Pre-run rituals

addictedtolabs's picture
Submitted by addictedtolabs on Tue, 2007-03-13 11:53.

OK, I am snitching on Kari Wink But I just cant help myself. I though I was strange for hypnotizing Bailey boy before a run, but this is priceless. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPD2_Z1KHvM

ROFL.

Jean

 

‹ Focus, Focus, Focus = Foundation Cant upload video from Quick time ›
»
Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Tue, 2007-03-20 21:51.
Gosh, Kari! 

I can't believe you have this canine Sunday prayer video posted someplace else and not on your school website. Hint.. hint..

Hey, guys -

It's a great topic. What's your pre-run ritual?

Olga.
addictedtolabs's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by addictedtolabs on Wed, 2007-03-21 12:14.

It is different for both dogs. Kody is more laid back so  I bring him out to potty then walk a bit asking for speak, sits,downs,side,heel etc with treats. I check to see how soon we run, then do a few warm up jumps. If we have a grassy area he loves the cuddle position from service dog days, he lays on his back with his head in my lap and I massage his spine  until we are on deck.

Bailey comes out of the x-pen full of energy, jumping up and down like a kangaroo so I potty him and then find an area to toss a ball and then do a few focus things before the warm up jump. While we wait for our turn, I stroke him and talk quietly, making eye contact, to calm him down. He is usually panting with excitement so this seems to get him settled. I try not to let him watch the other dogs run.

Cheers,

Jean

 

Olga Chaiko's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by Olga Chaiko on Wed, 2007-03-21 22:39.
What? No more hypnosis for Bailey? I am crushed to hear that.. ;-)..

Olga.

Come on guys, jump in, tell us about your pre-run rituals!

Olga.
agiledogs's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by agiledogs on Thu, 2007-03-22 05:28.

I take both dogs out to at least potty before running if there's been more than an hour between their runs.  If time, weather and outside space allow, I try to bleed off some of Dusty's angst and speed by throwing a ball.  With Libby, I try to rev her up by playing frisbee and tugging.  When awaiting our turn, I try to get Dusty to focus and exercise self-control by asking him to perform various tricks.  If there is a particularlly driven dog out on the course, I try to move him where he cannot see it run. 

Libby is another ball of wax.  I ask for tricks from her, but often she is just too busy scoping out the crowd looking for people she can schmooze with.  Once I run out of cookies, it is next to impossible to get her attention.  The remarkable thing is that once we start running, she usually forgets about the crowd and does her job.  The one exception is when she can hear the voice of a former instructor--that voice is like a siren's call. 

Rose

addictedtolabs's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by addictedtolabs on Thu, 2007-03-22 07:31.

> I stroke him and talk quietly, making eye contact, to calm him down<

Uncrush yourself...thats another way of discribing the hypnosis,so  my classmates wouldnt realize how strange I can be. (VBG)

Jean

 

agilityaddict's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by agilityaddict on Thu, 2007-03-22 13:36.

Well with Xena it consists of trying to shove food in her mouth fast enough so that she can't bark and make the Gate's job impossible not to mention give them and everyone else around us a migraine!  Seriously though, Xena gets these mysterious pains in her back end so I usually spend the time before the run giving her a massage. 

With Phoenix, it's attention exercises with a good game of tug.

Wendy

newfire's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by newfire on Thu, 2007-03-22 05:41.
I am still in the process of developing a pre run ritual for Pippen but in general I take him for a potty walk and play ball or frisbee with him on his flexi. We go back to the crate and he can have a little water if he likes then I let him watch me pour out his post run drink ( usually soup) and put it next to his crate. I get his tennis balls and a couple of the treats of the day and we then walk around the rings with me rewarding him for attention to me. If there is a strange set up then he has the opportunity to see it then be rewarded for ignoring it. Next I take him to the warm up jump. If there is a particular handling manoever that I will need I try to practice that once or twice at the warm up jump. I wait near the gate but not right in the melee and if he starts to get distracted or to excited I get him to tug on his leash. When we are 'in the hole' I do a little heeling and attention work and keep this up until we go in the ring. If the start is delayed I try to keep him doing tricks, roll over bark etc until they are ready for me. I have him either on leash or with the leash around his neck until the timer is ready for us. .....elizabeth
valeryt's picture

Re: Pre-run rituals

Submitted by valeryt on Thu, 2007-03-22 12:05.

I'm still working on the pre-run ritual, too. I have had Jaldi in 2 trials just to see how she would handle the trial atmosphere. From those experiences I have learned that I first need to make sure we have time to walk around the whole area where the trial is being held. She is very curious and something 100 yards away can easily catch Jaldi's attention. This doesn't need to be before every run, but definitely before the first run.

Before every run I get her out to see if she needs to potty. We also just walk around the outside of the ring where she will be competing. She gets another chance to check out all the interesting things outside the ring.

When we are getting to within a few dogs of her run, I take her to the pool to cool off if it is hot. Then we play with a toy (but not THE toy, that comes after the run). Maybe I will do some warm-up jumps and practice the stay at the start or a lead-out position if we have time. Last weekend she was right near the beginning of the running order so we didn't always get to do this. Finally, we will head for the gate when there are 3-4 dogs ahead of us. I leave the treats and THE toy somewhere near the finish gate so they will be easily accessible. I keep a few treats in my hand (human edible in case we have to go in early I can swallow them myself). We practice some obedience exercises to get Jaldi focused on me.

The focus part has been the most crucial. I did much better with that this past weekend then I did at our first trial. And our Q rate tripled!

Val