like running agility with a rabid moose

Ok, I give up, we're never going to be very successful in agility! But oh, I don't think I'm ready to give up trying yet. She is just so dang fun!

We've been to several trials with not too many Qs (like one) to show for them. I think I have maybe possibly finally convinced her to stop on the yellow zone.

 

 

We still have start line stay issues. In class we work very hard on the stay, lots of rewards for staying, with me trying to be very careful to only release her while I'm standing perfectly still so as not to cue her in any other way that I"m about to release her. In the ring it's just so different. She is RABID I tell you! I am very hopeful as of the last trial since I was able to get her to stop on the contacts and wait for direction, but the start line is still not like it is in training.

 

Last month we traveled with a friend to Blackfoot Idaho, a town formed entirely by wind. I was cheap and dumb and suggested we camp on the agility site instead of paying for a hotel. That was two crazy nights in a tent where the wind blew non stop the whole time and the tent walls took turns blowing against each other throughout the night. Indigo was SO good and just curled up at my side after I zipped us in each night. Here we are with our spot for the weekend. I actually really really enjoyed the time spent with my dog, my friend, sharing food, exclaiming about the wind, the lightning, the adventure....



 

 

The last run of the day on Saturday (our last day in Blackfoot) was a Jumpers course. Indi knocked one bar but ran so fast and was so responsive. I figured it was something close to a 6 yards per second run. Gosh that was exciting. 

The last AKC trial of the summer for us we did have a small but thrilling success. We got our very first qualifying score on a Jumpers with Weaves course!
Oh if only they could all go this smoothly!
Here it is.

and a One Knocked Bar Excellent Standard run that I thought was pretty good and wished we could have a do over on.

I wouldn't trade my rabid moose for a whole herd of border collies with perfect start line stays! Eh, I AM a bit jealous of them :)  I know, I know, I had better get to training and stop complaining!

 

All photos (except for us and the big tree, that was taken by our friend Kimbra) taken by Randy Gaines, agility show photographer extraordinaire!