Okay, so first of all... if you are not a complete and utter, all-consumed Agility nerd like I am, you better close this webpage right now, before I bore you into a complete yawn-induced coma...
I didn't do that much with the dogs today: A. Because it is absolutely piping hot and humid... I have actually resorted to lying down and making swimming motions on the cold tile floor (yes, remember on top of being an agility nerd I am certifiably insane). and B. My dogs bark when I work my other dogs (I don't mind this... I DO mind my dogs barking at other dogs being worked by other random people, but I WANT my dogs to be THAT excited about me), anyhow this barking kind of drives Anthony up the walls (yes you can get the Excorsist, dislocated limbs picture in your head, laugh but it is true)... Hence I only did a tiny little but with them, but I decided to do an experiment with Spaz. If you actually read this blog (what is wrong with you, are you that bored or that 'agility nerdy'?), you will remember that I mentioned in a recent post that I lengthening my sequencing during training. Let me just clarify, this does not mean I now run 20 sequences of 30 obstacles each during every training session. I still only train for 5min or so (less today because of above mentioned factors), I just do more obstacles before rewarding and then the 'rewarding session' becomes longer.
Anyhow, so when I trained Chaos this morning, I ran the dogwalk, five times in the first sequence and four in the second. I taped myself and timed his dogwalks... to explain my timing, I timed each dogwalk 5 times and used the average, I timed from first paw on until 2o2o position (NOT the release). Now theoretically, lets say at the World Champs, I would release as soon as the dog touched the contact, but for my timing purposes I never time like that... haha, that would be WAY too tempting... Anyhow so here are the results:
Sequence 1
Just btw, I realise it is a super crappy angle to tape from, but my garden has limited agility space, kay?
Dogwalk 1: 2.31 seconds - Okayish, I guess, for a 2o2o dogwalk not TOO bad...
Dogwalk 2: 2.30 seconds - Sigh same as above
Dogwalk 3: 2.19 seconds - Okay now we are getting there Spaz
Dogwalk 4: 2.30 seconds - Really?? You just had a sub 2.20 my boy?
Dogwalk 5: 2.21 seconds - And better again
Okay, so dogwalks 1, 3 and 5 had the same approach, dogwalk 2 and 4 the same... hmmmm...
We had a good play and then I did another repition of four dogwalks...
Dogwalk 1: 2.16 seconds, not too shabby
Dogwalk 2: 2.41 seconds, eish buddy boy, move those legs :)
Dogwalk 3: 2.08 seconds, wohoo! Awesome, that is more like it should be
Dogwalk 4: 2.25 seconds, not too bad, but could be better.
Anyhow, my point is, that speed is not always determined by the length of your sequence OR the approach. I think it depends on the dog's striding ONTO the dogwalk... well that is my opinion for now. But I will do this little exercise a few times this week and let you know.
I have to admit that the reason I am so obsessed with dogwalks atm, is because of Volt. You will not believe how many people have asked me whether I am going to do a running dw with him because he is a Sheltie... huh? What the hell does him being a Sheltie have to do with it??? Does it not depend on my training and handling and preferences??? I don't think I would ever be happy with the consistency of a running dogwalk or the stress that accompanies that. But luckily we are still FAR away from making that decision... I do have to include this super cool vid of the High Voltage Sheltie Maniac targetting though...
And just before I get all the Agility and Clicker Guru's moaning at me:
1. I know I was late on clicking for the release...
2. I have not trained body position at all and I have put NOTHING to a verbal command yet, so at the moment I don't mind him turning around when he targets...
The little man is only 16 weeks old and we are still mainly just doing some hectic playing (I have the puncture wounds to prove it)... As long as he is one happy playful maniac I am one happy punctured exhausted mom!
No comments:
Post a Comment