Run Your Tail Off Agility

08/09/2024

Such important thoughts on training!! More great insights from MacRae Sheepdogs!!

Becoming a better trainer and handler is often separated by the details.
Many trainers work towards the same goals using different methods. When the situation is difficult or a dog is under adversity, the quality of your work and the attitude of your dog, reveals the effectiveness of your process.

How you train and your success as a teacher is not only the method you employ but how you go about it, including your mindset, effort, communication skills and patience.
A dog’s ‘try’ and heart is ultimately a reflection of his desire and enjoyment.
You can often tell from a dogs attitude if his training was positive by how he reacts, especially in challenging situations; if he's happy to fulfill his commands or if he responds with sullenness or avoidance.

Dogs can be trained with many different styles and techniques.
There is a big difference though between a dog that has been trained only through drilling and a dog that has been trained intuitively.
When the work is enjoyable and the task is fully understood, it becomes your dogs idea to want to please.
When he is mentally invested and you have a connection, you get his heart and a partnership is formed❤️

macraeway.com

08/01/2024

Read this. And then read it again. So true!!

I will be processing all of the entries I received for our 2nd Anniversary CPE Agility Trial tonight!! Keep 'em coming!! Can't wait to play and celebrate our birthday/anniversary with you all!! 😄🎂

Trainers sometimes get frustrated when they don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire.
They often respond by pressing harder, hyper focusing on the specific area in which their dog is not advancing….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

They have a vision of how they want their dog to develop; a preconceived timeline of what a dog should be doing and when. If these expectations aren’t met they mistakenly convince themselves if they could improve “X”
(ie a wider outrun, squarer flank, better pace, stronger shedder etc)
all the pieces would come together.

But the key to helping dogs realize their full potential isn’t found by achieving the perceived next step,
improving a single aspect, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick.
Rather it’s found in the standard, understanding and totality of all the bits of training that comprise “the body of work”.
More specifically, it’s dependent upon the quality of the fundamentals, coupled with the right mindset.

Foundational skills are paramount and there is no embarrassment in going back to improve them; once mastered, they provide the springboard for future breakthroughs.
Focusing on these and staying in one place a bit longer gives your dog a mental break. Moreover, you reap the benefits found in the power of habits.
The repetition and routine inherent to core fundamentals develop confidence and cultivate mental fortitude.

It is a better and much less detrimental approach than pushing a young dog too hard to take the next step if he’s not ready.
While some dogs learn very quickly others need time to plateau, get a bit more experience, confidence and maturity before they’re ready for the next step.
Dogs that are slower to develop are very different from precocious dogs when they are young, however, if nurtured correctly, the two dogs can appear indistinguishable as trained dogs.

Instant results or training epiphanies are not common and the majority of the time, sudden improvement is actually a reflection of the cumulative body of work. The little nudge from a different approach that achieves quick and marked progress, probably wouldn’t have had a fraction of the effect without the supporting body of work.

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accept him for who he is—
As you help him through what he finds difficult, keep in mind
every dog learns at a different speed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Being patient in your training empowers learning, fosters partnership and strengthens your bond.

07/27/2024

So excited to announce that the premium is OUT for our 2nd Anniversary CPE Agility Trial on Sept 14-15 at Radda's K9 Campus!! Here is a link to the premium! Hope to see you there!!

Happy 2nd Anniversary RYTO!!!

MORE DETAILS TO COME SOON!! :D

https://cpe.dog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AG09142024GARunYourTailOffAgility.pdf

07/22/2024

What an absolutely amazing potter CPE trial we had last weekend! I could not believe the amount of support we had from our growing local fan base to the seasoned CPE handlers who came from out of state to come visit us!! This was our LARGEST TRIAL EVER!! With a Hairy Potter theme and our magical judge Anthony, it was clear this would be the TRIAL OF THE YEAR!! Huge THANK YOU to Mark Anthony for joining us and making every course so fun and flowy! He did not shy away from our theme, even creating a Diagon Alley themed Jackpot! He also gave out lots of points to each House when handlers did amazing things in his ring—anywhere from Snooker Saves to Loudest Cheers! And thankfully, with Mark comes Krista and Ana, who also made the weekend a blast!

