Thought I would put some observations regarding my two girls since I have started the agility and the advance obediance training. It is interesting how they have changed in little ways.

With Ceejay, she is a lot more attentive towards me and watches me a lot of the time now. Before she was a very independent little girl and used to pretty much do her own thing and liked being on her own, now she is always with me (Izzy was always like this). She also listens to me a lot more she actually stay downstairs when I say "stay downstairs" instead of sneaking inside constantly.

With Izzy more confidence has occured, she is getting a lot more adjusted and now uses me as a safety net when certain people come inside where as before she just used to hide. She is going to take a lot longer to get to trial stage due to this as she is a timid girl when it comes to strange people. But she is improving, compared to what she was when I got her at 4/5months old as a very scared dog to now where you can see her body language deciding should she or not. Sometimes she is brave and goes up to people and sometimes not, I will not push her as she is a dog that shuts down if you do.

Very proud of them both, Izzy does well at the agility, knows all the equipment but loves the catwalk the most, she has mastered the A frame and the tunnel she got the tunnel after one through. Ceejay well she goes like a bat out of hell, is not too keen on the A Frame or the tunnel but she will get there. She is going over the A Frame instead of doing a flying leap from the top. And the tunnel why go through it Mum look I can go over it again and again. lol. Ceejay excels at the obedience, she stayed when someone was throwing "OMG was that a dumbell mum, they are throwing a dumbell". She was in a sit stay and trembling all over just wanting to go get that dumbell, she did not move. Very proud of my girls the pair of them.

I find that training makes such a difference to your relationship with your dogs - that it makes them think that you're more interesting and that they can communicate with you. And agility especially switches them on to watching your movement - although I suspect that it might actually be that it switches owners on to the fact that how they move and position themselves is a communicative tool - and that is especially evident and satisfying with herding dogs. Maybe it's a Koolie thing to apply their 'creativity' to the obstacles (just joking! - I'm sure it's something lots of energetic dogs do). I remember a session with Wal where he kept jumping over the wings on the jump rather than the bars. It was so funny. They were about 2xs as high as the bars. And he likes to jump tunnels too.

yes it has a lot to do with your body language when i was training Kearby he started going under the first jump and i could not think why he started this and then i figured it out when i work gypsy (little shit lol) i would bend over just a tad at the start then straighten up and i had for some unknown reason started doing this with kearbs as well, the next time i ran him i made sure that i was standing/running straight and he did not go under the jumps.

I'm glad you wrote about your girls because they sound like Pebbles & my Izzi, Pebbles is very timid of strangers & Izzi is very independant, prefering to do her own thing. Now that we have a bit of gear & there's an agility school starting up reasonably close to us I'm itching to get into it. There's been so many time I've wanted to give up in frustration with Izzi, don't know what I'm doing wrong or is she just going to take a lot more time. Hopfully the agility will help with the obedience, we've just started with the weaving poles, they both have to think & solve the problem "what do I have to do to get the treat". With Alexis' help & much patient work I know we'll get there & after reading your post I feel even more confident. Keep us updated & I'd love to see some pic's of your girls working, we've got a fun day coming up at the local obedience school I'll get Bill to get a few shots.

I so agree with what you're saying. Obviously there are a lot of 'skills' that the dog needs to learn for agility, but the really big thing is that the handler becomes equally skilled and completely in control of their movements.

Oh yes body language and sending signals down the lead. I have learnt not to stress or tense up with Izzy when strange people approach. Today we went to the beach with my friends German shepherds they are all great mates. I don't have to have the lead on them all times especially with approaching dogs, they sit and stay, and I do the command watch me so they are focused on me. Not a fault at all with them. Izzy I am especially proud, we were sitting at the only cafe in our region that allows dogs, and two women and their little girls approached us for pats. I carefully instructed them about Izzy let her approach you, well Izzy got lots of pats from two little girls and she did not flinch, she kept looking at me and I repeated that she is a good girl and saying Yes a lot to her. This is from a dog that used to be petrified of little kids.

And the herding dogs seem to be very good at reading body language, it surprises me. I am so much more aware of me, I know I have learnt as much as the girls with this and learning so much more.

Photos will be coming but not of the agility yet. I have to wait until other half comes to take photos. Photos will be of the beach and some backyard shots. Maybe next week.