# My *Oh Crap* Moment !



## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Well, might have been a great run till............. the dang end ! I guess it could have been worse & been a bar.  Anyway, Q'd & 2nd, but her time was better than dog that got 1st.

Ok, MRL, I know always handling error so, what did I do ?


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

I'm hardly qualified to make these claims, but I wanted to throw my theory in before the experienced folks to see if I'm learning or not! 

I took a couple screenshots right as your dog was exiting the weave poles. I recall a recent article MRL linked to stating:


> The handler’s goal is to always let the dog know the direction to next obstacle before they commit to the current obstacle.


When I look at your dog exiting the poles, she is definitely not looking at the next obstacle. Also notice you aren't either, nor are you pointing to it. In these sequential screenshots, you can see that your dog went _exactly_ the direction your hand and shoulders pointed. Also (though I know practically _nothing_ about this) your right hand is behind your back in these captures. Couldn't you use it to support the dog- meaning bring them to you?

...That's just my guess.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Actually I know nothing at all about Agility rules but it was fun to watch your run. I have had a few of those "oh crap" moments in the Rally ring when I suddenly didn't know where the next station was. Sometimes they lay the course out strangely. The last one I was in had the course set up so that at the end we had to go back and forth 3 times before exiting. I know Raina was confused but we Q'd anyway. I do know that the dogs read body language best so maybe you were giving the wrong body directional language. Either way that is a very nice looking dog you have.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks both ! 

Willy, makes perfect sense to me.  That's why I video, to catch the mistakes, because I know there is gonna be some........... LOL


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Congratulations on a good run, qualify and placement. 

You had to redo that last jump. The dog looked like he was having fun. So how do you improve for the next time? 

I am not to the point of fine tuning agility runs. We have done some very basic agility, but not anywhere near trialing. I almost think you might have been thinking finish prior to that last jump though, and the dog picked up on it. I could be wrong. 

Anyhow it was fun to watch.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I agree with Willy's assessment, in the first frame he froze, I would have been yelling HERE to pull her in,,(she's just exiting weaves, and the "here" would have lined her right up with that last jump if she turned..By the second frozen frame, she's already heading straight ahead vs turning into you The third frame, note your shoulders (as willy said) your pushing her out vs coming in..

But hey, nice run !! timing is everything) and Congrats on the Q !


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

JakodaCD OA said:


> But hey, nice run !! timing is everything) and Congrats on the Q !


I didn't say this in my initial reply and entirely meant to! It was still a great run, and much better than we could do! Congrats on the qualify!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Aw, thanks guys......................... 

Yes, I see it now, my shoulders........  I so need to pay attention to my body language as these darn GSD's pick up on that big time! I normally do have a loud (LOL) & good *HERE*, but sometimes I do tend to get shy at trials. :blush:

That's why I have my friend video, for you all to catch & point out my issues & mistakes.  

So would be cool to be like MRL & Bretta though................


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

body movement is very important, (altho we all mess up!! so no biggy!)..

Here's a simple experiment you can try to see how body language can affect a run..

Set up a couple of obstacles straight on,,say an aframe, a tunnel, a jump,,all in a row.. Head straight on for ONE of them but yell the 'obstacle name' of another..such as head straight for the aframe, but yell tunnel..your dog I think you'll find is going to head in the direction YOU are going vs the obstacle your telling him.. 

If you watch the experienced handlers run a border collie for example, you will notice one "little" twitch of body movement in a certain direction that may be off course, or to soon, is going to send that dog where your moving, especially the shoulders..


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

JakodaCD OA said:


> body movement is very important, (altho we all mess up!! so no biggy!)..
> 
> Here's a simple experiment you can try to see how body language can affect a run..
> 
> ...


Oh yea........... I know 100% my crew follows me more than prob knowing what I'm saying. I just don't realize I'm not doing it right..........  This is the dept I so want to do better with, *handling* movements & distance work, big time, hard with velco GSD's............

Thanks again all, keep advice coming.......


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## cornishbecky (Oct 10, 2010)

I cant wait for my poodle to be ready to compete.

And our body language is far more important than any verbal cues, I have a deaf dog that i competed (untill HD stopped her at 3 yrs old), it was a huge learning curve, and after a while i never said a word (whats the point) and had to exajurate (?sp) my body lanuage, at times i wished she could hear me, like in the begining when she would run out of the ring or to gee her up a bit, but most of the time i didnt need it.
Now with the poodle i have gone back to bombarding her with all these verbal cues which im sure to her is just annoying noise.
Here is a video of my collie (although for some annoying reason i clap my hands alot? i think that is desperation to get a clear round this is our first clear round and we won).




Bec


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

cornishbecky said:


> I cant wait for my poodle to be ready to compete.
> 
> And our body language is far more important than any verbal cues, I have a deaf dog that i competed (untill HD stopped her at 3 yrs old), it was a huge learning curve, and after a while i never said a word (whats the point) and had to exajurate (?sp) my body lanuage, at times i wished she could hear me, like in the begining when she would run out of the ring or to gee her up a bit, but most of the time i didnt need it.
> Now with the poodle i have gone back to bombarding her with all these verbal cues which im sure to her is just annoying noise.
> ...


Just AWESOME !!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

WONDERFUL RUN!!!!

And clearly the 24" isn't causing any issues.

I agree with everyone else, your pup just thought he was going straight after the weaves. Neat to see in the screen shots how HE is only looking straight ahead and past the jump when exiting the weaves. And though you are bending off to take the jumps, I'm betting he was just cuing from your forward motion (good that he's not clingy! You better be running in FAST!!).

I know that I tend to put up my OPPOSITE arm now to cue Bretta about a 'we are not going straight' part of the course. It turns my SHOULDERS which it the part of my body my dogs seem to really be watching the most. So if this had been Bretta and just calling her name to 'check in' with me wasn't enough to bend her to me.... then a quick opposite arm to get her to look at me and then think 'GOT IT, mom's going this way' usually works.

Can't tell you how impressed I am that you didn't get him BACK jumping that last jump! Great job pulling him around and not over.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> WONDERFUL RUN!!!!
> 
> And clearly the 24" isn't causing any issues.
> 
> ...


 
Ok, he is a she................. LOL  This is Sable. I also have Storm (you met) & Shadow. 

Thanks so much for the comment.  Yes, she did good with the 24". She is a tough gal at 7 yrs of age.  

I totally see my body language & me heading straight............  Not sure why she then didn't jump the 2nd time?  Yes, TG I got her back *around* with not much room to jump over jump, but hey, 3rd time was a charm!  Been there, done that with back jumping !!!  Would be so nice to have a flawless run & still working on that one.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

LuvourGSDs said:


> Ok, he is a she................. LOL  This is Sable. I also have Storm (you met) & Shadow.


OOPS, sorry


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## TaraM1285 (Sep 24, 2009)

Very nice run! Great job!



LuvourGSDs said:


> Not sure why she then didn't jump the 2nd time?


To my eyes, she was just following your motion past the jump. Even though your arm was pointing at the jump, your motion heading straight to get yourself around the jump wing was signal ing her to move with you. Nice job working through that! I'm also impressed she didn't back jump it!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

MaggieRoseLee said:


> OOPS, sorry


 
Sable says, that's ok. LOL 

For Easter weekend, made it in for Fri & on the waitlist for Sat. 

I so would like to do CPE, shutting down NADAC that comes here twice a yr.    I am so bummed, NADAC keeps making changes I guess & club can't keep up with the expense.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

I must say, I really do enjoy all of these agility videos! To the complete novice you look like an expert lol. 
Hopefully I can get to this point some day!!


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