Merry Christmas

From my kelpies to yours .............

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and lots of training success in 2009, whatever your training goals happen to be.

And do you really think either of them would wear a Christmas hat for me? Not on your life - thank goodness for photo editing programs !

Training Kelpies - Some Thoughts

I joined a kelpie discussion list a few months back - which has been a largely disappointing experience I might add. The description of the group had the words 'training discussions' which I thought would be interesting, but have since discovered that the only type of 'training' that the moderators of the list deem to be acceptable is anything related to working livestock and if you dare mention the word 'agility' you are told in no uncertain terms that this list is for training - get thee to another list! The big implication being that working kelpies should be doing just that - working with livestock and nothing else, agility is the devil's playground.

No matter, but I find this a very narrow attitude for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I believe that any information shared about kelpies, whether relating to genetics, instinct, breeding lines, and even training for agility competition, promotes a better understanding of the breed in general - which is so important for working through training issues, not to mention living with them.

Secondly, understanding how kelpies work stock also gives some great insight into training by working with their natural drives for those of us who do other activities with our kelpies - which is the main reason why I am still a member of the list, albeit a lurker rather than a poster.

And every now and then , someone posts something a little more though provoking than usual which makes it worthwhile - after saving the following quote in my computer with the intention of giving full credit to its author- I have just realised that I forgot to copy the name of the original poster. Anyway, this post struck such a chord with me that I am going to quote it with apologies to the author and the assumption that you don't mind as it was contributed to a public forum to begin with.

'One of the things that I have noticed about Kelpies in general, is that they have a lot going on mentally. They are tuff yet can be extremely sensitive, they are intelligent and they are always thinking. A lot of this goes back to the fact that they were bred to cover thousands of acres and large flocks of sheep or large herds of cattle. They were bred to be intelligent enough to figure out how to get the job done even when no one is around. This can be both good and frustrating for us on small farms and trials because they like to think that they don't need us meddling in their business. But I have noticed that you can easily hurt their feelings if you are not careful. You just have to learn how to work these qualities to the best of our abilities. If something is not working take the time to think about it and figure out what it is you want and how to succeed at it. But when you do, the look on your Kelpie's face when the light goes on is unmistakable. Just don't forget to make a fuss over his/her success. Let them know they got it right and then quit on that for the time being. All 3 of mine thrive on attention and live to get that 'Good Dog!'

I don't think the author works dogs in agility, but if she/he did, I have no doubt that they would be successful as they seem to have a pretty good handle on the kelpie temperament - as it relates to my experience so far- and dog training in general.

The 'tough but sensitive' contradiction is hard for a lot of people to understand but for me it is a pretty accurate description.

They are bred to be tough in relation to the work they carry out and the conditions that they often work in - after all, no one wants a working dog that can't cut it and a good kelpie can do the work of many men on a big property, so I am told. I also have to admit that the first few times I saw Atilla work sheep I was dumbstruck at how hard he went in when it was necessary. Here was my 'soft' little kelpie pushing himself between the fence and the sheep to move them off with no hesitation and using a fair bit of force, but the same dog worked in an entirely different manner when put on ducks.

This has always been the one big difference that stood out for me compared to working my ACD on sheep. Again, I only make the observation from my own experience, but the ACD uses the same degree of force on sheep from start to finish whereas with the kelpies it is almost like watching a choreographed perfomance - go in hard, ease off, go in hard, ease off. They seem to have more of an innate understanding of when to use force, rather than just using it for the whole time because they can.

I have seen a lot of people ruin good kelpies,when training them for agility in particular, because they hone in on this 'tough' quality but ignore the 'sensitive' one. Kelpies are very good at trying you out (right from the moment you first bring them home) and a lot of people respond to this with the 'me human- you dog' mentality and resort to physical punishment and the like to exert their 'dominance'. Kelpies do not respond well to any sort of harsh treatment - not that I've ever been harsh with mine, but have witnessed plenty with others. They are ideal candidates for positive training techniques (mine are both clicker trained) and you just have to be patient, consistent and occasionally outsmart them to get the pecking order clearly defined. (Not that it's all that easy to outsmart them of course)
And they are always thinking - anticipating what you want next, which can be a double edged sword on an agility course. Running my old BC cross or ACD in agility used to have a little room for slight handler error - not so running kelpies. I find that my position or body signal only needs to be a tiny bit out and there's an off course or a run by. Which is only fair and spurs me on to be a better handler.

I really like Suzanne Clothier's description of 'relationship based training' (if you haven't read 'Bones Would Rain From the Sky do yourself a favour and get a copy) as this is what I think agility training is all about. If you take the time to develop a relationship with your kelpie - based on mutual respect rather than dominance and force- then you will get much better results.

The other part of the quote that I really like refers to using those kelpie qualities to the best of your ability. I agree with Susan Garrett - dog trainer extraordinaire! that you need to 'train the dog you want' - but to get there I believe you also need to work with what you've got, rather than 'fight' your dog every step of the way. And if something's not working, think outside the square to change the picture for your dog in order to set them up for success. So I am thinking of the end product that I want and then backchaining to work out the steps I will need to train to get there in a way that 'sits right' with both me and the kelpies and enhances rather than damages our relationship.

And yeah, that look of the light going on is priceless - Atilla has had quite a few lightbulb moments over the past 12 months.

