Agility Blessing

Agility Blessing

May the tunnels not have too much suction,

May the course be fun and fast.

May your dog not stop to say "hello" to the photographers they pass!

May the table not be too slippery,

May the chute house no scary beasts,

May all the yellow parts be touched with one little toe, at least

May the wind be always at your back,

May no bars fall on the ground,

May the A-frame have no stop sign on the top,

May the judge's whistle never sound.

May your dog obey all correct commands,

And ignore the ones that are wrong.

May your heart be light, your feet be sure, and the bond with your dog grow strong.

At the finish line, may great joy abound, regardless of your score,

You have your dog, your dog has you, and who could ask for more?

Written by: PJ Hughes

Saw this on my friend Helen's blog, and I laughed out loud the first time I read it. It is very funny, and so very true.

2009 AAC Agility National Championships - Ottawa, Ontario July 30th - Aug 2nd 2009

This years Agility Association of Canada's National Championships were held at the Napean National Equestrian Park in Ottawa, Ontario. Firstly, let's all remember that it is a privilege to compete at this event. One must qualify in order to attend, and there are no second chances in agility. This is Blaze's 4th time qualifying to compete at the national level, and our 3rd time actually competing at a National Championship. It is still certainly a great thrill to be able to participate in this event. There were a total of 581 dogs entered in the National Championship, divided into 16 different height/class categories. This year was the first year that the "Double Drop Veterans" height class was introduced. Blaze competed in the 16" Double Drop Veterans class, meaning he is a veteran dog jumping 2 heights lower than his regualation height. There were 51 dogs in our division, and we finished in 17th place. I had 3 small handling errors, which in essense cost us a top 10 finish at this years Nationals. Blaze was such a good boy, he did everything I asked him to, and when he wasn't sure what I wanted because my handling wasn't clear, he really tried to figure out what it was I wanted.... I am so lucky to have such a great canine partner! We are also lucky that our dogs don't care about placements, or ribbons, or improving on last year's performance. If that were the case, I might be traded in for a better handler! All they care about is having fun. Blaze loves agility, and someday I hope to be the handler that he deserves.

Blaze in the weaves during Steeplechase 2 on the Friday.

My friend Helen also managed to get our Steeplechase 1 run on video, and has kindly posted it on YouTube, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM8AST3EfDY

Blaze - Masters Gamble Dog of Canada

We were at Tamsu Learning Centre for an agility trial this weekend, and Blaze earned his Masters Gamble Dog of Canada title today. Unfortunately we did not do so well otherwise, as I made some critical handling errors that cost us some "Q's". What a way to shake up my confidence with Nationals only a week away. We had some very challenging courses out there today, with some competitors feeling that judge Sue Miller's standard and jumpers courses had a bit of a "challenge" flair to them. Certainly I found them challenging, which is unusal. After training with Sarah, usually I find local trial courses not overly challenging. Sarah sets up some really challenging sequences for us in training. The side effect of this is that regular courses seem very do-able for us. I have also found recently that after having attended the Dave Munnings seminar, that I have trouble deciding how best to handle courses with the new information I have. I have not really practiced the new techniques to the point where I could use them with confidence in a trial, but they are still there in my head, influencing my decisions.... Very strange indeed!

Congrats to Blaze on his new title, and we are now only 2 Q's away from.... well, I won't say it. Don't want to jinx us.

Happy trialing everyone!

Blaze 2nd Place Finish AAC Ontario Regional Championships

Blaze and I with his Ontario Regional 2nd place ribbon, his Masters Steeplechase ribbon, and his National Qualifier ribbon. Thanks Helen for the photo!

May 29th to 31st was the Ontario Regional Championsips for the AAC. Blaze and I competed again this year, and finished in 2nd place in the 16" Double Drop Veterans class. We ran great, and had 5 clean runs, all well under the standard course time. In the Gamble event on Saturday, I made a critical handling error that caused Blaze to fault before completing the final gamble... He went on to complete the gamble successfully, after a brilliant opening of 55 points, but we did not get the 35 points for the main gamble because of my error. This error actually cost Blaze 1st place, the chance to be a regional champion. I was heartbroken, and so very angry at myself for doing that one split-second move that sent him the wrong way around a jump. I actually really couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that Blaze had the opportunity to be in first place at a regional event... and then, I was in even more disbelief that I actually messed this up! And, we were not in first place because of default, i.e., not because every other handler had bad runs that weekend, we were in first place because we were actually faster and clean.... WOW! So, he received two first place ribbons for his jumpers and standard runs on Saturday, an amazing accomplishment, and three 2nd place ribbons for all of his runs on Sunday. In addition to that, he earned 2 Steeplechase qualifying scores on Friday, one of which gave him his Masters Steeplechase Dog of Canada title, Way To Go Blaze! Overall, it was a great weekend. I somehow managed to keep my head together on Sunday to help him do 3 clean runs. I was so angry at myself for my handling error on Saturday, I was really struggling Sunday morning to keep my head "clear" for the day. All I needed was to be a mess going into the ring and subsequently messing Blaze up in his runs.... I'm not really sure how I managed to overcome that and have a great day on Sunday. Must partially be do to trial experience. You cannot teach experience.... words to live by.

In less than 2 months time, we are off to the Natioanal Championships in Ottawa. It is a great honour to have qualified again this year to be a national competitor. This year's theme for the Ontario Regionals was "Enjoy the Ride".... Well, that we certainly did.

Royackers Kennels Agility Trial

Blaze, with his ribbons from the trial; two firsts, a second, and a third, and 4 qualifying scores.


