Niven's First Agility Trial
PBGV Agility Trial
October 25 & 26, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
I am not sure of why I decided to enter Niven into trial before anyone deemed us "ready", but I figured that thirteen years ago, I showed Crumpet at the Corgi National with ten weeks of training ( only to fail with a ticked Broad Jump ). Niven was surely going to do something, right?
I guess I did have rational for the weekend entry. I wanted to see how far along we have come as a team and wanted to see what I needed to focus us on in training. One can practice for years and then trial, only to find the Dog, Handler and Team failing because the location is new and the distractions unforeseeable in a class structured environment.
Besides, I had come to both TBAC trials this year to watch and realized the AKC FAST Course looked interesting and Niven was about as
capable of completing the offered courses as any other dog entered on those days. Since the class I am enrolled in has focused on TOTO ( Two Feet On the contact, Two Feet off the Contact ), I realized there could be great confusion on Niven's part and I did NOT want to ruin what was easily achieved. As the year drew down in close, I figured it would be interesting to see what she would do and entered five classes of Agility at the PBGV
October show.
Weeks passed, turning into "days before the trial" and I began to wonder why I had entered Niven. In class we are just now reaching 24 inch Jump Heights and even then, we find our portion of the class running at 20 inches. The way I looked at it? I am the Queen of Dogs Who Knock Bars, I can easily deal with this as a good excuse.
Days became hours and I went to bed on Friday night wondering about my sanity while I set the alarm for 4:30am. Of course this show has to be in New Jersey and with the move, it would take me an hour and a half to get there. Since we had to be measured........something never change.
I finally heard the alarm five minutes before I was supposed to leave, so the morning started out in minor chaos. What was odd was none of the dogs in the house even knew about this routine and found it better to take my spot on the bed while I got dressed. Crumpet would have circled eight thousand times and would have hauled up and down the steps until the carpet disappeared.
Getting Niven out the door without tearing off through the yard to bark and bounce meant I had to put her on lead and heel her to the back fence. I got smart years ago and pack the car the night before. All I needed was the treat bin.....which keeps good attention.....when heeling to the back fence at 5:30am...quietly.
We met Meathead, the Mastiff at the back of my car, minor altercation that resulted in his barking and some growling. Sorry neighbors, I am really trying. Then there was some yelling and an exclamation or two from both humans, but all survived and went on our way.
Meanwhile, Torch, the new Corgi Pup is bouncing along, thinking this was a normal day, especially since he has been traveling more in his short five months then I have in five years.
It started to rain while I was on the first of many highways and did not really stop until I got in Jersey. At least we would get this over and done with, rain slicked obstacles that an inexperienced-trialed dog has never been over/on. Things could be worst, but I can handle the rain at this point. I was just wishing for the cup of coffee while sitting at the computer watching the sky
torment the fellow competitors.
Pulling into the park, I laughed as the familiar grounds still contain the old memories and new routines. Not a whole lot had changed for this show and it was nice for me. So many other things have changed and I need to relearn terminology, methods and rules. What also had no changed? I got front row parking without even trying. No wonder I like showing up early to these things.
The morning wore on, rain coming and going, sky always overcast. I could not decide if I should leave the raincoat in the car or sport the new cleats I bought the night before, but ended up dry at the end of the day.
There was no official measuring and I should have picked up Sunday's Numbers on Saturday for a later arrival, but I was under the impression that there would be that
opportunity. Better not to lose anything anyway.
I did pick up course maps and laughed at myself. How long has it been since I have looked at one? At least it would help in recreating the course on the nifty course designer I now have and would make the archives a bit straighter as time wore on.
Course Design Evaluation
Looking at the three courses, I knew we would have problems with the Novice B Standard course. Two
straight Jumps leading to the Frame when a right turn was called for. This type of distraction has not been covered in class and the best I could do was hope for a strong call off. The Jumpers course looked promising, but the long arching line of Jumps ( six of them ), would mean a ton of speed that I was not really prepared for. The FAST course Gamble area was what I could hope for, but the lay out of the obstacles did not allow for a lot of creativity.
Novice B Standard - Niven
Novice followed Open Standard and soon enough it was our time to run. Rain had been threatening just as we were walking in and I was not sure if Niven was 'getting' where we were. She sat patiently and hauled off....straight up the Frame. Calling her back to Jump 3 which was a Panel Jump, I ended up too close and she did not recognize it as a Jump, immediately ran around it to take the Chute and visit the Ring Crew. After a moment we were back on track and on to the rest of the course with a few bobbles here and there.
Each Contact obstacle was performed perfectly, TOTO for each.
The Table Send Out was awesome, but it took me a moment to get her to Sit, then Down.
