What a whirlwind of a weekend! Long treks down south are difficult when you have to work a full day beforehand, but we made it. For some reason, when I lived in Bradenton, it seemed to only take me three and a half, maybe four hours to make the drive back to Jacksonville. Strangely, when Buster drives, and when we make several stops, and decide to stay in St. Petersburg because the La Quinta is free with Returns points, the drive morphs into a five hour expedition. We departed on Friday evening at roughly 6 pm, which was fairly remarkable given that I had not cleaned out my car or packed prior to leaving work at 4:30 pm, and arriving home at a little after 5:15. The poor dogs, having been locked up all day while we were at work, got walked and fed and shoved into crates. They had a pit stop along the way; however, it was not sufficient to satisfy poor Xander’s need for activity. By the time we made it to the hotel after 11pm, we were ready for bed. He was not. He understandably did not sleep well that night, and so neither did we.
Saturday morning began around 2am with the “I am frustrated and don’t want to sleep “ bark, which is exceedingly annoying. I tried to ignore him, and finally gave up and let him out. After that, I tried to fend off the excited licking and pawing for a few hours until the alarm went off at 5am. We left the hotel at 6am, and made the drive into Bradenton. The benefit of staying in St. Petersburg is the privilege of driving over vast expanses of beautiful water as the sun is rising. We arrived at the Manatee Fairgrounds in time to secure a nice close parking spot, and got set up for the weekend. My purchase of warm weather accessories, including cooling mats, a Ryobi fan, and an aluminet shade cloth really paid off. Although we were covered in shade during the later parts of the afternoon, the first several hours of the morning brought heavy sunlight directly onto our crating area. The prime real estate was taken the day prior, so we had to work a bit harder to stay comfortable. Buster went as far as to set up our canopy near the edge of the cover, so as to block more of the sun. We managed to stay fairly comfortable in spite of the heat and humidity.
My biggest flaw with traveling to trials is that I am not a superstar when it comes to being sleep deprived and off my routine. The first day of a trial is typically the worst unless I arrived early the day prior. Coming in late on Friday night and not sleeping well equaled a less than stellar state of mind. Having support there in the form of Buster and our friends Chris and Carol helped tremendously, however, I really need to work on getting better at handling the travel, etc. We did get a couple of Q’s on Saturday, however, they were flawed and I did a pretty poor job on our other runs. I even knocked over a jump wing with my arm as I was running Kirby and it almost fell on him. Poor guy. He did break his stay, but he really didn’t deserve to have jumps thrown on him. Thankfully, both my dogs are very forgiving. Xander earned his second Open Fast leg on Saturday morning and I tried a sharp rear cross into the weaves. He made it to the 10th pole before doubting himself, so that is something to work on more. I really do like Fast for the purpose of trying different handling maneuvers without necessarily sacrificing the Q. He would have earned 1st if we hadn’t spent so much time on the weaves, but he earned a 2nd place anyway. Kirby recovered from Exc JWW to earn his Open Standard title that afternoon with one off course and a 2nd place as well. Not our best day, but not our worst either. I really enjoyed hanging out with everyone, and although we were there for about twelve hours, Buster was still game for a trip down memory lane. I took him to my first apartment in Bradenton when I attended Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota my first year of college. We cruised down to St. Armand’s circle, which is a major tourist spot for those with money, and for those who wish to appear they have money. Past that, we stopped at Lido beach to appreciate the beautiful blue water and white sand. We didn’t make it back to the hotel until after 8pm. It was a long day.
Buster was kind enough to go back out and pick up a delicious meal from Pollo Tropical, and with full bellies and tired dogs, we all slept well through the night. It is amazing the difference a good meal and a good night’s sleep will do for my mental acuity.
Sunday morning began with much less stress and much more appreciation for the beautiful trial site, the happiness of being surrounded by friends, and the privilege of playing my favorite game with my wonderful dogs. Xander began the morning very early with a kick ass Open Fast run for 1st place and his title. The relief of having that title completed seemed to boost me throughout the rest of the day. I had really wanted to finish his Exc A titles in std and jww, but even more, I had wanted to get both dogs completely out of Open. With Kirby done on Saturday, and Xander done that morning with Fast, I just decided to enjoy the rest of the day. I worked hard on visualizing success in our runs: I pictured exactly what our runs would look like and how my dogs would respond to my cues. I did not allow any thoughts of just “seeing what would happen” and instead focused on making what I had visualized a reality. This was very successful in JWW, as both boys ran clean and each earned 1st place. That would make Xander’s AXJ title, and his second title of the day.
Standard came many hours later, and by then my attention was starting to fade. I made the conscious effort to eat and stay hydrated throughout the day, which I had failed to do the day before and got very lightheaded along the way. Even still, the heat and long hours had started to take a toll. I let doubt creep in as Xander and I approached our standard run. I tried as hard as I could to push that out and just enjoy my boy. I made myself smile and we began. We had a close call when he nearly ran past the teeter again, the same mistake we had made in std on Saturday, but I pushed in just in time, and he made it. I recovered on the table, and we were solid right up to the end. It was a tricky ending that involved two jumps heading toward the fence, with a wrap on the second jump and doubling back to the first and a turn to the finish. I planned to pull him and then flip him away to make the wrap, but in my anxiety, I called “switch,” his rear cross cue, WAY too early, and like a good dog, he turned on the flat. I immediately pushed him forward and flipped him again, and we finished clean. As we came off the run, I was disappointed that we had no doubt incurred a refusal with the spin only a few jumps from the finish, but immediately my friends came over to say the judge hadn’t called it. I was incredulous. Why? I still wonder why, but I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. The agility gods giveth, and the agility gods taketh away. Maybe we were far enough back that the judge didn’t feel he had seen or committed to the second jump, or maybe she was distracted. Either way, we earned his AX title. Maybe not the best way to earn it, but in my experience, it will come back around. One day a judge will call us for something undeserved, and I will have to remember this gift. They are human. They make mistakes. Sometimes it is in our favor, sometimes it is not.
