Tweet's stop dogwalk
So lots of people know I'm a bit of a running contact nerd....I love training them,and helping other people to learn them too.
BUT I also love teaching stop contacts too, and I think they are easy to train if you make sure all the layers of foundations are in place.
Here's one of my new students in Peterborough, Steph and Tweet.
Now Tweet already had a reasonable dogwalk, she knew her job. However it was a bit slow, steady and thoughtful.
So we're working on speeding it up and building confidence and independence.
We've got more layers of understanding to build, but I think she'll have a cracking dogwalk eventually π
Positive Agility in Peterborough
π₯π₯ Train with Becci Hodson π₯π₯
At Positive Agility, you are taught by Becci - a Championship handler, Championship judge, and dog trainer with 12 years of experience.
Now based in Whittlesey, Peterborough.
I will be focusing my work on bespoke 121 training, aiming to give specialised coaching that will be carefully tailored to the individual dog and handler.
In addition, I will offer regular workshops and training days at my own venue and around the country.
Teaching agility is something I am passionate about, and I put a lot of care and energy into my students. Likewise, I expect that my students will dedicate time and effort into their training.
You get back what you put in πͺπ
I do not have a magic wand but I do have a lot of knowledge π so if you are prepared to work hard, do your homework, and you want to improve, then please get in touch!
Comment and tell me your favourite bit of the video? π€©
Georgie and Eadie becoming Steeplechase Champs!
Yesterday was a special day, because our Positive Agility Assistant Trainer Georgie took her young dog to the UK Agility Grand Finals to compete in the Steeplechase event.
They delivered 2 fabulous consistent performances and WON the overall title! π₯³π₯³
Georgie and Eadie came to Positive Agility last summer, when Eadie was still a pup, and started basic foundation training with us, and they have worked so hard ever since, laying those essential foundation skills, and following instructions carefully, and doing all of their homework! π€
As you can see, it has really paid off! π€©
Georgie has previously done agility with other dogs too, but in the last 16 months has dedicated herself to learning many new techniques and skills, and so it is easy to see why I asked her to come on board as an Assistant Trainer.
All the students she has worked with have loved her enthusiastic approach! π
We want to say a HUGE congratulations to Georgie for her results so far, not only as the new Steeplechase Champ, but also for winning every single class at her last show, delivering exceptional performances again and again. ππ¦π
Keep an eye out for training with Georgie over the winter π€
Very soggy field π
Gutted to report that the agility field is once again under water, so all training today will be cancelled, and tomorrow is looking unlikely too (I will confirm after ground inspections tomorrow afternoon but I'm not hopeful π)
The ground usually drains quite well but the constant deluge for the duration of May has left it saturated and the rain cannot soak in as quickly.
Sorry to all my students....this is so frustrating. This month I feel as though I have cancelled more lessons than I have run! π
We are optimistic that it will be useable again in time for camp at the weekend as the forecast is improving after today π€π€
Training with Dan Shaw
It's a rare luxury to get to be the student rather than the trainer, but it's something I really enjoy!
I love working with Dan Shaw monthly, who really is one of the best agility trainers and handlers in the UK. I get the chance to focus on my own dogs, be pushed out of my comfort zone, and receive detailed feedback and homework to improve our performance.
Yesterday was wonderful, the sun shone for us, Dan pushed us hard, and I'm so pleased with my dogs.
My Grade 7 dogs Jaffa and Vibe were super....a few hiccups here and there on a brutally hard course but lots to love.
My baby dog Eccles (not much of a baby now at 18m old!) is growing in confidence and understanding all the time. She started a bit cautiously but was much more up for it by the afternoon session, and I'm seeing glimmers of her amazing potential π€©π₯°
I always take it slow with my young dogs, and she is no different. No contacts or weaves completed yet but I'm happy with how all her foundation training is falling into place on the jumps. There's no rush! π
#goodthingscometothosewhoworkhard
Vibe G7 win
It was the first weekend back to competing for myself and Dan, and we had a productive weekend!
My boy Vibe had a Grade 7 jumping win on Sunday (video), and also a win yesterday in the Masters agility which qualifies us for the Grand Finals, and starts our quest for Team England points!
Dan had 2 fantastic jumping clears with Piri, although sadly 1 run had a timing failure, so only 1 win for them, in Grade 4.
