Trial Report: APDT Rally hosted by the Minnesota Mixed Breed Club

Maisy and I attended an APDT rally trial today, hosted by the Minnesota Mixed Breed Club. We entered in two level 2B runs.

I was really proud of Maisy today. She was initially quite stressed when we entered the building, and did some minor growling (but no lunging, so yay!). She quickly settled in, though, and it seemed like the longer we were there, the calmer she got. By the end of the day- about three hours- she was flopped on her side and quite relaxed.

The other cool thing came from Jeff, who is a provisional judge, and who we met last summer. Because he's a rational human being, he remembers and is smitten with Maisy. (Or at least, he seemed to like her an awful lot.) Anyway, he commented about how much more outgoing she was today than she was last year. He said last year, he couldn't get close enough to touch her, and this year, she was really into him.

After he said that, I realized that she was really interested in seeing the other dogs, too. She's never been one to initiate greetings with other dogs, and today I had to keep calling her off the other dogs, lest I run the risk of being the "rude" dog that has to say hi to everyone. What a change!

We did have a bad moment, though, and it was in the ring during our second run. Even though it's kind of embarrassing, I decided to upload the video for you guys to see:



I chose to upload this video for two reasons. First, because this is a blog about reactivity, I wanted you to see what her reactivity looks like. It used to be worse, but this is pretty typical for her these days. I'm actually pretty proud of the reduction in intensity.

Second, because I am so stinking proud of her. Okay, I know that's a weird thing to say, given that she was reactive in the ring, but look at her ability to bounce back from stress! What you can't see in the video is that she was startled by a dog who suddenly came through a doorway near that corner... a large black dog who is paralyzed, has no use of his back end, and who was in a sling and being carried/pulled by his owner. So, there's a sudden environment change, which is an iffy proposition for her anyway, and it's a dog who looks like a dog, and yet doesn't move correctly and is wearing weird stuff, and... that can't really be a dog, can it? But then what is it? OMG I MUST FREAK OUT!!!

Right, so, I thought the reactivity was understandable (if a bit embarrassing). I chose to put her on leash for safety measures (she's never gotten into anything with another dog, and we certainly don't need to start), and then finished the course. I wanted her to end on a good note, for both our sakes. And she bounced back really well. If you look carefully, you can see that there are a few instances where she looks back at that corner, although they seemed more obvious at the time than they do on the video. I used extra treats to reinforce attention, mostly because I could, what with the fact that we'd already NQ'd and all. But overall? She was very focused on me and generally relaxed, which is evident both in her body language, and by the fact that her mouth was very soft as we moved through the remainder of the course (she gets "sharky" when stressed).

So, even though we NQ'd, even though it was a bit embarrassing, I was still so incredibly pleased with her performance. I mean, barring that bit in the middle, it was a beautiful run! And then, afterwards, we hung around the trial site for another hour and a half. I expected her to be edgier as a result of the cortisol that was surely flowing through her blood because of that outburst, but instead she was on her side and quite relaxed. How cool is that?

Oh, and our first run? She scored a 205 and 4th place! We lost three points because of a handler error (well, tactical decision- I chose to move inside the six foot line for the send over jump exercise since I've never really properly trained jumping), so really, that's like a 208!

I was also really happy with me- my ring nerves were the lowest they've ever been. I was just a teensy bit nervous prior to going in the first time, but since I wasn't working on a title or QQs or anything, there was nothing to lose, and everything to gain. And we did gain it. We worked together like a team. Despite stress, despite reactivity, we were both able to bounce back and act like the champions we want to be someday.

Maisy, RL2, RL1X, CGC

Did you notice the new initials after Maisy's name? She completed her APDT Level 2 Rally title today, and earned an Award of Excellence because all three legs were over 190. Good dog, Maisy! In addition, she picked up a third place and and second place.

We had some really lovely moments today. Both courses had jumps in them, and she did the jumps both times! I introduced her to jumps last summer, but didn't do much training with them. Then she had a back injury in the fall, so we really haven't been able to train much on jumps... needless to say, I was a bit worried about an NQ on that station. I needn't have worried; she just flew over those jumps.