At the Weaves Poles, Niven acted like she had never seen them before, but eventually go moving through.
One Jump Bar came down on an easy Jump, and she ticked the Broad Jump.
What I really liked about Niven was that although this was her first time running at a Trial, under rainy conditions with a huge field full of low hanging scent, for what she did or did not do, she really held it together. Was the run
awful? Absolutely. Then again I am used to running without Refusals ( only knocked bars and jumped DW Contacts ). What was awesome was that although there were there huge distractions of Rain, Scent, New Place, New Routine,
Excitement, Wet Equipment, and other things to do, Niven really held it together.
Results:
Non-Qualify
Two Off Courses
One Refusal
Two Knocked Bars
Novice B Jumpers - Niven
My initial evaluation of the "Speed Loop" was correct, but what I was not prepared for was higher winds that suddenly swept through just as the 24 Inch Class was starting. Rain was also lightly falling and the October Season carried Leaves with each gust. Going over Jump #3, Niven began to track the Leaves that blew above the course and pulled herself off Jump #4 to run to the Ring Gating. Once back on track, she continued, but I believe her attention was not on jumping, but rather the wind, rain, and leaves.
The Weave Pole entry was not kind to the Novice dogs, as it was set coming from a Jump that was too close. It does make it harder for them to learn to change stride, refocus attention and slam into the Poles in less then ten or fifteen feet. Bigger dogs have more difficulty with this, but it needs to be learned. Niven came off the Jump and headed straight to the Poles, only to miss them in some sort of distraction. I managed to pull her attention and get her going again.....only to have a Leaf skip on the top of the grass and take Niven with it. Once again, I got her back to performing and we continued on.
Bars came down a lot, me triggered to hear them from too many years. I believe there were at least four down, but I never picked up the official scribe sheets. I did feel bad for the Ring Crew that seemed to scurry around to re-set everything.
Results:
Non-Qualify
At least Four Knocked Bars
By now the day had grown late and the rain had confined all of us to Tents and Cars. I felt bad for Torch, as every time I attempted to pull him out of the the crate and walk him around, it began to rain. At least he got a few minutes to stretch his doggie legs.
Novice B FAST - Niven
The Gamble area was nice, considering this was the first time I was running the new AKC Course and this was still Niven's first day of trialing. The obstacles were simple and set about five-ten feet out, with a nice "pull in" send-out. Makes sense? One Jump, set five feet beyond the Handler "No-Cross Zone", slight left "pull" to the left sided Tunnel entry. I was very pleased because on a good day, Niven will perform a twenty foot send out to the Tunnel and this was something we had been practicing in the yard.
The rest of the course was not conducive to a large number of points. To take the obvious pathway through to the end, meant we would not accumulate a lot of points. I finally figured to "just run" and stuck with a basic pattern. This was something that was taught years ago with Novice Dogs. Since this was Niven's first day, I did not want to get fancy with twists and turns when she would give me a better performance/points by keeping things simple.
When Niven and I got into the Ring, it was raining. What I really liked is that all day she did not appear to mind and also seemed to
realize the footing was different. Over the first Jump to the Teeter, she slowed down enough to control the board's decent one hundred percent. This is something that I call the "Personal Q" and moved on without a further care.
We were in the Gamble area, Niven hauling over the Jump and appeared to be heading directly for the Tunnel, but managed to pull herself off to look at something over the Ring Gate and beyond. The good thing was that she did respond to me, came back and threw herself through the Tunnel. We got the bonus points and finished the run with a few Jumps and a Tunnel. The great thing was that all Bars stayed up and Niven
accumulated enough points to......gain her first Qualifying Score.
Results:
Qualify, 4th Placement
This ended the dreary day and we packed the car to head home. Even with a day like we had, I just wanted to get home. Instead, I got stuck in a "six car pile up" Traffic Jam ( thank god for the FAST class, I might have bee there ) and then had to pull over on another highway to wait out the rain. I have never done that before, but visibility was "wiper blades" and thought it was time to stop.
At around 7:00pm, the three of us rolled into the driveway, across the backyard, up the steps to flop on pillows and mattresses.
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Sunday, October 26, 2008
We woke to a more happy morning, the rain having moved out over night, the same rain that delayed the Phillies' Saturday Night Game. This time while I was getting ready, Niven sat in the Hallways, almost calculating the future events. Not quite Crumpet, but I had to smile at the
similarities. Work is work, made more fun.....when fun. Even Torch, banished to the crate until he was finished his breakfast, seemed to pick up we were about to go some place.
The ride went much faster, despite the heavy fog in places. When we got to Jersey, the Park was completely covered in a deep morning, mist, creating that illusion of mystery and peace. Some where in swirling clouds were the early morning figures readying the trial for yet another day. Actually, it was peaceful and a good way to start any morning, especially since I managed to get one parking spot closer to the rings....
