Daddy's Girl

My husband, Stephen, has been super nice to include Reagan when he takes Team Senior (his three greyhounds) to a local hiking spot.  It has a nice grassy area that gives Reagan some running room to play fetch and get some additional exercise since she is 7 and 8 years younger than our seniors.

Recently, Stephen brought Reagan to my agility field.  I set up some jump sequences and showed him where to cross and how to run them.  Oh, Reagan tortures me so.  She has not done any agility in the last few months, but she gets out there like she practices all the time.  Her weave poles kill me they are just so good.  Its just such a shame that all that talent goes unused.

Here is a video of their last sequence.  Reagan was hot and tired at this point, but did everything that Stephen asked.   

For those new to the blog, the summary to Reagan's story is that I trained her for agility.  She was awesome and competed successfully several times.  Then noise phobias started to set in.  Noises like people closing car doors, all sorts of engine sounds, and eventually the teeter board hitting the ground started to panic Reagan.  It spiraled out of control despite all I did to fight it.  The main show stopper was when Reagan became terrified of traveling in our dog van and I finally gave up (no need to make suggestions, trust me, I have tried it). Reagan became a house dog and Seven is her replacement.

Run Thru

Recently, there was an agility run thru ten minutes from my house. An agility run thru is a practice session for those looking to run a course with distractions and spectators. I brought Reagan just for fun and she ran the course twice. She is just so much fun to run. This is a small arena and a very tight course, so it was tough on both greyhounds. Here is one of Reagan's runs.

Nothing seems to bother Reagan when she is on course and running, but she is not a dog you can hang out with. When people are around, it is difficult to control the noises they make and inevitably something will scare her. This was just for fun. I still have no plans to attempt competing with Reagan again.

Teetering

Reagan's hiatus from agility competition was caused by her noise phobias and the teeter. Currently, her motor and engine noise phobias are being controlled by BuSpar. I believe her teeter problem was caused primarily by not recognizing it as a teeter and by the noise it creates when it slams down. It appears to be much louder indoors and under a roof than in my open air field.

A friend with a similar dog problem and I hauled my teeter and some jumps to the local agility trial venue, Wills Park. We set up some sequences inside the covered arena so our dogs could practice the teeter and hear the louder noise. Both dogs did great. It remains to be seen if this helps or not. I am guarded as there are just so many factors with Reagan.

The Second Day

The weather on the second day of the agility trial was perfect. Once again, Reagan had a very nice Open Jumpers run. We did not qualify, but she was happy and comfortable. I decided to do my own thing in Excellent Standard. I wanted to ask her to do something short and easy, so we could leave on a happy, positive note. We simply did two jumps and the A-frame.

We had some other problems at the trial site. Reagan noticed certain vehicles driving past the venue and was unable to fetch her toy.

It is disappointing to note that Reagan appears to be getting worse. Her first agility trial was her best and it has only declined from there. I am also starting to have problems at my agility field and the biking trail. I am now concerned that one of our encounters will lead to her bolting out of fear so she no longer has any off leash privileges.

People say she just needs more experience and to give her more time. This is simply not the case with phobias. Continued exposure worsens the phobia. Storm phobia is probably the best example. Dogs do not improve with repeated exposure to storms. You can counter condition and desensitize using recordings, but they are rarely successful. In Reagan's case, she has numerous triggers and new ones all of the time. I do not know how I would begin to desensitize her to all of those sounds.... especially as she adds new triggers to the list.

I am not sure how to proceed at this point. The reality of having a 3 year old stay-at-home dog is a real possibility. I honestly do not care if I cannot compete her in agility. I would be thrilled if she would continue to enjoy biking and jumping at the my agility field. But if she eventually refuses to travel (and we will be going back to the van soon), it will probably become a reality.

A Set Back

We competed at the Atlanta Obedience Club agility trial this weekend. It did not got as well for Reagan as I had hoped. On Saturday, the weather was horrendous. I really debated about leaving her home. The forecast called for rain all day and we were expecting severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. Reagan's runs were both in the morning and I decided that it would be better if we were together and I was able to give her Xanax (anti-anxiety medication) at the appropriate time. I left for the trial at 5:45 AM to ensure that I would be able to park Stephen's SUV underneath the arena roof to minimize the sound of rain (or hail) hitting the vehicle. My plan was to let Reagan chill out on some Xanax and listen to the radio when the storms blew in. Reagan's Open Jumpers run was very nice. The opening was awesome. You can't see it clearly on the video, but Reagan has been trained to collect her stride and prepare for a turn when I am facing her. So when I sent her to the tunnel and had her come over the jump to me, she did a really nice adjustment to allow her to do a very smooth turn. She blew the weaves, but otherwise it was a very nice run. She obviously loves to jump. In the Excellent Standard class, my inner voice said I should scratch. She was having a slight reaction to the teeter being slammed by other dogs in the ring. Unfortunately, I did not listen to myself. Reagan proved to not be confident about the contact obstacles. The dogwalk came first and she was very hesitant. The teeter came later and she assumed it was another dogwalk. I seriously do not understand why. Reagan practices 1,000 teeter performances for every dogwalk performance we do. Why would she assume a skinny plank is anything, but a teeter? It is very frustrating. There were other issues with the run and when she popped out of the weave poles, I dismissed us.

