Tori’s First-Ever Agility Class
As we started testing the theory that Tori could, in fact, now ride in the car without getting sick, we took her to her first-ever agility class in early July 2018. After years of only doing agility at home with the equipment we have here and what I can teach her on my own (after years and years of classes, even though I've never competed), Tori walked out and nailed it. It was the sweetest, funniest thing to see. Don't miss this short video.
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Agility Class and Beyond
I was so pleased with how Tori did at her first agility class. I think it helped her to have Clover right there too. They cuddled in the crate together between runs. It was very sweet. But, I'm not quite ready to take them both to weekly classes all the time, so for now, I'll alternate which one I bring each week.
It's an interesting and new challenge for me to learn to adjust my handling style between the two puppy-girls:
Clover is MUCH more sensitive to pressure and thinks a lot while she runs.
Tori is MUCH more likely to choose her line and stick with it no matter what I do with my handling.
I suppose you could argue that both of them need more information sooner, but we'll see how I do as time goes on. Maybe I can learn from each of them to be better for the other one.
Since this video was made, Tori has been to one other agility class without Clover and an advance pet-dog training class in Boulder without Clover, and she did quite well at both:
- No barfing, thanks to our new car-sickness plan
- Good, solid work around other dogs and other people in other locations