Saturday March 28th, 2009, Blaze and I were at Royackers Kennels for an agility trial. This was our second time there. This is a beautiful facility, very competitor friendly, with a wonderful indoor building for hosting trials. Blaze did excellent, and I was very proud of him. We did 5 runs, 2 Master Standards, 2 Master Gambles, and a Steeplechase. Blaze got 4 Q's out of 5. He Q'd both standard runs, the steeplechase, and one of the gambles. He actually completed both gamble runs successfully, with great opening points in both runs, but on the second run he was 0.74 seconds over time. On our approach to the main gamble in this run, he had to go straight out past the weave poles to a jump that was positioned slightly past the entry to the poles and jump the jump going left, and there was another jump that was positioned off to the right of the starting jump (it was actually the last obtacle of the main gamble). I must have been just slightly off in my signalling, as he took the jump that was off to the right... I then was able to direct him to the correct jump, and then he went on to finish the main gamble (jump, frame, weaves, jump), but was 0.74 seconds over time, so no Q for us there. Had I not directed him to take that incorrect jump at the beginning, he would have had a Q for that run too. Once again, "Smack the Handler!". I was just thrilled that he actually did another main gamble with 12 weaves in it.... truly a massive accomplishment for us. He also worked great in all of our runs. He did all his weave entries, again one of our main challenges over the years. I have to say that our standard runs were a bit choppy, but this was all due to my handling... I clearly need more practice. I am also happy to say that Blaze is more than capable of doing everything I ask him to do, he just needs the right information from me so that he can actually do it out there. It is trials like this that leave me thinking, "When can we do it again?"... it was so much fun.

Royackers Agility Trial

This was our first time out at Royackers Kennels, a great facility in Ariss, near Guelph, Ontario.

Blaze did 5 runs today, 2 standard, 2 gamble, and a steeplechase. He got 3 Q's, but would have had 5 if I hadn't messed him up, again. I messed him up on his second standard run, we were about 3 or 4 obstacles from finishing... and I did something I haven't done in a long, long time. He had just completed the weaves, and did them great... I was so happy, as this has been our challenge for a long time. Then from the weaves we had a 180 degree turn to a tunnel, did that no problem. From the tunnel we had to go straight ahead to another tunnel, there was a jump off to the right that was pretty close, and to the left of the tunnel opening was the frame, with the ramp right beside the tunnel opening. Well, I was so damn happy he got those weaves, and the end of the course was so close (tunnel, tunnel, jump, jump), I did a "pre-celebration" in my head, thinking that, "yes, we are going to get this one!", I lost my focus, and was totally in the wrong spot to direct him to the tunnel opening that was beside the frame, and he went up the frame.... Smack the Handler! That kind of tunnel opening is usually no problem for him, and I could tell he was confused, as he didn't immediately go up the frame, but paused, and when he did go up the frame, it was with hesitation, not confidence, so I knew that he was not sure what I wanted. I always feel bad when I mess him up like that, as I know he has the ability to be clean, and he is not clean because of me! His steeplechase run was great. I love steeplechase, as I use those as "fun runs", I go out there and I run him really fast, as he likes that, and I can practice my handling at a fast speed, which I don't normally do in my other runs. There were two sets of 6 weaves, which meant two entries.... again, he did these great, no hesitation, and I did not baby any of our weave entries at all, just kept my pace, said "weave", and let him go. He ran that course in 39 seconds, one of our fastest runs ever I think. The SCT was 51 seconds, so for Blaze that was excellent. Then came the gambles. The first gamble was tricky, but certainly do-able for Blaze. He had a great opening, getting the mini gamble twice. Then, the closing was straight out to a tunnel, then a 180 turn to go up the frame. Then, the handler had to cross the gamble line, as the rest of the gamble was on the other side of the line, and it was a jump, straight out to the dog walk, and then a final jump. Because I was near the end of the running order, I got to see a lot of runs before we ran. A lot of people were getting the gamble, but running out of time, so I thought that time must be really tight on this one, so no time to waste! When the buzzer went for us, I was a bit frazzled, worried about wasting time. So, I did not take my normal time that I take to set Blaze up for his gambles.... This is something I have tried to always be careful to do for him, as when I take an extra second to really set him up correctly for his approach to the gamble, it always goes better, and because we are in veterans now, I always think to myself.... "we have lots of time!".... Well, I was rushing, did not take that extra second to set him up, sent him out to the tunnel incorrectly, he was unsure what I wanted, took the jump (no big deal really), went out towards the tunnel, came back to me, at this point I knew we would run out of time for sure, and that Blaze was not sure what the heck I wanted anyway... he did then go out to the tunnel, and started up the frame, but then jumped off. I was mad at myself for ruining Blaze's chances at a Q. He certainly could have done that gamble. Our final run, another gamble, was the highlight of the weekend. When I first got there in the morning and saw that the last run we were doing was a gamble that had 12 weaves in it, I just wrote off that run, as although he is certainly capable of doing weaves at a distance, weaves have been our problem for a while, and for him to go out away from me to do weaves.... well, forget it. Also, he has typically been good for one or two weave entries per day, and by then he had already done 4 weave entries... so I thought there is just no way he is going to do those weaves... Anyway, the mini gamble in this one was a bit tricky, but I always try them anyway, and if there is any hint of a problem, I step in right away. This is what happened, he did not get the mini, my fault I am sure, so I stepped in, and ran him really, really fast through the obstacles, just basically hitting whatever was in front of us, I abandoned my original plan. He loves this type of running, so it really pumped him up. When the buzzer went, I talked to myself in my head.... I said to myself... "set up your dog, set up your dog...." I took that extra second to set up Blaze, then just went for it. The gamble was a jump, out to the weaves, then two more jumps, with a distraction jump closer to the handler. He went out there, did those weaves, but I did not lose my focus, and he did the last two jumps no problem, BAM!, a successful gamble with those dreaded weaves!!!!!!! Whew, I was so happy it was great. But, because I abandoned my original opening plan, which included two mini gambles, I was not sure if we had enough opening points. Not that I really cared, as I was so happy he did that main gamble, I was trying to count the points in my head afterward, but I couldn't remember exactly when the buzzer went, and because I was just doing random obstacles, I couldn't really remember exactly what I did..... I waited anxiously for the results, and sure enough... 28 opening points, yippee!!!! One more gamble Q. I was just elated that Blaze did so well, and that his only errors were my errors. This certainly gives me more incentive to improve my handling for him. And oh-so happy about all those weaves he did! It was a blast.

