Ob Tryout at Winner Show in Helsinki

On 14.12.2013 we had a national team tryout in Helsinki. It was our first time at a big ob trial. So lots of people and dogs. We had also second last number so we had to wait for three hour to do our trial. Pixie wasn't that good. She was really slow and didn't do as well as she could but it was a nice experience. We have still lots of work before challenge Finnish OBs best and you can say the worlds best dogs. I think Pixie got some pressure from and from the situation. We need work on our ability work as team in more harder trial scenes. Here are our best part from Helsinki:





Yesterday I really got my best Christmas present. Pixie had her last physiotherapy treatment for this year and she was just perfect!!! I has been almost two years since the dog attack and now she is finally fine. Although Pixie has a permanent damage in her back muscle, she has started to recover from her rest of the body. So long process to get better. All the best to all the owners that are going to through the same. It takes time, set backs, hope and a lot of work. But there's nothing better that having your best friend back to herself! I have thank so much to Leena Piira and Tanja Kotti to helping my diamond <3 <3 <3 <3

Clicker training work

At the moment we have been working on a new trick. This trick was a little challenge from Canis- magazine. In the magazine was an article that trained a trick where dog has back up around an obstacle. We have using a chair as training tool. This trick has been trained only with shaping. At the moment a can make Pixie do half circle around the chair. We a critical point going on. I think she will get the idea after she moves the next step. She can back up around me and between my legs to she know the basic idea. I just have to keep on shaping. Louise has started to do the back up between my legs. On that I have used finger target just to make the dog take to few first steps backing up.

Jihaa!!! I just did some more training and Pixie did the whole circle!!!! I used my divan sofa to block her from just backing up and she got idea going aroung the chair!! Next step is to make it stronger and then start to do it in different environments. So cool!!!





That's for now!! Wonderful Christmas to you all!!!

MPL

Seasons last agility competition and heal work seminar with Mia Skogster

Yesterday we had our last agility competition in this year. I competed also with Louise and she two nice clear round. My eight-year-old perro was so on fire! Pixie and I did two DQ and one clear round 2nd place. I have to better get in to rhythm with Pixie. I was way too late way too many times. I need also get in better shape so lots of training for me. Here are our clear rounds from yesterday:



Today we went to heal work seminar of Mia Skogster. She was really enthusiastic and intensive teachers. I really liked her pedant touch to training but I thought her methods were little out date. I know her dogs work like charm and she has got 100/100 from IPO obedience but there is just so many ways to get to a goal. I really didn't like use of luring in the puppy training. She used a lot of luring in the beginning and lots of hand work to make the dog to do heal work right. There wasn't much room for dogs own thinking. Just like little "box" that the dog had work in.

Second thing I didn't like was the use of force. Mia used pull from the leash as a mark of unwanted behavior during healing. Of course force was followed by reward but do you have to use force for corrections?? Can you just stop and reward when the dog does it right? Other thing I didn't agree was that you can't teach motion levels with clicker. Of course you can! You get what you reinforce. I can click my dog to calm down in some situations and have more energy in others. But its a richness to have different kind of trainers then we can really challenge our training methods and how they work. This seminar really gave lots of things to think about.

That's for now!

MPL

So cool ob training!!!!

Pixie did the best stop ever during recall!!!!!! We have been working make Pixie really push weight to back in the stop in recall. I have been using a reward that is left behind a tree or other object that she runs around. The goal has been to built force to go back to toy and this creates really nice full stop. Today I tried on real competition recall set and it was so COOL!!!! If this work next weeks Saturday in the team tryouts, we might get record score. I'm so happy! Yet again it was just a little thing that made a big difference.

Pixie and Louise also did some contact work. Pixie made super running A-frames without the box and we did some turning training with the box that went also really really well. Louise did also some super dog-walks. Perro has improved a lot back to her perfect 2on2off contacts. I shouldn't have say this out loud but I'm so proud of her.

Training can be so rewarding and I have started learn to keep training session short. I have fallen to make the famous "one more repeat". Maybe I have finally learned to stop after successful repeat. It will still take time to learn to really make every treat count and really plan everything. I know how to do it but my laziness takes sometimes the control. I know I'm weak person in that area but I'm confident that I'm on the right road to change.

Happy Independence Day to Finland!!!! Just a perfect country to live in!!!

Time relax and get ready have fun in a competition tomorrow!!

