Sunday, April 17, 2011

Mika trial April 8, 2011

So I'm behind posting about a couple of trials because I couldn't find the video files; but I'm trying to catch up now!

Mika had fun! We ran two Masters Gamblers.

In our first run (shown below) she actually had more obstacle independence than I'd planned, and actually went over an off-course jump in the gamble because I didn't pull her in enough. She also did a little jump over the apex of the A-frame in the opening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfiXLPBDPF8



In our second run, I accidentally crossed the gamble line as we were setting up for the gamble, so we got whistled off. :) You might notice that our opening in this run is similar to the opening in our first run. I tend to do that a lot when we do two Gamblers at the same trial; after all, why change?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_mMyWzRQH8


Friday, April 8, 2011

Mika April 1 Starters Snooker video



This is from our trial last week. I had another trial today with Mika, but I'll write about how that went once I finish making Wall-e's April 1 video.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Mika's run at the April 1 trial

I didn't talk about Mika's run during my last post. Well, I was happy with Mika, but not very happy at myself :) Our run was a Starters Snooker. We started off well and got to two reds before being whistled off (one more than our last Snooker run, haha)! What happened? Well, I tried to rear cross the tire after the second red jump, but for some reason Mika pulled off the tire right after I crossed behind her. (My RC was great, for once, so I'll assume that it's a training problem). But the part that I was really annoyed about what how I reacted after Mika pulled off. One of my biggest rules while running my dogs -- especially soft Mika! -- is to ALWAYS keep going when we make the mistake. Well, I kept going, but not after really hesitating for about a second and almost stopping. For some reason I had this big urge to turn around to try the tire again. Mika turned to me like "What happened?" and we kept going to the next red jump (and by then the judge had lifted up his whistle and whistled us off for doing two reds in a row). UGH, I was just so annoyed at myself, especially as I watched the video. I HATE it when I make these mistakes that gradually chip away at Mika's motivation. She was a tad bit slower after my mistake, but soon sped up again.

I am trying to forgive myself for my mistake by telling myself that it has been so long since Mika has missed a jump at a trial, and therefore I'm out of practice in how I should react.

Excuse my little personal rant, it really bothers me when I make these kinds of mistakes! :) I was really happy with Mika's enthusiasm though, and I noticed that she had a nice hit in the yellow on the A-frame. Focus on the good points, and forgive your own stupidness! It just better not happen again! :)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Unworried Wall-e!

Worried Wall-e is no longer. As of Friday, Worried Wall-e is now Unworried Wall-e.

I brought Wall-e into the trial building right soon after we arrived. I popped him over the two practice jumps and led him walk around a bit in the crating area, seeing the dogs we knew. He noticeably perked up, and mostly forgot about all of the trial noises, when he was doing the practice jumps and visiting other dogs. It really helps to keep him occupied when he's in a potentially stressful situation.

My plan for his Starters Jumpers run (the only run I had entered him in) was to just do the four jumps closest to the ring, then leave and jackpot. But I realized that the practice jumps were actually right under the heating fan (or at least, I think they were; the loudest fan noise was coming from that area), and Wall-e was fine. The ring was actually a lot quieter than the practice jump area. So I figured that Wall-e would be fine running the whole course.

And he was!!! I started with him instead of leading out, to give him that emotional support before our run. As I was saying our start-line revving-up cue, "Ready...Set..." he was wagging his tail but was looking around him a bit (slightly stressed), but when I finished by saying "...GO!" and let him go, he TOOK OFF for the first jump! He whizzed across the first line of jumps like a rocket. A green-dog moment happened at the first tunnel as I tried to rear cross and he didn't see the tunnel until he was almost right beside it, but he made it in and we continued on the course. Our only fault was a knocked bar in the middle of the course, when I RC'd too late and Wall-e had to turn his body in the right direction as he landed, causing him to knock a bar. But we finished the course with a time of 19.19 seconds -- I think it was the second fastest time out of all of the dogs in the class! -- and WALL-E HAD FUN!!!

From the dog who wouldn't even step in this arena a year ago, to a dog who can run like the best of 'em. I am so proud of my little boy, the Unworried Wall-e!

(Will talk about Mika's run later :)

P.S. I said I would explain the April 1 thing. It's just that on April 1, 2007, Mika and I had our first fun match and Mika ran out of the ring -- the beginning of our big battle with the teeter and stress. And then this trial, Wall-e's first time running indoors (HUGE deal for him!), happened on April 1. I thought something else happened on April 1 another year, but nope. Every year when April 1 arrives, I always thing of that first fun match, and now I will be able to think of this trial as well :)