Baxter Central Public School Doggie Demo

I was lucky to be invited to join my agility training group, Tamsu Learning Centre, to participate in an elementary school Doggie Demo. This is one of the benefits of being part of such an active and dynamic training group. I was really looking forward to it! I had never been part of such an event before, and was excited to "show off" my well trained and well behaved dogs.

The children in the school were grades 1 to 8, so a wide range of ages. I brought Blaze, my little agility star, and I brought Arlo. Although Arlo is technically my schutzhund dog, and not an official Tamsu student, Arlo is what I describe as my "all purpose dog".... I can take him anywhere and ask him to do anything, and he's all for it! And, he is a super social German shepherd dog, loves saying "hello" to all people, and he is such a great ambassador for his breed.

The demo started out with a talk to the students about dog safety, and how to properly approach a strange dog. Our head agility instructor, Sarah Mairs-Heaslip, was doing the talk, and Arlo and Cassie's male Rottweiler, Ely, were the dogs being used for the demo... There was a little bit of laughter just before we started... Sarah thought is was kind of funny that we were using the schutzhund trained German Shepherd and a Rottweiler as our dog safety dogs.

Next we did a heeling demo... well, what can schutzhund dogs do extremely well???? Yes, that's right, heeling! Arlo strutted his stuff, both on leash and off leash for the crowd along with some of the other dogs. He did great. Then we did some "barrel racing"... Yep, barrel racing. What fun. Neither of my dogs had ever done this before, so I was going to sit this one out, but I decided to try to get Arlo to run around the barrels just a few moments before the demo started. He already knew a command to run around things, namely "revier", the command we use to get the dogs to run around the blinds on the schutzhund field. I decided to give it a go. Well, it only took Arlo one try around the barrel to figure out what I wanted, and with the promise of a reward afterwards, he was all for it! So, when our turn came to run the barrels, I went up there, and used my "revier" command, and he ran the barrels as if he had done it a hundred times... Great! What fun... who knew that the "revier" command would come in so handy someday!

Next we did some doggy tricks for the kids. This is always a crowd favourite. Unfortunately, I did sit this one out... I haven't bothered over the years to teach my dogs any crowd pleasing tricks... I was too focused on teaching them the behaviours needed for their respective sport careers. The crowd loved the tricks the dogs performed. I was a bit sad I could not participate.

Then came our agility demo, what fun we had. Blaze came out for this one, this is where he shines. I am always amazed at how he can focus and have fun in almost any environment I put him in.

We also did a flyball demo, and I was the box loader for one of the teams. It was my first time box loading, ever! I must say, those dogs are so fast and I was a bit slow more than once.

At the end of the demo, which seemed to go way too fast, the kids wanted to say hello to the dogs. I brought Arlo over, and he was swarmed by kids. I put him in a "platz", and he was being petting, hugged, and kissed by many of the children. He loves being social. And, it gives me a great feeling inside knowing that my schutzhund titled German shepherd dog can also be a stable, social, well behaved canine in the community. One of the little girls said she had never petted a dog before, and was quite happy that she was able to do so. Part of this is training for sure, but a large part of it is simply Arlo's innate nature and his super stable temperament. I'm very proud of him.

I was not able to get great photos, mainly because I don't have that great of a camera (we're working on that!). Here are some of the better photos that I was able to get... Arlo at the end.


Sarah's border collie, Jiggy, during the agility demo.


Cassie's Rottweiler, Ely.


Blaze in the weave poles.


Blaze coming out of the tunnel turning for the dog walk.


Blaze on the teeter.


Cassie and Rottweiler Emma on the teeter.


Sarah and her Golden retriever Cutter barrel racing.


Arlo barrel racing.


Arlo barrel racing.

AAC Nationals, Sussex New Brunswick, Aug 7th - 10th, 2008

The Tamsu group at the end of the nationals after the ribbon ceremony. Blaze moved when the photo was snapped, and he is very hard to see...


My trip out east was definitely a learning experience... Long distance driving is not for me! Wow, I couldn't believe how long and oh so boring this drive was. Once finally in Sussex, we were there quite early on the Wednesday, a full day before any of the activities began, so we had time to get proper sleep, set up our shade tents, check out the venue, and just relax.

On the Thursday, the warm up games began. I never bothered to do warm up games with Blaze before, as I figured since he is a seasoned competitor, he does not need them. Well, little did I know the handlers could take toys into the rings with them during the warm up runs...... What an absolutely brilliant idea! Take my dog into the nationals competitor rings, and reward him with toys and play.... a great warm up in my opinion. This was my first experience participating in warm up games, and what a disappointment it was! They set it up as a first come, first serve event, which meant handlers and dogs ended up waiting in line up to one hour for their chance in the ring... something Blaze would never be able to do. I only got two out of four warm up runs in, and I was so disappointed at not getting a chance to do what I had planned for Blaze that day, it really put me in a foul mood. At the end of the day, while chatting to a fellow competitor, who is also a masters level judge, he brought me back to reality when he said, "Do you really think your dog cares?" (in reference to me not being able to accomplish what I had planned for him).... And to answer honestly, "no", my dog did not care, nor did he have any idea that we didn't get to do what I had planned to do that day. All he knew was that he got two fun runs in, both of them with great rewards involved... he had no idea my plans for him were not carried out.... So, with this little statement from my fellow competitor, I was transformed back into a better mood.

