Resolutions for 2015

For Alder, the poodle boy, who will turn 9 yrs in summer 2015:

·        Finish his RAE.  He needs 4 legs.  He has only NQ’d in Rally once when I missed a sign for a turn and walked off the course  early.  So, barring accident or illness, this should be an easy goal.

·        More importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!  He is enjoying training again.  The UD training was too hard for him and was ruining his attitude.  In Rally training, because he is so happy, it’s tempting to push too hard to try to get straighter sits and cleaner pivots than he is capable of.  Poor Alder has all the coordination and muscle control of a Great Dane puppy going down the stairs for the first time.  He kind of flops into fronts and finishes.  He is what he is.  Realistically, he is only likely to be with us 2 to 4 more years and I just want to enjoy my lovable, dim-witted, klutzy curly-top poodle boy. 

 

For Maple, the golden girl, who will turn 6 yrs in summer 2015

·        Get the UD.  Pretty simple.  If the UD is unattainable, goals will change.

·        Assess OTCH status.  By the end of the year, it should be clear whether I can put an OTCH on Maple.  The priority this year will be OB, OB, OB.  I’ll assess by the end of the year whether to continue the OTCH dream pursuit with her.

·        Field Work.  OB is, far and away, the priority this year.  I’ll continue working on blinds and trying to deal with our many problems created by my inexperienced training (first field dog).  I don’t have any title goals.  I don’t want to show in AKC Senior again until I am really confident on blinds, but I’ll probably show in the local NAHRA trials to support the club. 

 

For me, as a trainer:

·        No winging it during training.  I have a terrible habit of trying to solve unexpected issues on the fly.  For example, yesterday, on a whim, I decided to work go-outs outside instead of training in the cramped loft.  I pointed Maple towards various trees.  We had issues of angling off to the side and pausing partway out and looking back.  What I SHOULD have done is simplify to get success in that training session, quit, and draw up a plan to work on the issues in the next training session(s) instead of what I did, which is to keep working without a clear plan, jumping back and forth between the angling issue and the pausing issue.  It was about 20 F and I was wearing a light jacket, with no gloves, because I don’t like training OB in a bulky parka.  I was cold and rushing through random exercises to get her to understand.  I do stuff like this all the time, and I know I cause more confusion than clarity for my dog.

·        On trial trips, have an objective in addition to a Q.  Why?  I get too wrapped up in expectations and hopes for a good Q in Utility, especially for trials that involve long drives and 2 or 3 nights in a hotel.  The need for that Q to justify the time and expense makes me too tense to relax in the ring.  If I plan to add some other objective (a side trip to a good hiking location, spending time in the hotel or at the trial working on my great American novel, or whatever), I think it helps relieve some of the performance anxiety and (if the OB trial doesn’t go well) some of the disappointment on the long drive home. 

·        Take more pictures!!! And print them out!!! I promise to do this every year, but I’m not very good at it, then I’m bummed at the end of the year when I don’t have many photos.