Took the dogs went up to the forest yesterday. To run and pretty much keep running. It's kind of mayhem, not sure what kind of calm and assertive leadership we have anymore in the forest. It's more like I am taking a walk with Ruby and Gustavo is just Running and Running and Running and Otterpop is following him. Doesn't matter if they've just crossed a ravine or gone up a cliff or down a steep bank into the creek, they're just running and they are in general following us, or leading out ahead of us, but not exactly. They're just running. No deer chasing today, just flat out RUNNING.
Not sure if Susan Garrett lets her dogs do this. Not sure if I should do this, but this is just what forest walks are now, so that's what I've taught them. As productive as going to practice contacts? Hell no. Detrimental to dog training skills including things like reliable recall? Probably. But is pretty much fun to just let dogs run total unhinged loose in the forest and across the biggest, fattest, widest meadow looking out to the sea you've ever seen.
Susan Garrett put this thing in her blog, "What (if anything), do you think separates you as a competitor in the sport of dog agility, from the best competitors in the world?" and you are supposed to answer it in her comments.
I'm not much of a commenter. I'll just tell you guys here. Not sure if Susan ever comes here to read about Team Small Dog. Small potatoes in the potato pot of dog agility. Also, once I said she was a witch. I'm mean like that. So what are those separation factors? I suspect there are a lot. But I think maybe the big, meta one is that I like just walking around in the forest with my dogs batshit loco running unglued mayhem up slippery leaf slope walls while I saunter down the path and think about oak trees and rocks and Keith Richards and Mickey Rourke's hair in the Wrestler a little bit too much.
5 comments:
Revisit Lolabuland. Sylvia and her partners seem to do alright in agility even with their romps in the hills and beachs.(check the pictures)
That bond is more important to consistent agility runs than anything. Have fun, let the dogs have fun.
I think Malcom Gladwell recently published a book on this same topic. I didn't read it yet though because I was busy ambling about, wondering if Mickey Rourke really grew his hair out like that or if it's a wig.
Um, believe SG advocates letting dogs run flat out on a regular basis. Reason being they need to learn what top speed is. So don't go thinkin' that your foresty race car walks aren't good for agility dogs.
I think the running is Super! The running amuck, not so sure...Do we think Susan Garrett allows running amuck, or just running?
Running amuck is a beautiful thing.
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