MPL  

What a nice day

I had so cool weekend in Kuopio. Pixie and I train some Ob with Pirjo from dogschool Pondera. Pixie had her good moments. She did nice work with scent discrimination. We have to work little bit with speed. We did heal work with different distractions. First Pirjo called different commands and Pixie did what she was ask for. So we have some work to do in that area. Then came the balls, which was even harder but she started work well after while in both cases.

Today we did some work with running A-frame. Pixie did superb with box and without it. We did little pieces of the course and she worked really well and I remembered to keep my on her. We also did some work with tight turning. Just a perfect little training session.

I also did some distance control with a little plastic stick which I use in front of her back paws. It has given her the idea of keeping the back paws in place. With the same excercise by a malls front door to practice distractions. Pixie did really nice job. She also did some heal work and sit-down-stay from heal work at the mall. Yet again she handled the distractions really well.

Louise started to work on the slalom between the legs and this time doing it backwards. I use finger target to make her to back up and I click every movement that she does backwards roud my right leg. So its just first stage. It will take time to get it all together.

That's for now

MPL

November training

It's been a really thoughtful month. In agility we have had again hard times. I have really bad concentration problems in training and in competition. I have been making really easy mistakes. So I made a decision to take part in mental training sessions. It's going to be a long road but hopefully it make me better as a competitor and as person too. Finding a balance in my head when needed is going to be a very useful tool in many things.

In Ob Pixie and I have been working on towards the nation team tryout. First one will be held during Helsinki Winner Show. It will be really challenging situation for us. Lots of noise, dogs and sounds. I planning to take this as training. I also bought a cd that contains different kind of distraction sound. I tried it today, but it didn't seem to bother Pixie at all. I guess people and movement is harder for her than sounds.

We also had a training session with Nina Manner (National team member in OB). Nina gave us some new tips to improve our work. In Z-walk we have had some issues with sitting so we did sits after I had given Pixie a stand command. This meant she had to listen to me even though I kept going on. It took a few times but after that Pixies focus was just wonderful. We also worked on my walking in Z-walk. I have tendency to do it wrong and get points taking of..... Poor Pixie!! :D I might have to do some videos from all our homework from Nina. It was cool training!

Here is our latest success in agility from few weeks ago:

And some pics by Koirakuvat:

I have also started train again an agility group. It has been so much fun!!! I have beginner group that has just taken their first course and know most of the obstacles. So we have plan to go trough some handling techniques and improve their performance in each obstacle. Teaching is really so giving also to me. You can learn to much more when you share your skills to someone else.

That all for now!!

Marianne, Pixie and Louise

Trouble shooting

Running A-frame training has gone ok. Pixiw is getting it together. I went back to using box. She has done wonderfull with that. I have clicked back feet hitting in the middle of the box. Still lots of work but I have done 5 repeats everyday. Hopefully it will start paying of.

We had also Jaakkos training. Lots of homework with tunnel brake. Pixie just flies straight from tunnel even though I learned to stop during her entering into the tunnel. So work for both of us. I must also learn to be more creative during course walk. Pixie has talents that I could better for my benifit. So new choices must be found to learn to better team.

Today we had our 4th Ob4. That didn't go too well. Competition was in a big arena with mutiple rounds going on at the same time. Pixie was nervous and didn't concentrate very well. We had some nice parts but our heal work was just terrible. Yet again we have to be humble and go back to training.

That's all for now..

Marianne and Pixie

FI TVA, FI H-AVA, FI AVA Tronic Pandora

Jihaa!!! Pixie got her titles together!! She is champion in agility and ob!!! What a nice feeling! Pixie is my first dog that has got three champion titles. It has taken lots of work to get here but this is little milestone. Now we have to fix few things in agility to be able to start competing in National Champion level. Our dream is to became international agility team. Still some work to do but we are on the right path. Here is some videos from our latest competitions:







In training we have huge problem.. Our contacts. On dogwalk Pixie won't wait verbal command and running A-frame has broken down totally. So I know what we have to work on in our next training session. I have to start being more consistent with my rewards on the A-frame and start doing more harder stays on the contact zone of the dogwalk. It's really a basic stuff. I just wonder when I will learn to be totally black and white with my training and my work in the competitions. Can you be always always perfect? I have just too busy thoughts in my mind on a course that is hard to concentrate on a problem part. So lots work for Pixie and a lot more for my mind yet again. :D

Training with Zeljko

After competition weekend we had Zeljko Goran training in Nummela. We had a nice course with lot of handling options. First we made the course best way we thought. After that we talked a lot about our choices and how they affect on the movement of the dog. Then we made the course in pieces and timed different handling options. I really learned again to which choices would be faster to my dog. I really had made a bad and good choices on the course. I also really saw that Pixie doens't no to come to when called. She just start run and run. This is also something we need to work on.

