Keeping it "classy" one tiny piece at a time

I engage in “minimalist” agility training; or at least that’s what it is called by Clean Run in the title of the discussion group I can’t for the life of me figure out how to sign up for.  It also sounds a lot better than admitting we have barely enough space for Layla to pee in.

I am not above blaming someone else at this point, and probably never was.  It’s our former realtor’s fault.  She gave us very bad advice in fixing up our place to put on the market last year (she said don’t fix it up) and then couldn’t sell our house because it wasn’t fixed up.  (Never get a friend’s spouse as your realtor, JUST DON’T).  Bottom line is that we have attempted, and are attempting, to get more outside space, along with a happier home situation for humans and dog alike, and when we do, I plan to beat the hell out of the plastic buying massive quantities of agility stuff.

Until then, minimalist has a cultured ring to it.

Last winter I purchased a mini-teeter after Layla decided against taking that obstacle once again.  Got that straightened out.  Then she started coming out of weave pole #10 at trials, so I added 6 weaves to my already owned set of 6 (electric fence poles along with actual 6 weaves; she doesn’t care), now she is back to her old and NICE weave performance.  Recently I found another wonderful, mini-option – a itty-bitty dog walk to address Layla’s recently emerging  JUMP FROM THE BLUE philosophy.  I know it's because she gets so excited on the dog walk that she literally can't hear me over the fun when I say "wait" or "slow" if I'm at a distance.  My dog being over-the-top is nothing new, we find our work-arounds.

 Actually, for a long time her running contacts were fine, then started slipping.  Why didn’t I just train 4 on or 2 on 2 off?  Because I’ve been battling her doggie hysteria combined with my agility frustration and ignorance since we first started.  But hey, we’ve made it this far, she’s smart and can be taught new things, or retaught old things that worked.  And there is a slight possibility on the horizon that I might not be hopeless.

Her dog walk contacts weren’t too bad in class last night, and really good in open practice last Saturday.  The real test will be at the trial we are going to this weekend.  First test I should say, since it will be a work in progress and we might not even be at mid-terms yet.  Always work, but fun, whether you have a monster agility set up in your back yard or one element/sequence at a time in your dog’s “pot to piss in”.