Niven was measured a second time, also not official and we waited for the first Standard run.
Course Design Evaluation
The good thing about the picking up the course maps was that I was able to glance over it, know where we would have issues and then move on with the morning. Like the day before, these two courses appeared to have its challenges, but that the Standard Course was a lot more 'doable" then Saturday's. The Jumper's Course contained two Handler Restrictions that would prove to be difficult and I gave any hope of Q'ing up. ( Then reminded myself Niven has been a bit flakey and is a really nice day. )
With the sun shining and the fog well lifted, we began our morning. The cool thing was that the large dogs kicked off the class and I was not the first dog on the line. Within a few minutes, it was our turn.
Novice B Standard - Niven
This course was open and flowing, offering a chance for speed and control. Where I messed this up was at the bottom of the Frame. Niven was performing a total TOTO and I thought I could sneak in a Front Cross. That was achieved fine, but when I turned to release her, I did not give myself enough room on the Handler Running Line and pulled Niven off the Tire ( I side-stepped to go around a Winged Jump, but walked this course with a Rear Cross on the other side ).
Weave Poles posed another problem, but this time, Niven was trying to perform an outer entry, almost finding the Heel-side entry 'Opposite'. It took four attempts to get her to find the correct side and we were off.
The Table was interesting in that she did not want to Sit, almost in defiance. Every now and then this will happen, the key is to just work it and if all fails, pick doggie up and walk off the course. I will always take a pop-off/Refusal then to wrestle with this issue. Once she was sitting, I was
struck by how tall the Table was.....and that Niven was sitting there, eye to eye with me. If I could have taken a photo.....if only.....
We were off again and the Teeter was confused as the Dog Walk. Niven went flying, seeming to ignore my 'wait' command. She compensated and when Board and Dog met the ground, she sat on it. I
describe it as a Fly-Off, but I have seen many judges not make this passing call, simply because it had taken the dog off guard and they managed to show a serious attempt at control.
Thinking we NQ'ed, I continued on to the last two obstacles. The height Niven got over the last Jump was more then the 24 inches needed. I think she easily....easily....cleared thirty inches. This was a fantastic run with her and I was very happy to see that with each run, Niven was progressively getting better.
Results:
Qualify, 3rd Placement
Refusal at the Tire ( my fault )
Three "Time Faults" for being over time by....three seconds
Novice B Jumpers - Niven
I was hoping this course walked better then it looked on paper. From the course map, it appeared to have two very serious Handler Restrictions where being in place for ether type of crosses would be difficult. Seeing the course, it appeared those restrictions were not as severe, but still a major factor of getting the dog around cleanly. As I said in the morning, there would be no Qualifying run with this course, but I had noticed Niven was progressing faster with each class.
Placing Niven on the Line, I waited for the electronic voice to tell me time was set and we could begin. I stood there for a while and finally decided I missed hearing it. The Judge gave me the thumbs up and I left, hearing the "Go" after Niven landed from the first Jump. She continued on and called off to find me heading back to Start. About this time, two young kids were noticed at Jump #3 thinking it was time to lower the heights on the Bars. I think we all got ourselves confused, but now was the hard part....taking a Novice dog and restarting a course.
I was more then surprised when we began again and Niven was not only with me, focused, but running faster then I could keep up. I was able to call a Left Turn and have her move with me, complete the next two Jumps without taking an Off Course and then come back down the center. A Rear Cross was the only thing I could logically and physically pull off and enabled me to have a better call off from another Off Course. We continued on with another Left Turn into the Weaves for an Off-Side Entry....which Niven handled better and faster then all of the other runs.
Coming off the last Jump, I was even more surprised when it dawned on me Niven had run this course cleanly ( no Refusals, no Off-Courses ) and under course time.
The best part about this run was there were elements of the past, speed focus, control and teamwork.........and of course.....panic handling.
Like the rain the day before, some things seem not to change. : D
Results:
Qualify, 3rd Placement
Perfect Run!
It dawned on me that Niven and I actually Double Q'ed. I think I have done that only once before...while in Open with Crumpet.
Ironically, both of those were 3rd Placements as well.....hmmmmm.
Naaaa
: D
Driving home was better then the day before and I could not help think about everything that had happened during the past two days. Niven ended up with her first Leg ( wins ) in
Novice Standard, Jumpers and FAST during the first weekend "she was pulled out". My intentions were really to see what we needed practice with and what to focus on during the Winter Months. I was not really going to enter anything until March of 2009, so this was a very nice way to start a Performance Career.
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Last Updated on
November 4, 2008
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