Overall, Blaze did quite well. He even made it to round two of the Steeplechase event, something I never would have expected. It was a nice surprise for sure. We had only 3 errors in the whole event; Blaze refused he weave entry in both our standard runs, and he missed the final gamble in the first gamble event. Otherwise, he went clean and under time in both jumpers runs, and he had an amazing opening in the second gamble along with completing the final gamble. We had awesome times in both our standard runs, but because of the refusals, no bonus points for us. Also, the main gamble in the first gamble event was something he certainly could have done, but not enough practice or incorrect placement of myself during the final gamble could be to blame. Anyway, he never shut down, which has been our major challenge in the gamble event. In the end, we finished 19th overall, in a class of 62 dogs. Had we not made those 3 small errors, we would have been 4th overall. WOW!!!!!! That is amazing, I had no idea we could've placed fourth. I had no idea we were top ten material. One could easily argue that we are not top 10 material, as we finished 19th. However, the errors we made.... I know that Blaze is fully capable of not making those errors, so a fourth place finish was certainly within our reach. This is both exciting and disappointing at the same time. Exciting because I know he has the skill to accomplish this ---- Disappointing because these errors have been our long time training issues that have been holding us back.

In hindsight, placing in the top ten was never, ever my goal. We are in a very competitive class, with a lot of dogs. We are not a fast team, nor will we ever be a lot faster than we are right now. I realize this, and accept it. I will never try to push Blaze to be something he is not.... My only goal is that we go out and be the absolute best we can be.... If our absolute best places us 4th at a National event, then that is amazing, truly amazing that he would place in the top 5 dogs in all of Canada, something I never would have dreamed possible. If our absolute best places us in 19th place, then I would be equally as happy, as I would know in my heart that we went out and performed to the best of our ability. If we are working at our personal best, then wherever we place will make me happy. We did not perform at what I consider to be a personal best. Weave pole refusals are something we need to work on, as well as tricky gamble sequences. These are my training goals for next year, along with continuing to work on consistent handling cues.

The picture at the top is the only one I have of us at Nationals.... the environment is a little bit stressful, with everyone I know focusing on getting their dogs ready to run, it was really not appropriate to ask any of them to stop and take pictures of us.... Too bad!

All in all, it was a good experience and I am glad I went. It was all worth it to see our Coach, Sarah Mairs-Heaslip, win the 16 in Veterans Class with her world level competition dog, Gabby. What a sheer moment of joy for her, her family, and all her students. And, she initially did not want to attend this year's nationals..... Look what she could have missed out on!

And, once again, I am also reminded of all those unfortunate people who cannot compete with their canine parters anymore. Some dogs have illnesses, injuries, or some have passed on prematurely. I do feel lucky and truly thankful that I am simply able to go out and have fun with a phenomenal dog who is so willing to learn the wonderful sport of agility.

Thank you Blaze.

SUSSEX BOUND!!!!!

A picture of the 2008 Regionals at the Ilderton Fairgrounds. This is the Standard course on the Sunday.


Blaze, with his Steeplechase "Q" ribbon, and his 9th place Jumpers ribbon. Blaze competed in the Steeplechase run on the Friday and qualified and placed 10th out of 24 dogs. He placed 9th in the Jumpers run on the Saturday, out of a group of 48 dogs.



Blaze, and I, and his 2008 Nationals Qualifier ribbon.


AAC 2008 ONTARIO REGIONAL AGILITY CHAMPIONSHIP
ILDERTON FAIRGROUNDS, MAY 23RD TO 25TH

Blaze competed at the Ontario Regionals this past weekend. We competed in the Steeplechase run on the Friday. I use the Steeplechase as an opportunity to warm up and set the tone for the weekend's events. Blaze ran fast, clean, and was motivated. It was a great run.

At regionals, you must complete 6 runs, 2 Standard, 2 Jumpers, and 2 Gamblers. You participate in 3 runs per day. This was our third regional event, and these were the most challenging regionals courses I have seen. Blaze did great in both Jumpers events, running clean and under time. The Jumpers course on the Sunday was particularly challenging, with many seasoned competitors getting lost on course. Our first Standard run had a minor error, with Blaze running wide around a jump, giving us a refusal. We had an incident with a couple other dogs just seconds before we were due to set up on the start line, so I was not sure how much this affected his ability to focus. Normally he does not miss cues from me to take a jump. The rest of the run was good, with Blaze getting his weave entry with no difficulty. That made me very happy! Our course time was great for that run, but because of the refusal, no bonus points for us. Our second Standard run was just awesome, with Blaze running 27 seconds under the standard course time. Unfortunately, I messed up his approach to the weaves (it was an ugly weave entry, no matter how you did it!), and caused him to get a refusal. This was a disappointment, as the error was not his, but mine. So, once again, no bonus points for that run.

