Clean Run Magazine - May 2007 - 13

In Cider By Bill Gates inhibitions evaporate simultaneously. Your mind clears of the usual human clutter; you are liberated. You are free to not worry about whether you remember the course. Ironically, your anxiety-free mind now knows the course as though you created it. You fearlessly give direction, make those crosses and work the contacts. Your run is perfect. Good for you. My Preference My preference is to drop the last bar. My reasons for this are twofold. First, I lack the maturity necessary to reject the aggravation associated with being eliminated at the same moment the timer starts. I paid the entry fee. We have practiced and we have peed. We deserve a qualifying run. I applaud those who have the experience and maturity to use the time in the ring to practice under conditions that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. After all, this activity should be all about building a relationship with your dog. The strongest bond will surely be forged under the most strenuous circumstances. Where could it be more strenuous than here at an agility trial? All the distractions created in your backyard put together do not come close to the stress present at an agility trial. At home you practice in a safe and known environment. You are focused on communicating with your dog. Perhaps you want to communicate that no matter what happens, there should be two paws on the ground and two paws on the yellow at the bottom of the A-frame. You throw a tennis ball, a Frisbee, favorite toys, a small quail; you run away and even knock over a hot dog vendor’s cart spilling juicy, freshly cooked wieners all over the ground in front of your dog. You let your other six dogs as well as a couple strays feast in front of your dog, yet he remains on the contact; two on, two off. Your dog’s tail wags gently as a bit of drool hits the ground. Your dog is smart. He knows exactly what to do because you are focused solely on communicating this one thing to him. And your dog will do all the things you ask him to do without worrying about that last foot-long disappearing down porky’s throat. Why? Because you are at home and your dog is smart. He knows this is the time to do things that make you smile because when you smile, you bring out that halfpound of the good stuff those weiner-eating curs will never see. Here, he knows you are predictable. 13 © ANDRÉ JOLICOEUR First Bar or the Last Is it better to drop the first bar or the last bar in an otherwise perfect run? I mean, if you must choose one or the other, which would you choose? If you have not said it yourself, you may have heard someone else say that dropping the very first bar in a run is quite liberating. Yes, you have paid your entry fee, practiced hard, and attended classes before getting to the trial. Now at the trial, you have studied the map, walked the course, decided the course is harder than it appears on paper, been whistled to clear the course, and while watching the other jump heights run, you realize the hard parts of the course are actually really hard. So you study the map some more and seek advice from everyone you can find. As your anxiety level rises, your dog is asleep in his bed dreaming of the next meal. If only our dogs could share the same concern over the quest for Qs, they would be pacing a rut in their crates. As they are not overly concerned, you worry for both of you. As your turn approaches, to eliminate one worry, you take a trip to the port-a-john. Now you get your dog and go May 07 | Clean Run for a walk to eliminate a second worry. It is, hopefully, one of the few times your dog’s potty is nicer than yours. On Deck, It’s Time Your turn on the course has arrived. You are on deck. Your mind races: “Can I remember the course? What if I forgot a pinwheel? I cannot watch the handlers before me; what if they make a mistake? Got to remember the front cross; don’t call too soon for the offcourse traps, but don’t call too late. Maybe today we will get the contacts and the table. Maybe if I just lead out to the correct spot, everything will fall into place for the next 60 seconds.” While the dog before you runs, your own dog watches and starts to go into overdrive; as if you did not have enough on your mind. “Go when ready.” “Stay.” You lead out to the spot and turn, “Hup.” Your dog springs into action and in the blink of an eye, the first bar drops. Along with it your anxiety drops. Your aspirations and

Clean Run Magazine - May 2007

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