The Important Work we call weave pole training.

So, last time we checked in, Gustavo had sometimes wires on his poles, channels still open, and was flying through like a banshee due to the magic of tupperware.

I am happy to report we have wires off. Although when we go visit unknown poles, I've been putting wires on the entries/exits just because. Because he is Gustavo. But we have our channels at home almost closed and he is fast and low like a tiny little border collie, and when we go visit unknown poles I only visit ones that I can open out a little bit. Just because.

But here is the part we really, really like.


So you have seen my dog agility field driveway. We love it's soft, rubbery surface perfectly manicured grass yeah it's a driveway. But the dog agility field is conveniently located on one side of our back gate, the other side being the other dog agility field back yard known as the nice place to dig up the gophers near the contact trainer. So, when it's time to practice poles, everyone, even Timmy, has to stay behind the back gate and they are VERY SURE I am taking tupperwares out to the Special Tupperware Placing Platforms also known as some bricks on either end of the poles. And the mayhem starts behind the gate.

Usually I let Otterpop come out first and do a couple sets of poles. Because she always nutso anytime you do anything, she is our choice to warm the crowd up. Like one of those manic, bad comedians whose act could involve chainsaws and giant cubes of cheese. You can just wave a frisbee in front of her face and get insane barking. You can do just about anything around Otterpop and you will get insane barking and spinning around and leaping.

Then it's Gustavo's turn. He is already in a frenzy because he BELIEVES in the power of the tupperware, and flies through his poles a few times, back and forth.

Then, Ruby who is probably by now making growling pig noises unique to growling pigs and Ruby, comes out. To get them back behind the gate, at this point, they have to be dragged through it by their tiny little collars because it is MAYHEM! Usually whoever is behind the gate is having a war on a stuffed squirrel too. I run in there and tug on squirrels with them between dogs. Probably I am yelling stuff like GO GO GO and OW and GIMMEE BACK THAT SQUIRREL!

Then we go through the rotation again. Another couple times through for Otterpop. Who is always surprised and delighted to be part of this whole tupperware scheme that originally was just for the puppy. And on through the ranks. At this point, it is like wrestlers attacking the gate. Like that sport where guys with beards and tattoos are attacking each other behind a chain link fence? Is that real sport? Or like old school roller derby. It is scarey and we love it. Gustavo is shrieking and flinging himself at the gate and the neighbors are like What the F*** is the She Doing? I usually vehemently discourage barking in general but for teaching Gustavo, and for bringing Ruby's pole speed back (which seems to be completely back on our dog agility field driveway poles), they can be in complete frenzy insanity for all I care and the neighbors are just going to have to understand I am a Real Dog Trainer and this is Important Work going on over here.