One week from today, Stanley and I will most likely have finished at least one run of our very first agility trial. I cannot believe it is only a week away. Yikes!
I also cannot believe I signed up for a fourth run. At first, I entered three games and no Standard agility, but then I realized that a Level 1 Standard course should be a very reasonable challenge for us. In class, we are usually working on much harder courses—often Level 5—so adding the excitement, stress, and energy of competition to a Level 1 course feels like something we can attempt.
Of course, we will see if Stan agrees!
Four runs may end up being a little much, but I can always scratch one if he seems tired or overwhelmed. I could also use one of the runs as practice time: get into the ring, work together, and make it a positive experience without putting too much pressure on either of us. We will see how the schedule goes and how we are both feeling.
We had class again last night, but the weather did not cooperate, so we were indoors. It was not Stanley’s best night. He has not been indoors in a while, and I think all the new smells, close quarters, and dogs hanging around near the course were very distracting for him.
His first run was pretty awful, honestly. But after that, he started to figure it out and listened much better. That is what matters. The new start-line routine—simply putting him down and going—is still working fairly well. I would still love to eventually have a reliable start-line stay, but with competition only a week away, I think it is more important to use what is working now. We can keep refining the stay after the trial.
Today there is no class, and it is absolutely beautiful outside. I am hoping to make time this afternoon to set up a small course in the yard and do a little practice. I keep the jumps very low so we can work on focus and discipline without putting unnecessary strain on his little body.
Tomorrow should be a fun adventure. A little roadtrip, and we are going to watch some of our friends compete, which will be great experience for me—and good exposure for Stanley—without asking him to do much physical work. On Sunday, I am hoping to find time for some simple obedience practice.
Then next week, we only have class on Wednesday. Maybe I can get out to the outdoor course for a little practice Thursday evening. Some walks and obedience practice on the off days.
And then Friday… yikes!
Stanley and I are definitely not going into this trial expecting perfection. My goal is to have fun, keep him feeling confident, and hopefully finish at least one run together. Everything else will be a bonus. This first trial is about learning what competition feels like and celebrating how far my little guy has already come.
