The girl is back!

Last night Fin went back to her regular class at PowerPaws. She was a good girl and didn't bark when other dogs ran nor when I walked the course. Her sit stays were "perfect!" She did 12 weave poles at a distance and hardly turned and looked at me when I sent her to a go on.

In reality, I also did a good job. I broke the courses down so that I practiced certain things, rewarded, then went on. I really tried to set her up for success and felt really that for the first time back at class, I kept my cool and just had fun.

Below are two of the courses we ran. Lots of 270 work, lead out pivots, and speed.

For this one we all lead out to serp position at 3. The challenge was to send over 4 to 5 and get into the right position to communicate the decell at 6. Alot of the dogs, including Fin went wide on the 270 from 6-7 when we tried to get the FC in. The handlers that did a rear cross from 7-8 were more successful than those of us that tried the FC between 7-8. 9-11 was a really tough line. For me I ran as hard as I could pulling away from the weaves, but rewarded her at the weave exit for staying in. Then I sat her at 10, led out to just before the tunnel exit and released and ran and rewarded for going straight and not looking at me.

The second one had the biggest challenge to the slower handlers (me) in getting to the RC position between 7-8. I was really surprised that I got there (probably a little late, but she read it and hit her weave). I left her as soon as she was committed to 4 and just ran as hard as I could keeping my arm up. First time she came into me (I think chasing me) but second time she read the line nicely giving me the time to get up to the end of the tunnel to do the rear cross.

Overall, I was a little worried about going back to class as we hadn't really been doing full sequences, but she is doing really well and it was tremendous fun.

Aug. 8 we are doing 4 courses at a UKI trial. I'm really getting excited!