# Mal Agility



## agilegsds (Dec 31, 2003)

Not a GSD, but kinda close. 

I uploaded some video of a friend and his young Mal at an AKC trial last week, so I thought I'd share. I think it was her second trial and her first outdoor trial. She didn't want to weave that day, babydog stuff, but lovely runs. I wanted to see how she did since we both have the same trainer and my Gordon is on the same track as she was.

She ran first in JWW. He made a good choice of not forcing the weave issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPDhG1T2VdI

Standard run. Another good decision to go on without the weaves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTEvRrw6B88


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

That's the first time EVER I've heard them ask to confirm out # rather than the dog's name at a trial! I'd have been all upside down freaked out trying to read the number right before my run!!!

He did a great job, running fast, not stressing out at the weaves and finally just running on, you could see the dog never shut down. The man even kept his pants up!!! Great contacts!

I know when I first started in Novice with Bretta I had only been training on 12 weavepoles. So when we were at a trial she acted just the same as the Mal, like they didn't even recognize or know to go into them. What worked for me is breaking up the set of 12 in my yard to 6 and heavy rewarding the entries/weaving. As well as asking the same at class. Bretta quickly started recognizing them at the trials.


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## agilegsds (Dec 31, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeeI know when I first started in Novice with Bretta I had only been training on 12 weavepoles. So when we were at a trial she acted just the same as the Mal, like they didn't even recognize or know to go into them. What worked for me is breaking up the set of 12 in my yard to 6 and heavy rewarding the entries/weaving. As well as asking the same at class. Bretta quickly started recognizing them at the trials.


I think that's the case here too, since our trainer starts dogs with 12 poles. My Gordon has never seen 6 poles so I'll have to do what you recommend before showing her next year. I would like to see AKC get rid of 6 poles entirely and use 12 in Novice like USDAA.


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## mygsds (Jan 7, 2007)

Nice runs - I love watching new dogs start off. I also envy some of the handlers ))Those were nice courses and he did right to go on from the weaves. 

Pat


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