At any rate, after Xander’s hat trick of three titles and three 1st placements in one day, I wasn’t too concerned about Kirby’s first venture into Exc std. He has been surprisingly consistent lately, having earned his second AXJ leg that morning, but I still consider running him pretty hit or miss in the realm of qualifying. He really gave it a good go and was flawless except for bouncing off the table. After watching the video, it was totally my fault for the angle I presented it to him, and I was very happy with his speed and focus. He nailed his weaves ALL WEEKEND and our friend Kaimen offered me a million dollars for him. I briefly considered it, but then decided I am kind of attached to him after all.
In the end, Xander ended up with an awesome new neon green and blue tug leash that matches several of my shirts and his harness. There was good video footage taken by my lovely fiancé and some fun pictures taken by Furry Fotography. I may have purchased a photo license plate….We ate terrific food supplied by the best food vendor I have ever encountered at a trial. We thoroughly enjoyed the company of friends and the beauty of our surroundings. The boys earned four titles, four 1st placements, and two 2nd placements, and we made it home by 11:30pm on Sunday night. It would have been fun to stay and compete on Monday, but it was great to have a day of recovery before returning to work today. And although Buster had to work yesterday, he had a shorter than normal day and was able to take a nice nap before we headed out to teach class last night. It was a really memorable Memorial weekend.
I am already looking forward to our next adventure.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Excitement is Distracting
Here it is, only Wednesday, and I am already excited, nervous, and anxious for this weekend. I better tone it down a bit, or I may be over it by the time Saturday arrives. But I doubt it.
We will be heading to Palmetto for one of my favorite venues near Bradenton/Sarasota. The trial site itself is very nice; large, open, covered, with a good surface and plenty of room for crates and spectators. It's also right next door to Bradenton which happens to be the first place I ever lived after graduating highschool and leaving home. I attended one year of college at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota before deciding it wasn't for me, but that's an entirely different story. At any rate, I always enjoy a trip down memory lane when I am in the area for a show, and it has been a couple of years since I've made the trip that way.
The plan, due to the annoyance of work obligations, is to leave Friday afternoon and make the long drive down south. We probably won't arrive until close to 10pm, and won't be settled into bed until after 11pm. That makes for an early morning when your first run starts around 7:30 and the hotel is about 30mins from the trial site. I am not complaining though, because the hotel is free with my La Quinta points! Our friends Chris and Carol will also be arriving late and staying at the same hotel, so at least we can commiserate. They however are not entered in FAST, so at least will get to wake up a bit before the day gets started. I suppose I enjoy running before I have too much time to psych myself out anyway.
I didn't do an excellent job at following my own advice last weekend. I only truly smiled and enjoyed our runs on Sunday, and did a miserable job at keeping perspective on Saturday. I blame not sleeping well on Friday night. Regardless, I am determined to enjoy myself, my dogs, and our runs, good or bad, and the experience as a whole. Having Buster with me this time will also help. He always makes things more fun, and less stressful. What would I do without him?!
Finally, huge congratulations going out to the newly announced World Team members! Among them, with no surprise on anyone's part except for maybe Tori's, are Florida's own Tori and Rev!! So excited for them and the experience they have to look forward to in France. Helps put my little local weekend into perspective.
We will be heading to Palmetto for one of my favorite venues near Bradenton/Sarasota. The trial site itself is very nice; large, open, covered, with a good surface and plenty of room for crates and spectators. It's also right next door to Bradenton which happens to be the first place I ever lived after graduating highschool and leaving home. I attended one year of college at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota before deciding it wasn't for me, but that's an entirely different story. At any rate, I always enjoy a trip down memory lane when I am in the area for a show, and it has been a couple of years since I've made the trip that way.
The plan, due to the annoyance of work obligations, is to leave Friday afternoon and make the long drive down south. We probably won't arrive until close to 10pm, and won't be settled into bed until after 11pm. That makes for an early morning when your first run starts around 7:30 and the hotel is about 30mins from the trial site. I am not complaining though, because the hotel is free with my La Quinta points! Our friends Chris and Carol will also be arriving late and staying at the same hotel, so at least we can commiserate. They however are not entered in FAST, so at least will get to wake up a bit before the day gets started. I suppose I enjoy running before I have too much time to psych myself out anyway.
I didn't do an excellent job at following my own advice last weekend. I only truly smiled and enjoyed our runs on Sunday, and did a miserable job at keeping perspective on Saturday. I blame not sleeping well on Friday night. Regardless, I am determined to enjoy myself, my dogs, and our runs, good or bad, and the experience as a whole. Having Buster with me this time will also help. He always makes things more fun, and less stressful. What would I do without him?!
Finally, huge congratulations going out to the newly announced World Team members! Among them, with no surprise on anyone's part except for maybe Tori's, are Florida's own Tori and Rev!! So excited for them and the experience they have to look forward to in France. Helps put my little local weekend into perspective.
