Harry performs another unheard of agility feat
Sunday I entered an Agility Show n Go (similar to a trial setting except you are not judged plus you can stop and reinforce your training during your run). I took him to work on his contacts because he does them fine at home and at school but during the excitement of a trial and the new surroundings his adrenaline flow does not know what the word "PAUSE" means therefore he just leaps off all of the contact obstacles instead of stopping at the bottom as I have asked him. During his first run on the course he of course flew off of the dog walk (I made him go back) and the A-frame (he had to go back to that too) then he approached the teeter at breakneck speed. As soon as the board tips past the pivot point he takes a flying leap and the next thing you know there is a loud crash as the teeter collapses into on flat mess.  I stop running to look at it, the judge comes running over as well as a ring steward and even the cause of all this mess comes back to inspect the damage he did.
The judge looks at how unphased I am by this turn of events and asks me "Has he done this before?" My response is "No, but nothing surprises me with this dog anymore". They reassemble it and I tell Harry to go back on which he most willingly does since chaos is his middle name. On the second run, the judge approaches me at the start and asks "Do you mind if I stand on the teeter base during his run? It is not weighted down and the whole thing lifted off the ground when he jumped off." I said "That's fine" but I am thinking to myself that this would not have happened if Harry didn't run the course like a bull in the china closet. 
So while he may never Q in Standard, he certainly seems hell bent on leaving his own mark in the agility ring. |
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if I were the judge I would hav eworried about him taking both me and the teeter out |
Quote: if I were the judge I would hav eworried about him taking both me and the teeter out
I must admit I wondered about whether the judge was brave or foolhardy 
Sheepie enthusiasm is great  |
| THAT'S "our" HARRY!!!!!
Heart is soooo PROUD OF HIM!!!!!!!   |
| Yep, that's our Harry!!!!
I must say - they actually had NO weight on the teeter?? Sounds risky for any dog, not just Harry. I stewarded this fall at our KC's agility trial and the judge ordered even more weights added after a few energetic runs..... That was a judge Kristine knows from Milwaukee....sorry forgot his name, but he was a great judge. Oh, Kristine.....! |
I love Harry..  |
got sheep wrote: I stewarded this fall at our KC's agility trial and the judge ordered even more weights added after a few energetic runs.....
That was a judge Kristine knows from Milwaukee....sorry forgot his name, but he was a great judge. Oh, Kristine.....! Terry Elger, maybe? He is a GREAT judge. Wonderful courses, challenging but always with safety first and foremost in mind, and no mindlessly cranking the dogs around. Belle loved his courses. Not even Terry could make them 100% safe for Mad. A dog does need to have SOME sense of self-preservation.
Judi - I'm so sorry I didn't get back to you. When you called I was in the car with my vet and her fiance, we were headed for a show in the Chicago area, and trying not to get hopelessly lost or throw up on the quick turns and sharp off ramps... I told Amy about his adventures, she remembers both of you from the National, and I'm not sure but methinks it's possible she's going to request MORE DNA for future Harry studies
Yes, you have to learn to watch out for safety hazards as you walk courses, whether for run-thrus or (less frequently) trials. Things to check during a walkthrough: 1) is the teeter significantly weighted down at the base...I take Sybil and Liz to drop in classes and forgot to check this and Sybil almost took out the teeter once. My bad. 2) are there supports under the dogwalk ramps? 3) is there any chance the tunnel supports could slip off and in front of an opening, thus risking cloths-lining your dog. (normally not an issue at trials, but run-thrus?) Things to check visually check (from a distance, since you won't be allowed back on course) if other dogs have run already: 1) have tunnels been put back in place and secured after hard-running dogs went through them. 2) has the chute been straightened so dog doesn't tangle If I think of more I'll add them. I feel bad because I'm the one who convinced you to take him to run-thrus They can be so helpful, I'm taking Sybil to one on Friday, but if it's a new place and you don't know the equipment you have to be especially careful with a big and energetic dog because you don't know what type of dog they are accustomed to seeing or how sturdy the equipment is as it need not be to trial specifications necessarily.
I've also seen the occasional big dog tip the table over at 24", but most competition tables do not need to be weighted. Just give it a quick wiggle to make sure. Also examine the tire to make sure there aren't any apparent hazards there. Of course, with Harry, you can never be quite sure he won't find some new and innovative way to perform an obstacle that no one has ever thought of before, so that adds to the challenge. But you know him better than anyone and you're a creative person, so... 
Kristine |
Thanks for the safety pointers Kristine. I never thought to check. 
