TTouch for Gus

So I spent the last two days working with Gus at a TTouch Seminar. All I can say is that this has been a weekend that has changed my outlook on everything. We started with Gus on edge and unable to lay down. He was hyper vigilant and barking and lunging at the other dogs. By the end of the first day he was laying down and by the end of the second he was sleeping. I was also able to put him in to a sit stay and go outside to the car. He did not move once during the whole time. People who knew Gus were amazed at his transformation. The instructor was Sage Lewis from Dancing Porcupine; she was amazing.

If you have a dog that has problems with focus or relaxation I would totally recommend this class. What a huge change in his behavior.

Important reminders for Agility

I don't remember where I got this from but this is good information to remember about Agility:

1. Run clean
2. Work every obstacle and stay focused.
3. Run my plan.
4. Trust my dog. He can do it!
5. "If you can believe it, your mind can achieve it."
6. "Concentration is the ability to think of absolutely nothing when it is absolutely necessary".

These are good to remember when you are working with your dog.

Crosses Diagram

Here is an explanation of the physical differences between the two types of crosses. The front cross moves the handler away from the dogs path and the rear cross moves the handler into the dogs path.

New USDAA Broad Jump

This is a picture of the new USDAA regulation Broad Jump. Very different from the old one. Good Dog is order new ones for the Training Locker and show trailers. We should start training this new look in the fall. We are also getting some 2 by 2 weaves to start training those.

What we've been up to...

I have been super busy with training the boys. Gus has been on a jump free agility program since our last session at Top Notch Canine. He seems to stress so much around the jumps so we are working on desensitizing him to the jumps which has been marginally successful. We continue to work on his focus and arousal levels with daily CU work. He is doing much better. We had some motion work with another dog in class last week He did pretty well but he did cut around the barrier a few times to herd Spike. I have put Gus back on the Valerian root because he was getting too excited at class again. He has responded to the restricted jumping pretty well. We have been using the manners minder device to control his problems while kenneled during Flex's class and while I am teaching the master's class. It is helping. We set it with the random dispensing feature set and he is not barking so much. I even got him to lay down and watch the other dogs doing agility. He was calm for at least part of the time.

Flex has been trying my patience in class the last few weeks. He has been unfocused and I have not been very successful in getting him back on track. We left class early yesterday because I was just too frustrated with him. Yesterday and today we have gone outside in the front yard and down to the green belt to work some CU stuff. I have also ordered a set of 12 channel weaves (from Circle S Agility) so I can start drilling the weaves in multiple locations. I am looking forward getting the TTouch class under my belt because I think that will help both of the boys.

This morning I took Flexi to the park and worked on his focus on me. He did pretty well, but the whiplash game is something we are struggling with. Gus is mmuch better at it. We need to continue workinig it. Gus and I worked on sending him to the food pouch from about 20 feet away. We worked up to that distance because at first he was not moving directly away from me to the obstacle. By the end he was doing well and there was another dog in the park which he was able to ignore it and work around. Same thing happened with Flex but I only asked for him to lay down and pay attention to me. I think it is about all he can handle just yet.