I'm taking the optimistic, half-glass-full approach. Not only do we have a trial this weekend, we have a 3-day trial in November, and two 3-day trials in December. What was I thinking?
One of the December trials is with USDAA. I entered Mimi in every game except Pairs. I couldn't be sure she'd be ready and I sure didn't want to let another competitor down. Still, that's four runs a day. And the November AKC trial includes FAST (FAST is an acronym for some really stupid name made up by AKC but let's just call it the AKC gamble game). We're going to have more than 25 opportunities between this weekend and mid-December to make our partnership work in the ring.
To be honest, I don't think I could have written any of those things three years ago. With Iz, I thought only about winning. I learned almost too late that winning is not the only prize. I am ashamed that I sometimes left the ring disappointed in my dog. That is never ever going to happen with Mimi.
Happy Iz in September 2004**After reading Gosia's comment, I realized that I may have left you all with the impression that Iz wasn't a winner. Iz was a most wonderful agility teammate for five years. She always gave 110% and she always ran with a smile on her face. If I was disappointed for not winning, then I failedto appreciate that my little terrier was always trying her very best. I failed Iz by not telling her after every run, no matter what the outcome, what a great thing it was that we just did. Thinking that the only measure of success was a qualifying run meant that I missed all those opportunities to celebrate a fabulously tough weave entry or a perfect dogwalk contact or one of those runs where it all becomes effortless. Iz kept trying her very best despite my thoughtlessness. So when I say that won't happen with Mimi, I mean that I won't miss those opportunities for celebration.
We didn't have class this week because of several big thunderstorms that came through north Texas on Sunday and Monday (I recorded an inch of rain in 36 hours), so I worked Mimi on short sequences that I set up in the training yard on Tuesday night and again tonight. I wanted to reinforce good strong 2on2off contacts and work through some of my nervousness about this weekend. Work is play, play is work. The transition between play and training is now seamless for Mimi and I want to reinforce that often.
I had set up some jumps to build speed to the Aframe approach and Mimi was rocketing forward when out of the corner of my eye I thought she stumbled as she was climbing the Aframe. To my horror, I discovered later when I was putting my equipment away that she did not stumble--she PUT HER FOOT COMPLETELY THROUGH THE ROTTEN WOOD. No injuries, not even a scratch on Meems. But I think next weekend I'll be doing some equipment maintenance!
1 comment:
Iz was a WINNER in her own way, no matter what, never forget that!
Mimi has her own battles to win, don't forget the baby steps.
Wish I could be there to cheer her on again.
SMALL GOALS - you're working on focus and confidence - remember?
And everything else will just come along and start fitting together like pieces of the puzzle game.
With so many trials planned, she'll soon figure out that it's just the same as game in the yard or at the agility class.
And it's much better to deal with so much exuberance at the trial than so much fear that the dog doesn't even want to come out of the crate.
I say 'hooray' for the zoomies, only trick is to have them trough an actual course - then you two will be smokin'
Best of luck and happy thoughts.
G.
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