Foundation Sport package done

I completed all 8 brochures in the foundation-sport-package today and they’re going to Indianapolis with my proof-reader. Bud always notices when I lose focus or go off track in my writing, so I rarely publish anything without him reading it first.

With my “Go Rally Training Manual” I had my mother as my proofreader. She doesn’t train dogs so, if training information makes sense to her it generally makes sense to any of my readers.

Mom attended an agility trial with me once, a local AKC event where I was running Dash, Red, AND Bud’s Hazard. On one Ex.A standard course, Hazard (who had been practicing distance sends to tunnels with her Dad for about 2 weeks) managed 3 off-courses in about 58 seconds. Two of them were into tunnels, of course, courtesy of Dad’s training efforts.

When I returned to my seat, laughing so hard I could hardly breathe, my mother said, “you know, you should go set that up in your building and practice stuff like getting her onto the a-frame instead of the tunnel.”  Ya Think? LOL  I started laughing even harder, of course, while I was explaining to my mom what we actually do for a living.

No accounting for what happens in the brain of a 9-pound sheltie — a brain no bigger’n a hazelnut, I’d imagine, but she wanted those tunnels really badly.  It really was very cute when she pealed away from my line to do every tunnel in the place – twice.

Anyway — the foundation sport package should be on our website (www.dogagility.org — or at right) by Monday, Feb. 9. It’s 17 pages of material …

1) an index of the brochures and a description of layout    2-3) “Come Front” print front and back, fold in half,  4-5) “Stay in Sit or Down Position” print front and back, fold in half,  6-7)”Stay in Stand Position” ditto,  8-9) “Jump Over standard or wing jump” ditto,  10-11) “Jump through Tire or Hoop obstacle” ditto,  12-13) “Weavepole entries” ditto,  14-15) “Unambiguous Contact Performance” ditto,  16-17) “Heel Position” print front and back, fold in half.

There’s a spot on the bottom of each front cover for the training center’s or instructor’s label with contact information, in case you use these brochures as handouts in your class.

The material is copyrighted and I’ve added “permission granted to reprint for free distribution to students, please do not reprint copyrighted material for resale.” Hopefully that will enable anyone wanting to use the brochures as class handouts to share the material, yet discourage someone from actually selling the printed packets.

The spring thaw we’re getting into this evening and this weekend is reminding me that the holidays are in the past and spring is right around the corner!  This weekend, after I finish training dogs at the shelter, may find me puttering around the pond, picking up deadwood and creating a bon-fire pile.

If I were given a choice of housework, office work, writing, training dogs, or doing outside chores I nearly always would pick outside chores. There’s just something so relaxing about manual labor, and my brain always coasts along finding solutions to puzzles while I’m working. The only time I hate outside chores is in July and August when the heat drives me inside. One of the downsides of menapause is that sun, on my skin, feels like a blowtorch.

As soon as the foundation sport package gets on the website I’m going to start on the more advanced obedience and rally package. Bud will be doing the advanced agility and distance packages.

Tags: agility camp, basic dog obedience, Bud Houston, dog agility, Marsha Houston, Shelter dogs, sport obedience