So these comments may be way off base to some kelpie owners and breeders - after all I am still pretty much a novice kelpie owner even though I did grow up with them as a child. But these observations totally fit with my experience so far. Looking forward to learning more about them as our training journey progresses.

Cruz Finally Makes his Debut

Well it took us until the last trial for the year but Cruz is finally no longer a trial virgin.
My training had reached the point where I needed to put him in a trial situation to see how he coped with all the distractions so that's what I did.
I only entered him in 2 runs for his first time - which I will probably continue to do for the next few trials as well.


First up was Novice Agility - a course with some extreme angles for Novice level, I honestly think I may have struggled to get Atilla around it clear.
Cruz showed a few stress signs at the start line which I expected may happen for his first time - plus I was actually nervous too which didn't help him. I don't get nervous running Atilla any more so it felt really strange to be so on edge.
We got through with 2 bars down which wasn't too bad for a first time, considering some of the angles. Plus I realised afterwards that it was the first full course he has run at 600 - bad trainer!


Novice Jumping we were first in the ring - but he appeared a little more relaxed at the startline compared to the first run. This time we were clear and won the ring which I certainly wasn't expecting to happen. So I am one proud kelpie mum at the moment.

Cruz with his first place trophy, sash and of course the most important part of the win - food!



Although more focussed than on his first run, he definitely didn't give me as much speed as he usually does but he has such a long stride that he still ran a reasonable time. I saw the 2nd and 3rd placed runs (BC and BC cross, both jumping 500) and they looked pretty fast to me so I was very surprised to clock up a faster time - but very happy about it ! And although it wasn't his fastest run , when I looked back at my trial diary and compared his time to Atilla's times in Novice, it was almost identical.

Plus he held both his startline stays - I went out 2 obstacles on the jumping course- and hit all his contacts and weaves in agility.

The only thing that I was really disappointed in was that he wouldn't tug with me before he went into the ring, which is unusual for him. The presence of the judge and timer in the ring didn't appear to bother him at all, I felt that the stress was more related to waiting outside for our turn.
So a lot more proofing with distractions and unfamiliar locations for us over the next few months.
And I need to experiment with finding the best warm up procedure for him to build focus. This is going to be more of a challenge than with Atilla - because he jumps 600 it is very likely that he will often be first dog in the ring which can make warming up difficult on occasion.

But I am very proud of my long, lanky boy who has now equalled Atilla's effort of qualifying and winning the ring at his first trial.

More Training .... and More Beach !

I finally have a training routine that I am happy with and appears to be working. Based on 4 times a week at home, which does not include the times I train at club, this is what I am aiming for :
1X Jump Grids (from the Susan Salo DVD)
1X Double Box or 'related exercise' (from Greg Derrett DVD's)
1X Sequence from Clean Run or Dogsport or anywhere else where I happen to find a sequence
that I want to work
1X Speed exercise - maybe a speed circle or something else straightforward where the focus is
on opening out and really running.


In addition to this, we usually go out for a 2nd very brief training session on each day to focus on weaves or contacts. Both training sessions do not last much longer than 5 minutes.


Yesterday we worked on a spin off of the Power Paws 'W' pattern and this was a fun sequence to run. It looks a bit like this :


This is designed as an exercise to work weave entries. I also changed the order to incorporate a threadle between 3 and 4, and a send to the tunnel. There were quite a few other variations listed in the article, but at this stage I have only tried a couple of them. Nothing worse than long training sessions, so we might set it up again next week and try some others.


Atilla had no problems with the weaves as they are numbered here - I got a fast entry into 2 and then after 4 I front crossed for the weaves at 5. This was a harder entry but he made it easily - even though the first time he had a lot of speed and the first pole whacked him in the face ! Made sure that I rewarded after that set of weaves as I want him to stay in and weave fast, even if the poles hit him, this has been an area where we have had trouble in the past.


I also ran the exercise with Cruz and even though I thought it might be a little challenging for him, he had no difficulty with it. I did have to 'babysit' the weave entry at 5 a lot more than Atilla but for a pretty green dog, I was very happy with his performance.


The 'agility year' is winding down - last official training session tomorrow night and last trial the weekend after - although if it is too hot I won't run. I find that I am really flat in the heat and it rubs off on the dogs. Plus I worry about keeping them cool even under a gazebo.


We went to the beach again on Monday, Ocean Grove this time, and both kelpies had a ball.
Although I love living where I do, I would consider a move to be closer to the beach - it's such a great fitness thing for the kelpies to run along the sand, not to mention swimming. Plus it's good for me too. I seem to be able to walk much longer distances in a seaside environment.


Cruz checking out the rockpools and deciding that there was nothing in them to hold his interest.
The kelpies met another kelpie on the beach and even though I don't normally let them run around off lead with a strange dog, I made an exception this once. They ran and played together for ages - in the end the other owner had to put her dog back on lead to get them to stop playing and continue walking.

Atilla and Cruz chasing each other in and out of the water. Another exciting kelpie game.

Atilla posing amongst the seaweed - there was an incredible amount in places with some unbelievable colours.................. especially that shade of pink. Who says seaweed only comes in shades of brown and green ?

A Fun Weekend at Warrnambool

After last year's disastrous weather at Warrnambool, eventually causing the cancellation of their trial, the 'agility gods' were definitely smiling on them this weekend.

The weather was perfect - even warm enough to run in short sleeves on Sunday but not warm enough to make the dogs uncomfortable. The predicted rain didn't eventuate apart from a few drops on Sunday around lunchtime.