She did well on the off-set figure 8 (AKA, the food bowls), too. Okay, "well" might be an overstatement, but we did them! It was actually kind of comical. I wish I'd gotten it on video, because she was looking at those food bowls so hard that I had to slow waaaaaay down to keep her with me. Still, she only sniffed one- and it was the last one, after she'd resisted the rest.

She had some really nice heeling moments, especially anything to the left, but she also did the fast forward from a sit! Twice! Since we've struggled so much with the fast pace, I was very proud of this!

Although she wasn't at her best today- and I'll talk about that in a future post, because this is a celebration post- she worked her tail off for me. One of the things I really love about Maisy is that she always gives me everything she's got. Sometimes, that isn't much, but she'll always give it anyway. She was stressed today, but even so, she turned in a solid performance, and I'm incredibly proud of her.

UKC Rally Trial, Day 2

As you can see, we qualified again today.

It was a pretty good day. Maisy was tired this morning- she didn't really want to get out of bed- and as a result, she was a little edgy initially. She had shark teeth, and was wuffing a lot more than yesterday. She even through a little lunge in there! I thought that I probably wouldn't even bother going in the ring unless she calmed down significantly. Then, I gave her some Rescue Remedy and dosed her with DAP. Remind me that I just need to do that no matter what at trials. She almost immediately calmed down and began taking treats softer. (Incidentally, I also used Rescue Remedy both days, and it really helped me feel calmer. I like this stuff.) She even began to offer "flat dog" (where she lies on her side), so I knew she was feeling okay.

I tried warming her up, using fewer treats to make sure she would be able to transition to fewer treats. She did really well, and gave me lots of attention, even when we heeled the length of the ring and back without anything other than verbal praise. I decided we would go in the ring. I asked the judge if we could excuse ourselves if she was stressed, and he agreed that was fine, so in we went.

I decided that if I saw any stress displacement behaviors- excessive sniffing, yawning, scratching- we'd just end the course there. Otherwise, we'd go for it. And we did. She was distracted, and definitely not her best, but she looked pretty happy. I got video, and on playback, I agree: much happier, though definitely distracted. (I'll try to upload the video later and post it this week.)

So, we have our second leg towards our URO1 title, and she scored a 90, which is an improvement over yesterday. But the more important improvement is that she was able to run the course without being stressed. Since that's what this weekend was all about, I'm pretty happy.

Defining Success

Today was the first day of the UKC trials, and Maisy and I were entered in level 1 of rally.

How did we do? Well, it depends on how you define success. If you define success by ribbons and placements and scores, we didn't do so hot. She scored an 88, which was well below the placements, and frankly, well below her abilities.

Still, I'm going to call the day successful. Sure, I'm mildly disappointed with our score, but Maisy was surprisingly relaxed for being at a trial! She only "wuffed" twice, which is her "I'm on alert" noise, but she was controlled and didn't display any reactivity. For most of the time, she had relaxed body language- looseness through her whole body, a slow, soft helicopter tail, and a happy, open-mouthed expression on her face. She warmed up well, very attentive and snappy, and while she wasn't quite as precise as she is at home, she had excellent enthusiasm.

I'm not sure what happened when we went in the ring. She became distracted and disengaged from me. She sniffed a lot, and twice she had to stop, sit and scratch herself. Those are stress displacement behaviors, and I haven't seen the scratching in a long time.

If we'd been at an APDT trial, I would have whipped out the treats to help transform the ring into a positive space. Since I couldn't do that, I simply waited patiently for her to finish scratching, praised her like crazy for her moments of attention (and really, she had some nice moments), and kept smiling. I knew our score was going to suck, and it didn't matter. Perhaps I should have left the ring. If she was so stressed that she disengaged from me, there wasn't much point in continuing. But I didn't think about that, and I'm not sure how to leave the ring gracefully.

We show again tomorrow, and I need to give some serious thought into going in, doing one or two signs successfully, and then leaving. Of course, I know that if we get a couple of really good signs, I'll want to push for more, for the whole course, so I'm going to have to decide what to do in advance... I'm not sure what my other options are.

What would you do if you were in this situation?