Big shout out to, as always, my right (and left) hand man, Ken Wallace; our trial committee, Joanne, Carol, and Stewart Smith; and our chief course builder, Kurtis Kemper! And extra House points to Joanne, Stewart, and Ken for indulging me in this whole crazy feat and heading up each House! And we great appreciate Katie Ball with Beau & Arrow Images for not only taking amazing photos during the trial, but also taking (and donating) these lovely candid shots which are included in this post. The galleries are ready if you didn't already order. Please check them out!! BIG thank you to all of our volunteers who kept the trial moving and our worker board FULL—even up until our last class of the day! Without you all, these trials would be impossible!

One last announcement—I am busily working on our Dogwarts School of Whizzardry Yearbook! The submissions have been so creative and the photos just absolutely the best! I can’t wait to see it altogether. I will be posting more information about the yearbook next month as it is quite a feat to put it together. 😊

And now to the BIG WINNERS—the House with the most points at the end of our trial was House Hufflepup!!! It was a close race throughout the weekend, but they dominated our costume contest taking best dressed human and dog and after our Quidditch match on Sunday, the good natured Hufflepups cemented the lead! Ambitious Slobberin was a close second, followed by the ever-courageous Gryffindog, with Ravenpaw so cleverly bringing up the rear. Thank you to all the competitors that played along, wore their House colors, and showed great sportsmanship and cheer all weekend!!

We also had so many awards given out, not only related to Hairy Potter, but also some RYTO favorites:

High Scoring House Ribbons (Collected the Most House Points)
Hufflepup Lvl 12 – Splat! and Carolynn Richardson
Hufflepup Lvl 35C – Boonie and Rachel Mayfield
Slobberin Lvl 12 – Hestia and Clarissa Ann Henderson
Slobberin Lvl 35C – Boogie and Kurtis Kemper
Gryffindog Lvl 12 – Lexie and Leslie Greene Willett
Gryffindog Lvl 35C – Jack Daniels and Stephanie Lancaster
Ravenpaw Lvl 12 – Fred and LuAnn German/Ellen Richardson
Ravenpaw Lvl 35C – Abe and Ellen Richardson

High in FullHouse Bars (Highest Combined Score Across 4 FullHouses)
Hufflepup Lvl 12 – Bubba Blu and Renee Lundberg
Hufflepup Lvl 35C – Boonie and Rachel
Slobberin Lvl 12 – Hestia and Clarissa
Slobberin Lvl 35C – Watson and Stewart Smith
Gryffindog Lvl 12 – Pan and Abby Gravlin
Gryffindog Lvl 35C – Knox and Elaine Rinicker
Ravenpaw Lvl 12 – Denim and Lisa Meehan
Ravenpaw Lvl 35C – Raven and Lisa Meehan

Snooker Sweep Dog Toy Brooms (Highest Combined Score Across 3 Snookers)
Lvl 35C – Kai and Jessie handled by Carol Greer
Lvl 12 – Bubba Blu and Renee Lundberg

Goblet of Fire High in Trial Awards
Lvl 35C - Zip and Janine T
Lvl 12 - Hestia and Clarissa

Secret Snitch Finders (Found the Hidden Snitch Each Day)
Jack Daniels and Stephanie L
Boogie and Kurtis
Willow and Stephanie P

Hairy Potter Costume Contest
Best Dog – Boonie and Rachel for their homemade Cerebus outfit!! So cute!
Best Human – Autumn (and Hayden) for her amazing Snitch costume!! Wow!!

