3/24/2015

The reason why "Hunchy running Niah" at O/E Seminar ?!


Finally went to the Sports vet and did all assesment and X-Ray.  
He sure was scared of arena sound, but I could see that it was more than 
just scared.  He is not a fast dog, but he is also not a slow dog when he run. 
It was not only motivation. He was running very strangely.  

I found why he was running so so slow and jumping so so low, with knocking every push out bars! 

He had a pain in his lower back when he was running on wood chip surface, and there was muscle inflammation around the lumber spine, which causing pain and irritation.  Lucky it was minor injury- He can keep doing agility and all daily exercise.  Just need to build specific muscles and do stretches and lazer treatment to take the pain away. 

We also done Koto's re-assessment, and she was pretty good :) 
A lot of Gym works with them for next 4 weeks!

ニアくん、セミナーでかなりちんたら走っていたし、普段600でトレーニングをしていてバーを落とす事なんてないし、走り方があまりにも変だったので
スポーツベットでレントゲン撮影と検査をしてきました。

最近 背中をぐりぐり、すりすりよくやっていたし、背中をかいたり、
咬んだりしているのを見ていたのでなにか後ろ足から背中にかけて違和感があるのは
解っていました。
先週のウッドチップのサーフェイスでアジリティをしてバー落下が酷かった話を先生にして、その後 色々なサーフェイスの上を歩かせたとき、
(じゃり、小石、ゴロゴロの石、砂など)
ごつごつの石の上はかなり嫌がって避けようとしたり、へんてこな歩き方をしているのが判明。

レントゲンをとったら腰椎とその周りの筋肉に腫れがみつかりました。腰椎周りの筋肉のつき方も乏しく、痛みがある事が判明。この痛みのせいでウッドチップのサーフェイスのジャンピングはかなり辛かったのだと思います。

これからレアエンドの筋肉付けのエクササイズとストレッチ、それから
痛みを撮るためのレーザー治療を1ヶ月やっていきます。

でも大した事はなかったです。 こういった怪我は私達人間にも良くある事で
(例えば重いものを変な体勢で持ち上げたりとか。。)普通にアジリティも続けていいし
もちろん毎日散歩も運動も。筋肉を強化して身体を鍛える事が第一なので本当によかった。。
琴も久しぶりに再検査してもらいましたが、彼女はとってもいい調子!
先生の犬 ジャーマンクーリーのダスティとずっと遊んでました。

さぁこれから4週間、毎日エクササイズです。。
頑張ろうね、ニア&コト






3/19/2015

Orenius/Emanuelsson Australian agility seminar weekend






The weekend with Jouni & Isabelle's seminar was so much fun! 
This seminar was 3rd agility seminar with working spot, but it was THE BEST SEMINAR so far :D and I am so happy to hear that they are most likely coming back to Australia next year!! 

Unfortunately, something was wrong with Niah... :( 
He was extra sensitive with Environmental noise, arena's echo and being scared.  
Yes, Niah has severe thunder/noise fear - 
 
I am not sure if the noise was only reason why he wasn't running and knocked that many bars.  We always train in 600cm height and he has no bar problem and I have never seen him running like this weirdly.. So I booked him in to check up with Sports Vet if he has rear end / or shoulder problem...
Except being nervous with Niah... I had so much laugh through all the weekend with friends, everyone was so friendly and relaxed mood - Jouni and Isabelle were absolutely beautiful people with beautiful energy - Great and fun instruction with a lot of inspiring tips, and I've got to try so many new moves and techniques. 


So What did I learn? 

Advices from Jouni

Independence
* Trust my dog and send sooner from distance, Teach my dog independence is REALLY IMPORTANT!! make my handling much easier and I can be always always in front! 


Yes.... My ear is in pain.  I have been hearing this again and again and again since I start learning with Jouni and Zeljko's online courses.. 

So... I am still on process, must improve this -  I have to teach Independence with verbal que.  Trish told me to test verbal que from 3-5 meter away, send dog with verbal only - without any body movement and see if my dog really understand it.
If no- then we needs to work on harder. If yes, Just trust my dog and go!!
 

Dogs line
* Give a space between wings, don't cross the dogs pass.  I have been baby sitting Niah too much and always on his way.... specially when I am doing Push/Pull, S-Turn, Ketschker, I am slowing him down too much and loosing his speed.   Make sure I think more of dogs line, and my position and most importantly, timing of que.
 

Eye contact on Blind Cross / Double Blind Cross
* Blind cross; turn my shoulder180° quickly, Don't afraid to excute Blind Cross early, and ALWAYS retain eye contact with clear shoulder direction when dog is taking off, showing where to go next.



Advices from Isabelle

Compare different handling options by: 


- Natural line
- Distance
- Time
* Always time with stopwatch, compare which option is faster and understand which option is suitable for us. 


Get low on dog's height, indicate clearly where to take off / where to go next
Show dog where exactly the take off point and landing point by hugging the wing jump when wrap. 
(This might be not necessary with Niah, He has good understanding with wrap/landing point. But take off point is important thing to consider indicating for him, he seems taking off from middle of the jump)


Do not backward walking - Face the dog, Think my chest direction (present) and feet always goes forward (future) 

Basically, human are better in walking forward, backward moving is always slower than forward moving..
So... "Japanese turn" (aka-Double Blind Cross) become very handy for me to keep us always being forward and in front of dog. shape the dog's line by Japanese turn, 
Retain eye contact quickly, let go with quick turn. Keep working on timing, motion, and connection.