It was definitely a day that made me think that Reagan just might not have the mental stability for an agility career. She is so fragile. Everything has to be perfect with stars aligned. The difference between fear and phobias is that continued, but careful exposure may reduce fear, but it will increase a phobia. I am not giving up just yet, but it is something to be ready for.
As expected, the rain fell. I was thankful to have a parking place under the roof. I put Reagan in the vehicle, gave her Xanax, turned on the radio, and adorned her head with the Mutt Muffs. I have no idea if the Mutt Muffs help, but she wore them for a couple of hours. Riley and I demonstrated how to relax during a storm. I think Reagan was fine with the thunder, but started shaking during periods of heavy rain.

Later that evening, the effects of Xanax were still apparent. This was the first time I had used the Xanax and the lingering effects reminded me of her resistance to being sedated for toe surgery. Instead of sleeping it off, she is like an energized drunk. She can't walk straight, but she is alert and obnoxious. I really was not pleased with the result.

Agility photos taken by Gary Depp - In Motion Photos.

Not Easy

Needless to say, Reagan's noise phobias have been a challenge and the agility trial was no exception.

First, I was not able to use my awesome dog van. The van contains everything I could possible need... chairs, slip leads, trash bags, bedding, layers for both humans and canines for all sorts of weather, poop bags, water buckets, and crates. I simply grab the dogs, some treats, water, and off we go. But I had to scale it all down and carefully pack the Honda Fit.

The Honda Fit has been such a blessing. It is very versatile and I highly recommend it for someone that needs an economical, reliable car with good gas mileage. The best feature is the back seat that folds down flat giving 2 greyhound-sized dogs plenty of room.

Two soft side crates fit nicely behind the driver (see on the left in the picture above). After that, there is not much room for anything else in the back..... so it all was placed on the front passenger seat. It worked fine, but the day Stephen came, we had to take separate cars. I guess you could say Reagan has a fleet now.

At the trial, Reagan was hyper sensitive to diesel engines and a motorized golf cart used for picking up trash around the venue. She also seemed unnerved by car doors closing repeatedly early in the morning as people were arriving and unloading. However, she is great in her crate and seems to feel safe and cut off from the world in there.When Reagan does come out of her crate, I cannot be casual with her. We have to move, move, move. She is mostly immune to her issues if she is moving briskly or working. So this means we no longer take long walks around the venue. Nor do we stop to talk to friends. No more potty walks, we trot now. If she is not moving, she has to be in her crate. It goes so against my grain. I really enjoy exploring, hiking, and playing with the hounds, but Reagan's well being depends on being purposeful and its not something I can keep up for long periods of time. Thank goodness the crate offers a safety zone.

The biggest challenge is waiting for our turn to compete. I have to be careful not to get her out too early or I run out of things to keep her entertained. Generally, the gate person would like to see the next 3 dogs lined up and ready to go, but it is just too risky with Reagan. We literally need to just run in when it is our turn and go. Regarding the affected agility run, the problem was caused by waiting no more than 30 seconds. The brief pause gave her enough time to notice the motorized golf cart.

Lastly, I was concerned Reagan was starting to have problems in the Honda Fit. She did not look comfortable traveling home. However, she has been fine since then. It may be wise to use Xanax for the ride home if the drive is rough or longer than usual.

Reagan, look at Riley. Doesn't she look so very comfortable curled up. Relax those ears, put your head down, and close your eyes.

Only Two

I was a little disappointed that Reagan only got 2 first places. After all she is more experienced than her sister, Riley..... just kidding. I was thrilled that Reagan also had a good agility trial weekend. Reagan earned first place in Open Standard (the middle level) earning her Open Standard title (OA). I moved her up to Excellent Standard A on Sunday. I will be so glad when Reagan and Riley both are in Excellent.