Trial Management

Maisy and I are going to a trial this weekend- we’ll be making our UKC debut in level 1 rally- and I thought that this would be a good time to review our trial management strategy. I didn’t fully understand the importance of this when Maisy and I began trialing, but over the past year, we have gone to a number of trials, in a number of locations, and I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t to keep her calm and relaxed.

In the week leading up to a trial, I’ve found that there are a couple of things that contribute to a good trial experience. The most important thing is that I need to ensure that Maisy is getting adequate exercise. There have been lots of studies that link exercise with the production of endorphins- the feel good chemical- in the brain. Some sources even link exercise with a reduction in cortisol, a stress hormone. No matter how it works, it does seem that Maisy is calmer when she gets regular exercise.

Along these same lines, I try to avoid any high stress activities during the week leading up to a trial. I’ve heard (but can’t find any sources right now) that following a reactive episode, the stress hormones remain in the dog’s body for several days. Since stress tends to accumulate, I try to keep things low-key around the house for Maisy in the week building up to a trial.

I also try to keep Maisy to her regular training routine as much as possible without overtraining. The week before a trial is not the time to try out new approaches, hand signals or exercises. We continue to practice what we know- Maisy goes bonkers without mental stimulation- but I don’t drill or introduce new concepts.

On the morning of the trial, I try to keep things as normal as possible. I will give her breakfast, but I go a bit light because I know that I’ll be using lots of treats later in the day and I don’t want her to get an upset tummy. I also take her for a nice long walk. Again, this helps to produce endorphins, but it also ensures that she “empties out.” We’ve never had any embarrassing “ring fouling,” and I’d prefer to keep it that way.

Something I’ve been playing with is giving her a dose of Rescue Remedy, as well as spraying her collar with DAP. I’m not sure how much either of these things help, but they don’t have any negative side effects, and if they ease her anxiety even slightly, it’s probably worth it. I’m also considering giving her a small dose of pain reliever to alleviate any discomfort, since pain really plays into her reactivity. I need to discuss this with her vet, though, since there are plenty of potential side effects to common pain relievers.

My management really goes into full swing once we arrive at the trial site, since I need to minimize stress while still helping her to cope with a busy environment. The biggest and most important thing to do once we arrive is to minimize her exposure to the chaos.

When we arrive at the trial site, I leave her in the car and check in without her, which means I need to park in an out of the way location to minimize stress while I’m gone. Then, I find an isolated spot to set up her crate. This spot needs to be away from other dogs and pathways, and away from the warm up areas. Maisy does really poorly if I leave her in her crate- even if I’m next to it- so I plan to use it only if it’s absolutely necessary, in which case, I’ll leave her with a stuffed Kong.

I’m going to add something new to our car crating routine this week: the CD Through a Dog’s Ear, which we’ve used at home when relaxing. The music itself has been designed and researched to calm dogs. We’ve also used it during calm times at home, so hopefully she’ll also have a conditioned emotional response to it.

At the trials where she’s been most successful, we’ve spent a lot of time walking. Again, the walking helps boost endorphins- for both of us. I’m more relaxed when we’re out moving and connecting together. This reduces my ring nerves, which in turns reduces the possibility that Maisy will pick up on my stress and worry as a result.

We do have to come inside at some point, though, and I plan to do this gradually. We’ll go in for a few minutes, walk around so she can see where we are, and play “Look at That” with a high rate of reinforcement. After a few minutes, we’ll return to the car or go for a walk. We’ll do this several times, increasing the amount of time we spend inside, while hopefully reducing her stress at the same time.

Hopefully, we’ll be later in the running order so that she can wait in the car while I walk the course. If we’re first, I’ll put her in her crate or leave her with my husband. I’m very lucky to have a supportive husband, who often hangs out with Maisy to help keep her calm.

For our warm-ups, I like to start with about five minutes of clicking for eye contact and connection. Then we play “get into heel,” where we do pivots in both directions. Next, we heel straight lines with a high rate of reinforcement. Finally, we practice any of the “tricky” signs in the course. This weekend, I don’t anticipate any of those, but at APDT trials, we might practice a moving down or a stand for exam, just as a refresher.

