Agility 6.6

This class was pretty much a repeat of our previous session. This time, Marley was very unruly in class. She decided she didn't like the schnauzer in class and she proceeded to bark at him. She didn't want to wait her turn and she found all the sheep poop for a nice roll.

Hoop, Tunnel, Tire and Dog Walk - Instead of waiting while I was leading out, Marley took off and ran the entire sequence with out me. She stopped in the middle of the dog walk and turned around to look for me and she SAT down in the middle of the dog walk to wait for me! I called her back and once she managed to contain her enthusiasm she did great.

Hoop, A-Frame, Hoop, Hoop, Weave Poles - This sequence went very well, she even found the entrance to the weave poles on her own. I thought she looked beautiful running through the weave poles.

Serpentine (or my nightmare) - We were doing great until Marley reached the jump. As soon as she reached it she stopped, SAT down and looked at me. I called her over and she just looked at me and grinned while she waited for me to forget my crazy command. I had to clip her leash on and run with her in order for her to go over the jumps.

We have done jumps every single class, I know she knows how to jump and the command to jump. I suspect she does it because she finds it funny. I'm not so amused.

Self Handicapping

According to Patricia McConnell self handicapping is when a faster, stronger individual chooses to hold back and allow the play to continue instead of just going for the win. A good example is any parent who chooses to play an endless game of Monopoly with a child instead of winning quickly.

Marley loves to wrestle and she usually finds playmates who are about her size and strength. Every once in a while a feisty puppy will decide she wants to wrestle with Marley. I always supervise her closely and I was so pleased when I noticed her self handicapping when playing with smaller, younger dogs.

Precious is a yorkie about 9 months old. She is supper feisty and very demanding.

"Play with me! NOW!!!" Precious

Laying on her side while Precious jumps all over her.

Playing dead.

After all that wrestling they took off running in circles until somebody squeaked a ball and Precious was distracted.

On top of the world

Agility 6.5

I really think we are starting to get agility. Marley is starting to look for the equipment and I'm starting to figure out how to lead.

This session we did the following:

Hoop, Tunnel, Tire and Dog Walk - I led out to the tire and Marley went through the tunnel and tire without any problems. When we added the dog walk she just zoomed along and did a great contact (back feet on dog walk and front feet on grass).

Hoop, A-Frame, Hoop, Hoop, Weave Poles - She did great until we got to the weave poles. She just ran past them to the other end and then she stopped and waited for me. I had to call her back to the hoop and point out the entrance to the weave poles. I'm starting to suspect we may be practicing one direction (or entrance) more than the other.

We finished by doing the serpentine. We are still having some trouble with this, however I think it may be my fault. I keep confusing my direction.

Overall, I'm very happy with how we are doing. I've incorporated random sprinting during our morning walks and this seems to have helped Marley keep track of me during agility. She glances my way more often just in case I do anything fun.

Happy Gotcha Day

Yesterday, while everybody else celebrated Valentines day, Marley and I celebrated her Gotcha Day. We had a great day that included all her favorite activities. We started the day by going to agility class, which of course she loved. We visited with her friend Sadie and her new little puppy sister. Where I discovered Marley is not very fond of puppies. She was very tolerant of the puppy, however she didn't want to play with the little pip-squeak. (I don't have any pictures because Sadie is deathly afraid of the camera). This was followed up by a relaxing trip to a park with a nice big soccer field.

Marley proceeded to do her favorite thing ever! Roll in the smelliest thing on the field.

"Umm...smelly spot"

I don't necessarily like the way she smells after a good roll in the grass. However, she looks so ecstatic while rolling, I don't have the heart to make her stop. Her expressions just crack me up. After such a busy day, I offered to get her her very own puppy!

She refused to acknowledge my presence until I promised I was just kidding.

K9 Cancer Walk

Join us April 24th for the 2nd Annual K9 Cancer Walk

More than six million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year with half of all dogs being affected by cancer—but together, we can beat this disease. Join us on April 24th at beautiful Elk Grove Regional Park in Elk Grove, 11 miles South of Sacramento and walk for a cure. 100% of all walk registration fees, vendor fees and donations go directly to support Morris Animal Foundation's Canine Cancer Campaign to fund research for canine cancer, early detection methods, effective treatments and ultimately a cure!

Walk registration and check in 8:30-9:45 am. The walk starts at 10 am, with a short 3 K Lake walk and a 6 K park perimeter trail walk, do one or both. After the walks, speakers will discuss canine cancer, prevention, wellness and other topics. Learn the facts about canine cancer and how to examine your dog for early signs of cancer.

Featured Speakers:

Dr. Nancy Kay, Specialist, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine author and Michael Kent, Assistant Professor U.C. Davis.

Early Registration Fee: (prior to 4/11/2010) $30 Adults ; $15 Child (10 years or older) Register on-line or download Registration Form

All walkers will receive a t-shirt and a Canine Cancer Campaign bandana for their dog. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the shaded 500 person picnic area.

Planning to walk with your club or group of friends? Create a team webpage and invite friends and family to join you.

Can't attend the walk but want to help? Register for a "Virtual Walk"! The Sit and Stay option lets you support a great cause and receive a t-shirt, a Canine Cancer Campaign bandana for your dog, and a thank you note in the mail. Join our growing list of nationwide virtual teams by signing up at: Virtual Walkers

Please help with this very worthy cause by sharing this email with dog loving friends, family and coworkers.

The K9 Cancer Walk is hosted by the Sacramento Canine Cancer Campaign Volunteers.

Rainy Day Fun

Marly has decided she does not like wet weather. Since I'm not too fond of water falling from the sky, we are exploring some fun indoor activities. Marley's favorite is her puzzle. It took her a while to figure out how to get the treats out of the puzzle.

"How do I get the treat out? Do I lick the toy?"

"Ah, you move the wooden pegs and the there are lots of treats!"

I've started to fill only 3 pegs with treats, however she doesn't believe me and will still lift all the pegs in order to verify there are no hidden treats.

I'm going to have to start looking at some of the other puzzles.