Stewie JRT, an Agility Blog

New Site! Heading over to Wordpress!

2012-03-30T13:56:00.000-04:00

Please come and check out Stewie's new blog at Wordpress.com

http://stewiejrt.wordpress.com/

thanks!!

If I knew then what I know now-Don't blame the dog!

2012-03-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Today is a Dog Agility Blog Event Day.

When I started agility about eight years ago, I was a novice and so was my pup. There are several things I would do differently now looking back. But my main piece of advice is: Don't blame the dog!

As a novice starting out there are so many things to remember to do, watch the dog, give your cues, move your body, watch where you are going, and remembering where to go next!

Train your dog and train yourself! In the beginning you are training your dog to do obstacles. I have found out that training the dog is the easy part. It was training myself that is hard. The handler must be the leader, providing the dog with timely cues on what obstacle to take and where they are going next. Your dog will go exactly where your body tells it to go.

When I watch novice handlers at trials I sometimes see handlers frustrated when their dog goes off course when their body language is clearly sending them that way! Dogs pick up on your emotions, frustration, and disappointment. Please do not de-motivate your dog.

Stay upbeat. Do not scold or become upset with your dog. Your relationship with your dog is much more important than any Q. That can be hard to see when you are first competing and you really want to do well. I found out that I was a lot more competitive than I thought I would be. But think about the your partner, he needs to be having fun too. When you make a mistake use that as information for next time. Just continue on and praise your dog, he is working his hardest for you. Always keep the fun in agility! If you keep up the fun, your dog will always be willing to play with you.

I am lucky, my Jack Russell Terrier was and is highly motivated to do agility. He was very forgiving of me and my mistakes! I didn't understand as a novice handler that mistakes were my fault. I thought I needed to keep training the dog when I needed to improve my handling.

Try new things and listen to your dog. When it became clear that my Jack Russell Terrier, Stewie really disliked 2 on 2 off contacts, we tried something new. I went to running contacts which he very clearly preferred. Now one of his favorite things is "making air" over the A-frame.

Enjoy agility with your dog, and remember to play with your dog and have fun, that is the most important thing!

Please check out many other blogs on this topic at If I knew than what I know now.

Fluid Motion Agility: Train, Play, Repeat!

2012-03-06T14:46:00.002-05:00

Fluid Motion Agility: Train, Play, Repeat!: Most of the time when i ask people "how long do you train for?" i get lots of different answers, some may have short training sessions tha...

Sunday Practice at the Barn

2012-03-06T07:19:00.002-05:00

We had a great practice in the horse barn Sunday! Stewie really needed to run and stretch his legs after the recent snow and cold. We have been practicing our tugging, using Susan Garrett's Brilliant Recall program for guidance. Stewie's tugging has really improved! He tugged inside the barn, and also outside with other dogs and horses present. He was really keeping his focus on me.

Click here for a recent Susan Garrett post on tugging duration.

Woods walk

2012-02-21T11:00:00.001-05:00

Stewie Regular Stowe 8/20/2011

2012-02-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

Weaving Pic

2012-02-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Here is a pic of Stewie weaving from Champs!
What a great shot by Great Dane Photos!

Top Ten Jack Russell Terrier 2011

2012-02-13T20:17:00.001-05:00

Stewie made the NADAC Top Ten Breed list for 2011 in 5 classes!

He is the 5th JRT in Elite Chances
He is the 4th JRT in Elite Jumpers
The 4th JRT in Regular
The 3rd Jack in Touch n Go
The 3rd Jack in Tunnelers

This is the 3rd year that Stewie has made the list, but the 1st year he has made it in 5 classes.

Thanks for all the fun Stewie, you are a blast.

Stewie's collage from Champs!

2011-11-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

Act Up Agility Seminars

2011-11-29T08:17:00.000-05:00

Act Up Agility is offering seminars with Lisa Bonker!

http://www.actupagility.com/Seminars2012/Lisa%20Bonker%20Seminar%202012.pdf

Test to Facebook

2011-11-29T07:59:00.002-05:00

Test

MVI_3813.AVI

2011-11-28T20:04:00.000-05:00

NATCH Stewie

2011-11-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

NEAT Show and Go this Saturday, Oct 29!

2011-10-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

NEAT is sponsoring its annual Show & Go and puppy run!
Registration starts at 8:00 am and continues until 10:00 am

FENCED RING

Judge: Seth Dunn
Classes: Pre-Novice;Novice; Advanced-Masters Standard; Jumpers
First run: $8/additional run same dog $5.
FMI: Nancy (603) 548-0669 or e-mail stewieJRT@comcast.net

24 inch weave poles will be used!

Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 30th

***Dogs should at least 18 months old to participate in the Show & Go***

***Dogs under 18 months of age can participate in our puppy run.
Equipment will be lowered to provide a safe experience.***

Directions:
From route 101, take exit 11 for route 108(Stratham/Exeter)-(From Manchester –
right at bottom of exit / from Hampton – left at bottom of exit). Proceed to first
traffic light by MacDonald’s. Go left onto Holland Way (route 88). Proceed to stop
sign. Take a right onto 27 then take an immediate left onto Route 88. Tonry Tree Farm is about 1 mile on the right. Please park where indicated.

