I am amazing!

On Wednesday September 28th Whispy and I went to class.  I know I frustrated the hell out of Marty.  She would set me up at the start, lead out and tell me "Free!" which is my word to start the course, usually jumping the jump directly in front of me.  Well for the second week in a row I decided that when Marty said "Free!"  I would hold my sit.  I would watch her try to get me to move, to start the course.  Marty would wave her arms and ask me if I could see her.  DUH!!  Marty would turn her back on me and run off.  So what!  Marty would return to look at me.  I could see the total frustration on her face.  She would reach in her pocket and pull out my baggie of treats and of course I would do the jump and we would do the entire course.

Marty's teacher on this most recent Wednesday told her not to do that any more.  That she was "baiting" me and Marty said that she knew that but couldn't figure out how to get me moving.  Jacque suggested that Marty should just run off and far away from me.  It didn't work.  I just sat and watched Marty run off.

Finally I decided to do the course.  All went fine until I got to the top of the A-Frame.  I decided to just stand there.  Again, Marty waved her arms, turned and ran away and I just stood there, on the top of the A-Frame, looking over "my kingdom".  Marty put a treat at the bottom of the A-Frame and I ran down to eat that and finish the course. 

Jacque suggested that she come up behind me, well along side the A-Frame while I was standing on it and see if that got me moving.  If not, then she would touch me and Marty and Jacque started laughing, knowing that I would certainly run down the A-Frame like I was on fire. 

I went up the A-Frame, saw Jacque out of the corner of my eye approaching from behind and to the side and decided to run down the A-Frame and finish the course.


Thursday September 29th I had a private lesson.  I started out doing 2 sets of 6 weaves with space in between the sets. I was great going 1 direction and missing poles going the other direction.  Finally I got them all and the spacing was removed.  I had the same trouble the first couple times but finally I was able to do all 12 going either direction AND finding the start correctly from different angles.

While I was working on my weaves, Janet and her doggie Shimmer were working a course in the training area right next to me.  I focused on what I had to do and didn't pay any heed to Shimmer or Janet.  I am AMAZING!!!

Marty was so proud of me!

We then moved to the training area where Janet and Shimmer had been.  Shimmer was once again crated so I was the only dog in the entire training facility.  Marty told Janet about my starts and standing on top of the A-Frame.  Janet suggested, after watching Marty try to get me to start the course...I just sat there looking at her, that Marty just continue running the course with an "invisible" dog.  Well when I saw Marty out there doing the course without me I ran to catch up.  She can't to that!  I am her dog.  I run agility with Marty! 

The next time I was waiting to start and Marty led out, turned and told me "Free!" I ran right away to begin and run my agility course with Marty.