This morning I went do some training and work on our homework from Jaakko and Zeljko. I used gate to stop her from jumping too long after front cross. I wanted click for collect part even tough she stopped before the jump. After that I clicked during the nice curvy jump that was controlled and turning to my front cross side. Pixie did some amazing jumps in both directions and from full speed. I need to do some more before I start get the gate from behind the jump. I use the gate to get better turns and stop her from doing the old way.

So lots of work to do but I really have a nice new goals to work on to make us even better in agility.

That's for now!

Marianne, Pixie and Louise

Obedience Champion Tronic Pandora

It took only three trials in the highest level Ob and Pixie got three 1st prize results. The champion tittle came together pretty fast. It took only three weekends. Pixie worked really nicely in all the competitions. In the last one we made our best series of points but we failed in scent discrimination. We had to the scent discrimination only a few meters from mark that was used in controlled retrieve. Pixie went a mark objects and was really confused and didn't do the smelling part at all. So we got something new to train. The big question now is that shall we continue our obedience carrier and enter to National Team tryout or just get new hobby???

In agility we had really bad competition. First run went to just running :D. I did some bad handling choices and Pixie just flied. On the second course we did clean run but Pixie was just slow. I don't now was it the surfaces of the arena or something else. Last run was just awful from both of us... So in agility we have to do some serious work. It just gets really frustrating to train and give time and thought still we are doing bad in the competitions. I have just wondered to I think too much or too less? I have done agility for ten years and still I suck at it. I have only one option.. To keep on working. It must work one day.. I hope...

Here's the one run from last weekend:





That's for now!

Marianne, Pixie and Louise

What a feeling!!

Pixie

She got her second OB4 1st prize!!! One more to go before the champion title. Pixie did nice work at the trial. Laying down was our really low point. Pixie simply just hates it. She was yet again really really relaxed when I came out of the hiding place. We have still more than one issue to work on but I really like her overall work attitude on trials. Here is the video of trial:



I have been working a lot of Pixie attitude in OB. We have done a lot fun and high speed work. Healing between agility obstacles and trees so that she can go around tree or do tunnel etc. in agility. She really likes this game and it has given nice high drive to healing. I have also done some speed work to sit-down-standing  during healing. Pixie has sometimes hard time to stay focused after long healing to react rightly to the commands. So now have made her do sit-down-stand during a long healing and do them also from running and slow walk. She has improved a lot but I have still some work on this area.

Yesterday we had Jaakkos agility training. It has been a long time since our last training session. We went trough things that we have been improving and things I have still work on. After I moved to Turku I have started to my problems and I have been working on each problem at a time. I have never been natural talent in agility. I have always have think a lot and take time to make changes in handling and in my mind. My spring goal has been to learn to keep contact with the dog all the time. I have a bad habit of leaving my dogs running behind me and I'm looking around the course. Louise is slow enough not to react to it but Pixie will take any obstacle on the way that I'm looking. The contact with the dog has improved a lot since spring and I have started keep my hand a bit better in control.

A new goal from yesterday is my feet. I really haven't payed any attention my foot work and what is big part of body that dogs look at??? Do you also see the problem?? :D So hands of from handling and we can start working on my problem. I can tell you Pixie did some really nice work after I started to use my feet right and foot work started to have purpose. Sounds easy but I had to really work on it. I can run pretty fast but my running has been with no real goal. Pixie reacts really nicely to rhythm changes. Inside I have know this but I just haven't been able to make in to our work.

Those things above are just a tiny pit of work we did yesterday. Jaakko has really changed our way of working and my way of thinking. I can just say big big thank you to Jaakko!!!! We are on our way to become real team and showing what we are made of!!!

Aqua

I have been working with Aqua in a line. I started use clicker to teach him to go out when we do a line work and I clicked also when he changed pace correctly and fast. I also clicked when he moved relaxed and head nicely forward and down. I have never had so good connection with a horse. He had one ear towards me all the time and he really tried to listen. He worked hard even if worked on his worse right lead canter. More I have done clicker training with Aqua more windows have really opened. I also did some stop work. First I stopped while we walked and clicked if stopped too. Soon I gave the stop cue to the reaction and only few tries I could keep on walking and Aqua would stop to stand still. All this was work on a one session. He is so smart boy!!!!!!

That's for now!!