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Great Love Bug Massacre of 2011
The agility packed weekend started with class on Thursday evening where we worked on knowing when to go and get your dog, when to send, and where to be when they come blasting out of a tunnel. Good times. Many good dog walk contacts and weaves. Friday morning started with the luxury of sleeping in until 8am, probably the latest I have slept in weeks, and most likely the latest I will sleep for a while to come. After doing some chores and packing our bags, Xander and I hit the road about 9:30am. Our trip was fairly uneventful until we passed Daytona on I-95 and hit what I like to call “The Plague of Love Bugs.” Apparently some people also call them June Bugs, but whatever you call them, I have hated them since childhood. We would be playing in the yard, minding our own business when BAM, love bugs in your face, and your hair, and if not careful, your mouth as well. They are too stupid to even try and preserve their own lives, too caught up in copulation to care if you swat them to the ground and stomp on them. I gained an even greater disgust for these little pests after driving through a dark cloud that left a massacre of splattered bodies on my windshield and grill that was so thick I couldn’t see to drive. I found myself still an hour and a half from Vero Beach at a gas station with an assortment of fellow victims. We all tried futilely to use the station’s complimentary windshield cleaner to scrub enough of the carcasses from our field of vision to accommodate safe driving. I was appalled by the sheer volume of dead insects that had affixed themselves to every square inch of my Honda Element. Given that my vehicle is essentially a box on wheels, there was no way that the bugs could avoid the wall traveling at 80 mph. After a pitiful attempt to clear them away and a fresh tank of gold, I mean gas, we hit the road again. I tried to get behind vehicles larger than my own, trucks and the like, to help shield me from the impact of more idiotically suicidal swarms, but was only partially successful. When we finally arrived at the site of the show, I was trying to see through a thick grime of bug innards.
The pitiful state of my poor vehicle was quickly forgotten as I turned to setting up camp. The trial site is under cover at the Vero Beach Fairgrounds, but one has to be selective in the choice of crating location. In the morning, the sun comes in strongly on one side of the arena, and in the afternoon, it creeps into the other side. Down south, a little direct sunlight can make a huge difference in the muggy heat (although strangely we were freezing on Sunday morning. Only in Florida). Thanks to my friend and student Pam, we selected a spot that was far enough into the arena that we would be protected from both the morning and afternoon sunlight. It would also shield us from the rain that came in on Sunday morning.
Those of us who have spent many weekends camped out at an agility trial know how important it is to have the correct gear. One needs a mat to protect your belongings from the clay and dirt of the ground, although by Sunday afternoon everything will be covered in a layer of orange grit that will remain in your car and belongings for the next several months in spite of all your efforts to clean it. One also needs a comfortable chair, although most of the hours will be spent walking dogs, walking courses, walking to the bathroom, and pacing nervously waiting for walkthroughs, scores, and a turn to run the course. One will also need a camera to film the mistakes you will make so you can obsess over them later, some snacks and drinks that will help you make it through the many hours of the day, prior to your healthy and nutritious dinner of Wendy’s or McDonald’s that will be eaten on your hotel bed. Your dog’s comfort is paramount however, so they require an expensive crate, a cooling crate mat, an expensive battery operated fan, a special fleece lined harness and monogrammed tug leash, an assortment of motivational toys, special treats, and a personal cooler of ice chilled water. They will then proceed to beg to be let out of the crate, chew on the stick they find in the bushes nearby, drink the dirty water in the community kiddie pool, and eat some unknown, probably dead-lizard substance from the ground.
Anyway, after setting up, we had a fun time learning the rules of Time 2 Beat, AKC’s new game that is strikingly similar to USDAA’s Steeplechase, one of my favorite classes. We won the demo with the fastest time, and earned an extra toy. We also participated in the B-Match, which allowed use of a toy in the ring. We got beautiful dog walk, A-frame, and teeter contacts, all with a lovely stop and verbal release. We got one more dog walk stop on Saturday, but that was it. Oh well.
Friday afternoon, we traveled to the nearby area of Fort Pierce where our La Quinta was located. The only reason I choose this hotel over my customary Motel 6 was that I stayed free using my La Quinta Returns points. Otherwise the room would have been out of my price range. It was probably the nicest hotel I’ve stayed in excluding two resort experiences. We had a huge king size bed, flat screen tv, computer desk, fridge and microwave, massive bathroom, and view of the pool. Unfortunately, I made the lazy decision to leave Xander’s crate set up at the trial and experimented with letting him sleep on the bed. He barked at every door closing and person speaking. I had to leave the tv on to help drown out the noise. Neither one of us slept that night.
Saturday morning came early as we piled back in the car and made the 40 minute drive back to the show site. Our first experience in Open Fast was a great one, with a perfect score of 80pts and a 1st place Q. Standard would have been a Q except I did some crack brained maneuver from the tunnel under the dog walk to dog walk, and we ended up doing a couple extra tunnels. Learning experience. The rest of the run was beautiful, although we only got a true stop on our dog walk. By the afternoon, I had forgotten all my brilliant speech from the previous blog and was tired and out of sorts. Although I was enjoying hanging out with friends, I was missing Buster who had to stay home on this venture, and did not approach our run with the correct mindset. I broke the cardinal rule of appreciating the experience, and our jumpers run was a bit of a train wreck. ENTIRELY my fault for not having a connection with Xander from the start. Since the big dogs ran first, we were done by about 2pm, and decide to head back for some R&R.
After cleaning up and letting Xander take a nap on the bed, we headed back out to explore. We found that Fort Pierce is rather run down overall, but there was a nice little riverwalk area with a cool sculpture that Xander took a picture in front of. The wind was whipping as we watched many large boats cruise by and the palm trees sway in the breeze. A large storm was just south of us another up north. After returning to the hotel with dinner, we spent the evening listening to the rain and rewatching “How to Train Your Dragon” on HBO. I love that movie. Safe and secure in his crate that I made sure to bring, Xander slept quietly through the night.
