Like riding a bike....

The other day I was talking to a friend about agility and the fact that I was a little nervous about how it would be the first time back. She said it was like riding a bike, you don't really forget.

I didn't believe her. But this weekend it was exactly that way. It was easy. To run, to handle, to play with my dog. The only hard part was the new stuff, and being pushed outside my comfort zone. The rest was exactly like getting back on a bike after years of walking.

We attended a seminar focused on handling and although Leo was the most inexperienced dog there he did a great job! It was a great learning experience.

Saturday we front crossed, rear crossed, blind crossed, and ran an 12 obstacle course! Sunday we mostly blind crossed, with some fancy stuff thrown in for good measure.  We ran together and were connected. And for the first time I saw "it" in him. You know that look that a dog gets at the start line. The excitement, the quivering, eager to go, looking ahead, ready. I saw it, and it made my heart flutter a bit.

The actual stuff we learned was hard. Challenging. And totally cool. This weekend taught me many things. Aside from some new handling options, I learned what type of warm up he needs, what he looks like when he needs a break, what his favorite toys are, what he needs from me in order to direct him around a course. I also learned that he has great distance and obstacle commitment, but is also a great launcher. Lol. I learned what I need to do to get him to turn right, and what I should do to create the best path for him.

It was a great weekend, and what we needed to kick start our training. I came home with a better understanding of how, and why. And more importantly it was a great experience for both us. For me to see how he will be in that sort of setting, and me to feel how it will be to be back. Now if only winter would take a hike so we can get going!!!!