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Location: Devon, UK
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 2,515
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Week Four - 19.04.2010 - Lesson Four
Hello - Monty here! I'm having to write the update this week as my mum is still in a bit of shock about the homework we were given this week - I personally don't see the big fuss but she's having panic attacks about it.
Anyway I was a bit confused this week as Mum took me to agility on a Monday instead of a Wednesday - i thought my luck was in when she started cutting up the titbits and that I would get two lots this week but then she explained that agility is on Monday's now.
As we'd miss two weeks because Mum deserted me and went on holiday I was keen to get back into it and there were some new dogs at class for me to meet. One dog and it's owner didn't seem to like me but i just wanted to play.
So we did the warm up like normal and i'd just like to say something that might shock you all now -
I managed to do the warm up without peeing on anything!! Mum was very pleased with me!
After the warm up we started just doing a few jumps and seeing as i'd missed agility classes so much I did all my jumps perfectly and didn't even bother running off to see the other dogs when i'd finished - i got extra treats for this and again Mum was very impressed. We practiced jumps some more and then I watched the other dogs have their turn.
Then i practiced my targetting again which is where i have to put my nose down to a tile and someone puts a treat on it when i've touched it with my nose - i personally think it would be much easier if they just put the treat there first but it seems to make everyone happy if i do it their way.
Following this we had a go at the tunnel again and I managed to do it ok the first time but then i thought "what's the point going all the way through when i can just go in, turn round and come back out again". Mum wasn't very happy with this approach so I had to go all the way through.
It was also at this point that Mum and the teacher apparently discovered that I don't understand what "left" means or how to work on my Mum's left hand side. I do know what "left" means - when there's no food "left" in my bowl I do my best puppy dog eyes and pester Mum to feed me. I don't get what they ment. Anyway Mum's got to teach me to follow commands on her left hand side - the method suggested is why Mum is having a panic attack!!
After the tunnel we did the weaving poles which I hadn't done for a few weeks and i think Mum thought i'd be rubbish at because i didn't like them last time but i thought i'd prove her wrong as i was enjoying myself. The poles were a bit closer in this time and i did actually have to weave a bit but i managed it ok and Mum made a huge fuss of me and even the teacher seemed impressed!
Now all in all I was doing well up until this point and then the final test came - a full lap of jumps and the tunnel. The pressure was on and it seems I don't do well under pressure! I missed the first three jumps so Mum made me stop at the fourth and sit and wait and start again. I managed the fourth but missed the next two and the tunnel. Personally I think it's Mum's fault as she changes which hand she's commanding me with and she's supposed to always use the hand closest to me and the equipment but she forgets and gets confused and then I get confused and then it all goes wrong. I made her promise to sort it out!
And that bought us to the end of our lesson which is where it all went wrong for Mum and explains why i'm here instead of her tonight - actually she's just finished a mega healthy tea in preparation for our homework. Mum was advised this evening by our teacher that we should go running together - oh you should've seen Mum's face drop! She hasn't been running in ages, infact the last time she really ran anywhere was when I decided to chase the sheep and she then had to chase me, boy was she mad that day.
So tomorrow night i'm taking Mum running and i've got to learn to run alongside with her and learn the difference between running on her left side and her right side by listening to the command word. Sounds easy enough but to be honest I don't think Mum will be able to hack the pace or keep up with me!
Thanks for reading our update and hopefully Mum will be back next week - it took me hours to type this as my paws are too fat for the keyboard. If for some reason we're not back or you don't see Mum on here much it's probably because she's had a heart attack from the running or something!
Off for a snooze now, it's proper tough being a dog!