Jackpot Your Dog Snuffle Mats (Highest Jackpot of all Levels)
Raven and Lisa Meehan
Larson and Lisa Triggs

RYTO 51 Club Medals (51 Perfect Snooker Scores)
The MOST we’ve ever awarded!!
Savvy and Daniel Jones
Watson and Stewart Smith
Reagan and Krista Anthony x2!
Boogie and Kurtis x2!
Montana and Ashley Driskell Schauber
Addi and Diane Goff
Abe and Ellen Richardson
Pan and Abby Gravlin

And a HUGE ZOOMY BROOMY CONGRATS to our Championship title winners, four of witch won our BROOM BARS!:
* CS-ATCH - Jack Daniels and Stephanie L
* C-ATCH - Larson and Lisa T
* C-ATCH - Rip and Janine T
* C-ATCH - Tony and Juile Hughes
* C-ATCH - Clam Chowdah and Gill Chapman
* CS-ATCH - Tibi and Susan Shaw

If you read through all that—we so hope you can come join us for our 2nd Year Anniversary Trial Sept 14-15 and our BIG BIG BIG Holiday Trial December 13-15!

07/14/2024

So many 51s in Snooker! And they all got to sign the purple flamingo of fate and get to sport sweet sweet 51 medals! Tag yourself!

07/14/2024

What’s a Hairy Potter CPE Agility Trial without butterbeer?

07/14/2024

Often, briefings are sparsely attended, but when it’s our Hairy Potter CPE Agility Trial Jackpot and the goal is to take the “Floo Network” to Diagon Alley to collect wands, robes, and books for points, it might take a little ‘splainin’

07/14/2024

Since we don’t require house elf support at the Hairy Potter CPE Agility trial, we have the best helpers ever. The helper board is always full!!

07/12/2024

It’s a magical time at Radda's K9 Campus as the Run Your Tail Off Agility Hairy Potter CPE Agility Trial is off and running. We do take day-of entries so jump on your Nimbus 2000, find the nearest Portkey or floo network entry point, or apparate yourself here and join the fun!

07/05/2024

We are "Hairy Potter"-ing it up over here at Run Your Tail Off! As Headmaster of House Gryffindog, I am not sad to see we haven't had anyone from our trial sign up to be on my team yet, even though Hufflepup is 4 students strong!! If your dog was going to the School of Dogwarts Wizzardy, which House would they be in? You can use the characteristics of the Houses below to decide, or click the link for a special puppy sorting quiz: https://www.potterquizzes.com/harry-potter-dog-quiz/

Gryffindog - Gryffindogs are known for bravery, chivalry, and nerve, and are also said to be daring, adventurous, and loyal friends who stand up for others. Their colors are red and yellow and their animal is the lion.
Hufflepup - Hufflepups are known for being hard-working, patient, loyal, and fair, and are sometimes described as nice. Their colors are yellow and black, and their animal is the badger.
Ravenpaw - Ravenpaws are known for being intelligent, creative, and witty, and value knowledge and planning ahead. Their colors are blue and silver, and their animal is the eagle.
Slobberin - Slobberins are known for being ambitious, cunning, and resourceful, and value heritage. Their colors are green and silver, and their animal is the snake.

Take our Harry Potter dog quiz to find out which House that your puppy would be in. Is it a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin?

07/03/2024

Is it a Nimbus 2000 or a world-class Firebolt!? Either way, we have you covered!! One last reveal before our Hairy Potter CPE Agility Trial commences next weekend:

We will have TWO CHAMPIONSHIP BROOM BARS!!! These will be first come, first serve if you are up for a championship title! They will be personalized with your dog's name and the date! A stylish black, wooden bar, complete with all House colors! (And if you would rather have a regular RYTO championship bar, I will have those as well!)

Hurry and sign up for our trial before Grumio flies off with them!!

With the mystical Judge Mark Anthony on July 12-14 at Radda's K9 Campus in Talking Rock, GA!! Day of Show entries accepted!!

04/25/2024

The *amazing* photos from Beau & Arrow Images of the Spring CPE Agility Trial have been uploaded!! Katie really outdid herself capturing these great moments!! 🤩

The Speedway photos have finished uploading as well! All Agility & Speedway images from the signup sheet are in here. https://beauandarrowimages.shootproof.com/gallery/24351695

If you want photos but you missed the sign up sheet on the ribbon table, please message me ASAP with your dog’s name & breed and I will get a folder ready for them within 1-3 days. I do not hold onto my RAW files forever because they are ginormous, so the sooner you reach out to me the better, otherwise you may need to wait until the next trial.

