Roundabouts: Heelwork and Not Listening
Really struggled with Dylan at agility training this week, he was running well but was making baby mistakes that I knew were my fault. I got frustrated with myself, Dylan started getting giddy and started just to take whatever obstacle he fancied, sometimes multiple times, until he remembered that I was present. Instead of standing back and reminding myself that Dylan was being confident and using his initiative (something I encourage) because I wasn’t being clear enough with my cues (something I don’t), I used AngryFace and AngryVoice and then immediately felt bad, which didn’t really help my feeling of frustration. Thankfully Dylan is a very forgiving soul and we finished up doing some nice running seesaws, which I think made us both feel better.
I tend to start worrying immediately after having a session like that, about whether I am doing right by the dogs and whether I am ok to even think about a future!puppy* if I can’t train the dogs I have now with the focus, effort and positivity they need and deserve. And then, thankfully, I have friends to tell me to stop being an idiot and to remember that as often as dogs will be dogs, people will be people. And, as I keep telling them, you have to have the bad sessions to get the good sessions. In the end I think we balance out.
So I did some heelwork practise with Dylan this afternoon, and I made sure to make it super-super fun to make up for Tuesday. Which seemed to work, although our heelwork isn’t very pretty, and Dylan tends to spend a lot of time mouthing my hand if he can. He is so cheerful about it though, it’s hard to find it anything but endearing.
*Which is to say, I am only generally speaking in terms of future!puppy. I can safely say that at some point in the future I will get another dog. When that will be is as yet undetermined.
3 Comments
rob
I think we all have sessions like that. For me it is part of the learning process and helps me be more tolerant the nonsense my dogs throw at me every day (by being dogs).
Vicki
We all have bad sessions. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve felt that I’m letting my dogs down , holding them back or wondered how much better they could do with someone else. But then you have to remind yourself that its not about that. They dont care about the rosettes, the wins or the clears. They dont care about the mistakes you make. They might get a little frustrated with you at the time, but they by no means hold a grudge (thankfully) and come away over thinking sessions such as we do. We just have to remember to keep it fun – for us as well as them. And if ever I feel I’m not feeling “the fun”, or the dog is not feeling “the fun” then I know I need to stop what I’m doing and re-evaluate.
No one can predict the future. Perhaps future!pup might take the pressure of you and Dyl a bit?
Leanne
Thank you guys!
Rob – I think you’re right, it is a learning process and we all fall down sometimes. It’s just hard to remember that in the heat of the moment!
Vicki – we could all do with remembering that most of the time! The pressure and expectation that’s held when you only have one dog to run is a whole blog post of itself, but I always try and just have fun with Dyl. But I do think future!pup will change the dynamics, hopefully for the better. I just need to wait another 12months!