After checking out and nabbing more free breakfast, another perk of the La Quinta, we headed back for our final day of fun. I got cocky in Open Fast, and although we easily nailed the send, we got hung up trying to weave. The poles were set up straight into the fence, with only about 5 feet from the end of the poles to the ring fencing. After watching the video, I knew that it was my body language not supporting the weaves, and to my poor dog who had never seen this setup before, it was too much. We ended the run with too few points after missing this 10pt obstacle and being over time from our several attempts.
Excellent Standard and JWW were two of the trickiest courses I had seen in a while in AKC, so I didn’t have much hope given the rest of our weekend. The weaves were again set up to make it difficult for dogs to get through them. In JWW, they were in the exact same spot as in Fast. I watched many very experienced dogs pull out on the 10th pole. Having had a better night’s rest, I went to the line in Standard and finally remembered to SMILE. With a broad, genuine smile, and having told Xander I loved him on the line, we set off and had a great run. We were wide between the jump and table due to a very tempting off course tunnel and some confusion, so we lost a second or two there. In spite of this, we finished within a fraction of a second from our idols Gabrielle and Zing. This was our second Exc A Q with 1st place in Standard. One more to go! Jumpers was at the end of a long day, but we had gone for a walk and played Frisbee, and I was still high from our great run in Standard. I approached the course with the only objective being successfully weaving into the fence. And he did it perfectly!! Then we went off course two jumps later. Haha. So close, but again, a great learning experience. We now need one leg each of Standard and JWW in Exc A before we can move into Exc B!
Although the big dogs ran last on Sunday, we still left by about 2:30, and thanks to my lead foot tendencies, made it home by about 5:30. Buster helped me wash most of the massacre from the front of my car using our crappy apartment car wash, a bottle of baby shampoo, and some Bounce dryer sheets. Trust me, as strange as it sounds, those dryer sheets do help. Thanks Laurie! It still needs work, but at least I can now see to drive. We ate burgers from the grill and tater tots before watching the finale of Survivor. Yay for the winner, Boston Rob! Finally after trying ten years, he walks away with the title. I suppose there is a lesson in that as well. Patience and persistence pays off. Our next trial is in Palmetto on Memorial Day weekend. I can’t wait.
The pitiful state of my poor vehicle was quickly forgotten as I turned to setting up camp. The trial site is under cover at the Vero Beach Fairgrounds, but one has to be selective in the choice of crating location. In the morning, the sun comes in strongly on one side of the arena, and in the afternoon, it creeps into the other side. Down south, a little direct sunlight can make a huge difference in the muggy heat (although strangely we were freezing on Sunday morning. Only in Florida). Thanks to my friend and student Pam, we selected a spot that was far enough into the arena that we would be protected from both the morning and afternoon sunlight. It would also shield us from the rain that came in on Sunday morning.
Those of us who have spent many weekends camped out at an agility trial know how important it is to have the correct gear. One needs a mat to protect your belongings from the clay and dirt of the ground, although by Sunday afternoon everything will be covered in a layer of orange grit that will remain in your car and belongings for the next several months in spite of all your efforts to clean it. One also needs a comfortable chair, although most of the hours will be spent walking dogs, walking courses, walking to the bathroom, and pacing nervously waiting for walkthroughs, scores, and a turn to run the course. One will also need a camera to film the mistakes you will make so you can obsess over them later, some snacks and drinks that will help you make it through the many hours of the day, prior to your healthy and nutritious dinner of Wendy’s or McDonald’s that will be eaten on your hotel bed. Your dog’s comfort is paramount however, so they require an expensive crate, a cooling crate mat, an expensive battery operated fan, a special fleece lined harness and monogrammed tug leash, an assortment of motivational toys, special treats, and a personal cooler of ice chilled water. They will then proceed to beg to be let out of the crate, chew on the stick they find in the bushes nearby, drink the dirty water in the community kiddie pool, and eat some unknown, probably dead-lizard substance from the ground.
Anyway, after setting up, we had a fun time learning the rules of Time 2 Beat, AKC’s new game that is strikingly similar to USDAA’s Steeplechase, one of my favorite classes. We won the demo with the fastest time, and earned an extra toy. We also participated in the B-Match, which allowed use of a toy in the ring. We got beautiful dog walk, A-frame, and teeter contacts, all with a lovely stop and verbal release. We got one more dog walk stop on Saturday, but that was it. Oh well.
Friday afternoon, we traveled to the nearby area of Fort Pierce where our La Quinta was located. The only reason I choose this hotel over my customary Motel 6 was that I stayed free using my La Quinta Returns points. Otherwise the room would have been out of my price range. It was probably the nicest hotel I’ve stayed in excluding two resort experiences. We had a huge king size bed, flat screen tv, computer desk, fridge and microwave, massive bathroom, and view of the pool. Unfortunately, I made the lazy decision to leave Xander’s crate set up at the trial and experimented with letting him sleep on the bed. He barked at every door closing and person speaking. I had to leave the tv on to help drown out the noise. Neither one of us slept that night.