The first two runs on the video are of Reagan's qualifying runs on Saturday. On Sunday, her Open Jumpers run was not filmed. She ran really well and nailed a difficult weave entrance perfectly. I was very happy about that, but then she did some extra jumps which is not an allowable error in Open. The last run on the video is Reagan's Excellent Standard debut. She ran well, but we had some issues with noises as we were waiting to go in, so I felt a bit rushed to get started. She was more than happy to get moving. You cannot see it on the video, but I felt an issue at the teeter. I don't think it will be an ongoing problem, but at that moment I think she was still in hyper listening mode and the teeter slam startled her and she missed the weaves.

All in all, she did great. The challenge is in her management between classes.

Red Headed Stepchild - Part 2

Reagan is also training well in agility. She is back up to a full sized teeter with no reservations. But I have not attempted any teeters away from home yet. I hope this weekend I can get her onto two different teeters away from home. Both of these teeters are adjustible, so I can even make it a little easier the first time out and increase to full height. So far the rain keeps squashing my plans. Here is some video of Reagan working various sequences.

I have both Reagan and Riley entered in agility trials in March and in April.

Wobble Board

A friend loaned me a wobble board which is used to teach a dog how to handle movement under their feet. I thought it might be beneficial to Reagan as we work through her teeter retraining. Unfortunately, we had a recent set back on the teeter. She had worked back up to a full sized teeter, but was asked to do a teeter away from home that was unsteady and she did not like it at all. I think Reagan is now suspicious of "away" teeters, but is completely confident at home. I really wanted to avoid this, but no avoiding it now.

I thought it would also be beneficial for Katie to give the wobble board a try. She definitely does not like movement under her feet anymore, so its something challenging we can do indoors for with a clicker.

Reagan does not like the tipping either. She is willing, but cautious.

Riley, on the other hand, is hell bent for leather. She was hilarious and a stark contrast to the other two. Riley needs no wobble board work.

Error In Judgement

Okay, so I made a stupid mistake at the seminar. As you know, Reagan had 2 fly offs on the teeter in recent agility trials (see example below).

You never want your agility dog to get hurt or surprised on an obstacle. There are many dogs that are never fully comfortable with the teeter.

So when it was my turn to have Reagan do the teeter, a little voice in my head said I should put her on leash, but I did not listen. I thought Reagan would see that it is a teeter since we were working the teeter by itself. Well, Reagan assumed it was a dogwalk and charged to the end only to be surprised when it dropped out from under her. Dang it!

After that, Reagan refused to get back on it and then refused to even do the A-frame. This was not the place to work out such issues so I put her away for the day.

I was not sure what to expect the next time we went to our home field. Luckily, she demonstrated the problem at home which gave me ample opportunity to start from scratch. So Reagan and I have been doing some remedial teeter training, starting small, and gradually increasing the height and pivot range. She is doing great and I think will be ready for January's trial.

Obviously, she is not losing any sleep over it. However, I am so obssessive I did not sleep well for a couple of nights because of it. I was so mad at myself :-).

Agility Trial

Reagan competed in her third agility trial last weekend. She earned 2 Open Standard legs with a 2nd and a 3rd. Both had flaws... allowable flaws in the Open level..., but flaws nonetheless that would not be allowed in Excellent. So we have some homework to do. Here are her 2 runs from the first day:

I thought the Jumpers run (1st one) was awesome. The opening sequence was once again very difficult. Much more difficult than the Excellent level course the same day. The course started with 2 jumps in a straight line and then a left turn into the blue tunnel. Well, the correct tunnel entrance was facing away from the dog, but jump #4 was an obvious choice, but not correct one. Great run otherwise.

In her Standard course (2nd one), Reagan assumed the teeter was the dogwalk and surprised herself when she ran to the end and it dropped out from under her. I believe this is why she then ducked out of the A-Frame. Neither of these disqualified the run and she placed third.

On Sunday, she ducked out of the teeter, but then came back and teetered smartly. She qualified in that run with a 2nd. However, Reagan also scraped her head.I have no idea how this could have happened on course. I checked the tunnels and the chute and found nothing that would have scraped her head. :-/

We now have 2 months to work on our issues. I am not happy with the A-frame performance. She seems unclear about what to do on the downside and is wasting time by stopping mid way. I also need to work on differentiating the teeter and dog walk, so she does not get surprised on the teeter anymore. Lastly, we need to work more on collection so we can handle those tricky openings.

Riley did great this weekend. She was mostly herself and worked on heeling and fronts ring side.... at least until we saw this on Sunday afternoon:Again, I kind of think it is the smell because she will be walking along and suddenly stops in her tracks at seemingly nothing. Wierd! We will keep working.

