I wish I had pictures and video from today. The girls and I attended an agility run thru at the Sirius Dog Agility facility and they both did great. An agility run thru is an opportunity to practice on different agility equipment at a different location surrounded by different dogs.
Reagan was initially very excited on the verge of being anxious. She does a lot of crying when she she is excited/anxious and this was no exception. Lots of dogs were barking which was very good for her to hear. She introduced herself to several people and made friends with a young German Shepherd. She was very happy and bouncy when she noticed other dogs running the agility course.
Reagan's first attempt on the agility course included a lot of extra tunnels. I did not realize how much she liked tunnels. All in all, she was fast, very happy, and able to master all of the obstacles with the exception of skipping the last 2 weave poles.
Reagan's second attempt went much better. There were no extra tunnels and she was responsive and smooth. She even did all 12 weave poles with no guides.
Riley was much more controlled than I expected and did a much better job than Reagan did on her first course. She too was able to master all of the obstacles (we skipped the weave poles since she still needs all of the guides). Riley's 2nd attempt was much like the first. She was happy and responsive, but I would have liked her to be a little faster. No rush though. It will come with confidence.
Riley did show a little too much interest in the very small dogs. A Brussels Griffon was especially interesting. The owner was very willing to show Riley her small dog, but I did not trust Riley entirely. She has never nipped at a small dog, but she is extremely direct and too intense. Even if she means no harm and just wants a closer look, Riley's behavior is just plain rude and obnoxious so I kept her a safe distance. I think she will benefit from crating ringside all day when Reagan starts to compete.
All in all, I am very pleased with the girls today.
