Dylan and I finally got to join Veseyans agility training about a month ago and give or take the odd hiccup, he’s progressing well.  Last night he had a mock test and will be taking part in the real thing in four weeks time, at which time he’ll hopefully move up to the next class.

Now that he knows what he has to do with each of the pieces of equipment, he’s working on and doing them instead of watching my hand for his treat. His contacts are generally very good, although he has acquired a love of the A-frame and has to complete it whenever he goes anywhere near it.

He is still getting to grips with weaving, but is now showing the body movement needed to complete them. He also has problems with the pipe tunnel, in that he looks like he’s committed, but then changes him mind at the last minute and runs around. I’m now wondering if it’s my body position and whether I’m blocking his entrance, so I will be more aware of this in future.

[to be continued]

Our first course was jumping. The jumps were set at 2ft, with no weaves and no tyre. I set him up on the start line and left him in a wait and recalled him over the first jump and over the long jump. He sailed over the first line no problem, then came the dreaded pipe tunnel and yes, he went round it. It took me four attempts to get him in, but then we were back on track. Down the next row of jumps, turn to the left and up the next three jumps, heading back towards the spectators, so of course Dylan had to go and say hello!  Once again we got back on track and finished over two hurdles, into the collapsible tunnel and over the final jump.  I was so pleased with him.  He did everything wrong that I was expecting, but at the same time amazed me with his capabilities.  I fully expected to lose him on the left turn and for him to run around the collapsible tunnel to say hello to more spectators, but he didn’t do either.

I then had people coming up to me saying how happy he looked, with Sue Bye saying that he smiled all the way around and looked so happy. That means so much more to me than a clear round at this stage.

The second jumping run (on the same course) was better still, with Dylan going into the pipe tunnel on the second attempt and running the rest of the course beautifully. Unfortunately we still picked up an elimination because he ‘crashed’ through a jump, which threw his stride out, so he couldn’t get his footing right for the next jump and went round it instead, taking the jump after. Did I care? Of course not, we were having a great time.

The agility round was a bit of a disaster though I’m afraid.  Again a lovely wait on the start line, recall onto the dog walk, but that’s when it all went wrong.  Dylan decided it would be far better to use the corner of the ring as a toilet, then do about five laps of the ring showing how fast he could really run!  When I did get him back on track he flew over the long jump and over two hurdles into the pipe tunnel (no problem this time), out onto the see-saw, which didn’t touch the ground, and then went off again on another lap of honour.  I was determined to get him round  the complete course, so got him set back up again, did the next couple of jumps, then came his favourite piece – the A-frame – and guess what, yes he missed it out.  I decided that I really had taken up too much of the judge’s time at this stage, so got Dylan over the last jump and left the ring….I was still smiling though.

I didn’t put Dylan round the agility again as I thought he wouldn’t improve much, if any, from his first run and also three runs at his first show was plenty.

We have a training day booked with Alan Bray so fingers crossed he’ll learn even more.  I have entered him at the Tuffley show next month and even if he’s still not jumping 2’ 6” I’m going to enter him just for ring experience.

With things improving all the time, I’m certainly hopeful of a bright future... well it certainly won’t be dull!