We had a small victory yesterday...
I got to go to a new place to train, a really nice girl invited us over and we were able to practice the Aframe..so with a new place we were able to add in a few new variables:
New Variables added yesterday:
1. A new person standing and watching her do the Aframe-(like a judge would do)
2. Totally different footing-this was a shredded bark like mulch.
3. Totally new Aframe-this was an Aluminum Aframe which sounded and I am sure felt totally different- (mine is a fiberglass Aframe which has a fair amount of bounce)
4. The aframe was raised several inches-I think this one was about 5 feet
5. I started Cricket further back, I think I have been starting her too close to the Aframe at home.
BY GEORGE I THINK CRICKET IS GENERALIZING HER AFRAME PERFORMANCE!
RESULT-
It looked good, my friend was impressed ;-), the only problem is that I keep seeing Cricket slightly ticking the PVC box with her foot....if the box was gone it would be fine, if the box was not still slightly raised I would not see it either, so I am not sure what to do about it. I put in a 911 email to Brittney Crickets breeder about her thoughts when I got home (she has been helping me with some of the finer points of learning the Aframe during this adventure) It was funny to start with I am not sure Cricket understood this was an aframe and I had put her further back then I do at home....she ran around the aframe a few times, but once she figured out it was the same thing we had been working on, she knew just what to do.
THE MOST EXCITING PART
WE ALMOST HAVE A REAL AFRAME PERFORMANCE-we are getting close to having a real, live, full fledged AGILITY DOG!!!!! WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!
A little less exciting but still has me doing the HAPPY DANCE is that it is an hour to drive to my friends house...but she has a good eye and wants to work together-working through some Linda M exercises, do some of the recall games and put together some sequences for Cricket. SHE EVEN USES THE LINDA M HANDLING-we are all on the same page! She has a great yard with a lot of room and since she takes privates with Rachel Saunders- she has suggested car pooling to RS's for privates (RS is about 4 hours from here).
After we worked yesterday I went over to Natures Farmacy West http://naturesfarmacywest.com/StoreFront.bok where I buy the dogs supplements...one of our assignments for the Sylvia Trkman puppy class is going to a public place and train. I asked if I could do some training in the store-they are super nice - so I was able to get in a really great training session which went really well. How nice of them to be so accommodating.
GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
Great conversation and lots of dog talk..
Great progress toward our Aframe goal...
A good plan for future progress...
Even though it was busy I got my homework done...always a good thing!