# Agility: We have lift-off!



## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

I entered an agility trial for the first time in over 20 years this weekend, with my boy, Pinyon, who is getting a late start in agility at age 6.5 years. Before I entered, I got his two VOM measurements to make sure he did not measure over 22 inches. It was very close! Both judges got 22 inches, which means he can jump 16" in preferred. If he had measured over 22", and had to jump 20" in preferred, I would have done NADAC instead of AKC. I really wanted to do AKC, because there are so many AKC agility trials compared to NADAC. So, very happy about that. 

Pinyon didn't have some issues I thought he'd have and did have issues I thought he wouldn't. The only equipment he's seen is my own, most of it bought 25 years ago. I thought he'd be wary of different contact equipment, but it was a complete non-issue. On the other hand, I was pretty sure he was ready for weaves, but he had a lot of trouble finding weave entrances. He kept getting better with every class. My theory is that he was either too excited to focus (He was WAY more excited than I expected) or that my weave poles have a wide, bright white base that he is used to cuing off of. The trial poles had a nearly invisible base in the grass. On his last run of the weekend, he nailed the weave pole entrance at speed and I was so thrilled, I yelled "YES!" and pulled him out of the poles. 

Being old and slow, I've emphasized stopped contacts and distance in training. Stopped contacts give me a chance to hobble around to where I need to be for the next sequence of obstacles. He was really good about holding his contacts and waiting for his release, except for a slip off the end of the teeter in his first Standard Q (in the video). 

We managed to pick up 2 Standard Qs, 1 JWW Q, and 1 FAST Q, all in Novice Preferred this weekend. 

A video of our very first Q in Novice Standard, which should give hope to all of the "athletically-challenged" handlers out there. 





Looking forward to new adventures in dog training with my best boy.


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## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Nicely done! This makes me want to go trial with my girl again right now! I gotta wait a couple more weeks still though.


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## ScoutTheGolden (Apr 14, 2021)

Thanks for sharing! I've been thinking about trying agility with my 3yr old girl. Seeing you start with a 6 yr old inspires me that we can do this, even if I didn't start from when she was a puppy!


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## njdglvr (May 9, 2020)

“A video of our very first Q in Novice Standard, which should give hope to all of the "athletically-challenged" handlers out there.”
Watching the communication between you and Pinyon brought tears to my eyes. You definitely give hope to me! I didn’t try agility with my goldens when I was younger- just obedience. But I see I have so much more understanding and patience now that I’m older- I want to start in agility with my next dog(current dog is a 10 1/2 year old hound mix!).
Kelly thanks for the encouraging post!😍


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

Thank you for sharing Kelly! He’s a very good boy! Congratulations!!

Something I just noticed from your video, do agility handlers not wear armbands on their left arm?


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Great job!! Congratulations!!


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

ScoutTheGolden said:


> Thanks for sharing! I've been thinking about trying agility with my 3yr old girl. Seeing you start with a 6 yr old inspires me that we can do this, even if I didn't start from when she was a puppy!


As long as your dog is still physically sound, they can start with agility at any age (well, any age after their growth plates close and they can handle the jumping, climbing, and weaving). All of my dogs have competed up to age 11 (and I stopped because I lost them, not because they weren't still capable). My first girl was too arthritic from a young age to compete, but I took her to classes until she was 12.5 (although we stopped letting her do the A-frame and lowered the jump heights).

My middle boy, Castor, came to me at the age of 3. I spent a couple of years getting his manners down pat, but now, at the age of 7, he is just about ready to start competing. He loves it!



ArkansasGold said:


> Something I just noticed from your video, do agility handlers not wear armbands on their left arm?


Not to answer for Kelly, but it may depend on the club and/or organization. It's been awhile since I was in the competition ring, but I believe at some trials I had a label (too small to be read from a distance) I could put anywhere on my body (a lot of handlers chose their upper thigh), or nothing (and just made sure that either I or the gate steward called out "This is Moxie!" before we started the run, to be sure the score keepers verified they were scoring the right dog. [Edit: If you listen closely, you'll hear someone on the video calling out Pinyon's name when he's on the line. The names you hear called immediately after are the dogs "on deck."]


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## KKaren (Oct 29, 2014)

so wonderful !! congratulations on your Qs


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## Deborus12 (Nov 5, 2017)

Congratulations! So wonderful watching your video! My pups love agility too and it doesn't take a young person to run them. I just hit 71 years on this earth and you are right.....distance handling helps


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

Pinyon's first agility title, NAP (Novice Standard Preferred) is in the books. We ran FAST (NQ) and Novice Standard today at the sheltie club trial at the Spokane Fairgrounds. The day did not get off to a great start. Pinyon wasn't hungry and didn't eat his small breakfast. I decided to check out of the hotel, but do his morning FAST and early afternoon Novice Standard runs. 

