# Belated Brag - New AXJ



## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

Last weekend Teller and I (and Murphy too) headed down to the Thanksgiving cluster in Springfield, Mass. Four buildings of dog show - two breed buildings (something like 30 rings of conformation), 5 rings of obedience/rally and four rings of agility - they call it the "biggest show on dirt" and with 1900+ runs (technically 1920) it's the largest agility trial in the country.

The thrills of our weekend were in the JWW ring. Teller earned his first Ex A JWW leg in Granby, MA at the end of September and his second at the Mattiponi Kennel Club show in Virginia. We blew our STD runs all weekend with either contact problems or communication problems. But Friday he came together in the afternoon and nailed his EX JWW run with a 1st and Q to finish his AXJ title. Teller is now a Can CH SunKissed Light and Magic CD RN NA NAP AXJ NJP CCA CGC CGN.

It just so happens that Teller's AXJ earned another title - this time for Daddy Robin (*BISS Am-Can Ch. Nitro's Boy Wonder OS SDHF CGC TDI*) - as AXJ is a seven point GRCA title and as such finished Robin's outstanding sire "OS". What a thrill for us to be part of the five qualifying progeny.

Teller was not finished for the weekend though - Saturday we walked out of the JWW ring with another Q, this time in Excellent B and with FIVE MACH points!! Teller's first MACH points!!! Holy cow! Sunday he spoiled me again with another JWW Q for four more points! I ran both courses conservatively - we weren't running for speed yet. But the end result is that baby Teller now has NINE MACH POINTS!!!

This is Teller's first season out playing agility - his first trial was Syracuse at the end of March when he finished his NJP and then his NAP two weeks later - my goal for him this season was for him to have fun, build some confidence in the ring (though confidence isn't really his issue) and to hopefully finish his novice preferred titles. He's done that and more. 

In May I moved him up to 24" to see what we had. He finished his Novice titles in two weekends and his Open JWW title in another two weekends. We had a weekend in July with some runs that were really close to an excellent JWW leg - but one of us made a mistake each run. We took August off and enjoyed the pool and summer. So in six months and eight weekends my Woo has gone from Novice to MACH points. 

On another note, I used some of my three days "off" this weekend (if you call logging only 15 work hours over the long weekend "off") to put the box on the a-frame. We've been laying the groundwork for Rachael Sander's box method over the last few weeks but I hadn't put the box on the aframe yet. It's still early, but I'm loving the initial successes of this method for him. There are some great reps, some three "hit" reps and once where he hits the box (and another where he vibrates the box off the A-frame). He's a really honest dog, I think the box gives him very clear criteria. If you're interested in such a thing the reps from yesterday are on youtube:


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## DNL2448 (Feb 13, 2009)

Way to go! I didn't understand a word you said other than Teller got an agility title and MACH points and his daddy got his OS, now those I understand and some HUGE congratulations are in order!!! CONGRATULATIONS TELLER AND HIS DADDY!


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Yay! Congratulations!!! What an amazing weekend. It sounds like a huge show! I imagine it was a pretty crazy environment, so extra kudos for keeping focus and getting your title and MACH points!! Woo hoo!

The start of the running a-frame looks great too, you will have to keep us up to date on how it works for you.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

I had been using a target on the floor for his a-frame contact. It was working really well for us - until the end of the summer when he started blowing the a-frame in trial. I don't think he had a clear enough criteria of what it was I wanted from him on the a-frame....

So we'll see. We're trialing this weekend - it's too soon to know anything for sure - but I'll see what we have.

Erica


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Erica, congratulations to you and Woo and Robin, too Good luck over the weekend; hope the specific training works for the always handsome Teller. BTW, you're being sought after over on GRIC.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

yahoo! BIG congratulations on a job so well done!


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

Congratulations Murphy and Erica!!!!! 

That sounds like a fun show! And I thought the one I was at over the weekend was big. LOL


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## hawtee (Nov 1, 2006)

Wonderful job Erica, you must be so proud of Teller 

hmm... I think I will have to try the box, Lilli has decided to blow her contacts lately and I was looking for a newer method..


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Huge congrats to Owner,dog and breeder(ie:his Dad)!.


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

hawtee said:


> Wonderful job Erica, you must be so proud of Teller
> 
> hmm... I think I will have to try the box, Lilli has decided to blow her contacts lately and I was looking for a newer method..


Rachel's DVD is mind-numbingly boring. It's about two hours long with what in my estimation is about 30 minutes of content. But it's worth watching because of what you'll see vs what you'll read in her clean run article or in the included diagram. 

I'll stress the foundation and ground work - the pounce into the box is important - spend the time getting them to pounce in on a verbal from a stand-still. I have probably 4 hours of box work (on the ground) in over the last 6 weeks (in 10 minute sessions) - by itself, from other obstacles (jump, tunnel, box), etc. What I'm seeing now that the box is on the a-frame is that he's really extending on the down to pounce in the box and even on days two and three he's consistently hitting the same part of the contact zone in every rep. With that kind of patterning my hope is that we'll cross into muscle memory at the same time as he understands the pattern.

Erica


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

I read the articles and I have watched some videos on youtube... It seems like a nice training plan Teller looks like he has a pretty good idea of what he is supposed to do. Let us know how it goes! Do you have regular (daily) access to an a-frame?


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

sammydog said:


> Do you have regular (daily) access to an a-frame?


Sort of. I don't have my own - nor do I want my own (cause then I've got to move it). But I teach at a training center a few days a week and my "salary" is that I get rentals and practice sessions. So yeah I do techincally have daily access to an a-frame - I end up out there 4-5 days a week to work if we don't have a trial that weekend...I don't do a lot of drills or reps on anything in particular. Mostly I'll go out there with one specific goal in a session and then work that into what is set-up already (I don't like to put up or move the dogwalk or a-frame by myself). We also need to make time to work obedience and from time to time I try to remind him how a breed ring dog should act  As always it's a balancing act ;-)

Erica


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## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

That sounds like the perfect setup! I am interested to see how Teller progresses! I wish I had more access to contact equipment… We are limited to using them during classes… I would actually love to have my own, but space would be a big problem. Also, like you said moving them, although I have seen some of the newer ones with retractable wheels, which make them pretty easy to move with two people (one if you are good!)


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