BillyMalc Posted June 12, 2008 Report Share Posted June 12, 2008 Today was our second time at agility, and I really think Kiera likes it! :) We did the 3 jumps again, then moved on to 3 jumps followed by tunnel, and then did 3 jumps, tunnel and 3 jumps again on the way back - and she was a little star!! An ample amount of sausages does do the trick has to be said Then we went on to the 'advanced bit', where all the big equipment, such as the frame is. We did the frame a few times and she managed to fall off once, as she was so concentrated on the piece of sausage in front of her nose that she didn't pay attention where she was to put her feet But Kiera being Kiera never took her eyes off the sausage, and quite happily tried again - nothing much fazes her! We finished off with a first go on the other tunnel with just the fabric, and again she just did it, motivated by her treats. There is definitely a look in her eye and in the way she carries out all the different tasks, which tells me that she's enjoying it. She's now curled up in her basket and I wanna bet I'll have trouble getting her to come on her bed time walkies, bless her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yantan Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Sounds fantastic Billy, you will have to try and get some photos next time tho if possible Keira, the little sossidge girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophie Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Sounds excellent! Good to hear she is enjoying it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted July 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2008 Thought I'd give you an update, seeing as we're a good month further. We had to miss out on 2 weeks, but I think we've been 4-5 times now and Kiera is an absolute STAR at agility!! (okay okay, there might be a hint of bias in this! ). She's doing all the jumps no problem, goes into the tunnel without hesitating, the walk on is no problem, and today she was introduced to the A frame and the tyre, and she just did it!! :) She's also very good at waiting at the end of the walk on and A frame, nearly nailed that to perfection, in other words she's coming on in leaps and bounds and I am a VERY chuffed "mum". The one thing we do struggle with atm is getting Kiera to walk/run/jump on my right; after years of walking to heel and 'with me' on my left she gets confused with now having to be on my right side all of a sudden. But I'm sure that with the perseverance of sausages we will nail this as well! I'm totally convinced that Kiera knows how to do everything and that it's "just" a matter of me learning how to tell her where she needs to go where. Now that is the real challenge! I luffs my girlie :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billydog Posted July 18, 2008 Report Share Posted July 18, 2008 So glad Kiera is enjoying her agility!! Sounds like she's a natural! Be careful though it's addictive! I started at a fun club just for a nice thing to do with Finn, he was quite good, we progressed well, got into the advanced class, entered a fun competition, entered a proper competition... I'm now looking at cars that will tow a caravan so I can do more shows !! I'm sure you'll both continue to enjoy your agility! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted July 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Another great night out to agility with Kiera!! :biggrin: We got to give the weave a go, and then concentrated on having Kiera on my right and doing the course the 'right' (counterclockwise) way round. I was getting a bit frustrated, admittedly, because I didn't understand what I was doing wrong that Kiera didn't understand that she had to turn left to take the jumps back - but a load of sausages, fed at strategic places, eventually solved some of the "problem". Then it was on to the advanced bit, where Kiera ran up the walk on, trotted over and neatly sat at the bottom on the way down We did this course of jumps and the walk on the left way round and then the right way round, and she just flew the last round! :biggrin: I was really glad that we could end on this note, because Kiera was obviously getting tired and didn't show a lot of enthusiasm any more, and I don't want to keep going until she starts to associate 'her night out' with being boring and tiring. As ever she was given the rest of the sausages in the car on the way back and she's now curled up in her basket, already asleep. I love my little girl :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 She sounds so clever You can practice her walking to heel on your right side with a different word, also to swap from let to right and vice versa, and this will help her in agility. Indy had already learned that (I never teach my dogs that left is the correct side and right is wrong, just that left is "heel" and right is a different word), and that gave her a big advance to other dogs in her class. We need piccies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Thanks Danish! I should be working on teaching her left and right, but it's difficult when we go for walks, because on the short walks Mal is always on my right on his lead - and of course he'd want sausages too! We'll get there in the end no doubt This seems to be turning into a 'Kiera does agility' blog, but hey ho! We had a really great session tonight: because there were so few people we only had the one course with all the "toys": tyre, seesaw, weave, A-frame, walk-on, tunnel and jumps. It was Kiera's first time on the seesaw and second on the weaves. Does that girl just do anything as long as there is a sausage in front of her! Wendy (trainer) held the seesaw for her, so that she would be introduced more gently, but I swear Kiera didn't even notice it going down, focused as she was on the sausage - which kind of tripped her up when did it on our own and she charged up, only to discover that the second half moved and she promptly fell off! The only thing she worried about was where her piece of sausage had gone! She did absolutely great though, I can see us doing a comptetion next year! Once again I am SO proud of my little-girl-big-ears I'd love to have some piccies of her, but I'll have to find someone willing to take them for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanishPastry Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 yes, please make sure you do! lol I did a bit of a blog of Indys first year or so at classes, it should be here somewhere if you were curious. There are lots of piccies lol.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Where are you training Billy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Where are you training Billy? Hiya gooster! We're training in Bury, at a riding school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooster Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Cool, what nights do you train? Might see if the boys fancy a go! Will bring camera too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Cool, what nights do you train? Might see if the boys fancy a go! Will bring camera too! We're training on Thurday nights, but I don't think they're letting anyone else start at the moment. I was on their waiting list for ages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksmum Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 I started agility with my sprollie in November and we are totally hooked, doing our first comp end of this month, really nervous about it but looking at just having lots of fun. We aren't as clever as you, Jack tends to do everything at 100 miles an hour and leaps off the see saw, having to really work at getting him to slow for contacts, it has been a real learning curve for me, he will do it perfectly if I command correctly..not as easy as it sounds, especially with a fast dog! I have been using the word 'right' to bring him to my right side for heel, but made a big mistake of teaching weaves on the left and now we are having to re-do the training for right weaves, should have worked both sides from the start. I have got some electric fencing stakes to practise at home so the weaves (which I think are the hardest to learn) are now very good on the left and getting there on the right. Totally addictive and a great thing to do with your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted August 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2008 First pictures of Kiera doing fun agility on this thread here: http://www.rykat.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=41038 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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