Party Girl

What a great agility night!  My goals for the night were

• Have Tibby be quiet in her crate
• Be a party! and keep Tibby's focus
• Play! Play! Play!
• Never let Tibby think she is wrong (or know when I mess up)

All goals met and accomplished!

I love this picture :)  She was being funny.  She knows that she has to be inside the crate to get a treat!  But she wanted to peek out a little bit at first.

So I was totally concentrated on making it really, really, really FUN for Tibby.  I didn't care what the course was like - half the time I made up my own course, just because I wanted to keep Tibby going fast and happy.  Not sure it the teacher liked me making my own courses, but I was in a zone LOL!  I really blocked everything out.  Or tried to!

So this is how every run started: Release Tibby from crate, RUN to start line, do a trick, treat, push back or spin, run course, RUN back to crate, treat in crate - JACKPOT!!  I also gave her a few treats on course - like when she did the weaves.  Or tried to do them.  The weaves are 22 inches and she's used to 24 inch, so she tries her best!

So she didn't wear her leash at all and she didn't run away!  ZERO run offs!  Even when the other class started to come in and she had to run (off leash) right past new dogs (her biggest distraction).

Party!  Party! So Happy!

I tried to be the opposite of calm :)  Happy, playing with Tibby, jumping around, even making her growl at me, like she does when we are playing at home.  I was also trying to encourage her when we were running and also saying the obstacles earlier, before she was done with the last one.

These are the first 2 videos, but I think we got better as the night went on.  Tibby figured out the game.  She really likes having the structure of knowing when she's working and when she's off. 

"Chiiiiickeeeeen?"

"Please?"

Zoe and her Mom had a good night too.  I"m not sure if it was the Calming treat I gave Zoe or having her jacket on, but she was calm and not shaking/panting/stressed out.  Zoe also would like to have my recipe for chicken treats.  Chicken treats: Chicken.