I'm very proud of Greta. This past weekend was the second time ever in an
excellent standard course (preferred) and she Q's with a first place and 13
seconds under time. I've had Greta in preferred agility until we work out
our kinks as a team. Greta has matured a lot lately and is jumping very
well and doing exactly what I'm telling her which is something I need to
work on :o) She'll always have silly teenager and still loves agility and is
still running fast, just not so crazy like she was.
Greta and I went through novice hell. Well, Greta didn't, she had no idea,
but I thought we were in novice hell. When we first started doing agility
Greta was a wild child out there. My first agility Berner, Mattie, was so
methodical and correct, though not nearly as fast as Greta. Mattie never
had an off course! Initially when Greta would run I was mortified. She did
great in class and in the ring she was crazy and uncontrollable it seemed.
I needed some magic words to make things work for us. I got the advice to
just let her get ring experience. I'd talk to the really good agility
people in the area, (and I don't like to just go up to people I don't know),
I needed help. They thought Greta was great. I wondered if they were
talking about my wild girl. Everybody said don't slow her down, let her
have fun. OK, but I wanted to hear those magic words that will change
everything.
Then I thought things were getting a little better. We actually looked
like a team for small parts of the course....great, there was hope. Then it
was more of the course we actually looked like a team. I thought we will Q
any day. Then Greta started pulling stuff on me out there that I was not
prepared for. Don't worry I won't go into all of them. One issue was Greta
would fly on the course and then freeze in the middle of the teeter. She
wasn't scared of the teeter either. My trainer thought it was because Greta
trained me, that doesn't surprise me. When we started the teeter I'd treat
her in the middle to get her on it. I just kept treating her there even
though she could do the teeter. Once she got it I should have stopped
treating her in the middle and rewarded her at the end. In the ring you
can't have treats, but Greta was expecting it. That week I took her to the
agility field my club has every day and she got her dinner at the bottom of
the teeter and has never gotten a treat in the middle again. That was never
an issue in the ring again.
Ok, we got the teeter issue solved, her wanting to fly off the A-frame
solved. There's nothing else she could pull out of her hat now. WRONG!
We're running a standard course I knew was perfect for Greta. We still
haven't Q'd once, but Greta was doing great now. The table was at the end,
just 2 maybe 3 obstacles were after it. It was a down on the table, we
never had a table issue in the ring or in training. So we're on the table
and Greta sat, she would not down. I asked again and she turned her head
from me. I begged (it was pitiful), to no avail. I'm thinking if you just
down here we will Q. Greta turns the other way. I get in front of her and
ask (plead) her to down. She looks up in the air. If she did look at me she
looked at me like I was some kind of alien. I'd get low, almost laying down
myself, Greta thought I was crazy. I could feel my blood pressure going up
(and I'm a pretty calm person). All I could think at this point was how in
the world can I get my hands around Greta's neck and strangle her without
anyone noticing. Then horror of horrors, the whistle blew, we spent to much
time out there. I was fighting back the tears. I put Greta up because I
was so upset and I didn't want her to be around me when I felt that way.
Then I had to walk the jumpers course. A friend came and asked how my girl
did. I couldn't hold the tears back. I felt like an idiot. I was just
going to quick agility, I had it. I wanted to magic words to turn things
around and never got them.
That week I went to the agility field every night and jack potted the
table. We never had a table issue again. I thought I'll get another
perspective and take some private lessons to supplement my class. Maybe he
can give me the magic words to Q from now on. He said Greta really didn't
have any issues, I think he meant I had the issues :o). She's young and we
just need ring experience to grow as a team. Hummm, sounds kind of familiar,
not the magics words I was looking for though. He said keep it positive and
just keep at it and it will come together.
Then we're at a 4 day trial in Nashville and not Qing. The person who
wrote THE agility jumping book with Christine Zink was there, Julie Daniels.
I talked to her before about Greta and she thought Greta was "way cool"
after she ran a course like a wild bachee. I bet she could now give me those
magic words. I told her I was getting frustrated. I was doing the jump
training like she has in her book. She told me about lane work and she said
do not get frustrated with Greta. She said to always keep it positive and
don't let her know she's wrong, give her time, she's a great dog. Not
exactly the magic words I was looking for.
After thinking about this a lot more then I probably should, I realized
something. If other people who were a lot more experienced then me keep
telling to wait it out, why don't I just see if they are right. I decided
to not get so worked up about it and just go with flow more . We're not
curing cancer here, it's suppose to be fun. The next couple trials we got
our novice titles in standard and jumpers and Greta got her open standard
title in 4 runs.
There are no magic words, it's all about attitude. Instead of being
frustrated I now only look at what we did right, and there is always
something Greta did great out there. Everybody I talked to was right and
I learned something from all of them. We're not going to do everythng
perfect everytime out there and that's OK. Every agility picture I have of
Greta it looks like she is laughing out loud, she has a ball out there and
could care less about Qing. So many people comment to me how much fun Greta
seems to have out there, and that's the important thing in the end. Thank
God my frustration never affected Greta and she still has her great spirit
for fun.
Some things I've learned in the last year:
1. What made me so frustrated with Greta is really the same thing that
makes me love her so much. Greta squeezes every ounce of fun out of
everything she does. She's always happy and how can I do anything to take
any of that away from her.
2. No matter how patient a trainer you think you are, sometimes you need
to be even more patient. Our dogs timetable isn't always the same as ours
and you need to adjust yours instead of forcing ours on them.
3. When you think you love your dog as much as you can there is always
room to love them even more. I truly love doing things with Greta. With
her accomplishments now and the ones in the future it's really the other
little things she does that make me love her so much, like the hugs she
gives me just because.
4. Agility isn't brain surgery. The whole reason why most people start in
agility is to have fun with their dog. I think some people lose that
perspective after a they've been in it a while. Am I going to try for Greta
and I to be the best we can? Yes. Am I going to seek out people's advice
and get as much knowledge from as many people as I can? Yes. I want us to do
well in anything we do, I know Greta is so capable and it's my job to make
sure it's done correctly and that she still has fun. The last thing I want
to do is mess up her great happy working attitude. I think it's good to make
goals (realistic goals) but you also need to be flexible. Goals are great
but they just may not be attained when you want. No matter what, in the end
I still have my best little buddy who thinks the sun rises and sets on me
(deservedly or not) and without her I wouldn't even be trying.
5. People with more experience really do know more then me. I need to hear
what they say and believe them.
6. Not all dogs (even within the same breed) are the same. You may be able
to take something from previous dogs but they really are all individuals.
They shouldn't be compared to others, it's not fair to the dog you are
training now.
Obviously, I think about this stuff ad nauseam but I've learned so much
from Greta. People can talk to me until they are blue in the face but I
learn by experience and then I realize how right they they are. As
frustrated as might have been sometimes I am really proud of Greta, she
gives 110%. I truly love to just do things with Greta and I wouldn't change
a thing about her, even if she can sometimes be a silly teenager. I'm glad
she understands what's going on better then me. We are at a point where
there are things I need to work on regarding my handling. Greta does
exactly what I "tell" her, she's absolutely correct. I'm thankful she
isn't frustrated with me.
Kathy Schmitz, Woodstock, Georgia
Brighteye Meine Liebe Greta OAP, NJP, NGC, CGC
"Mattie" Matterhorn Princess CD, NA, CGC & Gunner (in loving memory and
together again at the bridge)