Trial Reflection

I could not be more pleased with the start of Reagan's agility career. It really has been fun to see how she has changed. Twenty months ago, Reagan was an adult sized puppy that had never worn a collar or walked on a leash. Now she is a focused, confident, motivated, little lady (... well, maybe not a lady).I love seeing Reagan really enjoy herself at the agility trials. When we walked outside of the event, she was her normal self. Maybe a little bored. But when we would return to the arena that the agility event was held in, I would see that mischievous tail wag and she would light up. Reagan was bold and happy about everything at the event. Going forward, the plan is to continue trialing about once a month. Once a month, gives us plenty of time between trials to do our homework and work on trouble areas. I also plan to stick with 2-day trials for now. The reason for that strategy is to minimize practicing an error that pops up that I cannot correct in a trial setting. For example, if Reagan pops out of the weave poles early on day one and then repeats the same error on day 2, at least she only practiced the mistake for 2 days. But if I am at a 4-day agility trial and she pops out of the weave poles early 4 days in a row, I am not going to be happy about practicing that bad habit over and over again. So 2-day trials work best for now.This weekend's jackpot consisted of canned makeral, canned dog food, and Swiss cheese!

Wicked

Reagan had another wicked agility trial at Wills Park! She finished her Novice Standard title (NA) and her Novice Jumpers title (NAJ) with 3 first places. She also debuted in Open Standard on Sunday, but did not qualify. I am very happy that we were able to move out of Novice level in just two agility trials.

All 4 runs were videoed. We had a baby judge (newly certified) this weekend. For some reason, new judges tend to design really strange courses. We all felt Novice was more difficult than it should have been and the courses were very choppy regardless of how smooth you and your dog were.

Novice Jumpers - Awful opening with 3 jumps in a straight line to build up lots of speed and then a very tight right turn to the weave poles. She placed first.

Novice Standard - I made Reagan redo the weave poles 4 times. In Novice, weave pole errors do not count as long as you eventually get it right. She placed first again and finished her Novice Standard title (NA).

Open Standard - This is Reagan's first time in Open. She popped out of the weave poles early. This is first time doing 12 in competition. She also missed the A-frame contact zone and flew off the teeter. If you are going to make mistakes, you might as well do all of them in one run.

Novice Jumpers - This was our best run of the weekend. Reagan nailed everything perfectly in 17.78 seconds. She averaged 6 yards per second which Travis did only once in his entire career. Reagan has now done it twice in just two trials. That is very exciting!

Drool

I neglected to include this picture of Reagan weaving. I love it! On closer inspection, you can see drool! She is thinking about the big jackpot coming.

Travis often had strings of drool or foam flying out of his mouth. Notice the foam below.

Success

Reagan's first agility trial was a success in many ways! Most importantly, I wanted Reagan to have fun, to enjoy the busy day, to appear trained :-), and to rest well between runs. We accomplished all of our goals and more.

On Saturday, we arrived early. I took Reagan, Riley, and Allie (the Katie trade) for a nice 30 minute walk around the park and facility. Reagan was cute and bouncy. Luckily, she had already had some positive experiences at Wills Park agility trials from the Travis days, so this was not totally new to her. Around 7:30 AM, she was officially measured* to be a little over 25 inches tall at the shoulder.

I purposely set up crates near the ring. I normally like to keep my greyhounds in my van where it is quiet, but using the van is not always an option. Therefore, it is important for them to also learn to rest in the middle of chaos. I also purposely walked Reagan and Riley separately throughout the day so they would understand that #1) they are not always together and #2) they sometimes have to remain crated while Mom and the other hound disappear for awhile. Reagan did great and she rested well.

Our first run was Novice Jumpers**. Reagan was perfect, very speedy, nailed the weave poles, and earned first place! Everyone was very complimentary. "I like your baby dog." "Looks like you found another good one." "Beautiful run!" "You have done a great job with her."

Our next run was MANY hours later. The curse of being in the Novice level*** is that you have to arrive early and you are the last one to leave. The plan is to get out of Novice as soon as possible.

Reagan ran Novice Standard** smartly. She remembered all of her contacts, did not have any trouble with any of the obstacles, and she again placed first!

On Sunday, Reagan's Novice Jumpers was messy, but she worked really nicely through the middle and nailed the weave poles again. It was one of those courses I would love a "Do Over". Reagan could have run it very smoothly. We did not qualify this time, but we had fun.

In Novice Standard, Reagan did very well and earned her 2nd qualifying score. Her only error was a refusal****. I believe she placed 2nd, but I did not stay long enough to verify. Look how cute she is (below) watching a run.

Here are Reagan's runs from Saturday and the messy Jumpers run on Sunday.

All in all, I could not be happier with the little monkey. I am thrilled she qualified 3 out of 4 runs and had such a fun time.