Now, what happened in the Gamble rings is a bit of a mystery to me! It was as if someone replaced my happy, driven, motivated dog with another one who did not know what agility equipment is... During our Saturday run, Blaze actually left the ring, to go and get his toy... there was no getting him back at that point. I was devastated. He has never, ever done that before. What a sad thing to happen... I really couldn't explain it. On Sunday, he would not stay with me, and acted as though I was speaking another language and he did not understand one single word or body movement from me.. What a stark contrast to how he ran in the Jumpers and Standard rings!!! After many conversations with fellow competitors, it is now clear to me that there is something I am doing in the Gamble event that Blaze does not like, and hence he does not want to work for me. The challenge I face now, is to try and figure out what I am doing, and to stop doing it! We have some work to do. I know he is capable of fast, confident runs, so I must try and keep that consistent.

We will soon be off to Sussex, New Brunswick for the 2008 AAC Agility National Championships in August. This will be a fun time for all, and a chance to compete along side the best agility handlers and dogs in Canada. I was not certain that Blaze would qualify this year for Nationals, as the number of points needed to qualify was increased, and we had 8 months off in the fall and winter due to my demanding school schedule. Even once we were at the event, I was not certain until we ran our last run that we were going to Sussex. I always keep the words of one of my fellow Schutzhund club mates in my head... "Anything can happen in trial..". And it is true, it is so true.

I am thrilled that Blaze qualified and that we are going to Sussex. I am so happy and thankful that I have a great dog who wants to play agility with me. Congrats Blaze, you did an awesome job!

Agile Canines Regional Fun Match

Blaze and I had one more chance to practice handling outdoors in a trial-like setting before regionals next week. We went to a fun match in Barrie today, and got a chance to do 2 standard runs and one jumpers run. I always use fun matches as trial practice sessions, so I do everything just as I would in a trail. Today I had a plan to reward any correct weave entry, which is different than any other time I've been to a fun match. At previous fun matches, I would act just like I do in trial, go back and fix the mistake, and then move on. I also wanted to try a different approach to the weaves today. I decided I would give Blaze more space, and that I would not micro-manage the entry at all. I would just say "weave" on our approach, and then trust he would get the entry. Both standard runs had weave poles set up as two sets of six, at different points on the course. This meant two entries per run. Our first run, Blaze missed the entry on both sets... we continued on, and because we have 2 minutes in the ring (if we want to use it), I went back and re-attempted the weaves. I rewarded him for each correct entry. Otherwise, he ran great, and we are "back on track" as far as working as a team goes. Good news.

There was a separate ring set up with practice gambles. I went in this ring, and again practiced weaves, rewarding each correct entry. I also got out a squeaky ball, along with Blaze's usual tug toy. Although he loves his tug toy, it had been such a long time since I played ball with him, and he loves balls. Well, squeaky ball was a huge hit, and it seemed to really improve his drive for the weave entry. In our next standard run, I took squeaky ball in the ring with me, but did not let Blaze know I had it. My plan was to whip the ball out if he got his entry to the weaves, and really surprise him. He got his first weave entry, and out came the ball. He got the second weave entry, and again, out came the ball. There were parts on this course where my handling went to hell because of stopping to reward the weaves... it messed up my flow, but that was no big deal. Blaze getting the weave entry and getting rewarded unexpectedly on course was a great motivator for him.

We then did our jumpers run (Blaze's favourite event), which was clean. Then, back to the gamble ring to practice some of the gambles. We worked on the rear cross at a distance, "get out" to a far jump, and again, on rewarding weave entries.

We now have a week to practice our crosses, weave entries, and some distance work. I feel a lot better about going to regionals now, but I have resolved myself to being content with whatever happens there. Stressing about our lack of skill in certain aspects of agility because of not being able to train for 8 months will do nothing to enhance our enjoyment of the event. I should simply be thankful that I am able to attend this event and spend some quality time with a dear friend who is only in the sport for the sheer joy of running a course with me.

And I am. I truly, truly am.

Tamsu Trial...Weave Pole Woes

Blaze and I were at the Tamsu agility trial today, with high hopes of having another amazing day of agility trialling. Well, when things go wrong, they go very, very wrong. It is amazing how much my mood can affect my ability to focus. I am unfortunately extremely sleep deprived due to working long hours coupled with a long commute. And, I had an extremely horrible day at work yesterday, which put me in quite a foul mood. I tried my best this morning to re-focus, and to be the clear-headed handler my dog needs me to be, but I could not pull it together. Our first three runs went from bad to worse, with Blaze not responding to my cues. There was a feeling of complete lack of chemistry, although some of my agility friends could not tell from the sidelines, as Blaze appeared to be working nicely except for the weave issues. A comment at the end of the day from our current coach made it clear to me that she could tell I was off... very observant... Blaze got his first weave entry today, and then refused all the rest. I did manage to get him into the weaves in our very last run of the day, but I had to micro-manage the entry. This is not how I like to run a course. On one of our breaks, I got out some treats, went to the practice jump, and did some drills similar to what we have been doing in class, with lots of reward. I did some flatwork as well, hoping that Blaze and I could "regroup", and once again capture the chemistry we have been able to achieve recently. In our jumpers run, we did great. We were on, working great again together, it appeared I was able to refocus, and get myself back on track. There are no weaves in jumpers, so I'm sure this was a factor. This was our only Q for the day. Next came our gamble... we had a brilliant opening, but did not get the gamble, as there were weaves in the closing sequence, and Blaze refused the entry. I was happy though that we seemed to be back on track. Finally, came our team run. It wasn't my best work, but it was clean. We were 1.4 seconds over time. We lost at least 3 seconds at the exchange due to some poor communication.

This is a huge confidence buster for me, and regionals are only two weeks away. I somehow need to find some balance in my life. Having a challenging job just doesn't seem worth it if it interferes significantly with my training goals.

Box Classes Extraordinaire!