Marianne, Pixie and Louise 

Training ob and Aqua

We had really nice weekend. Pixie did well in ob trial and we had really nice agility training on sunday. In agility Pixie trained A-frame and dog walk in a course exercise. Louise did some course training and slalom.

In ob I made some attitude training using agility obstacles as reward for Pixie. Louise did some distance control and recall. We got really nice work from both dogs.

Today I trained distance control with Pixie. She has problem going forward when she does down-up-sit. She has too much weight in the front after rising up. I clicker trained her to shift weight on the rear end and I used backside reward to get the magnet even more to behind and off from me. She also did some mark of the controlled retrieve. Pixie wants too much to go and retrieve. I made her turn to me run back after going around the mark. It took few times but she started to do it really nicely.

Louise did some nice retrieves and square. She has done so well. I have been working with her to make work better and make her do some tricks even harder. My perfect perro.

Aqua has learned to give space and back on command. He has also started to learn to come on command and next we will start doing work on getting round work under commands and make him stop and stand in one place. Aqua has really quick learner and has been easy to work with. Horse isn't really that different to train. Clicker training is just fantastic way to open doors between animals and humans.

That's for now

Marianne, Louise and Pixie

Pixie 1st prize OB4

Finally I entered Pixie to a obedience trial. Today she did her first OB4 level trial and right away 1st prize. She did ok and got 279,5/ 320 p. Overall view was good but we have few issues to work on.

On my part I got again comment of my way walking and I lost some points. I really need to get it to video and train my walking style to make it better. I started to run so hard that Pixie took space after every running start so I really did something wrong to make her take room between us. I also felt that I could have been better helping Pixie to be more prepared to each part.

Pixie had some trouble reacting to a really low mark before sending to a square. We had never trained it before so had time to make few times. Pixie noticed a large rock better than the low marking object. I just wonder was it really right to use so hard to notice mark?

Pixie work the whole time in a little lower drive than she does in practice. We need some work and exprience in competition to make her better.

Just this quick note from the competition.

Marianne, Pixie and Louise

And then came Aqua the horse

It has been very exciting to get a horse that I can clicker train. Agua is four years old gelding. So his pretty young. I have now made three session with him. Here are things we have done so far:

Lesson 1

•  we did some click and treat work just to make understand
• he was really pushy at the start so we had next topic ready
• you could see his ears go around at the moment he understand the meaning of clicker

Lesson 2

• First we did some target work with a target stick
• my goal was to his focus off me and get it to a target
• this went really well and soon he followed and touch the target very nicely
• we also did some backing up work with the target stick

Lesson 3

• first task was just to shape him to keep distance
• first clicks he got from changing his weight to the back ( idea of backing up)
• next I wanted him keep his body half meter away from me or more
• soon after he got the idea we did little bit work with the target
• other issue was also his treat picking behavior which is way too dangerous to fingers
• offered him some treats and hold little bit from his halter to make him wait
• I clicked every time he took the treat nicely 

And my dogs... So much things has happened. Our major work has been now ob. Which both dogs work on OB4. Pixie has been entered to trials to hunt her OB champion title. Pixie has most of problems in sitting. She really get bored when she has stay in one place. So I have started give her food after sitting in place. We have been getting better results. It has really weird to have train stays. My other dogs just have done them. Well I have say, Pixie has learned everything else with little effort.

Louise has been shining so much OB training. She just work so nicely and the attitude is priceless. There is nothing better than dog going wild when you are working. In agility Louise has been competed with Maria as teaching master. They made clear round in their first competition and got third place. What can I say Louise in a one of kind Spanish water dog!!! <3 <3

Pixie has done some jumping technique work to make balance better on jumps and make body work better. She has been doing really nicely. It was surprise to see how much she had trouble at first time on a simple grid. Now she has done variable exercises to improve skills. We have done some serpentine jumping. She has had some unbalanced jumps at the competition so we have been working on with them too.

Quick note of our doings...

Marianne, Louise and Pixie

A-frame work has a breaktrough

I have been working on a running A-frame for Pixie. She has learned A-frame by clicker training and 2on2off technique. I started this project last autumn. Our first goal was to brake A-frame stops. This was easy on blank and piece of dogwalk and running dogwalk was ready in no time. On A-frame she just didn't know what to do: jump or come slowly to 2on2off.

I tried different helps to brake the running in A-frame. My first try was with the "box". It is square shaped frame made of pipes. Soon she run with it nicely. But when I took it away, everything just fell apart. Pixie came really uncertain what to do. After that I tried speed bumps. It stopped her from slowing down and getting more better at running over the A-frame but again she didn't get the idea after I took the bumps off.