The 'agility gods' were smiling on us too - we managed to come away with 4 qualifying scores and Cruz won the raffle on Sunday and scored a brand new dog bed.

There were some fast and challenging courses, especially in Masters, and I was very happy with the way we ran most of them. Atilla stayed focussed for most of the time, apart from an incidient with the cloth tunnel (which I'll describe in a later training related post) and was eager to work. I was especially pleased with his speed on many sections of the courses we ran.

Overall we earned a pass in Open Jumping (our first one as I don't run this event very often) and 2nd place behind another kelpie that is exceptionally fast, a pass in Masters Jumping (number 3) and 3rd place, a pass in Masters Agility and 4th place (number 6 - one more to go !) and a pass in Open Agility and 3rd place.

Although I have had 3 passes at the same trial a few times, I haven't had 4 since we were in Novice so I was very pleased with this result, plus I really enjoyed running most of the courses over the weekend, whether we qualified or not.

This is the trial ground in the foreground, with the neighbouring soccer ground behind. Pity I didn't think to take this with the agility equipment still set up as it would have made a much better shot.

All the dogs had an absolute blast at the beach. Atilla and Cruz got to have a good run along the sand on Friday after the long drive down. The beach was deserted as it was a bit cold by then, and they loved it ! They kept running way ahead of me, then waiting for me to catch up as if to say 'what's keeping you?', then taking off again.

They got to swim on Saturday and Sunday after the trial had finished each day - much to Bosnich's delight. He literally has to be dragged out of the water when there's swimming involved and if it were possible for a dog to sulk when we leave, then he most definitely would. As a 'non-kelpie', he sets the benchmark as far as swimming is concerned. Both the kelpies swim but not with the passion that Bozzie does - or should that be 'ACD mania' rather than passion ?
Even old man Yasser enjoyed his walk along the beach - at his own pace of course, which is way slower than the rest of them.

Warrnambool is one of my favourite places - located on the south-west coast of Victoria about 3 hours from Melbourne, and originally settled (I think) in the late 1840's as a maritime village - fishing, boating and related industries. I think I read something about sealing too but we won't talk about that ! There is a recreated maritime village set on the bay, but as they don't allow dogs I have never been in. Looks interesting though. The area is most famous for the legend of the mahogany ship- reputed to be buried deep beneath the sand dunes somewhere on the outskirts of Warrnambool. The following description comes from the Warrnambool Vic. Government tourist website:

'A Portuguese vessel fondly known by locals as the Mahogany Ship, reportedly ran aground off Warrnambool in the 1500's. This local legend is supported by the discovery of old Portuguese charts that depict Australia's southern coastline. It is believed these charts were drawn in the 1520's. '

There was a reported sighting of the ship's mast protuding from the sand dunes - although more than a hundred years ago I believe- but when a salvage party was organised the ship had disappeared and the coordinates of the sighting were not recorded by the person who believed they had found it. (You'd kick yourself wouldn't you?)

Anyway, it's a pretty cool legend whether true or not, and brings many tourists to the area in search of buried treasure, literally.

There are still a lot of old builings remaining in the town - I found this website which I really liked as it showed some of them as originals compared to how they look now.

http://www.warrnamboolcam.com/nownthen.htm

This is the view over Lake Pertobe, with the old breakwater in the distance, another reminder of the area's history. There is another good walking trail around parts of the lake that you can do with the dogs, accessed from the agility trial ground.

So overall a great weekend - can't wait for their next trial to roll around.

The Double Box Rules !

I'm now halfway through revisiting Greg Derrett's double box exercises and I'm really enjoying working them - with both dogs.

I've also been pleasantly surprised by how tight both kelpies can actually turn when I cue them early enough - especially Cruz.

I ran Atilla at Ballarat last weekend - not a trial that I usually enter but I haven't run anywhere near as much as I planned to this year - again. And I need to enter more trials to really consolidate all the training we've done this year. I only entered him in 4 Masters runs as sometimes it gets to be a pain running from one ring to the other trying to fit Open in as well. We had 4 good runs overall, with a Q in Masters agility and 2nd in the ring, and one small handling error on each of the other runs causing an off course. I can live with that!

There were some challenging courses and I don't believe I would have been able to handle them as well without all the double box work we've been doing - on one Masters jumping course I think I counted 6 Front crosses that I put in - and the only place that I didn't get there in time and decided to rear cross instead was where I got the offcourse.

So we'll definitely be incorporating the double box into our training every week from now on. I can't wait until the Greg Derrett seminar where we will get to work on these with 'real live' guidance, instead of working from the DVD.

Plus I am trying to continue with jump grids every week too. I am really pleased with the way Cruz is putting in minimal strides between jumps when he is running confidently. If only I could get Atilla to do the same more consistently.

Beauty, Brains and an Angry Magpie

So first for the beauty and brains - this is Cruz's litter sister Meg.
She is a fawn kelpie, a colour not as common as the red & tans and black & tans.
You can find more information about fawn kelpies here :

http://noonbarra.com/PROFILES/FAWN%20KELPIES.htm




Pretty stunning hey ! And brains as well - she is showing off her sashes for winning her class (CCD) at an Obedience trial in NSW. Just as well one member of the family is out there strutting their stuff as Cruz still hasn't made his agility debut. Thanks to me continually finding 'holes' I want to fix.

