Happy New Year
”After enough embarrassing failures I learned that, in the end, nobody’s watching and nobody gives a damn.” – B. Corcoran.
This year I learned that I was right in following my heart and that persistency pays off 😀 We all have our preferred way to train our dogs and as long as it’s on the dogs’ term I don’t see anything wrong with that! I am not afraid of experimenting or trying new methods out and if it doesn’t work, then I’ll just go back to the known way or try something new 🙂
As handling in agility has evolved a lot over the last years, I decided to try out some of the new stuff. Of course, that was hard for me as old habits are hard to get rid of – and I was learning to analyze courses in a different way. It’s been a journey for me to learn all the new handling techniques and new training methods. I still need to work on my timing but all in all it’s getting pretty much better and I have a better connection with my dogs now – but admit, it didn’t look pretty in the beginning 😉 To change my habits I was prepared to fail and ignore the “unconstructive” comments I would get – I was determined that I wanted to succeed in this 🙂
Another thing I’m indeed happy about is that I kept going for the running contacts (RC) – I got many comments on my way but when I listened to my heart, I just knew I was right to continue. It takes a long time to train the RC and I haven’t had much spare time to train my dogs this year. And on top of this I couldn’t run properly the first half year due to my sprained ankle.
Sookie had only had about 3 misses this year – pretty awesome!! Unfortunately, two of the misses were at the European Open (EO) but due to the circumstances at the EO, it would not make me reassess whether to change to stopped contacts.
Vini didn’t hit the contact once at competitions and that was expected. As said, I haven’t had the opportunity to train much this year. But she seems to be back on track now 🙂
I’m so proud of Sookie, who in 2013 managed to qualify for the EO even though I had to change my handling due to the sprained ankle (the less I had to turn the better it was for my ankle). Sookie did great at the EO taken into consideration I had difficulties running in the heavy riding hall ground. Sookie was also at the WAO where she also had some great runs – but also a challenge for me as the riding hall ground was too heavy for me and my ankle. Best of all: Sookie has been awarded with the first of three Agility Certificates to become an Agility Champion – and also she has been awarded with the first of three Agility Jumpers Certificates to become an Agility Jumpers Champion 😀
Vini had her debut in agility. I only signed her up for jumpers classes in the beginning as the RC wasn’t trained well enough and due to many clubs don’t have proper rubberized dogwalks. Vini was participating at the WAO and had some really great runs – in the Gambler class she would have become number 2 if she had completeted the weaves before running out of time 😀 She has achieved 2 qualifying legs in jumpers class 1 – and she actually both times won her class 😀 Later she started to avoid the weaves as they were slowing her down but the rest of our runs were great!
Vini gave birth to 4 puppies this fall. I am so happy that three of the puppies will be running agility when they grow up 🙂
Again this year I got to meet a lot of new people with the same passion for agility and made a lot new friends 🙂
..and 2014.. I usually don’t set other goals than I want to have the great connection with my dogs when running agility – and have fun!! I will try something new: setting goals 😀
For Sookie I have set the goals that she is to:
- Qualify for the EO
- Qualify for the WAO
- Be part of the “gross group” for the Danish National team
- Become an Agility Champion
- Become an Agility Jumpers Champion
- Stay at the start line 😉
For Vini I have set the goals that she is to:
- Qualify for Agility class 2
- Qualify for the WAO
- Have at least 75% hits on dogwalk
For myself I have set the goals that I am to:
- Be calm and connected with the dogs when handling (no sudden movements and keep watching the dogs)
- ..Avoid running into obstacles :-p
..see you around! And Happy New Year to all of you!!
-::- -::- -::- Dansk -::- -::- -::-
”After enough embarrassing failures I learned that, in the end, nobody’s watching and nobody gives a damn.” – B. Corcoran.
