How has stuff changed?

I wanted a topic for writing. I guess my life isn't full enough (it needs to be more eventful like teamsmalldog). On a whim, I walked to my closet (aka: storage bookshelves where cloths should hang but books and extra crap is piled) and grabbed a Clean Run Magazine near but not quite at the bottom.

Jan. 2002. I open it up to a random page and the topic is: "Functional Fitness for Handling" The focus is on Deceleration Strength. Totally appropriate for me.

It is interesting. The entire issue is B/W except for the cover and back page. Alot more text than in more recent issues, but the topics are absolutely appropriate 7 years after the publication date.

• Nancy Gyes talks about start line stays
• Strategies for handling agility courses
• Reviews of National competitions
• Nested Courses
• K-9 health
• Plans for building agility stuff
• Speeding up contacts
• Tips for handling a dog that is faster than you
• Strategies for handling stress in dogs

Here this issue of Clean Run has sat in my closet for probably 6-7 years. Sure, handling has come along way. Yes courses have changed over the years, but there is still a ton of good information in these old clean runs. Pull one out and see what it has to say, you might learn something.

Me, I'm going to go learn about exercises that will help me get fit for my future handling needs.

PS: It even has an American Staffordshire Terrier on the cover.

The Fourth Day of Christmas

For this fourth day, how about something to read?

Clean Run Magazine! http://www.cleanrun.com/

If you want to improve in agility, this is the magazine you must have.

Informative, educational, fun, practical. Each month I am eager to see what new exercises are presented.

Definately, if you don't do anything else for yourself, get this magazine and read it. Then go out to the back yard and set up a sequence and practice the handling the material suggests.

You will find articles from trainers that you are not normally exposed to. Some of these trainers may handle differently than the way you've been handling. That's ok. Try it and see whether you like it.

Take your magazine with you to your class and ask your agility trainer questions about the articles. Use your knowledge to make sure your agility trainer is exposing him/herself to new things and strengthening their program to make you better.

This magazine will not in itself make you a better agility handler, but it will provide you with an inexpensive source for knowledge that can push the limits of what you know. That's a good thing and our 4th agility day of christmas.

Agility Saturday!

This morning found me sitting lazily at the kitchen table drinking tea and chatting with my husband. We were relaxed and talking about our day. Suddenly, I realize I'm supposed to be at a fun match in hollister at that very moment. It took me about one minute to decide to get dressed then I ran out to the car with two in tow.

Off I sped in my little PT filled with enthusiastic (ok, one enthusiasic, and one that feels he was kidnaped) pups to our friend Susan place in Hollister (http://www.workinpaws.com/). I got there and the festivities were in full motion. I was surprised to see so many people. I guess they took the "burn off the bird" seriously. I always love to see new people working their dogs and I noticed alot of new faces. Of course there were some old friends there too.

Since I had not walked any courses, I skipped jumpers and decided on a good path to work contacts. For Fin, my plan was jump, dog walk, and release early, and then loop around to the dog walk again and work the contact. After that we would loop out.

She did great. No problem on at all. I did the same run with Tazz, but he runs (or rather trots) his contacts so he just got two chances.

Next time we were able to walk the course and both Fin and Tazz were great. Fin needs more work on picking up her rear cross, but FC and running straight are going well. I even felt that there was improvement on her go on.

We had time to play fetch in the big arena where Fin played with me while Tazz went around wooing the ladies.

Back at home, I grabbed some clean runs and started looking for a drill that I could work my rear cross. I love the drills by Nancy Gyes and so pulled one that seemed simple yet had some good work on change of direction. October 2008, has a great drill called "nine."

I'll give the dogs a bit of a rest and this afternoon, we'll be working again.