Poor Cruz, he'll be a veteran at this rate before he ever gets out there. So October is going to be my 'focus on Cruz's training month', Atilla has had the limelight for long enough.

We have magpies nesting everywhere at the moment and one has taken up residence in a tree in my agility area.
I was training Atilla this afternoon, we set up at the startline and he did 2 jumps, which put him in line with the magpie tree - every time he reached this point, the magpie came down and dive bombed him.

Normally he's happy to chase any magpie who dares to do this to him, but this one was either extra mean looking or the fact that he was trying to complete an agility run messed with his mind and he couldn't handle it.
Finally he freaked out and went into the tunnel and wouldn't come out.

I know it's mean to laugh at him, but I couldn't help it. Especially when a little kelpie face appeared at the end of tunnel and looked around to see if it was safe to continue - too funny !

And even funnier when I ran the same sequence with Cruz and the magpie ignored him - poor Atilla ! A dent in his kelpie ego I'm sure, let's hope the neighbouring sheep don't get to hear about it.

Kyneton, Malmsbury......and Greg Derrett !

I've been taking the kelpies to Kyneton and Malmsbury quite a bit over the past few months. It's just under an hour's drive from here and there are lots of places where they can walk. It's such a pretty area with a ton of history - according to the internet there are more original bluestone buildings still standing in this area than anywhere else in Victoria - and if it was on the internet then it must be true !
Some photos from the Botanic Gardens in Malmsbury -

Don't they look so well behaved and obedient - as if butter wouldn't melt in their mouths- not!

Views of the railway bridge taken from the gardens. A very modern V Line just went over but I was too slow to get it - would have made a great shot with the contrast between the train and bridge. I waited for a while, but no more trains.




Atilla in the gardens - eyeing off the geese and ducks in the lake - they didn't appear all that inclined to let themselves be herded though, much to his disgust.

The Malmsbury bakery cat. Loves to come and sit on a chair at the outside tables with you. Kelpies are not impressed by this at all but the cat is not phased. Gives you headbutts as a reminder to keep patting it if you happen to stop!

One of the examples of an old bluestone structure that the area is famous for. I got out of the car to take some photos of an old bridge and some interesting looking trees and just as I was getting back in I happened to look into the distance and saw this tower. The lighting wasn't great by this time but I just had to photograph it anyway. Something very eerie about it, the way it just rose up in the paddock behind all the gorse and whatever the red berries are plus it played havoc with the focus on my camera - it would appear perfect but when viewed back the foreground would be fine and the tower was a blur- freaked me out a little bit I must admit. Anyway, this was the best I could do.
Looked it up on my friend the internet and it is the oldest surviving stone windmill in Victoria, sans sails.
The bridge that I originally got out of the car to photograph. Probably the original 'Calder Highway' at one stage.
And yet another of the bluestone buildings that are all over the area.

And now for the really exciting news - Greg Derrett is coming to Victoria. My 'agility idol' in person, I am SO there ! I am going to start setting up his double box exercises again and working through them one at a time, watching the DVD in between each exercise to make sure I get them right. Cruz is ready for them too now so it will be interesting to compare both dogs - experienced and inexperienced- to see how they go.

Training is driving me crazy at the moment.
Due to a problem with the new lights at the oval where we train, we have had no club training for 4 weeks now, and this week is looking doubtful too. Cruz's debut seems to be getting pushed back further and further all the time. Maybe I should just 'bite the bullet' and put him out next month just to see what happens. Or maybe I should be patient, stop comparing them and not keep thinking 'Atilla had his novice titles by this stage' . I guess it will happen when it happens and I shouldn't be in a hurry.

ANKC V NADAC

I don't run NADAC agility very often but last month I entered a trial on the following weekend from the ANKC trial at Sunbury.

Everyone seems to have their own thoughts about which 'flavour of agility' they prefer for varying reasons which has got me thinking about the differences between the two.

These were the jumping courses I ran in each venue, qualifying on both.

Sunbury Masters Jumping (ANKC) *6th place

Bacchus Marsh Open Jumping (NADAC) *1st place Quite a difference, as you can see- or at least you might have been able to see if I had used the larger numbers, so you will just have to take my word for it.

OK, we are running one level below at NADAC (Open is equivalent to Excellent) but I've seen Novice courses harder than that Open one - one side change for crying out loud and even that I did with a lead out pivot.

Although I don't like the twisting and turning of many ANKC courses, that NADAC course was not much of a challenge. I like the way NADAC offers lower jump heights - great for veteran dogs and dogs coming back from injury, but I can't say I really like too much else about it.

I especially dislike the way there is now no running order and you just line up. Two friends missed their jumping runs a couple of weeks back at a trial I went to watch. No-one called that the class was over, and one is a very new trialler. I felt so bad for her. OK, I know it's your responsibility to know when your height is coming up, but still. It also seems to promote a 'NADAC style' of handling that I hate - lots of running from behind, rear crosses on the landing side and opposite arms waving around in the air on rear crosses. Plus ridiculous distance for the sake of distance that's not buying you anything by handling in that way but is seen as the holy grail of NADAC for some reason. Call me strange, but I actually enjoy the buzz of running the course with my dog, not standing there and flapping my arms around while I yell 'out.'

I also feel way more stressed at NADAC trials than I do in any other venue - there's such a long list of what you can and cannot do, and it appears to change at the drop of a hat so I can't keep up.

