REALIZATION

This weekend I opened my the latest issue of my agility magazine. As I was reading the editorial page, I literally thought it was about me. It was about trainers and their effect on their students. I found some very interesting statements in the article.


*Coaches can empower or crush a person with a single statement.*
     In life you have to take the good with the bad. People have no idea that something they say can or will have an everlasting empact on a person. Being told that 'Marley is way too much dog for you' has driven me to where I am now. I had to leave to find myself. I would not be where I am now with Marley if I had stayed. If I had stayed, Marley would have retired before she began. Instead, I left and just look at where Marley is now. Look at the titles she has amassed. Look at Marley. Look at Marley for the dog she has become. Look at Marley. Look at Marley for the sweet, loving, happy dog she is. Look at Marley.
     So after 2 years, I'm glad 'Marley is way too much dog for you' was said to me. I'm glad I let those words empower me and not crush me. Thank you for giving me the power to find myself and what I needed for Marley. Thank you for giving me the strength I needed to go. I'm still bitter but I'm glad. Glad I was pushed to do and go somewhere else.


* There is a culture in dog sports where students give away an inordinate amount of power to the instructor to get access to information, facilities, and other resources. In some cases, it can be like joining a secret society. In dog sports, students are considered 'disloyal' for going to another instructor. It's not taken into consideration that perhaps they outgrew the instructor, or need to improve in an area that isn't an area of expertise for that instructor.*
     I learned this the hard way. Marley is a great dog. She's had her 'issues' and we've worked hard to get past those 'issues'. We got to a point that we needed something else, someone else in her training. It was a decision I agonized about for awhile. I finally got tired of leaving agility classes in tears and crying all the way home. I needed to find someone who could help me with Marley without breaking her spirit.
      I didn't know that by leaving, I would lose the people I had trained with for years. I didn't know that by trying to find Marley the help she needed would lead to people not talking to me or making snide comments about where I chose to go to train. It has bothered me and I have retaliated by making snide comments. My feelings were hurt and that's how I dealt with it...being petty like them. Yes, I still harbor bad feelings about the whole situation. Especially since people who I never trained with seem to think they know what went on previously and feel the need to be snarky about Marley. They don't even know my reasons for needing to go somewhere else. I needed something different for Marley. I needed help with Marley without breaking her spirit! For some reason, these people seem to not like where I am now. The agility world is small and it's hard not to see the same people at trials and not have flashbacks or pettiness displayed.
      This is my journey with my girls and I will stand up for them. Agility is about having fun with your dogs! Not having to be worried about what others say about you or your handling skills during your run. I'm working on being a better person and keeping my head on straight.


*A good coach will be concerned primarily with the well-being, safety, protection and future of the individual performer. There must be a balance between the development of performance and the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of the individual.*
     I found my agility home. I found the best trainer I could ever want for Marley and she has flourished! She went from a dog with 'issues' to a happy, bouncy, successful agility dog with lots of spirit! I will always wonder 'what if'. What if I had looked for help before Marley got labeled, what it, what if...it will always plague me.
     Kalea-Kate has been brought up from a little 16 week old pup to a 15 month old confident girl who's already in advanced agility classes, weaving 12 poles and competent on every piece of agility equipment. She's even entered in her first agility trial in March. My confidence has grown and so has my handling. Don't get me wrong, I still get intimidated and nervous at times at trials, but I feel more comfortable in the agility world.
     I have said it many times and I will continue to say it, I have found the right trainer for us. As a bonus I have made a lifelong friend and confidant and found some great training buddies. I made a great best friend during training. We are both a little nuts about our girls! I love trialing with my friends! It's great to have the support you need and just great people to hang out with during the weekend. We are a pretty laid back group and that just makes a trial so much better! We all tease each other about our runs and mistakes but support each other regardless.