The good news about Harry - he was long gone from the teeter when it collapsed. One good thing I will say about Harry - he will always get back up on the horse after a fall so to speak. Unless, said horse has a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer or electric mixer - then all bets are off.
Some good things to note from Sunday: 1) He did two very nice waits at the start line - coming directly from his crate (and no reinforcement).  Could this actually be a non-issue now?
2) On our first run through he got on the table and sat - immediately.
On the second run through he was thrown off by the fact that I had just treated him at the dog walk so he stood on the table but then he realized that I wasn't going anywhere until that fuzzy butt hit the table for a full five seconds. But to have an automatic sit on a run - there is an agility God and I have hope. |
| I think you should get more points if you manage to also take out each of the obstacles, too! |
| Hey Harry, just rewrite the rule book it's ok, your an OES! |
| You mean you don't score points for taking out the obstacles??? |
| Judy,
Once upon a time in a city far, far away in the early days of agility, there was a very naive handler with a very wise dog (whose name was Maxwell not so Smart CD ) who could break any teeter totter alive. Contacts with the teeter were to be found as quickly as possible, and in fact he would hit the end just as it started to tip and hang on with his toes 'cause then you could ride it all the way to the bottom and cause a loud boom. (this often caused an untimely demise of said teeter especially with a 90 pound dog ). Needless to say, not knowing enough and not having a good instructor near by the wise dog soon won the battle of agility, and was retired. But not before he made quite an impact in the local agility circles for completely bad behavior! So good luck with your wonderful Harry because as a sheepdog with a sense of humor is alway alot of fun/humbling.........
So good luck with Harry and hang in there!
The further adventures of Max are infamous in the obedience circles....for all the things that should never happen in the ring but will. Michelle and Mattie (who only channels Max occasionally) |
| Yes Kristine - it was Terry. He seemed real nice - fun to steward and the dogs did awesome things on his course. I was stewarding in the excellent class.
Out of his control was the surface. The ground was grass, but very dry and hard packed. Some tight corners after jumps had the intense dogs taking diggers (or should I say "chinners"?) After a bitch took a good one, the dogs were sniffing. I am thinking she leaked a bit of urine on impact.... Judi - another thing - although I bet it is not that common - One of the pins on the dog walk was coming out - noticed by one of the instructors who was stewarding that side and needed a quick pounding back in between dogs.
And on the subject of agility - we have good news!!!!
Chewie is finally starting agility classes this Friday!!! Look out world
I contacted a friend who is an instructor (she is Tazz the Min Pin's breeder too) and she took pity on us and is going to do privates for us. Until we get good enough to join the more advanced classes that are on a different night anyway! (Oh, she is also the one who noticed the dog walk pin too. We both taught 4-H classes for a number of years also.)  |
got sheep wrote: And on the subject of agility - we have good news!!!!
Chewie is finally starting agility classes this Friday!!! Look out world      
Remember to tell her you want to teach him the one-rear-toe-on contact method. Dig out the article if need be or let me know and I'll re-forward it to you. Safest, easiest and best method available to date for our breed. Note to self: should have picked up two when I order Sunny's b'day present 
Very happy for you guys. And, yes, Belle took the occasional nosedive on dry grass  Who would have thunk it? I learned and simply pulled Mad when conditions like that warranted. Sybil could probably handle it, but then she likes her body and tends to notice these things before she does a face plant. At a guess I suspect Chewie will fall into that category, but they're all different.
Kristine |
| Please resend the article.
It is hopelessly buried in my emails. I was too depressed on never finding another sport for my poor dog that I didn't save it in a folder........ |
got sheep wrote: :oops: Please resend the article.
It is hopelessly buried in my emails. I was too depressed on never finding another sport for my poor dog that I didn't save it in a folder........Yes, your poor, deprived, underprivileged dog. (Where's the 'spare me!' emoticon when you need it??? )
I'll resend it in the morning. Will you be needing a clicker to go with that?
KB |
Mad Dog wrote: got sheep wrote: :oops: Please resend the article. It is hopelessly buried in my emails. I was too depressed on never finding another sport for my poor dog that I didn't save it in a folder........Yes, your poor, deprived, underprivileged dog. (Where's the 'spare me!' emoticon when you need it??? )I'll resend it in the morning. Will you be needing a clicker to go with that? KB Actually, no. I still have the one you gave me at bassetfest, in case I ever feel coordinated enough to use it.
I just checked, it is still sitting on the bathroom sink counter. I took it out of my pocket when we got home and it hasn't moved...... Ok, it has - I wash around and under it! |
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