04/20/2024

Our spring CPE agility trial has sprung and is off and running. We are taking day-of entries Sunday so if you have a CPE number, c’mon out and run your tails off with us!

04/19/2024

In honor of the release of Taylor Swift 's double album today, I bring you all the RYTO concept album--- The Tortured Agility Handlers Department!! I'll start off the playlist with a few songs-- what titles would you add??

The Off Course
So Long, Contacts
I Can Do It With an Untied Shoe
KeeP up And Cue nOw

04/19/2024

We are all a-go for the Spring CPE Agility Trial!!! Confirmations have been sent and later today maps and an updated running order will be sent to all exhibitors! If you are getting a case of some SPRING FEVER FOMO, we still have space available if you would like to join us on Saturday or Sunday! If you are interested in doing any day of show entries, please let me know at [email protected]!

We are also VERY excited to say that the NEW premium for our July 12-14 Hairy Potter themed trial is now available:https://cpe.dog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AG07122024GARunYourTailOffAgility.pdf You can save a stamp and stop being at the mercy of the erratic US postal system by bringing your entry to the trial this weekend! We will have a magical place ready for you to place your entries!! Get in sooner than later as this trial is going to be EPIC!

03/21/2024

More confirmations have been sent out for the Spring CPE Agility Trial held at Radda's K9 Campus on April 20 & 21!! There is still time to enter and you can even enter DAY OF the trial! (Please remember you will need to be registered with CPE and have a member number if you'd like to sign up on the day of the show!)

Don't get caught with your tongue out-- Get your entries in today! 🤪Here is a link to the premium:https://cpe.dog/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AG04202024GARunYourTailOff.pdf

Some little known facts about why CPE is a great place to play agility:

* You can run 5 times a day-- and run FEO in any class with a toy!
* Level 1 has no Teeter or Weave Poles!
* Jump heights can be 4" or 8" lower than your dog's regular jump height!
* Need to be measured? Height cards from other agility venues now accepted!!
* Build your confidence and your dog's confidence in a welcoming, fun environment!
* Low stress, don't worry about faults-- Focus on your handling and teamwork with your dog-- refusals aren't judged and you can typically have one bar down and still qualify!
* Questions about the games? We're here to help you strategize! Just ask your friendly trial secretary! ❤
* Fun prizes for Jackpot and Snooker! High in Trial for Novice and Advanced dogs!

03/07/2024

Positive Reinforcement, Negative Reinforcement, Positive Punishment, Negative Punishment-- What exactly does "walking your dog off" from a run means? This podcast looks at a controversial issue in agility, especially now with current training in the ring options like FEO and Fix N' Go. This is a great look at the concept and what it communicates to your dog in various situations. Important listening for all teams whether you walk your dog off or not!!

🌟 Episode 336: How To Walk Your Dog Off the Course 🕑 (46:45)

🎧 https://baddogagility.com/336

Have you ever seen a handler leave the ring after their dog missed a down contact after the dogwalk or a-frame? In this podcast, the BDA crew discusses the pros and cons of this training technique.

📚 You Will Learn
➡️ When it’s appropriate to walk your dog off the course.
➡️ Why you should not leave the ring for handling errors.
➡️ How to leave the ring properly.
➡️ How positive reinforcement and negative punishment relate to each other.
➡️ Which dogs are poorly suited for this training option.

🎧 https://baddogagility.com/336

02/29/2024

Spring CPE Agility Trial confirmations coming out *Monday*! I promise!!

Show me your dog's best "flying" leap on this four years in the making, leap year!!

Here is Baxter taking off so far back from the jump and just flying during one of our agility runs back in the day!