But on the other hand, even though the courses are not very challenging (and they all seem to be variations on a theme from what I have seen) the ANKC courses can be ridiculously hard at times with all that turning and twisting.

So I definitely think there is a place for NADAC as well as ANKC, but at the moment it's not my venue of choice. I am grateful that there is another venue to compete in once my dogs are not able to handle the jump heights of ANKC any longer (NADAC veterans was wonderful for Yasser, although I did prefer it back then when it was ADAC) and also think it's great that there is a choice available - there's not in some states,

Maybe a hybrid between the two forms of agility would be perfect!

My Favourite Training Distraction - Sheep !

The sheep are back on the land behind us. The old guy who owns them has several 2 acre blocks in the area - you can't build on anything less than 5 acres at the moment- and he rotates them around for a few weeks at a time.
The kelpies love watching him come down the road when he is moving them, he rings a bell and walks the sheep along the road with a .........wait for it....... Jack Russell Terrier ! Which surprisingly does pretty well. The kelpies are dying for a bit of active service of course, and run along the fence line barking as he goes past just to let him know they are available if the JRT doesn't cut it or disappears into the nearest rabbit burrow.
There are lambs at the moment too, which are pretty cute.

So every time I go out to train agility this week, I have woolly faces peering through the fence, which is great for proofing distractions.

Cruz does pretty well. He is aware of them, but happy to stay with me and work, especially if he thinks there may be food involved at the end. But it absolutely kills Atilla ! I have been using the sheep as a 'life reward' and releasing him to the fence to clear them off after he does what I want first...... Premack Principle rules ! This has turned into a pretty good game in his opinion and his agility work this week has been fast and motivated as a result. Now I just have to figure out a way I can get them to my next trial.......

A Good Night at Training

I really enjoyed running this course at training on Friday evening. It was a small class for a change, only 5 of us, and Murray set up a fairly simple course, but still with some challenges- especially if you didn't handle your dog's path. Also a good course for working on speed. (What I would call a 'Tank of Oxygen Course,' especially when you run it, another dog runs and then you have to go again!)
There were some fast diagonal lines in this course - or what Elicia referred to as SFL's (straight friggin lines) when she was here.

I started with a lead out between 2 and 3 so I could be ahead of Atilla to indicate the path to the tunnel. Then a front cross between the tunnel and jump 5 set up a nice straight line to the seesaw. I also made sure I was still in front at this point so I could use a little shoulder pull but I don't think he even looked at the tunnel.

Good section for speed next. He surprised me with a pretty fast dogwalk performance which actually changed the way I handled the weave entry. I was planning on front crossing after the tunnel to handle the weaves on the right, but he was so quick off the walk and through the tunnel that I didn't get there. I then used a 'threadle arm' when he came out of the tunnel and then rear crossed the weaves once he was in. I thought that might be a bit messy but it actually worked really well so I stuck with it on the 2nd run through. As his weaves are pretty reliable I was also able to peel away from them for some more lateral distance so I could front cross at the end. This made a straight line to the tunnel at 12.

Being ahead after the tunnel made jumps 13 and 14 easy to indicate. On the first run through, I had an off course at the next bit. I honestly thought my movement and position would be enough to indicate the change of line to the tunnel, especially as I don't layer in the handling system I am using, but he took the tyre. (As did most of the dogs in class) On the next run through, I used a 'threadle arm' after jump 14 and he took the correct obstacle that time. Something else for me to remember : still need support on some discriminations, especially as it was a slight change of line.

I thought about front crossing after the tunnel for a better line to jump 16, but found that I was able to stay ahead on most of this course so decided I didn't need to. Handled both jumps on the left, then front crossed at the end of the A Frame for the run home. On the second run through I left out the front cross and rear crossed after 19 to pull him toward the broad. That also worked well.

So, an enjoyable training session and I was so pleased with the way Atilla worked. Now all I have to do is get the same speed happening consistently at a trial. We seem to have sections of 'all cylinders firing' but others where he drops off the pace a bit. After our 3 passes off 4 runs last weekend at Sunbury, I am going to throw caution to the wind and push for a bit more speed next time we trial and see what I get. Plus try harder to sharpen up my handling for him.

Cruz ran a full length Novice Jumping course at training on Sunday and went clear with no difficulties. Guess I'd better start thinking about entering him in a Jumping run to see how he does under a bit more pressure and to see what I still need to work on with him. After Nationals maybe.

Of Cakes and Contacts

Okay Karen, this one's for you - Jack's photo has disappeared into the black hole of the alternate reality of my computer, so I have recreated for Cruz's second birthday.

Carrot, zucchini and peanut butter cake with low fat cream cheese frosting, hand made dog biscuits and of course the icing, 'smakos' and doggy choc sheep - mmmmmm !

Plus pupcakes for his 'brothers' and friends. Well, the friends didn't really get a look in thanks to the brothers, but the intent was there.And while I'm on the subject, here's one I made a few months back as an order for a dog's birthday party. Which annoyed mine as they got to 'look but not touch...... or taste !'

And now to the topic that is almost causing me sleepless nights - at least it would be if I wasn't so cosy with an electric blanket and two kelpies (oh, and there's a husband in there too somewhere I think) - CONTACT TRAINING , namely one A Frame.

This would have to be the piece of equipment that I have decided I hate training, as I have a clear picture in my head of how I want Cruz's performance to be, but achieving it is another story......... Cruz prefers messing with my mind instead.

