Mischief Monday: Agility Trial Fun

We started the year off right with a really fun agility trial.  This was sponsored by the place we take lessons from, All American Dog Sports and was a NADAC trial.  We entered 4 classes: Touch n Go, Regular Round 1, Regular Round 2, and Jumpers.  All were in the Intro level except Touch n Go and that was Novice.

The morning was very cold compared to the warm winter we have been having so the dogs were feeling it.  The first class was Touch n Go and it was a HOT MESS!!  OH MY!  The dogs were everywhere.  Teach did place 8th, but didn't qualify and Tucker went off course so got eliminated.  They both had a good time and I had hoped got all the excitement out of their systems.  I do have videos of it I'll share ... in all of our hot mess glory ... HAHA!  (as a side note after watching the videos they didn't seem to do as bad as it felt out there!)

First is Teach.  At the end he came out of the tunnel and went to check the judge out ... he didn't seem real sure about him.

Next up was Tucker.  He's so happy ... HAHA!  We had one moment of brilliance coming out of the tunnel under the dog walk, he's running ahead of me going through every hoop he should (he's also listening to me!), hits the A-Frame, goes through the hoops and was suppose to hit the A-Frame on the way back and did the tunnel instead ... oops!  Then we went to visit the judge at the end, even trying to jump on him.  He thought that may get him some bonus points, but I told him that didn't work that way.

So the first class would be our mischief class because the rest of the trial they redeemed themselves.  Teach qualified in Reg. Round 1 & 2 with a 4th place in Round 1 and a 2nd place in Round 2.  He did excellent in Jumpers, but didn't qualify because of time faults, he was 2 seconds over, but did place 4th.  Qualifying in Round 1 & 2 meant he finished his Intro Regular Title where he had a Q from the previous trial.  I put together his videos from the 3 classes.  They are here:

Tucker also redeemed himself.  Like Teach, Tucker qualified in Regular Round 1 & 2 with a 1st place in Round 2.  This also finished his Intro Regular Title.  In Jumpers Tucker qualified and placed 3rd.  A big plus in Round 2 and in Jumpers was Tucker didn't go visit any of the ring crew, that's huge for him!!  Here are his videos from the 3 classes:

It was a successful weekend.  They dogs came home with lots of ribbons!  We are loving agility and I really see a lot of potential in Tucker.  Teach enjoys it, but I think he does it more for me than himself, but he does have a good time.  And as long as he's having a good time I'll continue to play the agility game.  Tucker truly does seem to LOVE it.  That dogs just flies around the ring.  Randy had a lady stop to see Tucker while he was videoing Teach and I and she couldn't believe the personality Tucker had and said most collies she sees certainly aren't as outgoing as him.  

Our First Agility Trial Experience

This past weekend Teach, Tucker and I got to participate in our first ever agility trial.  I wasn't going to enter it because I just didn't think we were ready.  But when my instructor started talking about the Intro level they were offering and how it would be a good experience I decided, why not give it a try. We entered Intro Level Regular and Intro Level Jumpers.

We went in with no expectations other than to have a good time.  And that we did.  The people we met there were so nice and welcoming.  Everyone encouraged each other.  And no matter what happened in the ring everyone seemed very positive and upbeat.

NADAC is neat where you can still place even if you don't qualify.  So different from what I'm use to.

As most saw yesterday the boys did excellent.  I couldn't be more pleased with them.

Teach placed first in Regular and qualified and he placed third in Jumpers (but didn't qualify).  Tucker placed third in Regular and didn't place in Jumpers and didn't qualify.  And here when we started training for this I really didn't think Teach would last he just seemed miserable sometimes.  Randy says he is a performer and doesn't "practice".  Thanks to my instructor, Andrea, for telling me not to give up on him and keep trying.  He seemed so happy out there and even played with a tug before we started which never usually happens.

Tucker is VERY enthusiastic on the course (well he is very enthusiastic in anything he does) and I see we need to learn how to control that from a distance.  He did what I expected him to do though, and that was to visit the ring stewards ... LOL!!  He is just so social.  Other than visiting he did excellent for such a young dog and his first experience.

I was the cause the of them not qualifying in Jumpers, just my inexperience.  And it showed.  Teach took a jump the wrong direction and Tucker went in the tunnel off course.

We had several people want to meet the dogs.  Not only were they there to perform but apparently to be a good breed ambassador once again.  Teach and Tucker are always ready to meet new people.

Enough with all the typing ... I'll post the videos and pictures below.  The videos are Teach's Regular, Tucker's Regular, Teach's Jumpers and Tucker's Jumpers.  Thanks to Randy for the videos and our friend April for the pictures (which were taken with my new camera!).

Having too much fun!