Blaze and I had our second Box Class last Thursday. I am simply amazed and extremely impressed at the level of thought and care that goes into these classes. The lessons are pre-planned, with several stations set up so the students can work on separate things simultaneously. Everything we do is thoroughly discussed using proven theories, and we are encouraged to analyze the sequences and the reasons behind why we would choose a certain path for our dog. Several options are usually discussed, and everyone has a clear understanding of why certain crosses will work best at particular points on course. I am learning new ways to analyze courses. Also, I continue to be impressed by how great Blaze does when my signals are clear to him. We all get individual attention, and it feels like we are getting so much accomplished in just one session! I feel so lucky to have gotten a spot in the class....
Now we must practice, practice, practice!

Agility Lessons 2008

Above, Cole and Blaze.


Today Blaze, Cole, and I had our first private lesson since summer of 2007. My school schedule in the fall and winter prevented me from pursuing ongoing lessons throughout the fall of 2007 and winter 2008. Also, because I have become quite particular about the style of coaching I prefer, I was extremely hesitant about switching coaches and decided to wait until my instructor of choice was available. I think when you have found a good match, then it's best to stick with it.

I found myself lacking a bit of confidence while walking the tricky sequences today. I had been out of practice and not in the agility mindset for quite some time. It's also hard when your instrutor is watching your every move waiting to see if you can see the light and figure out the best path for your dog. I felt like a beginner again! Blaze, however, was once again flawless. His only errors were my errors, and when I was clear in my handling, Blaze performed like a pro. I found myself wondering if Blaze would trade me in for a better handler if he could...... It seems I am the only thing holding him back. It was amazing and also comforting to me to see that when my handling was clear, Blaze was perfect. What an eye opener and a definite motivator to improve my skills.

With Cole, it becomes so obvious that I have done so little work with him in any discipline. Had it not been for his elbow surgery at 10 months of age, he would have been in agility lessons as a young adult. It wasn't until after a few years of observing his behaviour on our 1 acre property that I considered teaching him agility. He is able to get into a full speed run, and will stop dead and turn on a dime. He wrestles with Blaze, jumps down the steps from the porch instead of walking all the way down, and charges full speed at my neighbors cattle behind the fence. All of these activities put far more pressure on his elbow than agility ever will. So, once we started agility, we never looked back. He absolutely LOVES agility. It is clear though that we have some important foundation work to focus on. Time to get training!

Blaze - Masters Agility Dog of Canada

Blaze went 4 for 4 today at the Rat Pack trial in Orangeville. This was our first competition since AAC Nationals last August. Also, we were not able to secure agility lessons in the fall and winter due to my extremely busy school schedule. Because of this, I figured that our first time out in 8 months with no practice time in between would have been a bit ugly... Nothing could be further from the truth! Blaze was happy, driven, motivated, and he had so much fun. What a joy to run with a dog who is truly loving what he is doing and staying with me on course. We've had so many training issues along with my own bad handling maneuvers, I had gotten used to having disappointing results at agility trials. Knowing all along that Blaze was capable of doing so much better made it all the more frustrating for me. Now, it finally feels like we are working as a team, and he is "on his game" all of the time, instead of a few moments here and there that get lost. It's hard to describe in words really, the feeling of being out in the ring, on course, with a dog that is working in unison with it's handler. I'm literally on cloud nine.

Blaze received his VMAD title today, his Veteran Masters Agility Dog of Canada title. What an accomplishment for us. I'm so proud of him. He received qualifying scores in Steeplechase, 2 Master Standard runs, and a Master Gamble. We have been struggling with the Gamble event for some time now, so to finally get a Q in Gamble was so exciting for us. And, I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at the score sheet and saw that Blaze placed first in Master Gamble today!!!!!! This is an amazing accomplishment. We are now competing in the very competitive 16 inch veterans class, and Blaze beat 8 other qualifying dogs in this division to take first place. He also received a first place in one of our Master Standard runs.... again, an accomplishment I never would have even dreamed could be possible.

At the end of the day, it is not the titles or ribbons that matter. What matters is the bond you have with your dog, and the incredible working relationship you have developed over the years. What matters is the joy and happiness in your dog's eyes when he sees you are taking him to the agility ring, where he knows he will have fun with you, where he knows good times will happen. What matters is that you have taken the time to teach your canine friend skills that are truly amazing. What matters is that you are spending time with your dog, his greatest joy, and that he loves you enough to want to be with you. At the end of the day, he is just my dog, my little buddy, my companion, my best friend. At the end of the day, that is all that matters. Here's to Blaze, the little puppy that was abandoned on the streets of Toronto..... if those people only knew what they were missing.


Myself, Blaze with his VMAD ribbon, and AAC Judge Francine Lalonde.



All of Blaze's ribbons from the Trial today.



Blaze with his ribbons.



Sleepy boy on the way home.

Even the daffodils were happy for us.

Box Classes

Blaze and I had fun tonight at our first Box Class. What is Box Class? Well, it is an agility class designed to focus on the all important crosses..... front crosses, rear crosses, and the handler's successful execution of these crosses. Are we being clear to our dog? The theory is quite simple... but perhaps not so simple for handlers who may have been handling a course to compensate for training weaknesses. We learned some very important foundation work, dissected a sequence with front crosses, and then moved on to some rear crosses.
How shocked I was when I moved to the "rear cross" section, and drew a complete blank..... Wait a minute.... I had been using rear crosses as my cross of choice in the past, so it should have been easy for me, right? Well, as it turns out, my current coaching had given me such a strong background in using front crosses and serpentines that I simply couldn't figure out how to do the rear crosses! I felt so silly!!! So, when I got myself in the correct position, Blaze did the rear crosses flawlessly (He didn't forget!!).
It was a great night, and Blaze worked with enthusiasm and drive. Now we have some homework to do before next week...

