Agility IN DRIVE!

I met Steve a few months ago when I went to observe an obedience lesson a friend of mine was having.  As I have never done obedience, I went with an open mind as a casual observer.

That day changed everything.  I arrived as an experienced and quite successful agility competitor with very motivated dogs.  I left with a pile of information that had me questioning many theories I had,  analyzing the way I trained my own dogs and the realization that as a team, we were capable of SO much more!

But Steve doesn't "do" agility, right?  Well maybe not as a competitor...BUT...

Steve watched a video of my dogs running the same course that first day.  He made comparisons between them and observations on areas I could improve with each of them.  I went home that night and watched every video I could find of my dogs running & found that his observations were not only spot on for accuracy, but things I had never before noticed nor thought about when training.  I emailed Steve the next day & asked for a lesson of my own.

I have always prided myself on how driven & rewarded my dogs are by the agility course and the obstacles I have taught them.  Now, after a few lessons,  I am priding myself on how driven my dogs are to be rewarded by me!  Not only is their speed increasing all the time, they are already less likely to choose to reward themselves when on course by taking their favourite obstacle.

We are still a work in progress, but there is no doubt progress is occurring and at a much greater rate than I ever anticipated.  My new pup is a long way off being old enough to start agility training, but she is already learning what the word "ready" means and how much fun it is to tug with her Mum.

thanks Steve,  Agility was enjoyable & rewarding before, but Agility in Drive is taking things to a whole new level.


Vickie
Trim, Shine & Fly

Guirmere Trim ADM JDM ADO JDO SPDM GDX SD
Guirmere Shine ADM JDM ADO JDO SPDX GDX SD
Illoura Fly, NPIT (naughty pup in training)

Steve's comments

Vickie watched with interest me working with her fiends very capable high drive dog, she tuned in even more so when I spoke of how the relationship between the dog and the handler were everything and the handler needed to provide the reward experience.
At the end of that lesson we were all talking and Vickie showed me 2 video clips of her dogs running the same course.  Let’s just clear up right now that these dogs are no slouches, they are well trained, fast and accurate.
 

I love all dog sports that involve drive, let’s say its my thing, so I have always loved Agility but when I watched these videos, it wasn’t the Agility work I was looking at, but where even a vital half second could be picked up.
 

I did run a lesson for Vickie shortly after that, I entwined my drive work into her exceptional training skills and she just nailed it. Her dogs ran faster times, and she just did everything asked of her and more.

Let’s just say I was impressed by her dogs, skill and dedication and determination to get the best for and from her dogs...


Steve