The Future

Al finishing his MACH at this time is the best thing that could have happened to us, as far as Agility training is concerned.  It has liberated me from thinking about getting Double Q's and now we are back to just trying to run like heck and testing the limits of what Al and I are able to do during a competition run.  Al and I are running faster and better than we ever have, and there is lots and lots of room for improvement.  We've just scratched the surface.  Right now we are working on things that will really change the way we run courses, and Al is getting much more drive and independence.  Running Contacts, distance, layering, and straight lines between obstacles are all things that we are working on every time we train, and soon I hope they will be a regular part of his competitive repertoire. 

Al and I have great help from Jef Blake and Barb Davis, and get lots of encouragement and help/suggestions from lots of competitors at the trials. They all see the potential that Al has, and are trying to help us get there!!

To help Al to be a more complete agility dog, I have to learn much more than him.  I have to change the way I run with him to shorten up his path.  I have to always monitor and improve my technique to motivate Al to do Agility.  That will always remain at the top of the list.  I also have to learn/improve how I shape behaviors and how to train consistently, and learn to reward only the behaviors that I want!  Once we get through the training skills, I have to improve my mental game during competition so that we can have a performance where I know and execute the plan!!

As funny as this may sound, I've said to several people, "that now that Al has his MACH, we can learn how to do Agility!!"  I'm really excited about what we might be doing during competition in the future.

Thank you for reading about Al and my MACH experience!!! It's been a great journey with my little man and I'm so happy to have him as my partner. 

Click Here to Visit Al's MACH Photo Album.