Being in the “championship” level is tough. I can’t make any mistakes anymore. I have to weave the poles perfectly from beginning to end, take all obstacles in order and clear the bars without knocking any over. You’d think this was a given, but in the beginner levels they are somewhat forgiving about those things. Not anymore.
Last month I took home three 1st place ribbons in one day, which means no mistakes were made. Woo hoo! The first course was a game called Jackpot. There are jumps, contact obstacles like the a-frame, the teeter or the dog walk, tunnels and tires. I earned 53 points on this course, received my Q, which means “qualify,” and took home a ribbon!
The next ribbon came from a game called Colors. The judge offers two courses and I had to follow either yellow or blue. I chose yellow because it reminds me of sunshine and sunshine makes me happy. The first part of the course overlaps with blue so it can be a bit confusing but I powered through and was the fastest dog without a mistake. It only took me 24 seconds to earn my Q and another first place ribbon. (I see celebratory treats in my future!)
The next course I earned a 1st place ribbon in was a Jumpers course. These courses have an intricate maze of jumps, a tunnel or two and sometimes weave poles. There are no climbing obstacles in these. I was the fastest dog (again) and earned my Q and another 1st place ribbon to take home! Mom was seriously proud that day!
So, I’m sure some of you are wondering how I get through these courses so well, right? Aside from my natural intellect, mom uses a number of cues, both verbal and nonverbal that lead me through them. I’m still learning but mom says I am doing well considering I had no dog training before she rescued me. Although, I am not sure what she means by that; I think I was pretty well behaved. She’s also figured out that I work better when treats and toys are involved. I’d like to think I trained her in that aspect.
Either way, I love running trials and am a pretty fast learner. I’m sure I’ll be bringing home many more 1st place ribbons very soon, which means many more yummy treats too!
If you have any agility questions, comment below and I’ll share my 1st place secrets with you.
More adventures later!
Ears Truly,
One Up Max