Team Small Dog Agility Practice, October 11 Edition.

Not sure why some days we have GREAT practices, and some days Gustavo can't even look at me and wants to run away into the forest.

Luckily yesterday was a GREAT practice day. Maybe because we started playing a funny game taking turns of someone running into the crate and someone jumping on top then running away then changing places. Much dog colliding! Sort of like crate games with extra added mosh pit. Slam!

Maybe because theme of our practice was really hard weave pole entrances like they had to do in France last weekend. And weirdly, guess who won that challenge? Gustavo's poles were strangely consistent, even on the really hard charging into 90 degree angle approaches into the soft side. Otterpop has always had a hard time with those, and we worked on a bunch of them. Much barking! You know when we are working out bugs with Otterpop because the barking!

It's so odd to have dogs that respond to pressure so differently. Otterpop takes mistakes as a challenge and goes crazy trying to find the right way. She is a loud learner. Gustavo is a much more sensitive soul, but when he has good days like this, he doesn't care if he's right or wrong, it's all part of the game for him.

I was able to do short sequences with Otterpop, including throwing her frisbee for her, with Gustavo staying quietly in the crate on the field with the door open. This is GREAT, because it means he's actively making the choice to not just go bolting off somewhere. While I'm reprograming his ammonia-free brain, every little bit counts.