I år har jeg lært at det var rigtigt af mig at følge hjertet og at vedvarenhed betaler sig 😀 Vi har alle vores præferencer for at træne hund og så længe det er på hundenes præmisser, ser jeg ikke noget galt i det! Jeg er ikke bange for at eksperiementere eller prøve nye metoder, og skulle det ikke virke, så kan jeg jo bare gå tilbage til den kendte måde eller prøve en ny metode 🙂
Eftersom “handling” i agility har udviklet sig en del over de sidste år, havde jeg besluttet mig for at prøve noget af det nye. Selvfølgelig var det svært for mig i starten, da vaner er svære at komme af med – og jeg skulle lære at analysere baner på en anden måde end jeg plejer. Det har været en rejse for mig at lære de nye handlings-teknikker og nye træningsmetoder. Jeg skal stadig arbejde lidt med min timing, men alt i alt er det blevet væsentlig bedre og jeg har en bedre “connection” med mine hunde nu – men erkender, det var måske ikke lige så kønt i starten 😉 At skulle ændre så meget ved vaner, var jeg forberedt på at fejle og ignorere de mindre konstruktive kommentarer, som jeg ville få – jeg var fast besluttet på, at jeg ville gøre dette 🙂
En anden ting, som jeg er virkelig glad for er, at jeg ville opnå at få det til at lykkedes med “running contacts” (RC) – jeg fik mange kommentarer på vejen, men når jeg lyttede til hjertet, vidste jeg, at jeg var på rette spor. Det tager lang tid at få trænet RC og jeg har ikke haft meget fritid i år til at træne mine hunde. Og oven i det, så kunne jeg ikke løbe ret godt i starten af året pga min forstuvede ankel.
Sookie har kun misset feltet ca 3 gange i år – ganske imponerende!! Desværre var de to gange til European Open (EO), men pga omstændighederne der, får det mig ikke til at reavulerer, om jeg skal gå over til 2on2off felter.
Vini fik ikke et eneste felt til konkurrencer, men det var forventet. Som sagt, jeg har ikke haft muligheden til at træne meget i år. Men hun ser ud til at være tilbage på sporet nu 🙂
Jeg er så stolt af Sookie, der i 2013 kvalificerede sig til EO selvom jeg blev nødt til at ændre på min “handling” pga min ankel (jo mindre jeg skulle dreje rundt, des bedre var det for min ankel). Sookie gjorde det godt til EO, når man tager i betragtning, at jeg havde svært ved at løbe i det tunge ridehusbund. Sookie var også til World Agility Open (WAO), hvor hun havde nogle gode løb – her var det også et problem for mig at løbe i det tunge ridehusbund. Og bedst af alt: Sookie har opnået sit første af tre certifikater til at blive Agility Champion og også opnået det første of tre certifikater til at blive Spring Champion 😀
Vini havde sin debut i agility. Jeg startede hende kun i spring-klasserne i starten, da RC ikke var trænet godt nok til at løbe stævner, og fordi mange klubber ikke har stabile gummebelagte feltforhindringer. Vini deltog også til WAO, hvor hun havde nogle rigtig gode løbe – i Gamblers klassen ville hun være blevet nr 2, hvis hun lige havde nået at klare de sidste to porte i slalom inden tiden var gået 😀 Vini har opnået to pinde i spring klasse 1, hvor hun faktisk vandt klassen begge gange 😀 Senere startede hun på at undgå slalom, da det tog for lang tid, men resten af disse løb var kanon-gode!
Vini fik 4 hvalpe i efteråret. Og fedt at de tre kommer til at løbe agility 🙂
Også i år har jeg mødt en masse nye mennesker med samme passion for agility og har fået en masse nye venner 🙂
..og 2014.. jeg plejer ikke at sætte mål andet end at jeg gerne vil have en “great connection” med hundene til agility – og have det sjovt!! Jeg vil prøve noget nyt: at sætte mål 😀
For Sookie har jeg sat følgende mål:
- Kvalificere sig til EO
- Kvalificere sig til WAO
- Komme i landsholdets brutto-trup
- Opnå at blive Agility Champion
- Opnå at blive Spring Champion
- Blive ved starterne 😉
For Vini har jeg sat følgende mål:
- Rykke op i Agility klasse 2
- Kvalificere sig til WAO
- Opnå at ramme feltet 75% af gangene
For mig selv, har jeg sat følgende mål:
- Være rolig og “connected” med hundene (ingen pludselige bevægelser og se på mine hunde)
- ..undgå at løbe ind i forhindringer :-p
Vi ses derude! Og Godt Nytår til jer alle!
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