Knowing When To Call It Quits

37 days to go...

Sometimes the decision NOT to do something can be the hardest (but also the most important). How many times when training do we think 'Wow, that least weave entry was so good, maybe I can do it just once more, push just a little bit further...' What if the dog then goes on and fails that subsequent weave entry? Now you have to go back again so the dog can get it right and 'finish on a good note'. However, the dog's arousal level has now dropped. He has had a failure. You try again and he fails again. Hmmm, now you REALLY want him to get it right. You make the entry easier, maybe move a bit closer. Eventually, the dog makes the entry again but with considerably less speed and confidence, and from a much easier angle than the first one he nailed beautifully. So now you praise the dog and reward him for shaping YOU to make it easier and for a slower, more cautious performance. Would it not have been better to 'quit whilst ahead' and have a big party for the dog's first awesome entry?

Of course, all dogs are different and therefore it is up to us as trainers to know their (and our) limitations. To know when pushing them just a bit further will pay off, and when it will lead to shut down. To know the difference when 'push' becomes 'shove'.

Anyway, the above is simply an analogy which can be applied to any area of training. It pertains to my most recent decision of withdrawing all my entries for both dogs at the Nationals.


***pause for effect***


Yes, that's right, I have made the decision NOT to take the dogs (I will hopefully still go over as a spectator since I have been looking forward to the event for months - ok, well, since the last Nats actually). Josh missed 5-6 weeks of training due to complications from surgery, so I knew he was really going to be pushing it. Fyre I believe would have made it round a JD and even possibly JDO course, but being honest with myself, it would have been rushed. I would not have been trialling a dog that was confident, knew all the handling moves to a T, had extensive experience in knowing HOW to jump, and the ability to put it all together for his first ever trial, at a big event, after travelling.

All the same, it was an EXTRAORDINARILY hard decision to make. I had SO been looking forward to trialling my dogs at a National again. My last one now was NSW 2006 with Porter, so it has been quite a while. Would it have been the right thing for my dogs though? No. When it comes down to it, the Nationals are after all, just another trial as far as my dog is concerned. Would it be fair of me to put all that pressure on them to commence their trialling careers under those conditions? And to expect them to do well? Because, truth be told, why would I want to take my dog to a National event unless I thought he had a good chance of being right up there with the top dogs? (Well, that's my personal aim anyway). With Porter, I was always confident he would put in a good performance, and although he didn't win classes he managed some fantastic placings, four finals runs over three different Nats, and from our two years as a member of the SA state team only ever accrued ONE course fault.

Luckily, Fyre's owner Donna, who is a very good friend of mine, understands exactly how I feel about this and despite the fact that we would lose money by having to cancel pre-booked accom, her flights etc left the decision entirely up to me with no pressure whatsoever either way (I am lucky to have such a good friend :>). So after discussion we both agreed it was best to leave the dogs home and I will continue to work Fyre here, and get him trialling when he is really ready, and hopefully get some titles before he heads back home. (Originally the plan was for him to fly home with Donna after that Nats).

Interestingly, I didn't realise how much pressure I had put MYSELF under until I made this decision last night and felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Phew! Now I could work on things at my own pace, run the training program I really WANTED to, and make sure my dogs could give me the high level of performance I really want to trial them at. Another sign that I was pushing too hard - my training plans immediately changed. LOTS more foundation work planned now, rear end awareness, more crate games, more building drive. Flatwork, start lines, tugging, improving general fitness, really working through all the difficult weave entries, no cutting corners just to get a dog up to being able to run round a course.

From the dog's point of view anyway, agility is just fun (or should be). Only the handler cares about Nationals, titles, awards. Looking back at my previous posts about making sure we are all having FUN why would I want to do anything that made it LESS fun? Now I can relax and REALLY enjoy all our training time together with no time limits.

Guess it's time to change the header of my blog now :)