# Sugarfoot's Novice Jumpers title



## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

i loved your video and sugarfoot's enthusiasm. i admit i laughed at a couple of points, but it really was because he was so enthusiastic about being able to run around and jump! more! more!


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## poolann (Jan 31, 2013)

Gorgeous runs! Wonderful start line & weaves. He looks like a dream to run & is so responsive. Love that you both look like you are having a great time! Congrats!

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## Silverbs (Dec 24, 2012)

Congrats on the titles! And might I add that is an impressive goatee!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Congratulations Q on those Qs. Funny how sometimes the judge helps you when you feel sort of embarrassed by what is happening and other times things seem like they are clicking and you don't get it after all. Lily and I are at about the same place as you. NA (the last leg was ugly, but good enough) and NAJ are both done, with open entries ahead of us. She can be great or very entertaining for all the wrong reasons.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

> i loved your video and sugarfoot's enthusiasm. i admit i laughed at a couple of points, but it really was because he was so enthusiastic about being able to run around and jump! more! more!


Thank you! Yes, I was a little embarrassed to include that "runaway" clip (and believe me, I had several of those to choose from), but I wanted others to see (and to remind myself!) how far he's come. That things *will* get better even when you're convinced you have a rogue poodle who will never do more than run around like a ninny. The amount of focus in that run verses the last few runs is just amazing! And of course...it's okay to laugh!



> Gorgeous runs! Wonderful start line & weaves. He looks like a dream to run & is so responsive. Love that you both look like you are having a great time! Congrats!


Thank you! Sugarfoot's start line has been truly phenomenal, mostly thanks to Crate Games and consistency since Day One. I do not use the word "Stay." I tell him to "Sit" and walk away. "Sit" means "Sit until I tell you to do something else," and it's important to heed that rule in day to day life, too. Same with the other "control positions" like "Down." I did things like, as we were walking, saying "Down" and keep on walking. He's expected to hit the ground while I walk away. So that's something we've always practiced. He hasn't broken his start line at a trial (yet!).

One of my goals with this dog is to keep his enthusiasm for the game high! Now, granted, our contact issue has had me taking him off the course in the famous "walk of shame" a few times, but that's a different situation. For the most part, the 99% of errors that are my fault, I don't want him to even know he did something "wrong." In that one run that was perfect except for a bar down, I was celebrating, and a friend who was up there with James filming said, "Aw, she doesn't know the bar fell and she didn't Q!" James told her, rightfully so, "She knows. She just doesn't want the *dog* to know!" LOL

Weaves, we did Susan Garrett's 2x2 method. He was doing 12 poles before we entered our first trial, and I went ahead and moved up to Open Standard (despite terrible Novice Standard runs {well, the last one was pretty good}) in part to get him off of those measley six poles. Even within the few months encompassed in this video, I can see his footwork improving. On my YouTube channel there's a very short video of his weave work, take a look. The 2x2 method is pretty different from other methods out there, but it really fosters the dog thinking about and understanding the *concept* of the poles.



> Congrats on the titles! And might I add that is an impressive goatee!


Thanks! His goatee is becoming a legend in these parts!



> Congratulations Q on those Qs. Funny how sometimes the judge helps you when you feel sort of embarrassed by what is happening and other times things seem like they are clicking and you don't get it after all. Lily and I are at about the same place as you. NA (the last leg was ugly, but good enough) and NAJ are both done, with open entries ahead of us. She can be great or very entertaining for all the wrong reasons.


Thanks! And definitely--those two Q's are case in point! I call one "the Q with 3 R's"--the only reason I chanced that huge distance with the poles was because I "knew" I was NQ at that point, so why not risk it? Turns out the judge let us slide on one of those R's so we still got the Q. It was funny, you could see her hand sort of twitch as she thought about it. Well, the Agility gods giveth and the Agility gods taketh away, as we say. There will be Q's that I _know_ I got that will be called for something; it all evens out. Then the next day, a stellar "in the zone" run, but not a Q thanks to the bar. I ended up getting an "insurance" 4th Novice Jumpers leg to make up for the one that I truly didn't deserve, definitley felt better after that!

Most judges are cool, though. One of our earliest runs was a Time 2 Beat, and Sugar was being a bit difficult, but we were making it through. We were the last dog of the trial. The time ran out, the buzzer sounded, and the judge called out, "Go ahead and finish! Finish your run!" so we kept going, and she clapped and cheered when he made it to the end of the course. Really nice judge.

Congrats on your titles as well! On to the perpetual Open classes! 

--Q


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Wow! He's really come along. I so enjoyed your video!!! I love how much fun he has. Congrats on the job well done! Just fabulous!

Speaking of dogs being funny, my Doberman, Lyric use to love the tunnel. It was his most favorite thing in the world. And he'd go through, make a u turn, go through again and back once more. He did this often at first. So three times, then he'd move onto the next thing. At least he made people laugh. lol.


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## ChantersMom (Aug 20, 2012)

Wow!!!!! That was great fun watching the video! Congrats to both of you!


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Awesome Sugarfoot!!!! I had fun watching the video!! 
U guys did great!!!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Congrats on your titles as well! On to the perpetual Open classes! 

--Q

Let's hope open agility doesn't last tooooooo long for either of us. I have "futility" obedience to try to conquer this year too. And you have such great distance and weaves et.c, you deserve to move on to excellent asap.


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Congratulations!!!!!!!!


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## MaryEdwards (Oct 29, 2012)

You and Sugarfoot were absolutely great! Thanks for the videos.


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

Wow great video. Thanks for sharing!


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## Dallasminis (Feb 6, 2011)

He really loves it, doesn't he?! Those were fabulous videos, thank you for letting us in on the fun. CONGRATULATIONS! Job well done!


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## DreamAgility (Sep 2, 2013)

I love love love his color and topknot! I must also mention that beautiful flowing beard-is it duck dynasty inspired?
Congrats! I will watch the video when I am on a better screen for it.


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## HerdingStdPoodle (Oct 17, 2012)

*Congratulations!*

You both look like you're having waaaaaaay to much fun! :smile: The music was great, too. Congratulations! HerdingStdPoodle


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

DreamAgility said:


> I love love love his color and topknot! I must also mention that beautiful flowing beard-is it duck dynasty inspired?
> Congrats! I will watch the video when I am on a better screen for it.


Thanks! The inspiration for his beard came from...dear old daddy! My hubby has a white beard, too, though his isn't quite as long. He loves the beard!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I finally got this video to play and I am so glad, what fun! I love Sugarfoot's bouncy enthusiasm, he is having a blast. What a great team you make. I can't wait for the next installment, meanwhile I will play this one over and over.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

What a joy to see the work-in-progress and poetry-in-motion of Sugarfoot!:vroam: You know I'm a longtime Sugar fan and an appreciative audience for his merrymaking antics and successes. :clap2: He is such an appealing character!:dog: I just shared your inspiring, fun video with 10 friends, who will likely share it with others. And so the legend of Sugarfoot spreads! :adore:Wonderful, Q, just _wonderful_ how you two work and have fun together!







So good of you to share Sugarfoot with us via that jazzy video. It was great, just like your teamwork. Congratulations!:whoo:


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

WOW!!! Fantabulous! Way to go- both of you!


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## cee's jake (Mar 10, 2014)

Wow! He looks wonderful and having so much fun!! Thanks for sharing! Keep up the great work!


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