Click here for all the info: NEAT Show and Go Info

The Coliseum in Springfield Illinois

2011-10-26T11:04:00.001-04:00

Here are some shots of the exterior and the interior of the Coliseum where the NADAC Champs was held last week. It is a beautiful building, the the running surface was fabulous for both dogs and handlers alike, It looks like dirt but was actually a 80/20 mixture of sand and coarse sawdust.

Stewie loved it in there and responded the the energy and applause like the champion he is!

Round 2 Regular Run, Q and 5th place finish!

2011-10-21T13:50:00.000-04:00

This was our 2nd run in the Coliseum, the first run wasn't videoed. This was a great run, and we ended up with a 5th place which was very thrilling for me!

Tunnelers Pre-Champs run!

2011-10-21T13:34:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday they had two rounds of Tunnelers as part of a NADAC Funraisier. Only our 2nd round was videoed. Both Tunnelers rounds were qualifying. They were held in a barn across the street from the Coliseum.

At the NADAC Champs, Springfield, Illinois

2011-10-21T13:13:00.001-04:00

We made the huge road trip to Springfield Illinois for the NADAC Championships 2011, on Oct 13-16th.

It was held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the Coliseum, which is a beautiful brick building.

Here is a shot of the outside and how it looks set up with a course inside.

2011-09-28T08:45:00.004-04:00

NATCH Stewie with Judge Sarah Fix at Act Up Agility trial, September 24, 2011!!

Introducing...NATCH Stewie!

2011-09-27T14:37:00.001-04:00

Stewie is now NATCH Stewie. He finished his Championship on Saturday, September 24 with a beautiful and fast Chances Q. Sarah Fix was the judge and the club was Act Up Agility, in North Smithfield, RI.

NAE Dummerston July 8-10

2011-07-15T11:14:00.000-04:00

Northeast Agility Enthusiasts had their Dummerston Vt trial at Hidden Acres Campground July 8-10.
Friday night was NADAC Extreme Games Challenge, which we tried for the 1st time!
We did 2 runs each in Extreme Chances, Extreme Tunnelers, and Extreme Hoopers. It was very fun, and we got points in both Chances and both Tunnelers. The Hoop Circle defeated us on our first two attempts, but we will try again the next time Extreme Games comes to the Northeast.

Saturday was our big hope to get the Hoopers Q we need for Champs, and although the run started out well, we got a fault and so did not qualify.
We again trained our start line stay in the other classes, taking eliminations in Regular and Touch and Go.

Chances was a great course and we had a great run! It really flowed and we had connection and it was a beautiful thing. The challenge was an out to the tunnel next to the dog walk, a call in over two jumps, and a turn out to a jump, then the dog walk at a distance and several hoops out!

Sunday we had several good runs. Touch and Go was a great run until I sent Stewie off course to the A-frame, which he performed beautifully!

Chances Sunday had a series of jumps heading to an off course tunnel, instead the dog had to pull in towards you. I was very pleased that Stewie did not take the off course! Then he missed a jump though and ran by the 6 weaves poles that were near the finish. But the run still had good elements to it.
We finished the day with a smoking tunnelers run that was really fast and run. What a good boy to still run at the end of a hot 3 day trial.

Trial Volunteering

2011-06-28T10:38:00.000-04:00

It is Blog Action Day to discuss volunteering at trials!
I compete almost entirely in NADAC, and most trials are pretty small so everyone really needs to step up and volunteer!

I try to plan my volunteering around times that would be good for my dog to get some crate rest. I usually ask to gate steward, ring crew or leash run. I usually work 2-3 classes per day and then just jump in whenever else they need help.

One thing that seems to really help the small trials is, at pick up time, ask everyone to go out to the field and pick up even one or two items and move them near the trialer to pack up. This really gets things packed up fast and doesn't leave the burden on only a few people.

My JRT is 8 years old now, and is pretty good at being quiet in his crate. When he was just beginning to trial it was hard for me to work, since he barked and got himself really worked up when I wasn't there.
Time and getting used to the trial atmosphere really helped there.

Another great thing volunteering is good for is while you are learning the jobs and watching the rings, you can learn lots of new things and it makes it easier to meet people also!

Addicted to Agility Trial this weekend!

2011-04-01T12:10:00.000-04:00

Stewie and I are headed to Addicted to Agility's Smithfield RI trial for our first spring trial. Should be tons of fun!

Lucky Memorial Virtual Parade

2011-03-20T19:53:00.000-04:00

Moving Wait is coming along well!

2011-03-02T07:24:00.000-05:00

We have really been training on Stewie's moving wait the last couple of weeks, and I am very happy with it! It is a good winter project! He thinks it is a fun game where he gets extra cookies.
Whether he will do it in competition is another story, but we will see!