Oops

Well telling Thomas 'Go' from the top of the dog walk doesn't work, sure he goes but usually leaping the contact on the way past. I wanted to try this but it seems that I have to wait until he's at least half way down.

I've also learned that Suzi will usually get her dogwalk contact if I'm not racing her to the end and it's even better if I'm slightly behind, Mac suggested that I still race her across but slightly check my stride as she's on the down ramp which is easy for him to say as once I get momentum I'm a bit like a liner and need room to stop as the extra weight I carry propels me forward :)

I've also learned the Dudley does what he wants which may mean he'll get the contact or it may mean he wont. I'm not worried all the time he's still enjoying it as this time last year he switched off completely. He does like it if the judge is close to the dogwalk so he can walk across wriggling and trying to get them to come and talk to him.

Tom did his weaves really well on Wednesday night without once going off for a sniff, I deliberately worked him wide and didn't baby or crowd him and I will have a chat with the judges on Sunday and pick him up if anything goes wrong. I was really pleased with the way he worked for the whole lesson but there were a couple of times when he just stood and wouldn't move from the start and thinking about it they were times when a certain dog was running in the other class. This dog is a bit naughty for running after Wendy's Woody and has chased Tom in the past, she doesn't do anything but is big and loud and I think he was a bit wary, this is something I'll have to keep an eye on as I don't want him to start worrying about big dogs.

The exercises we were doing had lots of pulling/putting the dog between 2 jumps over another obstacle and showed the Suzi follows my body language much more than I really realised as I thought I was pointing through the jumps towards the dog walk when in fact Mac pointed out that as I was starting to look towards the dog walk my shoulders slightly pointed towards the jumps and over she went. I was pleased with what she did as she struggles on the surface but she tried really hard and we only did half the class then watched the others.

We've got Billingshurst on Sunday so fingers crossed the rain holds off.