Lessons Learned

Seeker and I showed at agility matches this past weekend and I learned a lot about my baby girl! Here are the lessons I learned so that I can share them with you and Dreamer before you show:

1. Just like obedience, it is important to practice all the rituals you will use before and after you show. Seeker is doing a MUCH better job about pottying at show sites. We warmed up with a quick run and some stretches and tricks, but I did all of that WAY too early. So what happened is that she was not fired up enough for her first run. So for her 2nd runs both days, I did all the routines closer to her ring time and there was a big difference.
2. Because she is a Novice dog, she is still learning to take all the new sights, smells, and sounds in even while she competes. Because of that, I will need to run more parallel to her in the beginning. When we practice, I try to get upstream as much as possible, but what I found is that I need to support her more especially after the chute and the tunnel. I am fast, so if she takes off happily, I can always do a rear cross. But I need to be closer so she doesn't get distracted by ring crews, etc.
3. I need to keep my mouth shut in the weaves and let her do her job. When she exits, I'll give her a quick "YES" and move on.
4. I might need to play with her a bit in the ring for the first few shows just to keep her happy and relaxed. I won't be able to touch her, but I can sure pretend to do our touch game and fire her up if I see that glazed look come over her face.
5. I have to remember that I am showing all 3 days for 2 runs a day at MSU. This can only work to our advantage if I keep it positive for her because she will settle into the site and become more focused. I saw this in her when I showed in conformation.
6. We are showing first in JWW which will be great practice because she does love to jump even though her jumping style is crazy right now. But that will give me practice staying close to her. Any wrong course in JWW is an NQ. If she does have a wrong course, I must remember to just keep on going and not stress her. Let her jump and have fun.