This was the last agility trail for Scraps and Rags for the year and it was quite a year in agility for the two of them.  We started 2011 with Scraps taking classes at K9 Campus with Linda Bogart.  After one series of classes I was able to get Rags into the class and from then on, we trained with Linda at both K9 Campus and St. Huberts in 3 or 4 series of classes with Scraps and Rags together.  Rags had just finished her second agility class at St. Huberts in the fall and without getting her into this class with Scraps, it was going to be an agility-free winter or Rags.  Fortunately that was not the case.

Rags’ training may have eventually taught her to do each obstacle, getting her to run is another ball of wax.  In addition, none of it compares to getting her used to performing at a trial with all of the distractions and none of the in-ring rewards.

Scraps on the other hand really learned to run in unison with Kathy this year.  Linda taught them the “switch” command and with that they seem to run as a much more fluid team.  Additionally, they have done a lot of work on handling skills, discrimination and weaves.  All of this makes Scraps a much better dog in the ring.   Though he is now a veteran and we have lowered his jump height in NADAC to 8″, he still loves to run agility with Kathy and their success continues to build.

Though this weekend at k9 Campus is the tenth and final trial of the year, we haven’t practiced too much in recent weeks and our level of activity with agility has waned quite a bit, so we weren’t expecting too much from this weekend.  All of our practice in the past several months has been outdoors at St. Huberts.

At the last trail Rags for the first time was finishing courses on an agonizing difficult and slow but almost consistent basis.  Knowing this was indoors, distraction-less and compact, I had some hopes that Rags could run the courses and with a little luck, CPE friendly course times and the enthusiast  handicap, we may squeeze out a qualifying run.  After all, Rags earned her one and only qualifying score of her life here in August.

I was able to walk Rags through the almost every course and she missed her qualifying score in Jackpot by 3 seconds even though she finished the 4 obstacle Jackpot distance test.  It was pretty easy.  Finally, by the end of the day  we pulled out a qualifying score in Wildcard in 33 seconds, 7 seconds ahead of the 40-second course time.  Compared to where Rags was during her first trails where getting her over the first jump was not always assured, we were feeling pretty good.

Scraps on the other hand was right a home on the fast, cushioned surface.  He didn’t sniff and was fast and nimble.  He and Kathy scored a perfect 5 out of five qualifying runs.

Day 2 – Sunday, December 11, 2011

K9 Campus is a very tight so the variety of course layouts was limited and I could get Rags used to doing and out and back loop.  We started off the day with a pretty good jumpers run but missed the time by 11 seconds but still lots of obstacles to go in and out.  She showed more promise though and as we went on and we got a “Q” in the next run, then the next run and then the next two.  Oh, my G-d, four out of 5 qualifying runs.  Well they were walks but they were qualifying.  And that I call progress.

Scraps for the second day in a row was flawless and got 4 out of 5 Qs.  He was heading down his nemesis the teeter for his 5th out of 5 Qs, but Kathy caught it right before it hit and accepted the disqualification for Scraps’ sake.  Nevertheless, it was a perfect weekend in our eyes.

After a great weekend like this it kind of gets you psyched to train over the winter and get set for next years’ season of agility.

Day 2, November 6, 2011

50% of Profits From Sale of My Photos Will Be Donated To St. Huberts – To view videos of Scraps and Rags’ runs or photos taken of other dogs or to purchase downloads ($0.99/download), prints or other items go to my SmugMug photo gallery links below.  Fifty percent (50%) of all profit made from the sale of any items off of SmugMug will be donated to St Huberts, so get great photos of your dog and support St. Huberts.

• Day 1 Photos - http://fidogenic.smugmug.com/Dog-Agility/NADAC/2011-11-05-NADAC-Agility-Trial/19925800_XgjBXM
• Day 2 Photos – http://fidogenic.smugmug.com/Dog-Agility/NADAC/2011-11-06-NADAC-Agility-Trial/19946228_NGQKTZ

Day 2, Sunday, September 18, 2011

50% of Profits From Sale of My Photos Will Be Donated To St. Huberts – To view videos of Scraps and Rags’ runs or photos taken of other dogs or to purchase downloads ($0.99/download), prints or other items go to my SmugMug photo gallery links below.  Fifty percent (50%) of all profit made from the sale of any items off of SmugMug will be donated to St Huberts, so get great photos of your dog and support St. Huberts.

• Day 1 Photos - http://fidogenic.smugmug.com/Dog-Agility/NADAC/2011-09-17-NADAD-Agility-St/19074504_gjmnRh
• Day 2 Photos - http://fidogenic.smugmug.com/Dog-Agility/NADAC/2011-09-18-NADAC-Agility-St/19091676_FdJrm6

This trial is half way through our agility season, and after the previous trail we were due for some better results.  This trial was being held in the indoor air-conditioned K9 Campus in Randolph, NJ.  We have taken classes there before and we are hoping the isolation of the agility ring from the rest of the crowd would help Scraps and Rags.

On Saturday morning Rags was the second dog on the line for FullHouse and she didn’t move, didn’t make it over the first jump.  Fortunately it wasn’t captured on video as there literally was nothing to see.  The rest of the day wasn’t too successful for her either but she never totally froze and the start again.

Scraps on the other hand did realty well on Saturday going 4 for 5 and only missing 5 for 5 by a little bit.  The compactness, tightness and subsequent, controlled slowness seemed to fit Kathy and Scraps’ style.

Day 2 – Sunday August 7, 2011

It was a pleasure coming to day two at K9 Campus.  It is about an equal 15-20 minute trip to our home and on this August weekend, it was nice going back indoors.  It rained at the end of Saturday and stopped part way through Sunday morning.  While it would not have severely impacted running a trial if this week was at St. Huberts, the fact this was at K9 Campus, made it so much easier.  Sunday was hot and humid outside, but inside there was a cool chill to the air.

Scraps and Kathy continued their solid performances with a perfect 5 for 5.  This made a 90% qualifying percentage for the weekend, matching their career best.

Rags on day 2 seemed a little bit more responsive getting better with each run and finishing strong on almost all of them.  This wasn’t captured on video, but by the third run of the day, Colors, Rags completed the entire course which is the first time she was able to complete a course during a real trial.  She went over course time by 15 seconds and got 15 faults and an NQ, but finishing a real course is a lot of progress for the two of us.  The next run was FullHouse and I used her enjoyment of the teeter to my advantage to craft out a course that I thought she would run , which got us through the game and got us 2 more points than the 17 we need at the remedial level I run her.  We went over course time by 2 seconds but the 2 faults that 2-second penalty generates brought use down to 17 points which was exactly enough to qualify.   It was Rags’ first qualifying run of her career.  Wow.

With Scraps going 9 for 10 and Rags miraculously getting a Qualifying run, first place, I have to say it was a successful weekend.  Back to class atSt. Hubert’s on Monday night to practice up for the remaining trails at that field for the rest of the year.  Stay tuned, let’s see if Rags can get it together outdoors.

Day 1, Saturday July 16, 2011

Scraps

Rags

Day 2, Sunday July 17, 2011