We started with 2 on 2 off, as we are doing on the dogwalk, where he performs it brilliantly. This was fine until I started raising the A Frame close to full height and then he lost all speed and started creeping down to the position at the bottom . After a few weeks of this with no improvement I decided to train a running contact on the A Frame.

Began with a stride regulator at the top and a hoop at the bottom, got rid of the regulator early on as video analysis showed he was hitting the (almost) identical spot every time. Hooray - she says ! This will make it easy. (Fool!)

So a couple of weeks back we finally went to full height and it is a lovely running contact, fast and accurate. Am I a good trainer or what ? Well here comes the what ........... Cruz is getting faster and faster as his confidence grows, last week he began to fully extend and really run it, well that taught me something about running contacts.............a very long skinny kelpie when fully extended can actually get through the hoop at the bottom without touching the colour. Picture head down, fully extended with his back legs just above the colour and his front legs just off the end on the ground and you get the idea.

So my choices now are - put stride regulators back on to manipulate his stride, try to implement some sort of a board on the bottom of the contact for him to hit, or go back to a stopped contact. I don't feel I am experienced enough with stride regulators to do this successfully, plus by changing his stride I will need to go back to the months and months of muscle memory with loads of repetitions and even then there is no guarantee as I have just found out. The board has potential - and there are several DVD's in the pipeline using this method coming soon, but the problem is that his nose touch is so hard wired, every time he sees any sort of a board he wants to do 2o2o and nose touch - so I would need to break him of that habit first.

The problem with his stopped contact was that he never really got his weight back far enough as he does on the dogwalk, creating a slow performance which I also don't want.

So I am going to give Elicia's method (slide into a drop on board) a go. That way he can still nose touch if he wants, and then I can fade it. Began shaping the position on a touchboard last week and he has caught on to this very quickly. Put the board onto a lowered A Frame today for the first time, and he had no trouble with the position at all, so we will see what happens with this method. I am prepared to sacrifice a little of the speed I had with the running, but I don't want the 'creeping' down to the bottom.

I need to be patient this time and make sure I raise the A Frame one link at a time instead of rushing it. ('Patience is knowledge disguised' - Kay Laurence)

This whole training issue has also given me a better insight into how hard it is for people at club to train contacts with their dog when they don't know what they are doing. I think as Instructors we confuse them by all having our 'pet' ways of doing things. So they are told something different every week depending on who the instructor is plus they don't have access to equipment to train at home. I 'kinda' know what I 'm doing (at least I thought I did) and I have access to an adjustable A Frame at home, but I'm sure Cruz will tell you that I am still stuffing it up. So we need to get some consistency with the way we are teaching at club - something else for the next Instructor's meeting agenda.

Casterton Kelpie Muster

This annual event is held in the small Victorian country town of Casterton, not far from the South Australian border. A great celebration of the breed and a totally shameless 'kelpie-fest.'

If you are a kelpie lover and have never been, mark the Queen's Birthday weekend in your diary now.

A brief background of the kelpie's ties to Casterton for those who don't know the story :

In the 1870's a young stockman named Jack Gleeson worked on Dunrobin Station, just north of Casterton. The neighbouring property, Warrock Station was owned by a man named George Robertson. (Warrock Station still survives and is open for visitor tours) In 1871, Robertson mated a pair of Scottish collies that had been imported into the country. Gleeson took a liking to a black and tan bitch from the mating and asked to buy the puppy, but Robertson refused and gave her to his nephew instead.

Robertson's nephew knew that Gleeson wanted the pup and arranged to swap her for a horse of Gleeson's that he wanted (just like 19th Century e bay). They met at night on the banks of the Glenelg River in Casterton to perform the trade. Gleeson named his new pup 'Kelpie' - meaning a malignant Scottish water spirit that haunts streams and rivers in the shape of a horse.

Shortly after this, Gleeson left the area and moved to the Ardlethan district of NSW. It was there that Kelpie was mated to a black dog named Moss and another working dog named Caesar. The resulting progeny were highly sought after and when one (also named Kelpie after her dam) gained fame for her performance at the very first sheepdog trial in NSW, the name Kelpie was adopted as the breed name.

If you drive through Ardlethan you will see that they also claim rights to the origin of the kelpie breed, but Casterton beat them to the idea of the annual muster !

On Saturday there is a street parade featuring local schools and businesses, and kelpies of course.

The parade is held on the main street of Casterton. In the background you can see the hill that the kelpies run up in the hill climb event. (It doesn't look all that steep in the photo but believe me, it is. ) The owners are driven to the top of the hill and you need someone to hold your dog at the bottom. They are then recalled up the hill until they reach the owner and run into a designated area at the top. This is timed and the best time wins. Just to complicate matters, there is a set of gates with an opening in the centre part way up and if your dog goes through the opening you get 5 seconds off your time. This year the climb was combined into the kelpie triathlon along with the high jump competition (jumping up boards that make a high jump into the back of a hay laden ute, boards are added incrementally and it works as a knock out type contest) and a 50 metre race down the main street. There are other activities you can join in if the athletic side of it doesn't do it for you, such as 'Kelpie Idol' (show off your kelpie's tricks), Pinball (herding Indian runner ducks through croquet hoops), or Kelpie/Owner look alike contest. There is also the stockman's challenge on the banks of the Glenelg River ( the ghosts of Jack Gleeson and little Kelpie may very well be watching on) where kelpies herd sheep around a set course, directed by a modern day stockman- or woman- on horseback. This is my favourite event to watch and something I would love to try one day, dream on !