*At the end of the day, nothing is more valuable than someone's dignity.*
     It's important to be able to be yourself in every setting. To have integrity and respect. I have spent 2 years being bitter about the past. I basically wasted 2 years brewing over something that I couldn't change, it was in the past and needs to stay there. The last year has been the hardest year ever for me. I have had a ton of support from my training friends and that has gotten me through some very dark times.  I have some great friends off the agility field and they try their best to keep my feet on solid ground.
     I've recently taken time to sort through my feelings and am coming to terms with alot of stuff. I'm working on myself and my attitude towards life. I will always be a work in progress.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Life is a journey. Enjoy it!

Marley will start her trialing season next month. I have set goals for her Q-wise, but my biggest goal for her is to want to run with me. For it to be fun for her and me. Don't get me wrong, I love to Q and earn titles, but Marley doesn't know the difference. She only knows if I'm happy at the end of a run. Then she's such a happy, bouncy girl. I just love to see her come out of the ring excited....running for her crate and the reward that lies in wait for her. She amazes me everyday. Just the simple fact that she wants to run agility with me despite suffering from 2 chronic diseases just shows what a big heart she has. I sometimes feel like there is a dark cloud hanging over us, just knowing that 1 of those diseases will end her agility career and may in fact leave her disabled. Knowing that just breaks my heart.

Life is a journey. Enjoy it!

I dreamt last night that agility wasn't judged by time or faults. It was judged by the fun the dog had. At the end of the run, a ring steward handed you a slip of paper with comments about the fun your dog had and a positive comment to encourage you. I think that would be so neat. Think of how the attitudes in agility would change. I hate seeing people fuss at their dog for not Qing or get mad and storm off if they don't get a QQ. Agility is a team sport! The dog is only doing what you told him to do. Maybe you should fuss at yourself or put yourself in the crate for a time out and to think about why you directed the dog wrong!!

The ribbons are for us. The joy is our dog's. The fun is for both of us!

Life is a journey. Enjoy it!

Kalea-Kate will start her agility career soon. I hope I can keep it all in perspective. Take what I've learned from Molly and Marley and apply it to Kalea-Kate.

Life is a journey. Enjoy it!

KALEA-KATE'S FIRST AGILITY FUN RUNS!

Little Miss Kalea-Kate had her very first agility runs at the Little Dog Training Club on Saturday, January 5, 2013. It was a fund raiser for the Arkansas Pups in Prison program.

This was KK's very first time to run agility somewhere else other than my backyard or at my trainer's house. It was also her first time in a 'trial environment'. She was so good! Quiet in her crate, minded her manners, was super friendly to everyone. It was her first time around alot of dogs and people she didn't know and she handled it like an old seasoned pro.

She did a great job on all of her runs. Paid attention and ran! When she did have a little boo-boo, I could tell in the video that alot of it was my fault. I verbally called her off a jump and she minded...except I meant for her to take the jump but I said "here" and she came to me. Good for KK, bad handling by mommy. She for the most part hit all of her 2o2o contacts....sometimes they turned into a running contact but I was pleased that she didn't bail off anything. I jumped her at 16 and she kept all the bars up. She did a quick down on the table too!! She didn't mind or notice the people in the ring during her runs (Jonathan filming, Pamela being the target minder, the leash runner and Kimo as the judge). Love this baby!!

We are working on weaves and on jumping 20/22. Everyday we are doing something! I'm working on my handling. So lots of boxwork, jump grids, sends, etc.  Waiting on my field to dry some so we can get out there and work some contacts. I can't wait for our classes to start back. I guess I will put her back in a class setting and see what happens. Hope I don't have to go 'Mama Bear' on someone.

I've begun thinking about when it will be a good time to trial with Little Miss Kalea-Kate. I've decided to begin by entering her in a Novice FAST run and see what she does. And then I will go from there. So she may be doing alot of FAST runs for awhile. I will not enter her in regular runs until she is consistently weaving 12 poles, has a flying down on the table, consistently keeps up the bars, pays attention to me, and has good distance. I will not be one of those handlers that enters a dog in a run and then takes 3 minutes to do a run while everyone watching is poking out their eyes and it takes the whole ring crew to pick up all the downed bars! That drives me nuts!! I've actually dozed off in the ring during some of those runs when I was working as a bar setter.  :)

That being said, KK will be ring ready before she enters any 'big girl runs'.