Boot Camp?!?!

So it has been a looong time since I wrote but in my defense, it has been a very busy summer. After Regionals, mom decided to take some time off of agility for me. She thought that we needed a break from trialing and concentrate more on skills. We also spent a bunch of the summer doing disc dog where I was quite successful getting my Advanced Disc Dog (ADD) Title and my Disc Dog Champion (DDCh) Title! I even had some top placements in some Skyhoundz trials so my dad was very happy with me. I also started to learn the art of dock diving and have actually taken a few dives from the dock! So needless to say, the summer went fast and I am excited about this fall.

Me barking on the dock while Ripley jumps in!

Learning to jump from the ramp at first.

So you might ask, what is this "Boot Camp" about?? Well let me tell you a story...

Two weeks ago Mom and I packed our bags (mine with lots of food and toys, hers boring clothes) and headed to Alberton ON to participate in Susan Garrett's Masters Handling seminar. Mom was worried I wouldn't do well so we also let Abbey tag along (she was going to run her instead of me if I was bad...how rude!!).

We got there on Friday and once we were settled in our tent, Mom went off to hear about the rules of the weekend. It turns out that Susan's agility field is right beside this awesome pond and the rule was, if your dog went swimming without you telling him/her to, then the human had to go in and get their dog!! Mom was not chancing my bad terrier sister going in and having to get her in her clothes so I became number 1 dog!! :) SWEET.

It turns out that Susan thinks I am a great dog, too bad about the handler (isn't that a title of someone's video, hehehe). Actually Mom was very good and listened to everything she could learn over the weekend and we had a BLAST! I got to do so many runs and I really tried hard to understand these new rules...like where my mom is, is where I am going. Imagine, that seems so simple but I still have a slight hard time not running off and taking the jumps ;) I overheard Susan tell Mom 4 things over and over....don't let him flank you....get the Crates Games video....do the 1 Jump video....circle work, circle work.

So this is where Boot Camp begins. We came home and right away Mom went out and bought me this tiny little cot/bed. Doesn't she realize the size of me?! But she saw how Susan's dogs & students dogs would sit and be good while the dogs run that now she thinks that would be good for me! The only great thing about this bed is that I get the BEST treats when I am on it. I actually love running and laying down on it.

Me on my new bed...see what I mean about small?!?!

She also dug up her Crate Games and 1 Jump videos and has spent the week going through them and writing down her training plan! We have so far worked on steps 1 to 3 in Crate Games and I am very good about sitting and waiting for the crate to open and like my bed, LOVE going back in for the BEST treats!! (Boot Camp doesn't sound too bad, does it?! lol) I am starting to learn the rules on the 1 jump and love working all this time with mom.

Doing 1 jump work (not focusing forward)

Focusing forward now :)

We are also working every day on circle work where I have to stay by my Mom's side whether she is running or walking. The good part is that I get LOTS of treats but the bad part is I have to wear a Snoot Loop (those suck!!) Mom even takes me for a long walk each day on the Snoot Loop and feeds me my dinner. Lots of people have commented on how well behaved I am and even Grandma Tiff came to stay one night this week and she was saying how much calmer I seem. Well what is a dog to do when they are bone tired from all this work?!?!

Well I will let you know how boot camp is going....next week we are in Quebec at a cottage. I heard Mom say she was bringing a jump so I guess there is no rest for a BC.