Run Faster!!!
In general, YES, faster and faster... But don't run too fast everywhere.. 
Wait for him - Connect with him then RUN!! :) I have to connect with him more stronger. 


In summery, Isabelle and Jouni are world top class agility handlers and its obvious that I really can't do what everything they do.. we have completely different course, rules, and Level of competition is almost opposite. 
But Isabelle said beautiful thing for us.. 

The most importantly, Find what technique, option will suits us, and be good at it, make it your own move. All dogs are different, so shouldn't be restricted by One handling system...  Because WE ARE THE FUTURE who is changing the Australian agility, courses and handling :)
- Keep discovering what moves will suits us, better way to make dogs line,  and better time !

I really love that.  I totally agree with what she think about handling system. 

I went through to learn quite different systems last couple of years, and to be honest, I have been sick of hearing "You have to be consistent with ONE HANDLING SYSTEM" 
Specially where I live in Victoria - using one handling system is like "a cult group of agility". 
No, I never agree with this.  I have been just happy to pick what Niah and I can do, and keep on moving to search new challenge, and what elsewhere in the world is facing up to -and The biggest challenge is "How we can apply those new moves, new challenges into Australian courses?."
Isabelle and Jouni are not a method of Agility,  They are my big respect and inspiration for us, and it was the most inspiring agility weekend and I learn so so so much from them :) 

MY BIG 5 to practice for this year are: 
  1. Blind Cross shoulder rotation and eye contact 
  2. Independence
  3. Double Blind Cross timing
  4. RUN faster!!  
  5. Chest and Feet Direction  
Here is a video from the weekend :)   
I will let you know what's Sports Vet says about Niah.... Finger crossed he is okay!!


3/12/2015

Garden update -Nearly Autum!






What a great summer! We didn't get our dream banana, but banana plants has grown HUGE!! and I really love watching them :)
They are only 2.5 years old. Bamboo are less 2 years old.
It became beautiful shade for the front window! 
Dean is looking after them very well!

3/09/2015

Zeljko Course-7, 1st Try

Couse7は以外と楽しく走れました。
いつもはシーケンスでしが練習ができないのですが、今回のコースは
かなり圧縮してますが、なんと全コースを庭に設定できました!

This course was fun!
We have been only practicing small sequences, but this one has fit
perfectly :) (It's a little squashed)


Yellow Tunnel



新しいトンネルですが、今の所絶好調です。
一番気にしているのは型くずれするかどうか。。多分大丈夫だと思うのですが
市場にでているトンネルに比べたらスプリングワイヤーが細めでそのワイヤーを
コートしているトリムも白を選んだので、黒に比べたらかなり細め。。
でもこのワイヤーのお陰でなんと14.8キロとかなり軽いので持ち運びが本当に簡単、
しかもこのPVCは610gsmとかなり頑丈なので、この頑丈さで軽量、さらにお手頃価格というコンビネーションは最高、こういうトンネルをずっと探していたので

今の所 大満足。

So.. My new tunnel is doing well so far. 
We are still testing, My major concern is, Is the tunnel deform or not?
The spring wires that support tunnel body isn't that thick and I have choose white trim, which is a bit thinner than Black.
But because of those thin spring wire, tunnel is VERY light weight.
That's exactly I have been looking for... Light weight, Durable material, and
Not too expensive. 

So far, pretty good. 





3/06/2015

Zeljko Course-6





ジェリコのコース6はシンプルなようですが、沢山練習課題がでました。
まず裏飛び、PushがIndependentではない。。得に15、16番を私がプッシュしすぎ、助けすぎていてニアのライン上に私が居る、そのせいでニアのスピードが落ちているとのコトです。同じくForced Front Crossも。。ニアにライン上にいる、ウイングから近すぎ、そのせいでスピードが落ちている。。

前にも言われたんですが、癖ってそう簡単にはなおらないんですね、、
そして今回もジェリコにそれじゃーだめだ!!ってメールでさんざん言われた後、
ファンデーションの自主練(ビデオ2)をしましたが、なんか凄ーくハンドリングが楽になった!やっぱりファンデーションは常日頃からやらないと犬もハンドラーも忘れてしまうんですよね。。ハンドリングだけではダメですね。。
でも最後の部分だけは褒めてもらえました!
というより、まったく文句の付けどころがない!っだって:)

Course 6 was looked quite simple, but we had so much to practice. 
Forced Front Cross and Push back is the worst, I need to stop helping him too much and being on the dogs line.. I am preparing my self how and where to stand and then making Niah slowing down too much.. Same as FFX...

Yes, Zeljko told me those things before, but I must keep on practice regurarly, otherwise, very easy to forget those moves.. its my habit.. and we need to keep doing foundation, Foundation always make agility easy for handler :) 
But he said the end part did looks really nice, nothing to complain about handling!! :D 




3/05/2015

Torquey beach



What a nice way to start a week! 
Dean finished work early on Monday, I looked at weekly weather, and Monday was the only day 
With over 25 degrees...
So we quickly packed car and head down to the Torquey- beach on weekday!! 

Melted!! So beautiful!

今週は始まりからいい事があったよ。
ディーンの仕事が早めに終わったので、急いで準備して
1時間半ドライブ、torqueyというビーチまで行ってきました。
天気予報によると月曜以外は寒くて25度以下だそう。。
夏が終わって行く〜。。

でもやっぱりビーチは最高(^ ^) 本当に綺麗でした。