Finally, one of the most important things I will need to do is to watch her stress levels and be ready to scratch our entry or walk out of the ring at any time. If she’s too stressed to work, it’s not worth trying. This is an area I’m still working on, and hopefully I can live up to it!

All of this management is about being sensitive to Maisy’s needs and connecting with her. The thing I really love about dog sports is the way she and I can come together as a team, as friends, and work together. Some people call it focus, but I call it connection. Our relationship is really what’s at stake here. Each time we interact, we can build our relationship. My whole training philosophy is built on relationship and respect, so I do take my commitment to keeping her calm and relaxed to heart.

So, fellow competitors, what do you do to keep your dog calm and relaxed at trials? Have I missed anything glaringly obvious? Have you found something completely different that works for you? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment on your management strategies.

The Year in Review, Part 1: Trials and Accomplishments

With the end of the year upon us, I thought it would be nice to look back on all of the experiences and accomplishments that Maisy and I shared. Although there’s still a lot I’d like to work on with Maisy, I’m really proud of how far we’ve come. This post will be the first of three reviewing our year together, and will cover our trial accomplishments this year.

When January began, I never dreamed that we would spend the year going to trials, but perhaps the fact that we went to TCOTC’s run-throughs on New Year’s Day should have been a sign of what was to come. I had no idea what to expect from a run-through, and was surprised when I was told that we were ready to tackle rally obedience in competition. There were no ribbons or awards, but I loved working as a team with Maisy, and decided I wanted to try this whole trial thing.

Here is a video of our first time ever doing a rally course at the run-through:


We went to the Minnesota Mixed Breed Club’s APDT rally trial held on January 31st and February 1st. We experienced our first Q, and our first NQ at this trial (apparently, you have to do all the signs). Maisy and I ended the weekend with 3 Qs and our first title! We also earned an Award of Excellence (because all of our scores were over 190: we had a 195, a 197 and a 200, which was 4th place, 3rd place and 3rd place, respectively) along with our shiny new RL1 title

Next, we went to a trial in Illinois in June. I was very nervous about this trial! I was afraid that our previous success was just a fluke; the first trial was held at our home club and I didn’t know how Maisy would hold up in a strange location. As it turned out, she did great. It was a very tight space, but Maisy did really well chilling on my lap. The competition was stiff, but we still did well: a 200, a 206, a 207 (and 5th place), and a 204.

Only a few weeks later, we went to a trial in Des Moines. This trial was a huge success for us. Maisy had excellent scores, including her personal best of a 209 (which was a 2nd place), a 204 (and 2nd), a 208 (and her first 1st place!), a 208 (5th place), and a 201. But, the best part was that following one of our runs, the judge commented that Maisy looked “very happy.” I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a nicer compliment.

August brought two more trials. The first was another MMBC trial. This trial was a truly mixed bag for me. We had great successes mixed with great disappointments. Despite the wonderful things we accomplished in this trial, due to her reactivity, the sense of connection was lost, and I didn’t enjoy it as much. This trial really solidified my understanding that dog sports are another expression of my relationship with my dog, not about a chance for accolades.

Anyway, we had scores of 188, 206, 206, and 205, and earned a 1st place, two 3rd places, and Maisy was the high scoring mixed breed dog of the day on Sunday! We also completed our RL1X title, which is the single-level championship title.

Only a few weeks later, we headed to Omaha for another trial. Maisy did much better at this trial. Although she did have some reactivity, I had learned from the MMBC trial and managed her better. She had scores of 198, 203, 201 and 204. We also tried level 2 for the first time! Ironically, it was this spur-of-the-moment entry that gained us our highest score and our only placement of the weekend: a 208 and 2nd place! (We had to do a run-off for the placement and we won it!)

What all that boils down to is a total of 5 trials and 2 titles. Our highest score of the year was a 209. We earned 1st place twice, 2nd place three times, 3rd place a whopping four times (we’re apparently very good at 3rd place!), 4th place once, and 5th place twice, plus the high scoring mixed breed dog honor! We also have one leg towards our level 2 title. What a great year! Check out all those ribbons!