), enthusiasm, start-line stays and leadouts.

And for the skinnier, faster part: more walking. Less eating.