SpringTime Agility!

Schutzhund Bashing

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a veterinary conference in Toronto. I attended the lecture of one of the speakers whose topic was canine behaviour. This person, who is an active member of the GSD community here in Ontario, and has been for many years, had many good points about canine behvaiour. She spoke about positive training methods, understanding your dog's behaviour and motivation, responsible pet ownership, and emphasized responsible breeding and temperament testing for all pet dogs. This person is extremely knowledgeable, has an obvious passion for the GSD, and appears to be well educated in many aspects of current dog affairs, positive training techniques, and behaviour modification in all breeds of dogs. She is what I would consider to be quite an asset to the GSD community, and the community as a whole.

Imagine my shock and disappointment when she openly bashed the sport of schutzhund in front of a room full of conference delegates. From her comments, it was quite clear to me she has a deep misunderstanding of the sport. How this could happen to someone who has been involved in the GSD breed for almost 30 years is astonishing. The sport has a hard enough time trying to change the negative public image it has incurred without someone such as this openly making false statements about it. The public's gross misunderstanding of this challenging and dynamic sport fuels negative feelings about it. I find it shocking and disheartening to learn that someone who has such a passion and love for the GSD, someone who goes to great pains to ensure the breed is viewed in a positive way, would not take the time to learn about schutzhund and the inherent goals and motivations behind the sport. The GSD and schutzhund evolved together. The breed's ability to work was the first and foremost concern of the breed founder. Discrediting this desire and functionality of the breed is a direct insult to the founder.

I will be the first to admit that there are many schutzhund trainers out there who use what could be called "old school" methods of training, relying heavily on compulsion and dominance styles. This could be the root of all the negative images of the sport. People that use force, compulsion, deprivation, and fear and call it "dog training" should not even be permitted to own any animals in my opinion. Had I had my first introduction to the sport with people such as this, I definitely would not be involved in it today!!!! Perhaps this is the speaker's only observation of the sport, and hence the reason for such negative statements.

Fortunately for dogs, many schutzhund clubs have adopted more modern and more kind training methods, much like what was discussed by the speaker in the lecture at the conference. Many clubs train using purely motivational techniques, and many top trainers who give seminars world wide demonstrate their use of motivational training styles. In essence, these dogs are having fun! These dogs work for many reasons. For the dog, there is ALWAYS a reward of some kind for doing what we want him to do. This is the heart and soul of schutzhund training as I know it and live it. I cannot speak for other clubs or trainers.

I would encourage the speaker to attend to some training sessions that use motivational methods. I would wish for her to attend to a seminar of a world class trainer who consistently demonstrates that motivational training works using dogs that are for the most part, unfamiliar to him or her.

Finally, I must discuss the issue of aggression. To my horror, this speaker said something even more damaging to the sport than the issue of training styles. She insisted that schutzhund people want aggressive dogs. She said that schutzhund trained dogs are a menace to society, a danger to the public, little children, and other animals. This is where she is MOST wrong. The one main consistency in the sport is the emphasis of control and temperament. Dogs must be under control, and must not display faulty temperament. At each and every trial, a dog's temperament is tested. The judges are continuously looking for faulty temperament, and dogs displaying outward aggression are disqualified immediately. The sport tests a dog's temperament in so many ways, a dog with faulty temperament would not be successful, save for only in the hands of an extremely skillful trainer. One could easily argue that this same dog at some point in it's career will fold under the pressure.

I will be the first to point out that my schutzhund dogs are not aggressive in any way, nor do I do ANYTHING that promotes aggression. My German working bloodline GSDs display the most stable temperament I have ever seen in any GSDs. Schutzhund dogs are so skillfully trained that many of them WILL NOT bite a person who does not have the bite sleeve on. These dogs are social, friendly, stable in temperament, and are no way a danger to the community or other animals. This same thing can be said for the MAJORITY of schutzhund dogs. The majority of schutzhund trainers that I have met are also some of the most responsible dog owners in the community. They have their dogs under control when out in public, do not allow their dogs to run around off leash harassing other dogs, are careful about who they allow to approach their dogs, and generally know a lot more about dog behaviour than the pet owing public. Many, many of these dogs are family dogs, living in the house with small children, and other pets. Schutzhund dogs are not a danger to the community. The real danger is from the pet owning population who do not understand dog behviour or what motivates their dogs. These people often have a false sense of control of their dogs, hence the reason for so many bite wounds to other dogs and people. Schutzhund trainers are unlikely to have a false sense of control, as their control over their dog in many different situations is tested again and again at every training session. These people often know exactly what type of control they have, and take precautionary measures (such as the simple thing of walking the dog on a leash!!!) to ensure safety. Schutzhund trainers know their dog's temperament far better than most of the pet owning population, and thus would not put their dogs in situations that could end in someone getting bitten.

Dogs with aggression issues have either been raised inappropriately, or have faulty temperament. Neither belongs in the sport of schutzhund. Schutzhund trainers DO NOT want aggressive dogs. These dogs are difficult to work with, and eventually will get washed out. They do not work for the sheer love of it.

Yesterday was a dark day for the sport of schutzhund. If we could get people like this speaker to truly understand our sport and promote it in a positive way, it would go a long way to dispelling some of the popular myths that cloud the image of a "happy, willing worker" ---- the ultimate schutzhund dog.

Blaze: AAC Nationals Competitor WOW!