He seemed perky enough, and enthusiastic, but refused the teeter in FAST. However, his appetite was back after FAST and by the time Novice Standard started, he was full of energy. He had a wrong course because I didn't turn fast enough to pull him towards me and he was rocketing. (No video, unfortunately.) He took the teeter at such speed, it slammed down and he bounced off. I was afraid he'd would be called for a fly-off, but, to my surprise, it was a Q. We scratched from Jumpers, which wasn't scheduled to start until after 6 pm, and I drove home. I will probably drive up to Spokane (a 2-hour drive) tomorrow for the 11:10 Jumpers class. He's not quite ready for Open, so I'm scratching from the Novice Standard classes on Saturday and Sunday. It's nice to finish a Novice title in his first two weekends of showing, but things get real in Open. It won't be so easy from here. We'll tackle that level next year. 

Nope, no armbands. Agility has changed a lot since I last did it a couple decades ago. The trial I went to last week didn't have reliable internet, so you checked in by putting a checkmark next to your dog's name on the board. The scribe will ask who you are if he/she doesn't recognize you or if you are running one of the gazillion BCs, Shelties, or Aussies. At this trial, they used a phone app called Agility Gate. You can check in or scratch a dog from your phone and see the dogs crossed off as they come to the line. There are also maps for the courses posted on Agility Gate.


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## PalouseDogs (Aug 14, 2013)

Pinyon got his second Novice Jumpers leg at the Sheltie club trial today. I remembered to ask someone to video. I took a chance and started the run with me well off to the side. In practice, that sometimes causes him to came towards me. I was yelling OUT!, unnecessarily loudly because I was worried about that, but he did the first part well, at least until I sent him out and into the corner on the 6th jump by not turning soon enough. After that, it was kind of clunky. I called “here, here! before the weaves to pull him away from a “trap” jump, and he obediently came to me instead of going into the weaves. On the last jump circle after the weaves, my plan was to be further away, but I chickened out and ended up in an awkward location behind him. I have a lot of work this winter to make up cues faster and smoother. He does whatever I cue him, but I give him the wrong cues too often.


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## LucyNoble (Apr 10, 2021)

I am very late commenting on this thread ... but ... I am thoroughly impressed by PalouseDog as a trainer, owner and I am impressed with Pinyon too. We do backyard agility (for fun) and you have inspired me to keep it up and maybe even take it more seriously! Well done.

Thank you for posting and for the inspiration!!!


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

I missed the first time this was posted too. This was actually a nice novice run! I was impressed with the distance you started with, and that was a lovely “switch” on the last jump. The one thing I did notice was he was looking back at you a lot during the run to try to determine where you wanted him to go next. That’s a common issue with those of us who can’t keep up with our dogs. When I was an instructor (a million years ago) I always encouraged my students to try running their dogs as silently as possible, and concentrating on making their physical cues clear to the dog. I watched a second time and except for the “heres” (which you already indentified the timing issues on) you actually don’t appear to be a handler who overuses her verbals, but it’s still an interesting challenge to practice (I.e., running silently, or with your only verbals being praise or encouragement). I know your dogs have a strong OB background and I think those dogs sometimes struggle with being given “permission” to work away from you. If you’re a slow runner, teaching a “go on” cue (“keep going to the next logical obstacle even if Im behind you”) will save your butt. I know a lot of judges love to put in a straight run at the end of a course when you’re exhausted, and I‘ve blown more than one Q because my dog turned back to see where I was instead of driving ahead to the end.

l know this was posted months ago so I’d love to see a video of how you are doing now. I hope you’re having fun!


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

I also missed the second video! Nice job, especially the layering at the beginning. It's wonderful to have a dog who is so connected and looks to you for guidance, like yours does. As a fellow mobility-challenged handler, the most important lessons I've learned are that I have a lot more time to make crosses than I think I have, and blind crosses are my friend! Getting to the right place makes all the difference in giving the dog a comfortable line to the obstacles. It took me years to master that particular art.

I'm looking forward to following your progress! Please keep posting the videos.


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## pawsnpaca (Nov 11, 2014)

Agreed! Perfecting your crosses (of all kinds!) will be your friend! If you’ve got a fast dog, you’ll make heavy use of distance handling and rear crosses. If your dog is more steady, then blinds will serve you well. And that “switch” you already have will be super helpful as well, as will a solid start line stay which will allow for maximim lead outs.


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