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esmed
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26-04-2010, 09:08 PM
Originally Posted by Ben Mcfuzzylugs View Post
Aww yeah you are quite right not to train if he isnt 100%, you want agility to always be a fun thing for him

This past week after your post I have been running with my dog - just a little at a time but I think it will help

- When we started agility with Mia me running was so exciting that she often would jump up and nip my bum - now she is trotting alongside me calmly!!
I think i made the mistake of allowing him to be offlead when we tried running. I'm going to try again later this week with him onlead.
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Bonwillan
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26-04-2010, 09:57 PM
I do not know how I have managed to miss this thread. I am enjoying reading Monty's progress as it takes me back to our first agility classes 8 years ago.
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esmed
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03-05-2010, 09:34 PM
Week Five - 03.05.10 - Session Five

Well, having missed last week due to Monty's rear end problems we were raring to go this week.

I cut the treats in to pea sized pieces, I did a few last minute left/right practices (he still doesn't understand left) and we were ready to go.

Drove the 10 minutes to get there to find the venue all locked up and nobody around - seems agility doesn't run on Bank Holiday Monday and had we not missed last week we'd probably have known this!!

But all was not lost - Monty and I went to the pub instead to see my parents! I had a much needed drink after an awful day and Monty had lots of steak scraps from the pub.

So sorry for the lack of update again - I promise normal service will be resumed next week! We've only got a few weeks to go now until Monty goes in for his operation so i'm determined to make sure he has lots of fun over the next 3 weeks.
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Ben Mcfuzzylugs
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03-05-2010, 10:57 PM
Sounds like a fun night anyway
I have to say Mia is really taking to jogging and it is helping her agility no end too
So thanks loads for the tip

My trainer dosent like this - but I am doing my left and right turns with Ben when we are out on walks I send him out around trees and things left and right - he things its a great fun game
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esmed
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11-05-2010, 06:54 PM
Week Six - 10.05.10 - Session Six

We're back after a couple of week's break due to Monty's rear end and my stupidity of thinking agility would be on on a bank holiday monday!

We have used our two week break wisely though and we're starting to make a breakthrough on the running thing - or we were until I tripped over the other day and hurt my foot. Not sure what i've done to it but running is out of the question at the moment especially when it comes with the risk of being flattened by 30kg of Monty!!

So aside from running we have practiced left and right turns, waiting, target touching and release commands. The work on him doing more on the left is going well and he's now managing left turns with minimal confusion so i'm pleased with that.

However I wasn't expecting much from agility this week as Monty was uber pumped up for some reason. Even dangling liver sausage near him wasn't enough to gain his focus!!

There were 5 dogs in our class this week, a few familiar faces and a couple of news ones. Monty unfortunately had a bit of a run in with two dogs - one a very excitable golden retriever and the other a scottish terrier i think. I am starting to get a bit concerned about the fact he seems to get into scuffles with other dogs more frequently but he never seems to instigate so i'm not sure what's going on but this is probably for another thread!!

So the class started off with the usual warm up and first activity was to do three jumps. When it got to my turn we practiced releasing him from end to end between myself and Pauline just to remind him of what the jumps were about. Then we tried getting him to sit and wait at the start and for me to wait at the second jump, release him and then run onto the third jump with the hope that he followed me but followed me by coming over the jumps and thankfully he did!! I think Pauline wanted to check this wasn't a fluke so we did the same again twice and he did it perfectly both times again. I was super chuffed and beaming with pride - Monty got masses of praise and fuss and seemed quite pleased with himself too!!

Next was the tunnel which he still struggles with sometimes as he tends to just follow me so he thinks "well if you're going round the outside, why should i go through it?!". We started this by putting him in a sit and wait infront of one jump. I then move in front of the jump close to the entrance of the tunnel. The idea is that he comes over one jump from my release and through the tunnel. I have to admit I didn't have high hopes!

So I get him to sit and wait, he was bobbing a bit at this point so i just remind him he's supposed to be waiting and he does. I release him, he does the jumps, i shout "tunnel" and he runs straight into it. Great i hear you thinking, unfortunately when i say he runs into it i mean literally and not that he ran through it. He crashed straight into it!

Second attempt and he gets it this time although he's not waiting for my release and goes when he wants whether i'm ready or not!! He still managed to do a succession of jump and tunnel a few times though and again I was pretty pleased with him.

On the basis of this homework for this week was to get him to sit and wait but don't always release him to come to me instead I have to alternate it so that sometimes I go to him whilst he's in sit and wait and sometimes I do call him. This is so that he nevers knows what follows a sit and wait command and that it doesn't always mean for him to come, it sometimes means to sit and wait for me to come to him. This should stop him running off too quickly before i've released him.

Finally we were asked to attempt a full lap round the outside of six jumps - three straight, one round a corner and then two straight and then finish up with the tunnel. He still isn't very good at combining a run but he did a lot better this week and for the first time since we started he wasn't hell-bent on flattening me. We are still definitely bottom of the class though but we have fun and thats what matters most!!

We've got a couple more weeks so two sessions before Monty's operation and then we'll be on a break depending on how long the vet thinks will be neccessary but i want to give him a decent time to heal properly.

Thanks for reading our progress again!!
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Lynn
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11-05-2010, 07:56 PM
That made me chuckle about him literally running into the tunnel. Sounds like Monty is doing well and that you are both enjoying yourselves which is the main thing.
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Bonwillan
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12-05-2010, 10:34 PM
It sounds like Monty enjoys himself and thats what it is all about. Keep up the good work and thanks for the update.
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lilypup
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13-05-2010, 12:21 PM
Bless him running straight into instead of through the tunnel!! Like you say though, you're both having fun and I'm sure he will progress nicely as time goes on. Thanks for sharing another action packed class!
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Lesley J
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20-07-2010, 11:53 AM
Hi I've only just found your thread to montys agility training! As I'm new to the forum!

Are you still in training as there seems to be no new updates? I started out with my boxer when she was 6yrs(late starter if only I'd found a club sooner!) She is now retired as she is now 9yrs due to health reasons. I love seeing boxers at agility as there are not many doing it, and I will be getting another to follow in poppys paw prints!
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esmed
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20-07-2010, 12:01 PM
Hi Lesley, yep we still train but we had a month break following Monty's operation and have only just started going again so i've been a bit behind on my updates!

He's not doing too badly but still has a lot to learn. Concentration and focus are his biggest downfalls! I think if i can improve on those then he'll be a lot better. I don't think he'll ever be competition level but he enjoys it so that's the main thing!

Did you compete with your Boxer?
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