Just got back from 4 days of competition at the AAC Nationals in Halton Hills Ontario. All I can say is WOW! Over 600 dogs competed over 4 days. It was a huge event, well organized, and such a fun and festive atmosphere. Blaze had some of his best runs ever in our agility career...... what a time and place to put it all together, at a national event. It looks like great coaching really pays off. We still have our issues, and the weave poles are definitely something we have to work on! Blaze had 3 clean runs that were under the standard course time. A feat we have never accomplished before at a single event. All 7 of his runs were run with the enthusiasm and motivation that is truly Blaze. This type of harmony between dog and handler is what we have been struggling with for some time. Our first run, the steeplechase, was marred only by the weave poles......he had fun and ran fast.

On Friday we did 3 runs. Our first run of the day was our standard run. He missed the weave pole entry twice, costing us refusals and time faults. After this run, I was doubting whether or not to continue on in agility. I was even doubting we should be at a national event....... I was so frustrated on my way back to to tenting area, I considered giving up competitive agility with Blaze.....
After a few minutes of contemplating this, I sat back and really thought about our run..... Blaze was having a blast out there, he ran the whole course fast, with enthusiam, and motivation..... He never once slowed down or told me he didn't want to do it...... this fact knocked me back into reality and made me realize that he is enjoying himself, what dog agility is all about.

Our next run was the jumpers run, Blaze's favourite event. We ran the course clean and under time, WOW! What a spectacular run. The chemistry was still there. Our final run of the day was the gamlers run. Typically our most difficult event. Blaze was the same enthusiastic, driven dog. It was a great feeling! We even got the gamble, in 9 seconds under time! Truly amazing! It was a great day for us.

Saturday brought on another jumpers and gamblers run. Our gamble opening was spectacular, with Blaze running fast and with lots of drive. We didn't get the final gamble, but it was due to handler error! Poor Blaze! In the jumpers run, I fell near the end, causing Blaze to move past a jump and get a refusal...... it would have been a clean run and under time......he worked great and had fun!

Sunday was the final standard run, it was a tricky, twisty course with lots of traps in it...... it would test all of our training skills..... We ran clean and 19 seconds under time!!!!!!! Simply amazing for me and Blaze, especially since it was the fourth day in a row of competition and he has never been to an event that long before.

It was an awesome weekend of agility, and proved beyond a doubt we have what it takes to compete at a national level. We can only hope to improve our skills, and with great coaching, we have high hopes for next year. I am so pleased with our performance I can't even really put it into words.

It was the experience of a lifetime!

Enjoying the moment,
Dianne & Blaze :-)

Blaze: Masters Jumpers Dog of Canada

Blaze and his ribbons from the Tamsu Trial, Aug 11th, 2007
Blaze received his Masters Jumpers title today from the AAC. What a way to celebrate his 5th birthday! We did very well at the Tamsu trial, with Blaze receiving a qualifying score in one of his Standard runs, a Jumpers run, and his first Steeplechase "Q". He received 2 first place finishes and a 3rd place finish in the competitive 16 inch veterans class. He would have had a second Standard "Q" ( and his MAD title!) had it not been for handler error on the third last jump.....poor Blaze! Blaze seems to be enjoying his new jump height of 16 inches and the extra time a veteran dog gets. He worked very nice for me, I was very pleased. Things seem to be looking up for us. It's our first trial in 9 months, we took some time off to try and work on our training issues. Nationals are next week! Way to go Blaze!

BLAZE QUALIFIES FOR THE AAC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!

Here is Blaze and Me with his National Championships Qualifier Ribbon and his 4th place Jumpers Ribbon.June 1st to the 3rd, Blaze and I competed in the AAC Ontario Regional Championships. Blaze qualified to compete at the AAC National Championships in Halton Hills Ontario in August. It was a great weekend, with the best dogs in Ontario competing for a chance to be at the Nationals. These weekends are always somewhat magical, with a feeling of camaraderie, and everyone sporting positive and motivational attitudes.

Saturday's competition was hampered by the extreme heat and humidity, and many dogs and handlers were having difficulty coping. One of our Judges collapsed on Saturday and was taken to the hospital, and recovered fine. Blaze hates running in the heat, and I knew we would have trouble. In our standard run, I unfortunately misdirected him twice, costing us time and 10 faults. Our gamble run was not good, I could tell the heat had got to him, and he just gave up. Our jumpers run was quite good, except I was in the wrong position at one of the last turns on the course, and pushed him right past a jump. This put us over time and gave us 5 faults. My fault entirely. Poor Blaze! We finished Saturday's runs with 178 points, more than half way to qualifying, but lower than what I was hoping for. I was not sure if we would get the necessary 300 points by days end on Sunday.

Sunday started out a little less hot, and virtually no sun, so it felt cooler. Our first run was the gamble run, and our opening sequence went great, with Blaze getting the mini gamble twice, and he stayed with me on the course. He did get the main gamble too, but sadly he was about 1 second over time. I was happy with how he worked for me, and it gave me a good feeling about the days upcoming runs. Our best run of our agility career was our jumpers run on Sunday. It was a twisty, turny, course, in which I was able to use our new front crosses to our advantage. Blaze went clean and 9 seconds under time. This is a feat we have never accomplished before, and this is just the type of chemistry between dog and handler I want to create on a consistent basis. He placed fourth in this run, in a class of 27 dogs. Pretty awesome by our standards. Our final run of the day was the standard run, and I messed him up on the course twice. We ended the weekend with 369 points, enough to get us to the nationals. Blaze placed 12th overall in a class of 27 dogs.

Next, we are off to Halton Hills in August to compete at the Nationals. It will be our first National competition, and it will be a real treat to compete with the nation's best agility dogs.