Saturday morning came early as we piled back in the car and made the 40 minute drive back to the show site. Our first experience in Open Fast was a great one, with a perfect score of 80pts and a 1st place Q. Standard would have been a Q except I did some crack brained maneuver from the tunnel under the dog walk to dog walk, and we ended up doing a couple extra tunnels. Learning experience. The rest of the run was beautiful, although we only got a true stop on our dog walk. By the afternoon, I had forgotten all my brilliant speech from the previous blog and was tired and out of sorts. Although I was enjoying hanging out with friends, I was missing Buster who had to stay home on this venture, and did not approach our run with the correct mindset. I broke the cardinal rule of appreciating the experience, and our jumpers run was a bit of a train wreck. ENTIRELY my fault for not having a connection with Xander from the start. Since the big dogs ran first, we were done by about 2pm, and decide to head back for some R&R.
After cleaning up and letting Xander take a nap on the bed, we headed back out to explore. We found that Fort Pierce is rather run down overall, but there was a nice little riverwalk area with a cool sculpture that Xander took a picture in front of. The wind was whipping as we watched many large boats cruise by and the palm trees sway in the breeze. A large storm was just south of us another up north. After returning to the hotel with dinner, we spent the evening listening to the rain and rewatching “How to Train Your Dragon” on HBO. I love that movie. Safe and secure in his crate that I made sure to bring, Xander slept quietly through the night.
After checking out and nabbing more free breakfast, another perk of the La Quinta, we headed back for our final day of fun. I got cocky in Open Fast, and although we easily nailed the send, we got hung up trying to weave. The poles were set up straight into the fence, with only about 5 feet from the end of the poles to the ring fencing. After watching the video, I knew that it was my body language not supporting the weaves, and to my poor dog who had never seen this setup before, it was too much. We ended the run with too few points after missing this 10pt obstacle and being over time from our several attempts.
Excellent Standard and JWW were two of the trickiest courses I had seen in a while in AKC, so I didn’t have much hope given the rest of our weekend. The weaves were again set up to make it difficult for dogs to get through them. In JWW, they were in the exact same spot as in Fast. I watched many very experienced dogs pull out on the 10th pole. Having had a better night’s rest, I went to the line in Standard and finally remembered to SMILE. With a broad, genuine smile, and having told Xander I loved him on the line, we set off and had a great run. We were wide between the jump and table due to a very tempting off course tunnel and some confusion, so we lost a second or two there. In spite of this, we finished within a fraction of a second from our idols Gabrielle and Zing. This was our second Exc A Q with 1st place in Standard. One more to go! Jumpers was at the end of a long day, but we had gone for a walk and played Frisbee, and I was still high from our great run in Standard. I approached the course with the only objective being successfully weaving into the fence. And he did it perfectly!! Then we went off course two jumps later. Haha. So close, but again, a great learning experience. We now need one leg each of Standard and JWW in Exc A before we can move into Exc B!
Although the big dogs ran last on Sunday, we still left by about 2:30, and thanks to my lead foot tendencies, made it home by about 5:30. Buster helped me wash most of the massacre from the front of my car using our crappy apartment car wash, a bottle of baby shampoo, and some Bounce dryer sheets. Trust me, as strange as it sounds, those dryer sheets do help. Thanks Laurie! It still needs work, but at least I can now see to drive. We ate burgers from the grill and tater tots before watching the finale of Survivor. Yay for the winner, Boston Rob! Finally after trying ten years, he walks away with the title. I suppose there is a lesson in that as well. Patience and persistence pays off. Our next trial is in Palmetto on Memorial Day weekend. I can’t wait.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
For the Love of the Game
I am heading down south to Vero Beach this weekend for some agility fun. I am excited. I have not been down to Vero in a VERY long time, hailing back to the days years ago when I was competing heavily with Kaylee. This will be Xander’s first trip down south, and we have not competed since the trial in Perry, GA basically one month ago. I have been longing for the chance to again immerse myself in that world which I love so much. Of course my life in recent years has rarely been devoid of agility. Since beginning to teach my classes nearly two years ago, I have had agility on the brain more than I might otherwise have, given that I spend so much time considering the needs of my students, my plans for their lessons, and obviously the skills I desire to work on with my own dogs. There are weekly lessons and practice, and now the class I have recently started attending with Xander. Additionally, there is a daily fix of watching videos of trial footage from other handlers, studying their techniques and analyzing the handling choices of others I respect. I read blogs from top competitors, and from those who offer a humorous perspective on trying to reach the top. Last weekend was filled with an above average preoccupation given that I was not actually competing myself, rather following the results of the World Team Tryouts held by the AKC in search for that elite group of dogs and handlers who will have the privilege of representing the United States in France later this year. Among them being the young but brilliantly wise and skilled Tori Self and her aptly named dog Revolution for the impact they are making on the world of agility.
I have spent recent weeks considering my philosophy on agility; my thoughts on relationship, rewards, goals, and the intangible skills that separate brilliant dog trainers from the rest. Tori’s post this morning, (and I hope she does not think I am a creepy stalker, rather an avid admirer) hit on a topic I have been preoccupied with lately myself. The concept of enjoying the game for what it is, rather than trying to qualify or win, and in the process become stressed out trying prevent anything from going wrong. Others have spoken on this as well, although in cases such as Daisy Peel’s, the focus is more on mastering the mental game itself; in essence being able to control one’s emotional influences on the ability to focus and think clearly. Sarah Duke, another competitor and blogger I admire and enjoy following, spoke also on the pitfalls of becoming too focused on goals rather than process.
