#i mentioned that i have a Corgi x ACD mix who is my first dog

[fayeandknight]

Fourth agility class. And there was one.

I'm the only student who showed up to our class tonight. The instructor told me everyone else complained about having to crate their dogs. I suspect it was more of a final straw/something concrete to push back on. Also that it was a miserable, rainy day/night probably contributed.

I will say the instructor was much nicer. Still a bit harsh but definitely softened more throughout the lesson. The instructor did say they get really mad when people argue with them. Which I get but I don't think they handle well.

That aside, Forte was absolutely amazing tonight. He spent pretty much the whole hour off leash, he only occasionally wandered off in the ring when we spent too long talking but recalled immediately every time. I think part of it is that the new is wearing off. But the bigger piece, I think, is that we were working for longer stretches so his brain clicked on and stayed on.

Introduced him to the tunnel, he was a little confused at first but the third time I showed him the entrance he ran through and I threw him a party. After that he did from both ends no problem. We got both a jump tunnel and a tunnel jump sequence flawlessly several times.

The instructor was quite impressed. Kept telling me he moves beautifully and that he's not afraid of anything. He only gets hung up when he doesn't know what I'm asking him to do. Once he knows there's no hesitation. And part of me wanted to say yeah, no shit.

I didn't, but I wanted to explain it's because I've prioritized confidence over immediate compliance. He's a freaking herding breed, the desire to please comes baked in. I want him confident. I want him to know that if he's unsure I'll clarify or give him support. That we're in this together.

He also did the A frame. We've played around with a (very) baby A frame but never a true one (though it wasn't at full height.) The instructor asked if I thought he'd do it and I said probably. He did it like he's done it a thousand times before. No hesitation, no trying to jump off early, went up and over and stopped with his back feet on the contact and his front feet on the ground, looking to me for the next cue.

At this point the instructor forgot to be critical and there was definitely awe in their voice. Told me it's clear he likes working for me and that he just trusts me. That most dogs balk, at least the first time, because from their perspective they're running up a cliff and are going to be asked to fall off it.

They also said that if I'm not careful they'll steal him. That he's really special and that the bond between us is evident. Which made me laugh out loud because it confirmed something I'd written off as me being arrogant, for lack of a better word. And that's that when certain dog people encounter Forte and I they write me off as a know nothing who shouldn't have a Belgian and in turn that I've "ruined' him. But when they get the chance to really see us work together that assumption falls apart. Because it becomes very clear that he doesn't do things just because I say so, he does them because he trusts that I'm not asking him for anything he can't do. That I'd catch him if he fell.

Anyway, we also worked more on the teeter and are up to jumping on at the half way point, riding it down, and waiting till it hits the ground to move off. And we did three 2 by 2 weave poles, both onside and offside. He picked it up easily and not at all like this was only the second time in life life he's seen weave poles.

At the end of the hour the instructor noted that he was tired but if I asked for more he'd give me more. And I told them I know so it's a good thing we have an hour ride home for him to nap. They were stunned to learn I'm an hour away and that it involves crossing the bridge. I just shrugged and said I wanted to learn agility so it is what it is.