# Odin's first AAC trial (video!)



## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpbPiMkMo5A&feature=youtu.be

We had a lot of fun, I really like the AAC courses and environment (it's a lot more exciting than NADAC.) We had some good stuff and some bad stuff, he kept *most* of the bars up which was my main goal for the weekend. But we still have a lot of work to do on jumping, he has a really hard time collecting enough for the 26" jumps on straightaways that are only 15' apart! (I'm sure it is going to take a year before we get a jumpers Q!) He also "came in" to me a lot which he has never done before and is a huge pet peeve of mine! However I KNOW it was because I was hndling differently than normal (babysitting the jumps.) Moral of the story, we had fun but we have a lot of work to do!!! (I also learned that I. Have. To. Be. Faster!!)


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Great job on the videos and all your runs! I thought you both looked great. The MOST important thing when starting out trialing is to make sure your dog is still having a blast and wanting to be out there with you doing 'agility' . And I saw that on all the runs.

I would be aware and work on the jumping (knocked bars) but not overly. Some of it seems to be the handler focus and timing issues that experience and more trials help smooth out.

I would be more concerned about the contacts, because when those break down at trials they are almost impossible to fix.

If you teach running contacts, then work with your instructor.

It appeared that some of the time you wanted (and got) a 2on/2off. While other times you were just running on with your dog after he happened to run thru the yellow. It was not clear to me from the video that you were requiring a 2on/2off so I'm thinking your dog may be learning that in class he has to stop (or mom marks and we fix) but at trials it is a WHOOHOO and run on regardless.

For me when I start trialing I over exaggerate my 2on/2off even sometimes counting to 2 only after the girls are in position. I have found it hard for me to stop my darn feet from moving which then tends to make the dogs break and move on. 

The other thing that is a huge help for my girls is when they do knock a bar and NQ. Because I instantly calm down from the 'oh my gosh I am at a trial' nerves and switch into training mode. This means generally I just RUN because I am no longer worried about knocked bars  plus we are really training any contacts left on the course! Heck I even still do this with my 8 yr old Bretta. Make sure she hits her 2on/2off and put in a front cross, then front again before releasing. Or leave her and go past the next jump before releasing.

And if you do have a running contact then ignore everything I just posted and keep up the good work, you runs were great


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## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks MRL! Part of the contact issue is that was the first time he has ever done a 5'6 A frame. In NADAC the a frame is 5' and I didn't even think about it before the trial. But you are right his understanding of 2o2o is a bit shady and I have been bad about doing a fast release in trials. A big part of it is his lack of rear end awareness, which we will be working on!

His handler focus was because I was handling funny, I have honestly NEVER had this problem and I'm a little disappointed that he was coming in so much as he has never done it before! But these courses are VERY different from NADAC and I think it will just be a matter of more experience. Normally I can pretty much stand in the middle of the course and direct can't do that in AAC 

As for the jumping we have been working on it a ton! Again in NADAC he has been jumping 16" so big difference there. We have so much to work on it seems a little overwhelming! Not to mention that he did an "almost fly off" on every teeter. 

On our last jumpers run I ran it like I wanted to and enforced some distance, didn't worry about the bars. I'm glad I did it, even though he knocked 5 bars! I'm still thinking I might enter him in specials, it just seems to me that he would have to slow down a lot in order to keep up the 26" bars on jumps that are so close together. 


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Looked like great fun! Nice job!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

KristiM, you are way too hard on yourself.

Those runs were fabulous! If you just watch them and think 'hm, was my dog having fun doing agility with me?' ....what I saw would be YES. New location,higher jumps, different equipment, new dogs/people/location/routine...all that and still your dog wanted to have fun doing agility with you.

That needs to be our agility goal because all other issues will be worked out over time and thru many years of training and trials. 

An agility career is more like a marathon than a race and we will trial for years (if we are lucky) with each dog. For me the Q's are the icing on the cake and though I love them I know not to necessarily expect them. Specially cause I'm in the mix and I also act differently from nerves at a trial 

You are both a great team and are doing so well!


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## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

Thanks wildo!

@ MRL Yes I am too hard on myself, I just know we have so much more potential! I was happy with his overall speed, his first jumpers run was 6.4 yps which is pretty stinkin fast! He obviously has lots of fun and that's what is most important. We are going to be starting some handling classes in the new year which I am sure will be a huge help!


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## wildo (Jul 27, 2006)

Oh- I was going to ask if you calculated his yps! Great stuff! I thought he looked pretty darn fast in the video. 6.4- very impressive! Actually- that sounds like a great spin-off thread...

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...ity-brag-your-best-yards-per-second-time.html


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## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

Lol, I was actually very surprised that his yps were that fast since he was jumping 26"! He did knock a few bars though....so did every other medium to large dog on that course though, so it certainly wasn't just us I forgot to look at his yps for steeplechase though, he was less than 3 seconds behind the fastest 26" dog and I'm betting we would have been pretty darn close if I had remembered to give a collection cue on the first jump out of the tunnel and if we didn't have that bobble I was feeling pretty down about not being able to compete speed wise with an 80 pound dog, but after this weekend I am certainly feeling like the speed is there to be able to "compete" we just need to get it together on everything else!


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## avonbankcollies (Nov 17, 2012)

I thought you guys were awesome. Yes AAC is very different from NADAC we use all the equipment and have way tighter courses, I too think you are hard on yourself  he really tried hard for you and has weaves to die for,when he gets more practice on the higher wall and gets his collection cues down watch out border collies there's a super fast GSD in the house


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## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

avonbankcollies said:


> I thought you guys were awesome. Yes AAC is very different from NADAC we use all the equipment and have way tighter courses, I too think you are hard on yourself  he really tried hard for you and has weaves to die for,when he gets more practice on the higher wall and gets his collection cues down watch out border collies there's a super fast GSD in the house
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Petguide.com Free App


Thank You We did have a lot of fun and he did do some really good stuff (I certainly need more work than he does.). And ya I have to admit I freakin love his weave poles


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## KristiM (Oct 18, 2011)

Forgot to add: thanks for taking the videos for me it was nice to meet you and Jackpot! I think soon Odin and I will have some serious GSD competition on our hands


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## avonbankcollies (Nov 17, 2012)

your welcome I was happy to do it....I hope we are as good as you and Odin someday, I think she's going to be fun... it was nice meeting you and Odin too


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