# A great Agility weekend!



## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Last weekend was a good one for Sugarfoot Jones, and I finally got around to putting together a video.

http://youtu.be/lUD66KkZVCs

Enjoy, my friends!

--Q


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## itzmeigh (Apr 28, 2014)

He looked great! In that last run, at the very start you could see him itching to get off the start line! He was practically digging his feet in!


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

I love watching Sugarfoot work - Good job!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

superb ---- and so much fun to watch! congratulations!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

In your Sunday standard run I noticed he almost left the dog walk before his back feet touched but he caught himself and stuck the landing. Your contact work has really paid off. He looked great and you did some awesome handling too my dear!


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

Sugarfoot is sensational! :cheers2: (You are too!):adore: Really exhilarating to watch him, and to see how he delights in working with you. (Love the music soundtrack, seems like it may be the one playing in Sugarfoot's head as he runs the course.) Congratulations!:clap2:


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

One judge warned me that that "style" of stopped contacts could technically cause me to be given a wrong course (though I certainly don't think doing so would be within the spirit of the rule). I told her that was a risk I was willing to take!

But I am starting to explore the quick release. I think he's ready. He only left a contact early one time during the whole weekend.

--Q


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Love the enthusiasm. The style of contacts that he's doing is putting a lot of stress on his shoulders ( based on the one where his back feet came off ground). My agility instructor has been very careful to help me teach transfer of weight to rear for " bottom" position. I can't wait to see how much more efficient you will get, he has nice obsticle commitment and if you gave him cues as to where you're going next he would stop extending and take the jump tighter ( watch where your shoulders face and if your arms are out). Lovely


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## villavilla (Jul 30, 2013)

It looks fantastic and he is having great fun. Congratulations! Great contacts and weave poles. I am envious :cute:


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Thank you for sharing. Sugarfoot is in the right home. Can you imagine how miserable he would be if he was left in a backyard and ignored? You are a good "mom" to keep him so happy.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

ItzaClip said:


> Love the enthusiasm. The style of contacts that he's doing is putting a lot of stress on his shoulders ( based on the one where his back feet came off ground). My agility instructor has been very careful to help me teach transfer of weight to rear for " bottom" position. I can't wait to see how much more efficient you will get, he has nice obsticle commitment and if you gave him cues as to where you're going next he would stop extending and take the jump tighter ( watch where your shoulders face and if your arms are out). Lovely


Good thoughts! I agree about the contacts; I like the stop, and have "tried" to keep the weight transfer back with the nose touch behavior at the bottom, but that has gradually slipped; I really should work on emphasizing it again. Are you teaching a stop, or a nose touch, or what? I really wanted a running contact--the poodle's upright build being one of the reasons--but I didn't think I had the training chops to pull it off.

Of course I do try to give him cues as to where we're going next, but I think I'm still learning to get my body in the right spot (including my arms!) and he's still learning to read my body. The videos are definitely instructive, particularly the ones where we *don't* get a Q, and all the time I notice little body position errors that hadn't been apparent at all while I was running. My instructors are good about pointing out things like that in class, too; they have a motto, "Push to the path," and will definitely call you out if your feet or shoulders are telling the dog one thing while your voice is saying another! Sugarfoot is very responsive to momentum and movement; I have to really watch my crosses or I'll "carry" him right off the line and to a W. I can tell by his jumping style whether he was confident or not during the run. The Saturday Jumpers run (in the video above) was to me getting much closer to what I'm trying to achieve; he was very smooth and responsive, jumping in collection when it was needed, efficient in most turns--also the run where my handling was most "on." These things are related! LOL

Thanks for taking a deeper look! Always good to have knowledgeable thoughts shared!

--Q


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Watching a dog that enjoys what he is doing is a treat!!!! Sugarfoot's joy in jumping is just delightful!!! Congrats on a superb job!


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