*Dogs are measured by an agility judge and issued a height card. For dogs that jump 24", this is simply a formality.

**The Standard class includes all of the climbing or contact obstacles (A-frame, teeter, table, and dogwalk. The Jumpers class has only jumps, weave poles, and tunnels.

***AKC agility starts with the Novice level. You have to earn 3 qualifying runs to move into the Open level.

****A refusal is simply running past an obstacle. In Novice, you are allowed a couple of minor faults as long as you correct your mistakes.

Debut

I am so excited that Reagan's first agility trial is tomorrow! I counted and I have not competed in about 440 days. That is a long time when you consider that I have been competing greyhounds in agility non-stop since 2000.

First it was Jes and Teresa. Jes (above) only competed for a short time before old toe injuries from lure coursing became a problem. Teresa (below) continued on, but tortured and humbled me so. My first trip to the Perry dog show in April (the largest dog show in the southeast) proved very successful. Teresa ran 7 times, qualified in 6 of those runs, and completed her Novice titles and 2 legs of her Open Standard title. She was perfect! I started to think about our upcoming events and calculating when we would reach Excellent level.... no doubt soon, right? FIFTEEN competitions later, Teresa finally earns the third leg of her Open Standard title. All in all, that Perry show was a fluke in Teresa's career. Just a little something to get me hooked on agility. Teresa was a funny girl.

Katie came along and was well on her way before Teresa retired. Katie was a dream come true. Perfection! The achievements came easily and I am still amazed that she stepped off the racetrack and 3 years later became the first Master Agility Champion greyhound.

The reward and ease of working with Katie was a huge factor in taking a chance on Travis. I had no agility hopes for Travis, but figured I would do what I could with him while I enjoyed Katie. Well, we all know that Travis' story ended with two Master Agility Championships. Not bad at all. So Travis had stepped in when Katie retired early from agility due to back pain in January 2005. It worked out though. I probably would not have done Utility level obedience with Katie if she had not quit agility.

Unfortunately, Katie and Travis' birthdays are only separated by 5 or 6 weeks. If you always want to be competing, it is best to space out your dogs by a couple of years so they are not retiring at the same time. In 2007, I knew that I really needed to find a youngster. Katie and Travis were 9 years old and retirement was imminent. But we were traveling to Ohio, New York, and California to compete in some big events. Travis especially, was on such a roll. When would I have time to train a youngster?

Katie abruptly retired on October 10, 2007. Obviously, adopting another greyhound during Katie's rehab was out of the question. In early 2008, I was finally ready and in steps Reagan. In my perfect world scenario, Travis would have been retiring anytime after now. But that is okay. Maybe the break was needed.

I checked my records and found out that I have not competed in Novice level agility in nearly 6 years. It will be fun and I am looking forward to it!

Oh! It is 9-11 today. Just want to say that I am so thankful to live in a free country. I am so thankful for the military efforts and to anyone who has given his or her life in the spirit of freedom. I would not be able to play these silly games without being free to do so.

More New Weave Poles

Yes, this is my second purchase of weave poles in less than a year. My last agility trial was 429 days ago. Can you believe that? Since then, there have been some some changes. AKC is allowing weave poles spaced 24 inches to be used in agility trials now. Most dogs and handlers prefer the larger spacing. A couple of extra inches reduces the stress on canine spines especially in large dogs. Most of the local clubs in my area have already replaced their weave poles with the new 24 inch variety. I decided to keep up with the Joneses when I realized I was practicing on weave poles spaced only 20 inches. There is quite a difference (see below).

Here is Riley trying the new weave poles for the first time. She did much better than I expected. She has struggled with weave poles more than any of my other agility greyhounds (except Jes and Teresa who had an idiot trainer :-). Riley appears to get left behind so I thought more space would leave her even further behind. However, I saw the opposite effect. After a couple of passes, Riley appears to be more organized and methodical on the 24 inch weaves. I'm so thrilled I sound like a Billy goat!

Here is Reagan. She did as I expected. I think once she gets used to them she will appreciate the additional space. Reagan often looks a little squashed when she drives through smaller spacing. These weave poles should allow for her to really drive through them.

Agility Run Thru

We had another opportunity to attend an agility run thru. This time it was at the Canine Ranch. My friend, Anne, and a few of her Ridgebacks rode with us. Sharing is one of the benefits to having a giant van. I took pictures of her new puppy, Xena, and Anne took these video clips of Riley and Reagan.

And who can't resist funny puppy pictures?

Reagan Agility

Here is a video clip of Reagan practicing agility this morning. I am sorry it is so far away, but no victims volunteers to video us. She is doing great!

Agility Run Thru

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.