On Sunday there is a big working dog auction - the jury is still out on what I think about this - but you get to see some really good dogs work during the demonstrations and it is exciting to see the prices that they fetch, around $6,000 is usually the norm for the top priced dog. (Although I wouldn't accept a million for either of mine !) I have just read on a dog related forum that this year the top priced kelpie was 'Beloka Red 11'. Sold for $7400, paid by the owner's father and then donated back to her and the breeder. Proceeds went to 'Beyond Blue' for rural depression initiatives. Nice to read a story like that for once.

There are kelpies everywhere in Casterton, including a 'kelpie trail' that you can walk along the river and through the town featuring kelpie sculptures and information about the breed and the artists. Fascinating stuff for us kelpie addicts, plus the kelpies enjoyed the walk.

Atilla wasn't quite sure about this one - he kept waiting for it to move and sniff him back.

It's a fun weekend for kelpie fans and a great chance to catch up with others who share the same obsession. I wonder what Jack Gleeson would think if he knew what his long ago clandestine meet on the banks of the Glenelg River had started ? I know I am grateful that it happened because if not, then I would never have this .........

or this .........................................


And both are eternally grateful that I DON'T make them run up that great big hill each year !

Official Agility Shop-A-Holic !

I have been reviewing my agility related book and DVD collection - how did it get to be so big? As for working out how much money I've spent on agility related items, I'm not even going to go there at the risk of going into shock....... not to mention an instant divorce from OH.

(I'm sure I could have had at least two more kelpies for the money that I've spent.)

So now that I've spent all this money it's got me thinking about how to get the best value out of all the resources that I have. It's all too easy to read a book or watch a DVD and think 'that was great', then put it away in the cupboard and never look at it again - unless some sort of 'training issue' comes up that has you madly rushing to look for it just in case it has a 'magic wand' solution. (And if I could patent an 'Agility Magic Wand' I would never have to worry about how much money I spend on agility again!)

I'm also thinking that maybe if I made the effort to implement some of the advice from these resources in the first place, then I would be in less need of these 'magic wand' solutions - some merit in that thought hey!

First step is going to be choosing my favourite resources and working out how I can incorporate them into my training plan. So let's have a 'Favourites List' - beginning with DVD's, to review them (in no particular order)

1. Greg Derrett : 'Foundation Training'

*This one goes back to 'video days' and would probably be one resource that I have definitely got my money's worth from many times over. I implemented Greg's program with both kelpies as soon as I started working with them as puppies (although I am still trying to convince OH of the benefits of the doggy swimming pool from the 'conditioning' section.) It's also the first item I tell our new club members to borrow from the club library when we run new member evenings. Plus refer to it when I take Foundation class many times over just to make sure they get sick of me nagging and actually do get off their bums and borrow it!

A 'Must Have' for every agility addict's library. (Shame on you if you haven't seen it !)

2. Greg Derrett : 'Great Dog - Shame About the Handler'

OK, I confess - I am a bit of a 'Greg Derrett groupie'. (He kind of appeals to me in the same funny way that Jamie Oliver does - maybe I'm just a sucker for an accent - I guess my choice of hubby would also support that theory, anyway, I digress - back to agility)

*This is one that I think you need to watch many times to take it in - when I first watched it I don't think we were quite ready for some of the box work so I haven't given it the workout it deserves. This is about to change as I am going to train the double box for a few weeks with both kelpies. Atilla would definitely benefit from all the exercises and I think Cruz is ready for some of them now. Also, when I first watched it, I wasn't quite as familiar with Greg's handling system as I am now. Poor Atilla kind of got bits and pieces of different systems - now he is a total 'retrain' into Greg's system - Cruz has worked in that system right from the start.

So, this is first on my list of 'watch again' to incorporate into my training program.

3. Greg Derrett : 'Great Dog, Great Handler - The Winning Combination'

*My new favourite GD resource, especially as I travelled to Canberra to audit Susan Garrett's workshop last year where she presented Greg's handling system. (I had heard a lot of conflicting things about SG seminars but I have to say I thought she was AWESOME and if you get a chance to go to a workshop - be there with bells on!) This DVD really drives it home for me. I have already worked through the front cross exercises with both kelpies - really showed up with the 'green kelpie' how important it was to get them in the correct spot. Plus we are always working on developing positional cues on lead outs. I am going to work on this in conjunction with the double box exercises for the next few weeks.

4. Susan Salo : 'Jump Foundation Training'

*My newest acquisition and so far I am loving it. Although I have been working jump grids with the kelpies for a bit now, they were a bit ad hoc. Now I have a more sequential plan for integrating them into my training program. Liam videoed them doing the distance grid last week and I was really happy with the results - Atilla could stride 19 feet no problem and Cruz the same for 18 feet - didn't space them any further apart as I wanted to finish on a successful note, but next time I try them I will go out further, aiming for 21 feet eventually. Plus when I can figure it out, I will post the videos here. I have only watched the first 2 DVD's at this stage - it's a 4 DVD set - plan on watching the other 2 this week.

5. Susan Garrett : 'Success with One Jump'

*Another in the pile for rewatching - have worked a lot of it already but could do with a 'refresher'. Cruz is doing well at looking down his line at the startline, haven't retrained it with Atilla and not sure if I will - although I do see the benefits. The work on positional cues, plus 'change of arm = change of line' fits in well with new Derrett DVD.