Kaylee and I used to compete quite a lot. At least once a month, but more often two or three times a month. I worked for the sole purpose of playing agility, and was in a situation where my living expenses were mostly paid for and I had only to pay for my hobby. I was also young and stupid when it came to the use of credit, and was completely irresponsible with the ample amounts of money I was deemed worthy to borrow. I had no long term dreams or goals. I was lost and unhappy, feeling stuck where I was in my working life as well as domestically and so agility became my only outlet. I was obsessed. I had nothing else in my life that brought me any amount of happiness or satisfaction, so it was truly all I cared about. That was a bad place to be. Kaylee was a great young dog, and very mature and consistent from an early age. Looking back, I know and regret starting her too young, practicing with her too often, and causing her to have back and shoulder problems she might not otherwise have had. I am grateful to her for teaching me so much that will benefit all of my dogs going forward.
Due to Kaylee’s honesty, work ethic, and willingness, we were able to qualify quite consistently. This became addictive. In my day to day life of feeling like a loser, escaping to a weekend of agility and returning with a handful of ribbons and titles was highly reinforcing. As we approached our coveted MACH title, I became entirely too focused on qualifying, and lost sight of enjoying the game. We had attended the Perry, GA trial in April for the first time that year, and I had seen the glorious green and blue rosette awarded to teams who earned a MACH at that trial. I WANTED IT. I have no idea why that beautiful ribbon became so important for me, but I had tunnel vision in regards to it.
We were closing in on our final four Double Q’s when we attended this weekend’s trial in Vero Beach six years ago in 2005. Perry would be hosting another 4 day trial in July, and there were no local trials in June, so I knew that if I could get several Double Q’s between the Vero trial and the upcoming trial in Palmetto at the end of May, I would stand a good chance of walking away from Perry with the ribbon and title I obsessively dreamed of. We had gotten something like eleven DQ’s in a row before this trial, but I fell apart in this home stretch. I was always nervous when competing, as if I had something to prove to myself and others, that I was worthy and had something to offer despite everything else in my life. I was too nauseous to eat until after finishing my runs for the day, which was usually eight or so hours from the time I had woken up. I didn’t sleep well. I was nervous and making myself miserable. Understandably, I made mistakes.
Poor Kaylee, I feel so bad for the person she had to deal with. I think she’s gotten her revenge in the years of barking and poop eating, but I was a wreck and often a terribly neurotic over-handler. On that weekend in Vero, I micro-managed her through one course on Saturday, only to screw her up on the second course. By Sunday morning, I was desperate to earn at least one DQ, so when she slid off the table in standard, something she has only done one other time since, I decided there was no point in running jumpers. I packed up my gear in disgust and headed home early. Kaylee, I am so sorry for being such an a$$hole, and I hope I have made it up to you since then.
We didn’t qualify in Palmetto that last weekend of May, and I don’t even remember why. So when we arrived in Perry we still needed those 4 DQ’s. I knew it was POSSIBLE in four days, but I had dismissed the idea altogether. After my poor performance in the last two trials, I said to heck with it and decided just to go out and get whatever we could. I wish I had been as wise at age 25 as Tori is at age 19, but I’m glad I learned the lesson eventually. Once I stopped believing that we could get our MACH that weekend, the last chance we would have until the fall season began again months later, we qualified. Every run: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Admittedly, by Saturday night I was so nervous that I couldn’t think straight. We only needed one more perfect day to walk away with that ribbon. The newest Harry Potter book had been released that day, the sixth one in the series, so that helped distract me a little, but I couldn’t focus on that well either. However, I realized that if we didn’t get it, that wouldn’t be the end of the world, and we could get the title early in the next season. I didn’t REALLY need that ribbon, I only wanted it. So we showed up Sunday and did what we had been doing before I got all hung up on the goal. And I got the ribbon, which is now in a box somewhere. But I do treasure the photo collage I made including the picture of Kaylee and I smiling together with our bar and ribbon in the pretty pink flowers outside the arena.
It was a great accomplishment at the time, but once achieved, I kind of lost interest. Because I was so focused on just achieving that one thing, I forgot how to enjoy the ride. It was no longer about playing a game with the dog I loved and admired who was smart and fast and happy when she was playing with me. It was only about a title and a ribbon, which are easily forgotten.
Kaylee hurt her back that summer, and to make a long story short, although we got her fixed up and competed more for a while, my focus turned to other things. I had to make the choice between sacrificing my overall happiness and well being for the sake of competing in agility, or give it up in order to gain a better life. I didn’t have the emotional energy, time, money, or desire to do much agility for a long time. Once I got stabilized finally in the latter part of 2008, I felt my old passion start to reignite. Kaylee easily finished her second MACH as I was exposing baby Xander to the world of agility trials, and thus began my gradual return to the world of competition.
I have learned so much since that trial in 2005, and am so thrilled to be heading to this competition six years later with a completely different perspective. While life is not yet perfect, it is GOOD. Actually, it is pretty great overall, and I have balance now. Agility, while a large part of my life, is not the only thing that brings me satisfaction and fulfillment. I no longer feel the need to prove anything to anyone, or myself. I am free to ENJOY myself and the time spent playing with my wonderful dogs. I see agility now as a beautiful dance when done correctly, and aspire to having the fastest, happiest dog with the greatest understanding of his job. If this results in titles and wins, that's fine, but those will just be side effects that come from truly enjoying what we're doing and focusing on all the beautiful details and skills it takes to make the dance seem easy. Agility is also expensive, and considering that I now have to work, pay bills, make choices for my long term future, it has become a privilege. I have learned to appreciate each opportunity I have to go play this game that I love. Although we could achieve some titles this weekend, I really don’t care. I cannot control everything, nor prevent anything from going wrong. All I can do is remember the work and training we have put into our team, trust my dog to do his job, and acknowledge that when he makes a mistake, it is just another opportunity to go home and train to make us a better team. I can eat breakfast; enjoy talking to friends, and take Xander for walks around the trial site. I can step to the line with my beautiful boy, kiss him on the nose, and give him a big smile before releasing him to run. He chatters with excitement when he is about to play his game, and since I never scold him or become frustrated with him, he is always eager to run as fast as he can. When we cross the line, q or no q, we will tug and play and I will tell him what a fabulous, smart, and handsome boy he is. I will be grateful for every moment, because I no longer care about ribbons or titles so much, rather I love my dog and together we LOVE THIS GAME.
