Dexter update!

Ok I know this blog is called "Podengo Agility" and lately it has just been faux-po agility!

Well, I took the summer off from BRAG classes, and skipped weave/teeter class as well as beginning handling with Mr Dexter. I figured I wasn’t teaching teeter like we do at BRAG so there would be no point to that class (just had to teach them at home), and beginning handling I figured, we practice some at Mary’s and I have enough experience to be able to skip it. So, we just worked at home on weaves and teeter. The one thing I really need to work on still though is *winged* jumps. Makes a big difference for little dogs!

Last night was the first night of Intermediate Handling. It was so much fun!! Before class, I worked with him on the BRAG teeter outside of the ring. He has a really good teeter actually, but he is afraid of the big wooden BRAG one. It didn’t go to well, he was still pretty scared. Then, we started class. Our first station, he meandered up to the first jump and stood there and stared blankly like he couldn’t jump. Then he laid down in front of it!!! I couldn’t believe it. I did run a course at 8” with him the other week, and he has been weird about 12” since then. Hmmm. In any case, we ran it once at 8”, once at 10” (with him being very hesitant at both heights), and then I was able to do 12” with no problem. He actually perked up more and more throughout the class, with the last station being the *most* successful for him oddly enough. He doesn’t tend to do very well in the heat so I thought he’d be pooped by the end of class. I decided that maybe our teeter work was still putting him off at the beginning and that’s why the odd behavior… who knows though really.

Other than that strange first station, I couldn’t have been happier with him last night. He stuck with me perfectly, even though Fada is also in our class and he *so* wanted to wiggle his way over there. His contacts were beautiful and perfect. His weaves were beautiful (all 12!). I have to work hard to remember he is a BABY dog and not do FCs too early. But once I remember this, we work pretty well as a team.

After our class, I taught a class, which went really well. After my teaching class, I got him out and worked on the teeter again (on the training floor this time which allowed me to do a few obstacles leading up to it). It went *much* better than it ever has at BRAG! He is still worried about it, but he was doing it. At our house, at Mary’s etc, he really runs into the contact and lies down while it drops. At BRAG he goes to the tip point and kind of hesitates, sometimes backs up a little, and works his way down. However he did get more and more confident with each rep. If I could have worked him longer I imagine it would have kept going better. But it was late, and he and I were both tired.

I sent my entries in for his debut trial on Tuesday!!! We are going to be at the Cleveland All-Breed show in North Olmsted Oct 9-11. Believe me, when he stopped and stared at those jumps in the first station I was kind of wondering what the heck I was doing entering a show… but the rest of class told me I wasn’t insane for doing it. Of course I have this fantasy that we’re going to come back with our NA and NAJ… but I realize that is highly unlikely. He *may* even stare at jumps if I get nervous and it makes him feel weird!! But in any case, I am excited to see what we have and where we’re at as a team. Feels like a million years away but I know it will be here soon. Can’t wait!