6. Lori Hansen : 'Human Agility Training'

*OK - I'm slack. Haven't actually watched this one yet - but it's going in the ever-growing pile - I PROMISE ! And I did sit ups this morning - does that count?

7. Joe Canova : 'World Class Weaves'

*I used this method to train Cruz's weaves and I am pretty pleased with the results.
But now that he weaves 12 poles well I have slackened off on training the entries - I was keeping a diary for a bit but once I got past the first 3 'stations' (as Joe refers to them) I stopped and worked on other things. I need to go back to this, working the first 3 stations again and them moving on to the others, plus more weave pole proofing.

8. 'Agility in Motion' series (Various contributors)

*Saving this for another post as there is so much good stuff on these - and it's all too easy to watch and then forget. Plus I can't let my rewatching pile get any bigger or it will be unmanageable and then I won't do it.

So, more than enough to keep me busy over the next few weeks I think. In between taking the kelpies on walks, swimming (we did Altona dog beach yesterday evening), training, trialling plus the Casterton Kelpie Festival coming up shortly.

But at least I'm feeling more motivated now that I've put this in writing - that third Susan Salo DVD is now displacing GD and is going to the top of the pile for later today. Jump Grids - bring 'em on !

And A Good Time Was Had By All

Well the trial at Wagga Wagga has come and gone but will long remain in my memory as one of my favourite ones ever ........ why did she wait so long to trial interstate she asks ?

Such a relaxed atmosphere with only two rings running - you can see how dry it was from the photos but still OK to run on.

I loved everything about the weekend - friendly club members and other participants, great courses (mostly) and a dog who was happy and relaxed and couldn't wait to work - what's not to love? Plus the passes in Masters and Open agility helped too !

I was happy with all our runs (apart from a blonde moment on the Open Jumping course which we won't talk about) .......... and with our speed on most sections of each course. We are positively slow compared to some of the dogs there though - Open Agility we ran (what I thought was) a really good speed, 21 seconds under SCT and we still only came in 7th! We were 8th in Masters agility, but I did have a little 'bobble' on one discrimination where sloppy handling caused him to ask a question, so I know I lost a bit of time there.

Anyway, a great weekend, and I really enjoyed watching some different dogs run. Plus I learnt quite a bit from watching different handlers, especially relating to my position and motion around the course. I will be marking this trial on my calendar each year now.

Here's Atilla with his quallie sashes. One thing I had never seen before was that no sashes were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd (just prizes) - but everyone got the same sash for qualifiying no matter what position they came in.

I have a list of things I want to work on over the next few months, plus a few more 'holes' after last weekend's trial at Bendigo, so once I get my list (and related thoughts) together I will publish my training plan. I majored in 'course forgetting' at Bendigo so I have decided that once I get the last pass I need for ADO I will just run Masters for a bit to avoid clashes - JDO can wait.

Cruz ran his first full length course at training last week (one of Murray's old novice agility courses) and went clear both times which was encouraging. There are still some areas I want to work on with him before I put him in his first trial, but overall I am really happy with his progress and am in no hurry.

Dog Friendly ? My Butt !

Finally decided to make the trip to Wagga for my first interstate trial. Decided against running Cruz. On the one hand I would like his debut to be away from most people I know - I felt a lot of pressure when I first started trialling Atilla - but he can be a stress ball sometimes so I think a familiar location will be best for him when I finally bring him out.

Someone posted the name of the closest motel on an Agility list, so I gave them a call to book a room. When I said that I would have a dog (or two) sleeping in the car, the response was ' no one has ever asked that before. I will have to check.' What the? .......... Anyway, she came back and said, 'you can't have a dog outside your room, you will have to park in our carpark out the back.'

Thanks, but no thanks. Have a nice day.

I then called another motel, not all that near the trial ground, but this one promotes itself as being 'pet friendly.'

Surprise, surprise, when I mentioned that I would have a dog in the car, I got the same strange response, 'I will have to check.'
Um, excuse me, but you are advertised as a pet friendly motel. Yes, but we have kennels out the back and that's where your dog needs to sleep. After going off and checking, she came back on and said they would make an 'exception' in this case. What kind of dogs do you have? Working kelpies. Oh, they will be sleeping chained up in the back of a ute.

That made me laugh as I can just see Mr Spoilt Atilla roughing it. No, they will be cosy inside a 4 wheel drive !

And I thought Victoria was bad when it came to finding dog friendly accommodation - NSW beats it by a mile, even Canberra wasn't that bad when we went up last year to Susan Garrett's seminar. All the more reason to splurge on that van that I've been wanting for ages.



We had a huge storm here a few days ago - looked out the window and saw something yellow on my neighbour's property and thought 'please don't let that me my tunnel!' - luckily that had only made it as far as the back neighbour's fence.

The rainbow at the end of it was worth it though. Maybe the pot of gold is on my agility field! In which case, I will have it covered with artificial turf and won't have to worry about it dying every Summer ever again. Or better yet, I will turn it into an indoor venue complete with toilet, bathroom, kitchen, climate control, etc. Then I can train day or night, all year round - dream on!

Why I Love Living Here

Views from my verandah- it's way prettier when it's green though.

No more a city girl - I never want to go back ! And I can't imagine my life without kelpies either.