I have spent recent weeks considering my philosophy on agility; my thoughts on relationship, rewards, goals, and the intangible skills that separate brilliant dog trainers from the rest. Tori’s post this morning, (and I hope she does not think I am a creepy stalker, rather an avid admirer) hit on a topic I have been preoccupied with lately myself. The concept of enjoying the game for what it is, rather than trying to qualify or win, and in the process become stressed out trying prevent anything from going wrong. Others have spoken on this as well, although in cases such as Daisy Peel’s, the focus is more on mastering the mental game itself; in essence being able to control one’s emotional influences on the ability to focus and think clearly. Sarah Duke, another competitor and blogger I admire and enjoy following, spoke also on the pitfalls of becoming too focused on goals rather than process.
Kaylee and I used to compete quite a lot. At least once a month, but more often two or three times a month. I worked for the sole purpose of playing agility, and was in a situation where my living expenses were mostly paid for and I had only to pay for my hobby. I was also young and stupid when it came to the use of credit, and was completely irresponsible with the ample amounts of money I was deemed worthy to borrow. I had no long term dreams or goals. I was lost and unhappy, feeling stuck where I was in my working life as well as domestically and so agility became my only outlet. I was obsessed. I had nothing else in my life that brought me any amount of happiness or satisfaction, so it was truly all I cared about. That was a bad place to be. Kaylee was a great young dog, and very mature and consistent from an early age. Looking back, I know and regret starting her too young, practicing with her too often, and causing her to have back and shoulder problems she might not otherwise have had. I am grateful to her for teaching me so much that will benefit all of my dogs going forward.
Due to Kaylee’s honesty, work ethic, and willingness, we were able to qualify quite consistently. This became addictive. In my day to day life of feeling like a loser, escaping to a weekend of agility and returning with a handful of ribbons and titles was highly reinforcing. As we approached our coveted MACH title, I became entirely too focused on qualifying, and lost sight of enjoying the game. We had attended the Perry, GA trial in April for the first time that year, and I had seen the glorious green and blue rosette awarded to teams who earned a MACH at that trial. I WANTED IT. I have no idea why that beautiful ribbon became so important for me, but I had tunnel vision in regards to it.
We were closing in on our final four Double Q’s when we attended this weekend’s trial in Vero Beach six years ago in 2005. Perry would be hosting another 4 day trial in July, and there were no local trials in June, so I knew that if I could get several Double Q’s between the Vero trial and the upcoming trial in Palmetto at the end of May, I would stand a good chance of walking away from Perry with the ribbon and title I obsessively dreamed of. We had gotten something like eleven DQ’s in a row before this trial, but I fell apart in this home stretch. I was always nervous when competing, as if I had something to prove to myself and others, that I was worthy and had something to offer despite everything else in my life. I was too nauseous to eat until after finishing my runs for the day, which was usually eight or so hours from the time I had woken up. I didn’t sleep well. I was nervous and making myself miserable. Understandably, I made mistakes.
Poor Kaylee, I feel so bad for the person she had to deal with. I think she’s gotten her revenge in the years of barking and poop eating, but I was a wreck and often a terribly neurotic over-handler. On that weekend in Vero, I micro-managed her through one course on Saturday, only to screw her up on the second course. By Sunday morning, I was desperate to earn at least one DQ, so when she slid off the table in standard, something she has only done one other time since, I decided there was no point in running jumpers. I packed up my gear in disgust and headed home early. Kaylee, I am so sorry for being such an a$$hole, and I hope I have made it up to you since then.
We didn’t qualify in Palmetto that last weekend of May, and I don’t even remember why. So when we arrived in Perry we still needed those 4 DQ’s. I knew it was POSSIBLE in four days, but I had dismissed the idea altogether. After my poor performance in the last two trials, I said to heck with it and decided just to go out and get whatever we could. I wish I had been as wise at age 25 as Tori is at age 19, but I’m glad I learned the lesson eventually. Once I stopped believing that we could get our MACH that weekend, the last chance we would have until the fall season began again months later, we qualified. Every run: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Admittedly, by Saturday night I was so nervous that I couldn’t think straight. We only needed one more perfect day to walk away with that ribbon. The newest Harry Potter book had been released that day, the sixth one in the series, so that helped distract me a little, but I couldn’t focus on that well either. However, I realized that if we didn’t get it, that wouldn’t be the end of the world, and we could get the title early in the next season. I didn’t REALLY need that ribbon, I only wanted it. So we showed up Sunday and did what we had been doing before I got all hung up on the goal. And I got the ribbon, which is now in a box somewhere. But I do treasure the photo collage I made including the picture of Kaylee and I smiling together with our bar and ribbon in the pretty pink flowers outside the arena.
It was a great accomplishment at the time, but once achieved, I kind of lost interest. Because I was so focused on just achieving that one thing, I forgot how to enjoy the ride. It was no longer about playing a game with the dog I loved and admired who was smart and fast and happy when she was playing with me. It was only about a title and a ribbon, which are easily forgotten.