So we were at the beginning. I finally what's the Running Contact video of Silvia Trkman. It showed so easy and Pixie had done nice job with the dogwalk. I founded two key factors that I had been missing: Jackpot and hitting contact with hind legs. So we started to use double reward. Pixie would get tennis ball from running over the A-frame and would get Jackpot reward if she did it without jumping the contact zone and gradually she got the jackpot only when she hit the contact zone with her hind legs and low enough. Soon we both the idea!!!!!

Now we are working on turns to right and left and changing tennis ball reward to another obstacle. This journey has really hard but I have learned so much. I actually learned more from this because I didn't watch Silvias DVD. Although it took us way way longer to reach the goal!!

Marianne, Pixie and Louise

Nose touch and making passing more calm

I have read now tons of articles about clicker training. The story of Emma Parson (author of Click to Calm) and Ben really stood out. She told about her aggressive dog Ben that lunged and showed aggression to other dogs. Emma's methods of curing Ben where just exciting. It was very interesting to read how clicker training worked to calm the dog even though it didn't even eat the treats in the beginning. Clicker has just a strong influence to the brain and how it handles to feedback. (Story of Ben and Emma).

We have few very lunging and aggressive dogs on our walking routes. Pixie gets really hyper and her mind goes anxiety state of mind from uncertainty. Louise react by protecting by barking and this behavior got stronger after Pixie got attack by another dog. So started to use clicker and nose touch to keep my own dogs calm. First time we passed a one of the aggressive dogs just said "touch" to Pixie and she started to poke her nose to palm. Pixie was calm and worked nicely with me. Louise was calm because Pixie has always been the provoker with her anxiety. Just making Pixie comfortable to the situation of passing aggressive dog made to whole team work better.

Now we have done this for several times and it's getting better and better. I hope this help us all the situations that might escalate to anxiety from Pixie and protective actions from Louise. These exercises on the walks have made both dogs much calmer and they have make me calmer too. It has been win-win situation to all of us and our team has become even better than it was before. 

I have to go back to reading... Can't wait to learn more!!! We have also made some changes in agility and Ob training.. But more later on!!

Yours Marianne, Louise and Pixie

Click for silence

My Spanish Water dog barks a lot when we do agility and I mean between the exercises. So I tried to make her silent between the cues and make her listen better. I just started marking every time she was quiet and I didn't give her any cues if she barked. It just worked like wonder! Louise became more focused and listened even better my cues which didn't drowned under her barking. We were both much happier and relaxed.

Next barking problem, that we will attack, is barking while I'm training Pixie. For that I probably will need some assistant to click the right periods. I have just learned so much more after my readings about clicker training. I have just been absolutely blown away by all the scientific work done behind it. Especially about the things that happens in brain. Clicker is to powerful and I hope to try it soon training humans in agility.

TAGteaching is very interesting area of training and have made some plans to try it in agility training. I spend last night planing first some tag points that I should work more on tracks and other tag point ideas evolved from there. Hopefully I will get change to try my new learned skills in reality.

I can't wait to get this all together!!! So just brief note what I have done in these few days.

So excited!!!

Marianne, Louise and Pixie

I'm living my dream!!

Thank you Jaakko so much of telling me to enter Louise to Finlands National Championships!! Louise was amazing!! My dear Louise just flied and showed what she made of. Final result 22. /221.!! Not bad for mini maxi. Amazing weekend!!!! Here are few runs from that weekend:



To this all Pixie just flied yesterday!!! She has been recovering from all the treatments and we had this one competition time to make our double zero to our ticket to National Team Trials... And hell WE DID IT!!!!!!!! Thanks again Jaakko! So much work has been done in my mind and our brake came on perfect time. We have starting look like agility team. I could have just cried of happiness after these two runs:



Other work I have been doing is studying more about clicker training. I bought new books of Karen Pryor. Reaching the Animal Mind has been amazing. I understand my clicker training even deeper and done some changes to improve my skills. Hope to some day keep a course about clicker training. I hope to also find a horse that I could do some training. It's been amazing to read about dolphin and other training event happen in Karens life. It just makes want learn even more. Hopefully I will have money to go Clicker Expo some
day. I will write more about our clicker training when I have more time.

