Clean Run Magazine - August 2007 - 11

In Cider By Bill Gates A-frame. Nope, no waiting here either. We manage to find the table and get a chance to reconnect. Nope. The feel of the chute rippling over her back fires her up and she accelerates up the dogwalk. Cider loses her footing on the down ramp and flies off the contact. I am not as upset about her missing the contact as I am about the safety issues associated with flying off a contact. I ask Cider to lie down, thank the nice judge for his effort, and begin to walk calmly off the course. Cider is barking at me, jumping and threatening to nip at my sleeve. This attitude and behavior must stop. I kneel down and pick up Cider (or should I say Ms. Hyde). This act quiets her immediately. This scenario would not stand out except for its stark contrast to the previous day’s runs. Saturday was a wonderful Ms. Jekyll kind of day. Saturday was filled with sunshine and an unusually warm 70° temperature. Two rings were staked in a well-manicured outfield. The grass was green and the footing even. We had two terrific runs. There were no ribbons to pick up but we communicated well and worked together like a seasoned team. Cider and I were living on the outskirts of Green Ribbonville, USA. Just one little mistake in each run kept us from a Double-Q. Ms. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde Well, it happened again. I found myself about 3 seconds into a Standard agility run wondering what notion or what potion possessed my precious puppy. It was a very cool Sunday morning in late February. The grass in Savannah, Georgia, still wet from an overnight rain, sends a chill through my feet. We warm up as usual with a little stretching, jogging, and jumping. The approach to the start line is utterly unremarkable. The usual intensity and focus in Cider’s eyes hid the brewing fury within. I made my way to the perfect lead-out position for a tight opening turn from the double to the teeter. As Cider clears the double, I step back and rotate my body to effect a simple change-of-direction front cross. Cider makes a wide turn after the double and takes off through the tire located conveniently behind my back. August 07 | Clean Run © ANDRÉ JOLICOEUR Cider’s Random Transformation How did Cider suddenly transform into the unpredictable Ms. Hyde of Sunday from the focused Ms. Jekyll of Saturday? Most will quickly point out that Sunday’s weather conditions probably turned on her retriever instinct. The 45° temperature and cool wet grass must be more conducive to hunting and retrieving birds than jumping and stopping on contact zones. While cool mornings may have the opposite effect on some breeds, the sporting group tends to get fired up. I believe there is much to be said about the inherent nature of a dog and his immediate environment. Dogs will not lie about their desires or intentions. If a dog is interested in herding the children playing next to the ring, that dog will ignore the handler and pace the ring gate. If a dog is wired to scent, he will stick his nose on the ground and track the scent of the other dogs around the course. Now this could be a helpful strategy if the previous dog successfully negotiated the course. Take your Beagle to the start line 11 Hyde Is Here I am sure she looked good going through it, but my eyes were locked on an empty teeter up-contact. When things go so horribly wrong so early, instead of yelling, I simply wait—in position, staring at the unoccupied teeter—for Cider to come back to my hand and continue on the course. Cider returns from her warm-up activities. But instead of coming to my outstretched left hand, she runs behind me and jumps onto the teeter from the side. Okay, fine. As I take my first step to the end of the teeter Cider is off again. So much for using a contact obstacle to restore any semblance of this being a team activity. We then have a nice series of jumps and a terrific entry into the weaves. Cider bullets out of the tunnel and rockets over the

Clean Run Magazine - August 2007

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