Kaylee hurt her back that summer, and to make a long story short, although we got her fixed up and competed more for a while, my focus turned to other things. I had to make the choice between sacrificing my overall happiness and well being for the sake of competing in agility, or give it up in order to gain a better life. I didn’t have the emotional energy, time, money, or desire to do much agility for a long time. Once I got stabilized finally in the latter part of 2008, I felt my old passion start to reignite. Kaylee easily finished her second MACH as I was exposing baby Xander to the world of agility trials, and thus began my gradual return to the world of competition.
I have learned so much since that trial in 2005, and am so thrilled to be heading to this competition six years later with a completely different perspective. While life is not yet perfect, it is GOOD. Actually, it is pretty great overall, and I have balance now. Agility, while a large part of my life, is not the only thing that brings me satisfaction and fulfillment. I no longer feel the need to prove anything to anyone, or myself. I am free to ENJOY myself and the time spent playing with my wonderful dogs. I see agility now as a beautiful dance when done correctly, and aspire to having the fastest, happiest dog with the greatest understanding of his job. If this results in titles and wins, that's fine, but those will just be side effects that come from truly enjoying what we're doing and focusing on all the beautiful details and skills it takes to make the dance seem easy. Agility is also expensive, and considering that I now have to work, pay bills, make choices for my long term future, it has become a privilege. I have learned to appreciate each opportunity I have to go play this game that I love. Although we could achieve some titles this weekend, I really don’t care. I cannot control everything, nor prevent anything from going wrong. All I can do is remember the work and training we have put into our team, trust my dog to do his job, and acknowledge that when he makes a mistake, it is just another opportunity to go home and train to make us a better team. I can eat breakfast; enjoy talking to friends, and take Xander for walks around the trial site. I can step to the line with my beautiful boy, kiss him on the nose, and give him a big smile before releasing him to run. He chatters with excitement when he is about to play his game, and since I never scold him or become frustrated with him, he is always eager to run as fast as he can. When we cross the line, q or no q, we will tug and play and I will tell him what a fabulous, smart, and handsome boy he is. I will be grateful for every moment, because I no longer care about ribbons or titles so much, rather I love my dog and together we LOVE THIS GAME.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Daily Grind
No, I haven't dissapeared off the planet. My thumbs haven't been broken. I haven't gone blind or forgotten how to type. Sadly, I have had actual, boring, tedious work to do at my job and have had neither the time nor the energy to write anything interesting. I hope this will not be a chronic problem, as I have a few good posts bubbling around under the surface of my brain just waiting for the opportunity to come out.
The dogs are good, other than Kaylee's obsession with eating fecal matter and the resulting vomiting. Repeatedly. She never learns....Fortunately I have an amazing helper who is there and willing to clean it up when I have sprained my back, or leg, or butt, or whatever it was the rendered me unable to twist, bend over, or crouch Monday night after teaching. My students were fantastic though, and I am feeling somewhat improved today, so it was all worth it.
Buster bought a two and a half foot tall chocolate bunny from the sale rack of Walgreens for .25 cents. Truly magnificent.
The Vero Beach trial is a week away, and I am taking off next Friday (which happens to be the 13th) to play in the B Match and Time 2 Beat demo. I am VERY excited. Only one more day this week, four next week, and I will be heading south for some fun with my Xan Man. Buster and the corgis will try to get along without us for the weekend.
In other agility news, the World Team Tryouts are this weekend, and several of my facebook friends are in route to Minnesota. I am thrilled and excited for them, wish them all the most fun, and can't wait to see the videos!! I can never get enough....
Oh, and happy Cinco De Mayo! Bring on the tequila....
The dogs are good, other than Kaylee's obsession with eating fecal matter and the resulting vomiting. Repeatedly. She never learns....Fortunately I have an amazing helper who is there and willing to clean it up when I have sprained my back, or leg, or butt, or whatever it was the rendered me unable to twist, bend over, or crouch Monday night after teaching. My students were fantastic though, and I am feeling somewhat improved today, so it was all worth it.
Buster bought a two and a half foot tall chocolate bunny from the sale rack of Walgreens for .25 cents. Truly magnificent.
The Vero Beach trial is a week away, and I am taking off next Friday (which happens to be the 13th) to play in the B Match and Time 2 Beat demo. I am VERY excited. Only one more day this week, four next week, and I will be heading south for some fun with my Xan Man. Buster and the corgis will try to get along without us for the weekend.
In other agility news, the World Team Tryouts are this weekend, and several of my facebook friends are in route to Minnesota. I am thrilled and excited for them, wish them all the most fun, and can't wait to see the videos!! I can never get enough....
Oh, and happy Cinco De Mayo! Bring on the tequila....
Monday, May 2, 2011
Seriousness
Osama Bin Laden is dead. I'm sure I should have some sort of opinion about this, however, I would rather continue to think about agility instead. So I will.
Also, I learned an important lesson this weekend. After having two strong drinks over dinner, Buster and I went shoe shopping at DSW. I woke up Sunday morning and looked at my receipt. I spent $116 on two pairs of shoes. Damn.
Never go shopping while intoxicated.
They are very comfortable shoes though, so I suppose it could be worse.
Also, I learned an important lesson this weekend. After having two strong drinks over dinner, Buster and I went shoe shopping at DSW. I woke up Sunday morning and looked at my receipt. I spent $116 on two pairs of shoes. Damn.
Never go shopping while intoxicated.
They are very comfortable shoes though, so I suppose it could be worse.
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