12/30/2023

As 2023 comes to a close and you start to make your plans for 2024, just remember you can be anything you want and never ever give up!! Here's a video to help remind you--

https://youtube.com/shorts/7Ma23aV-VPE?si=gdzndT85NfZZMzfk

12/15/2023

Our holiday-themed CPE agility trial is off and running. We do take “day of” entries, so if you have a CPE number c’mon out to play for the rest of the weekend.

11/14/2023

It's time to start thinking about the holidays and your trialing plans! You better not pout, you better not cry cause Run Your Tail Off Agility has a gift for you-- the CPE Agility Holiday Trial 2023!!

This trial will prove to be an EX-STANDARD-GAZA with *5 Standard Rounds* over the entire weekend-- two on Friday, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday!!

We will have all the holiday fun like we did last time:

Silent (Night) Auction – On Saturday, bid on some very fun gifts and gift baskets with lots of great holiday gifts for yourself or to give to friends!

Doggone Gift Exchange – If you’d like to participate, please bring a wrapped dog toy or treat (price range $5-10) and exchange it for a gift under the tree! Participation completely optional and happening both trial days, throughout the trial!

The Reindogs of Run Your Tail Off – The SANTA Committee will be watching throughout the trial to see if your dog is naughty or nice and will select 9 special dogs that embody the spirit of his reindeer! Each dog selected will win a special holiday dog collar tag to commemorate their rein-dog-ness! The tags were made by the very talented Bonesaw Customs!! (Love love LOVE them!!)

Holiday Photo Backdrop – Take your picture holiday style with your pup!

So don't make the naughty list-- get your entries in today!!

09/16/2023

Our one-year anniversary CPE agility trial is in full swing. Look at these epic championship belts up for grabs for the best teams this weekend.

09/14/2023

More confirmations and updates to previous entries have just gone out! If you are missing yours or still need an update, please email me at [email protected]!! Also, if you do not see yourself on the attached running order-- don't worry, a new one will be coming out tonight!

And if you plan to enter DAY OF SHOW, but want to let me know ahead of time, that is always greatly appreciated! If you come DAY OF SHOW with your entry, please be there between 7 and 7:30am with your filled out form and check!

Thanks so much all! So very excited to see everyone this weekend!!

09/03/2023

Just finished entering quite a few entries to our 1st Anniversary CPE Agility Trial!!! While our closing date for pre-entries is Wednesday, September 6, there is still time to get your entry in! Because tomorrow is a holiday and there will be no mail, if you are worried about your entry making it in, email your entry to [email protected]. :)

And don't forget, we also take Day of Show entries should you want to come out and play in a couple weekends!!

We will be unveiling our yearbook soon, too!!

So looking forward to seeing you all!

09/02/2023

Just worked with my Foundation Agility class in this BEAUITFUL fall weather this morning!! Love watching the next generation of pups learn the ropes! Everyone is doing so well!! Such a fun and talented group!

08/18/2023

Love this concept! The only constant in training is that you need to be constantly training! ;)

08/15/2023

So well stated!! This is something I have been working a lot on recently.

Do you play it safe in your agility runs?

08/14/2023

It turns out that Grumio and I DID lay down an epic run on that course we walked last night!! Grumio came in 3rd place in Steeplechase, making the podium at the USDAA Southeast Regional! And if that wasn't enough, earlier that afternoon, he came in 1st place in the Biathlon Masters Challenge, two very difficult Standard Agility and Jumpers courses. And yesterday, our 2-Dog Team, paired with Wendi and Lauren Bonesaw of Bonesaw Customs, came in 5th place!! It was an incredible trial back at one of my absolute favorite events!

AND we are OF COURSE getting ready for our Anniversary Trial on September 16-17 at Radda's K9 Campus! Make sure to get your entries in as it will be a GREAT time! I can't believe its been a year of CPE trials in Georgia already!! You can find the premium for our event here:http://www.k9cpe.com/premiums/091623garunyourtailoff.pdf

08/12/2023

Look who’s walking finals at the USDAA Agility Southeastern regional. Getting ready to lay down an epic run.

08/04/2023

The start of the Hey Girl 2023 Series!! If you have an idea-- post it and it'll be created! :D