16.......... the first Q

First time out was a fun event which he won and 11 months after Mac and I met, we entered our first official competition. During the next 7 months we entered every KUSA show and SADAA Trial that was on the calendar and each one gave us yet a new issue to work though. Different venues added to the list of “what ifs ...?” or “he’ll never....”

At our very first outing, the hazard tape cordoning off the competition ring was his first demon - who would have thought; a few weeks of hazard tape flapping on my lawn sorted this out.

Umbrellas, gazebos, banners and flags, equipment, judges wearing hats, raised voices (mine included), excessive barking and, of course, the wind. (In Cape Town the wind is relentless; in Summer it’s the South Easter and the North West in Winter.) Almost anything was a possibility to make him “shut down”. This behaviour resulted in him thankfully never running off, but rather becoming totally deaf to my on course commands. Without directional commands he would just take whatever obstacle was in his path. (Weave poles, however, were a different matter. He was obsessed and once having done them on course would inevitably do them again. Handler error would give him the opportunities – too often).

I also noticed his panic at not being able to “escape” when left tied to a stake. (This was too often at shows as I have the habit of getting involved and needed to leave him for too many minutes). All he wanted was to get into the back of the car. This was not always close enough so I investigated the advantage of crating him and bought his first crate - fabric. Crate training was attempted with the clicker again - the noise just made him jump again and again. Treats maybe? - Not interested. OK so just tell him to get in his box - done deal! He was too intimidated to disobey.

It took me a while to actually “read” when I had “lost him”.

Breaking his start line was a dead giveaway. I started asking him to weave through my legs to “get him back”. Sometimes it helped but if the admin table was set up directly behind him on the start line – it left his back exposed and was just too much for him. The tennis ball was also a bonus and could almost distract him from the current demon.

Unfortunately, a judge running alongside contacts meant creeping and side stepping off the contact area. This would become an entirely separate training issue but for now I just let him “have the contact” to get his agility confidence up.

Fellow competitors and stewards (competitors themselves), were considerate and amazed at what we were accomplishing. Every new venue was a challenge to Mac, but we took that 1 step backwards to be able to move 2 forward.

There were tears of joy (from myself and fellow competitors), when after just 7 months of competing, he clinched his first Q (qualification) in Jumping. This was followed quickly the following weekend with his first Agility Q.

It was the end of 2009 and Mac was just over 2 years old.

Mac and Me

C’est la vie