a Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Videos from the Weekend

Monday, May 07, 2007

Videos from the Weekend

SUMMARY: Qualifying runs from both Boost and Tika. They're not necessarily our best runs, but they're all that I remembered to have someone tape, out of 18 runs.

Tika's Sunday Jumpers


On this one, I had to run as fast as I could because of the straight tunnels and the distance covered. Watching myself, I look flat-footed the whole way. I need remedial lessons in how to run fast, obviously. In the far corner, you'll see me signaling Tika to turn away from me by raising my off arm. I don't do this. I have never been trained to do this. This is not in my repertoire. I'm not exactly sure where that comes from. The "right!" should do it. Then, as we come in for the closing, where I start yelling "left" and "go go go!" is because I was trying to get myself past the next-to-last jump to serpentine it before she arrived, and I didn't make it--that's because I waited (as usual) way too long on the preceding serp "to be sure she made it" instead of trusting her training and hauling butt a second or two earlier. That missed serp is where she turns in to me a bit and hesitates.



Boost's Sunday Standard

Demonstrating a lovely start-line stay. Video's zoomed out too much most of the time for this small screen, so you really can't see her start to rise while in a down on the table, or run past the weaves (except that she has to come back to me to make a second approach, which she makes nicely). After she leaves the teeter before I give the "break" command, I make her lie down, and then I do the next two down contacts deliberately slowly and controlled.

On this video, you'll hear a lot of voice that sounds like it could be me, but it's not. The only things you'll actually hear from me are "break" from the start line, "Boost boost" and "Come!" on a couple of hard pulls, and then a "woohoo" when she completes the weaves. All the other stuff is going on in the ring behind the videographer.

3 comments:

  1. You are so good about holding her contacts. I am envious.

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  2. It is pretty hard to see much on that clip but one thing I can see is that she's running *very* fast. When she's a little more seasoned and your hip and knee aren't bothering you so much, you two are going to be a tough team to beat.

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  3. Contacts: Thanks! I'm trying to be good about it, because it sucks having a dog who decides when it's time to leave and then I'm left in the dust trying to make a front cross while the dog goes offcourse. Been there. Done that. I'm also horrified that at the last 2 trials she's suddenly decided to start leaving the contacts early. I have trained *so* hard at preventing that for more than a year! I'll keep at it...

    Speed: Thanks, yes, she's very fast; I'm very lucky about that. I think that she's fully capable of beating any dog out there. If only her handler were capable of beating any handler out there, which is much more in question. And I don't intend that as an underevaluation of my abilities--as Dirty Harriet would say, "A woman's got to know her limitations." I'm just trying hard to prevent those limitations from slowing her down to figure out what the blankety-blank I'm trying to communicate to her.

    -ellen

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