WOW! Long Hiatus...

Where do I even begin? We have taken a long hiatus from agility, training, sports, etc. I got a little depressed that we couldn't compete or go to any classes, seminars, or run thru because of money. I wish money didn't dictate what I can and cannot do with my dogs but it just so happens that I enjoy a sport that requires money to compete and I do enjoy the competition :) The last trial we went to was Carolina Piedmont Agility in September. I loved being at a long, bigger trial than LCDA. We did some international style classes just to see how we could handle it and we had some brilliant moments but we also had some fails. Overall, I was really happy with how we did as a team. 

This break from agility has helped me reflect on where I really need to work on MY agility game. We don't get a lot of opportunities to trial so, if I want to qualify with Monster and feel good about our performance as a team, I need to really get more consistent with my handling and performance in practice and trials. I have been listening a lot lately to the Bad Dog Agility podcast (Bad Dog Agility podcast page) and it's helped me sort through my thoughts about my agility training and handling. 

The big trend right now is OMD (One Mind Dog) Handling system and training international style courses. Well, that's helpful if you have National or World Team Dreams but the courses we run on currently in the U.S. are not difficult enough, in my opinion, to apply a lot of these handling maneuvers. I doubt I will find many backsides in our Advanced Standard courses ;) There is certainly use for these "fancy" moves but, on average, we don't see much of them in U.S. courses at the moment. 

I was able to attend a Stuart Mah seminar right before our hiatus and he made a valid point. He discussed OMD and other international style handling trends and made the argument that while these systems are good handling systems they are not new nor are they going to work every time. It's important to have other tools in your toolbox in case you get behind your dog. This is where strong verbals come in handy. People used to say that verbals were not really acknowledged by the dog and were only for lazy or inured handlers. What about when you're in gamblers? Verbals can really help you out in a jam and it's important to keep your verbal tools sharp as well. 

While I think OMD style handling is cool and fun to watch on applicable courses it's not a tool I need at the moment. Hopefully, we will get to a point where it becomes a valuable but we need to go back to basics first. 

I need to start practicing some basic sequences and perform front crosses, rear crosses, pivots, serpentines, threadles, etc. and watch video to see if I am even consistent with my cues for my own dog. We don't get much feedback training by ourselves so I have to get used to giving myself feedback. That's number 3 on our list to come back. 

Number 1 on my list for our comeback is to get Monster conditioned physically again. I have formed a loose plan and hopefully I follow it better than the last one. Monster got in good shape the last time but I wasn't very consistent about tracking his progression and as a rehab tech I really should be better about that. My plan is to start with a series of exercises on a simple level and progress their difficulty as needed. We will do some planks for core, squats for rear end, land treadmill for endurance and for isolating rear and front limbs, and balance using FitPaws peanuts. We will also use Susan Salo's jump grids to remember how to jump, work on jumping skills, and strengthen him. Her new jump grid workbook is awesome! I love being able to reference her grids from her DVD's and I have seen grids that I never saw before in this book.

Susan Salo Jumping Grid Workbook

Step 2 on my comeback list is to try to get myself back in shape as well. To learn to manage my time better too. I have cancelled our cable in an effort to save money and I hope that will help me financially and from a time management standpoint. We will see how this new plan works! 

Last bit of news to share is that business finally seems to be picking up at the rehab practice and I am glad about that. I know there are more animals that need us and I am glad they are finding us at last! I will also be teaching a foundation agility class for my trainer in the next couple of weeks. She is opening a new training business and has asked me to teach a once weekly class. I am also hoping that helps me financially! I will have to come up with a course syllabus for my students and I'm sure I will post about that too!

Apologies if this post has been slightly rambling but it's hard to share MONTHS of updates into one blog post :)