Clean Run Magazine - January 2007 - 40

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We only ran one day since I did not know what to expect. Despite our first
novice mistake, new ones were in the making. There were times I lost my
way on course. Talk about embarrassing—I stood there wondering, now who
moved those numbers on me? Where did those numbers go? I must be on the
backside of something! There were times I sent Amber over the wrong
obstacle as well, thinking it was next when it was not. She would soon
learn to follow her instincts rather than my direction. Sometimes that can
be good! All in all, there were many instances where Amber bailed her
novice handler out of one jam after another. Like when I would tell her
Go, Jump when her next obstacle was the tunnel. She must have learned to
read signs and count because she took the tunnel despite the wrong command
from that inferior two-legged, slow human behind her. She seemed to be
thinking, “Don’t you know the difference between a tunnel and a tire?
Hey, somebody has to hold up the team’s reputation.” During another
Novice run I managed to trip right after the first obstacle, and fell onto
the dirt floor face first. I doubt anyone else but me is capable of falling
one second after the run starts. For the first time I knew what a course
looked like from Amber’s view: “Gee, you have to hold your head up to
see the bar that’s in my way. And what’s that dark circular thing in
front? You really want me to go through that thing? It smells!” Amber,
being the Velcro partner that she is, seemed to know instinctively that
she should not go over and touch the guy lying face down on the floor
though she might be tempted. Instead I rose to my feet, too embarrassed to
do much else, and we continued to run. I could move, no broken bones! We
made it, thanks to you-know-who. During my novice year I learned that
embarrassment can keep you going. Like the time we had a trial in a
building with circular column supports, planted everywhere around the
floor. How many times can a handler run into these structures during a
run? Do bruises count? Where’s the dog? Learning While Competing Year
one was certainly a learning experience. The old saying, “Expert dog,
Novice handler” really applied. Our first year also taught us that,
despite a year’s worth of training, we had hardly scratched the surface.
My list of improvements and new commands easily fit half a notebook. More
first-aid supplies was near the top. A conservative estimate is that 99%
of the required improvements would be mine exclusively. Buying stock in a
cheese factory could help as well. Amber loves cheese treats! We now have
experience in competing in four venues while earning many titles along the
way. What happened to the simplicity? Amber is a true Velcro dog but has
shown she can work at a distance. She is very responsive to me so I do not
worry much about off-course events or “traps.” But as she picked up
speed, ever so slightly, some fundamentals began to dissipate, such as her
skill in hitting contacts on the A-frame or dogwalk. That created an
immediate review of all contact fundamentals. At times she would jump too
soon dropping the triple bar in the process. Stress and associated fatigue
are problems as well—I mean my stress and fatigue. And yes, addiction. We
signed up for runs as often as we could, attempting to have a cycle of runs
where she would start to overcome her stress, consider a trial as just
another day at the office, a part of her normal routine. Thank Dog this is
fun! Helpful Hints for Newbies What were the main points I carried through
as we began our second year of agility competition? Below is a partial
list of some of the more important lessons. • Get that premium sent in
per directions, completely filled out. It usually helps to sign the check
before sending it in. • Arrive on time, check in, and be ready. Never
let the gate steward have to call your name more than once. • Be
confident. Memorize the course. Be able to count to 20. That’s for me.
• Take extra clothing for those unexpected “emergencies.” • Have
fun! Realize that fun is what it is all about! As a lifetime member of the
Novice Club, do I really care if faster, sleeker teams are in the same
ring? I enjoy every moment with my four-pawed partners. Is it about
winning or just getting out there for an enjoyable time to see if she can
save me again? That’s the ultimate test of a true team in my book!
It’s the adventure, the journey, the unexpected, and most important,
meeting old friends, making new ones, and the fellowship that goes with
this sport. It is the only sport where you cannot just reach over to your
partner and explain that the tunnel was next, not the tire, because there
is a slight language variance. You are always the one who makes the error.
Your partner gets the treats regardless of performance, at least in my
book. My partner can not distinguish between a good run or a bad run
because there are no bad runs for her. And in the end, there should be no
bad runs for any of us. Equipment Is Important During one run my belt
buckle broke somehow. I was somewhat compromised by having to hold my
jeans up with one hand and direct Amber with the other. I do not recommend
this. As we finished the run—okay, I was stumbling more than running—I
heard a large spectator group laughing their hind ends off. It must have
been funny. I wondered, did the judge see that? Was it discounted somehow?
Was the judge laughing as well? There is an agility god; we got that
so-important Q! No, it isn’t worth repeating. My friend saved the day
when he handed me a rather long piece of duct tape. See, it’s good for
anything and everything! Just before another run my zipper broke my jeans
must be second-hand . And running would leave me more air-conditioned than
I needed. Luck prevailed, since I found a vendor selling pins who just
happened to have a safety pin or two for me. Saved once again—I would
never have made that run without them. D Jim lives in Wooster, Ohio, and
trains in Mansfield with Celia Flinn. His canine partner is Amber, a
four-year-old female Australian Shepherd, who runs the household, which
includes Jim’s wife, Fay, and three other canine partners: Orion Husky ,
Casper American Eskimo , and Zach Border Collie mix . Amber has earned her
C-ATCH in CPE, and MX in AKC. Orion and Casper are active licensed therapy
dogs. 40 Clean Run | January 07 Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid
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Clean Run Magazine - January 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - January 2007