Funky Monkey

Nervous at going to our first show since retraining we had a brilliant training session with Kenny on Friday. Re thinking about the contacts realised althougth she has an idea of what to do Kenny picked up she relied on my voice and I had noticed she was becoming slow at reaching the two on two off position as I had allowed her to stop before offerring the correct behaviour. The same theory applied to jumps and again Monkey relied on my verbal commands. So the plan for the show was to train the contacts aim for a down before releasing her.

Previously before going into the ring I was nervous trying to push her to get the course right as I knew she could do it. Well today I went to the ring with no expectations, was not nervous, no pressure on any of us. Wow what a difference we had a fab time. In agility she did get all her contacts and I held her although not in a down, but hey Rome wasn't built in a day. She ran under a jump towards me as I froze and didn't give her a clue what to do. She was flowing over the jumps, looked like she was enjoying herself. She also had a choice of weave or A frame again my old brain reacted to slowly, she opted to A frame. That said it was the most positive run I have had with her in a long time. She did not show any signs of frustration or stress, not biting, jumping at me barking or spining at my feet.

She had a nice jumping run very focused working ahead well maybe a wee bit too far ahead or I was too slow to tell her to turn before taking that extra jump. LOl We had a great tug game at the end, I went to swing her on the end of the toy which she loves, she lost her grip amd I landed in a heap almost in the next ring! It was so funny she just stood there, pay back time.

Her last jumping run she took the third pole but then drove into the tunnel over the long jump and had a cracking weave. All was looking good, before the last jump she shot behind me, despite my lead hand out to guide her, there was little space between me and the jump at my back and in an attempt to jump crashed into the wing and almost knocked me out of the way. This is something she tends to do is shooting of behind me so will need to work out why she does it in order to change the behaviour. Help with this one gratefully received.

For her first outing she did exceptionally well. Am fair proud ma Funky Monkey. It is true that "Until one has loved an animal part of the soul remains unawakened".