One of our students Louise, with her young dog Drift, had their KC debut and had their first win in Grade 2 jumping! π₯³
Another student, Sam, with his borrowed dog Meg, won Grade 4 Jumping and came 2nd in another jumping! π₯³
Any other students been out and about recently and got results to shout about? Or just special achievements to be proud of? Let us know π
Jaffa 3rd Champ jumping at Bretford
It's been a very long time coming but here is my tiny but mighty Jaffa Cakes finally returning to the competition ring after having 14 months off due to having a litter of pups, plus of course covid stopping everything this year!
Straight back in at the deep end with a run in Championship today but she did me proud and breezed round for a nice tidy clear and 3rd place in the jumping!! A little hiccup in the agility kept us out of the final, but who cares....we had such fun and I'm thrilled to be back playing our favourite game with my tiny best mate ππ§‘π€©
Jaffa training on an international jumping course
Hands up if your dog can run faster than you?! πββοΈ
My dogs are definitely faster than me...and I'm reasonably fast!
Which is why I work really hard to train my dogs lots of cool skills, so that i can send them to obstacles, let them do their job, and then i can have a sneaky head start π
This was me and my little Kromfohrlander 'Jaffa' training on Sunday, running an international course.
It was a tough course so there are many times where i send her to do her job and then run off before she's finished....can you count how many times I do this?
Because of this, i manage to stay ahead of her all the way around, over a 22 obstacle, 210m course....right to the finish line.
But if we ran a straight sprint race, she'd leave me for dust πͺπ€£
Teach your dog great foundations, build strong skills, and trust in your training, and the rest is a lot easier π
#BuiltOnStrongFoundations
#FoundationsAreFun
#ShowAndGo
#SpeedyDogs
#ConfidentDogs
#PositiveAgility
www.thinkpositivedogtraining.co.uk
Stormy skies
When training outdoors becomes significantly less fun!!
My first day teaching brand new group classes, and i just had to cancel my last class due yo this almighty storm right overhead! β‘β
We've been lucky all day, with the lunchtime storm just missing us....but it didn't quite last the day.
Started my first class in a t-shirt and sunnies π but was a bit soggy by the time i made it home π«
For storm lovers....watch this with sound! I find the sound of thunder and heavy rain really soothing. Unfortunately i couldn't capture the crazy bolts of lightening as they were directly above my house (and training field!)
But i have 1 very anxious dog at home, so for storm haters, scroll on by! You have our sympathy! π
Did you get caught by a storm today?
Weave training
A little bit of our weave training yesterday π
First up is Piri - I didn't train her weaves (she is my partner's dog) so they weren't very solid when I first met her. We are working to build confidence and independence, and to teach her some harder entries and skills.
Here you can see we are working on the easier 'closed face' entry, but from a harder angle. I am also using scoops and rear crosses because she has previously struggled with these because she doesn't like losing sight of her handler as she turns away. This is BIG progress for her. She is only G4 but will need these harder skills as she progresses.
Then Jaffa is next. She is working on our weaker entry, the 'open face' side. She is a clingy little dog so her training is all about building independence.
Being confident to find the entry without my help, being happy to weave whilst I run in all different directions, and testing her exits if I run perpendicular to her across the exit.
She is in G7 and we meet lots tough weave challenges in champ, so this training will help us blast round the courses even more confidently.
You'll notice that sometimes they only do 3 poles before getting their toy. This is an intentional decision by me, and they are only stopping if I tell them they can. This allows me to reward the all important entry at the exact moment that they complete it, plus it ensures I'm not exhausting my dog by doing 12 weaves over and over if I only want to work on entries. You can do this with just 3 poles too (which I have been doing) but sometimes it is useful to show them the 'whole picture' of 12 weaves and still be able to reward the entry success. You'll see that with Jaffa I finish with an entry reward after doing a couple of full sets where i focused more on the exit skill and independence. But actually she was doing an amazing entry too and I wanted to let her know π
In addition, both dogs have recently had their cue changed from "weaves" to "poles" for various reasons,
Eccles zooooooming!! πͺ
Have really enjoyed my return to work this week, it's been great to see familiar faces and new faces too!
Lots of students are now starting to book regular training slots, so don't miss out!
Be like Eccles....and don't hang about!
Message me to book π
Or visit www.thinkpositivedogtraining.co.uk
Jaffa sequencing
Really enjoying testing out some skills in longer sequences!
We are a bit rusty after a lot of time off
My seamless video editing π cuts out a dodgy bit of handling when i didn't trust my dog π€
But she can do that tough weave entry all by herself, clever girl π
Agility training with Becci Hodson, a championship handler and experienced dog trainer. Positive Agility is all about FUN for dogs and humans!
