Got home early yesterday, while it was still daylight. So I quickly loaded up the dogs and our "Clip & Go" agility jumps and went to one of our favorite local parks. It is this HUGE soccer field - room for about 4 or 5 soccer fields laid out end to end and wide enough for 2 or 3 soccer fields. There are 3 or 4 sets of goals to avoid but it's really not a problem. I've never seen anyone else using it except when they were setting up for the big parade in town a few weeks ago. I've certainly never seen any evidence of soccer being played there.
Anyway, I set up the 4 jumps in a big (roughly 20 - 30 meter) circle for Gata. When I let her out of the car, she was in ecstasy at the mere sight of them :-) We did a bit of distance and change of direction control work and she was just flying. She was SO happy :-) Then I switched them around and did a line of 4 jumps at roughly 12-foot intervals. She could barely contain herself.
She tired quickly since she has had quite a bit of time off to try to avoid any complications with the heat and her "EIC". I went to put her through one last time and she dropped 3 of the 4 poles at 20-inches. I decided that was enough. She was getting tired and I don't want to let her continue when she is dropping poles so I decided to end it. But, for a change, I didn't end it by putting her back in the car, I put her in a down near the bag for the jumps. I was a little concerned that she was too hot to go back in the car and wanted to keep an eye on her, but it is also something that I want to be able to do with both dogs - put them in a sit/down stay while I am working the other dog. It makes a lot of sense to start with her first, especially since Tor has serious self-control issues ;-)
So I brought Tor out and let him do a little work on the jump line. He is nowhere near ready to jump a line of 4 jumps so we just started with 1. I've done very little jumping work with him but have done some. His problem has been that sometimes he is having so much fun running that he forgets how to jump and looks an awful lot like an Ox when he takes the jump. Well, he didn't have that problem yesterday. His physical coordination has come a very long way in the last 3 or 4 months. And, boy oh boy, did he look pretty jumping. He gets himself so streamlined and aerodynamic that I swear he accelerates in the air. And talk about FAST.
We did 1 jump in various positions in the line from both directions and he did fine. Then a woman came onto the field walking 4 or 5 Greyhounds. I was very pleased with both dogs - they noticed but really paid no attention to the distraction. That's a very good thing since both dogs were off leash. Tor isn't always friendly with other dogs but he won't usually instigate anything. But I was really THRILLED with his desire to keep working and his complete and total focus on me. She stopped a little ways away to watch for a little bit but it was totally fine with my dogs.
I set up a 2nd jump in the line for Tor at about 24-feet. He's not really ready to start pushing control too much. I want him to enjoy the activity and build his technique and if he has to do that with a little speed for now, I'm OK with that. Anyway, he did that beautifully in both directions. I don't think he dropped a single bar on any of the jumps. He is freakishly athletic so once he figures this out he should be an amazing jumper.
I really don't know very much about agility at all. But, if Gata can't do Schutzhund anymore because of the "EIC" but can sustain the intensity and drive for agility for the brief period of time it takes to complete a course I may have to learn more about it. One thing is for sure, both dogs would be incredibly good at it.
I have to say though, I find it a little weird and discomforting that Tor is better at almost everything than Gata is, so far. Well, except for being friendly. But, I really want her to be best at something. He is now faster than her, is freakishly athletic when he figures out what the heck he is doing, and has (if anything) an even higher desire to please me than she does. I feel disloyal to my sweet and AMAZING Gata Sombra ;-) What is wrong with me??? How many people feel guilty for having 2 such fantastic dogs? Oh well, that's me ... guilt stricken :-)
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