That's for now
Marianne, Louise and Pixie

Some training videos from Spring 2013

Pixie is getting better and better. Hopefully she will fine to run in few weeks. We have been on brake again because the last years dog attack. She has still problems on her right side and we are trying to make it better. Pixie was treated by Leena Piira and Tanja Kotti. She also got laser treatment to her injured muscles. I will be going to my Finnish Natiotal Championships with Louise, Pixie has to wait yet another year. It might be actually a good thing... We are still developing team.

Long spring with lot of changes

It's been long time since I have been writing. So much has happened during this spring. Our team moved to Turku for better training and competing opportunities. Time started like a fairy tale. Pixie won big agility class and showed that she has potential to be high class agility dog. It was just a little light. Pixie has been working like a dream. I have developed serious problem not to been able concentrate during runs. So we have been working my mind to make little steadier.

It's been really hard to see runs turning to DQ just because of my mind hurry go forward. I have had trouble of keeping thought on the run and on dog especially. In Pixies case the second you forget her, she will be gone like a wind doing best she sees. There was point of braking when we had enough DQs. I had to think things in a new way and put all my thoughts together in different way. We have come long way as team, but I need still time let it all sink in what we have learned since we moved in Turku. I have thank Jaakko and Janita so much of keeping us on the track of becoming a better handler in training and in competitions. Still lot to do but the mind is moving forward and skills are developing. I just have to give myself some time to figured all out. I'm not natural talent in agility but my dreams and my perfect Pixie, will keep me working to the ultimate goal.

In OB my both dogs have been doing super. We have been tending Lentsu's ob course. Both dogs have been doing better and better. Louise has learned to do scent discrimination with canter both ways. Pixie has fire on her heal work. After high season of agility I will start working on both dogs OB champion titles. I can't wait to get working on that!!! I think I have started to like obedience... ;)

That's for now!!!!
Best summer for all!!!!

Getting there.... :)

Pixie has been competing few times. In the end February we did two really nice runs with one fault. It gave hope that we would getting clear rounds. Pixie had change her focus more to me and I had started to find inner peace on the tracks. It started to feel like real team work.

In the beginning of March we did it! Nice clear round and a win. First time I felt this was just the beginning  I have started think competition more as way bring all our work together. I have started understand Pixie better and even my own thoughts. Mental work as really helped to find balance in our work. I have known all the time that we have talent in us. This has been first time that have been able see how we can achieve our goal and enjoy even more of the trip to it.

Tears, sweat and blood all that and much more have been needed to learn to be better at agility. But it has been just perfect trip that goes on forever. I needed to go really deep to find my errors in mental training to find the keys to become good handler for my perfect Pixie. We still have lot to do but my diamond is starting to be at her best after the dog attack. Thank you all that have helped us during the hard times. Agility is nothing without the very best friends!
I'm finally also working on our training method page and also on somethings about mental work what I have been working on.

That's for now...

Marianne, Louise and Pixie

OB training

We went to an ob seminar to Kirkkonummi. Our trainers were from Kennel Tending, Riitta and Juha Korri. I asked helped for Louise for distance control and lying down in recall. Louise has been frozen in distance control in competitions. In training she has done the work pretty well. So we did some exercise that I told with nice voice it wasn't ok to not responde to command. We did this with long distance and one person right next to Louise so she would little disturped. First Louise just froze, but eventually she started to come up on the first command and all this work paid off last weekend and she did the distance control!!!

Pixie also got some training in Kirkkonummi. With her we worked on the herding of the dumbbells. We had first homework from mark work. She had too much going on and mark wasn't strong enough to make her do it before trieving. Pixie first had to brake her ambitition to trieve. It took awhile but in the end we got her stand calm before letting her trieve. This helped lots if the herding of the trieve object. Still lots of work ahead before this move of ob4 is perfect.

Januari 2013

So it's been a month since last writing. Lots of thing has happen in January. Pixie and I have been going trough some major work with our agility. In competition we have had some bad days, but we have been working to get our things together.

In January we went to Next Level training in Kelpokoira. In total Pixie ran super fast and I didn't have any control over her doings. So we got lot of homework. I needed to calm down, Pixie needed take more notice of me and we needed to even more specific that everything happened under my control. So we have been working with these issues for a month and we are back to track! Here's a Video from last weekend:



Pixie has also work lot of running A-frame. I have needed change the foot work to near to end of the A-frame. We have had problems of Pixie still being little unsure of what do on the contacts zone. The best thing I learned from this work that you should teach running contacts first. So I got something to do with next dog better. But in the end I have got better results. In competition the running A-frame is still little slower than in practice, so more work a head of us!