Toller USDAA

USDAA trial for the Toller this weekend!

Screaming was much more minimal compared to the last few trials, something I am attributing to the tighter warm up space due to it being held indoors.  But Vito still seemed very happy to play with me and as a bonus he looked like he was actually starting to RUN on course, on Saturday at least..

Saturday Vito had two runs.

Masters Gamblers was an NQ on the distance portion.  Like many of the dogs, he looked for me coming out of the tunnel and simply didn't see the farther jump he was to take.  But the opening ran pretty well.  I set him up to wrap the starting jump figuring that it would allow me to sprint away from him.  Vito wasn't a fan of that plan and knocked the bar, but it did seem to work once he realized I was set on leaving him in the dust.  Considering we did zero aframes or dogwalks and instead did the teeter twice and the wave poles once I thought he ran pretty fast. http://youtu.be/s8I-O0ONQMo

Advanced Standard was a Q!  It looked like a really fun course so I was hoping that the Toller would be up for playing.  I think he liked my opening.  I chose against leading out so instead I ran with him on my left
to do a blind after the aframe and then an immediate front cross to the weaves.  I was a little late with the front cross so he turned wide but I still kept him out of the off course dw/tunnel area.  I also tried Vito's stopped dogwalk cue for the 2nd time in a trial.  The first time made sad Vito as he was just too new to sequencing with it.  This time Vito collected nicely and I released him as soon as he got near the yellow to flip to the tunnel.  Perhaps I shouldn't have released him before he technically stopped in either the 2o2o or 4 on the floor (either position is allowable for him) but I didn't want to risk Sad Vito.  After the table was our first backside jump in a competition but I was able to lead out and call him to me before front crossing.
1st half not filmed :( http://youtu.be/t2k3jkUi8TA

Sunday Vito had 3 runs.

Advanced jumpers was a Q although not so fast.  Lots of pinwheel type sequences limited my ability to run and I counted doing 6 front crosses.

We moved up to masters standard and also got another Q.  The dock doors were open before the start of this run, and Vito kept looking at this suspicious change before we started.  Very slow teeter and weave poles but other than that he did pretty well.  Even had a decent running dogwalk to the table; something we never practice.  http://youtu.be/Ne5z7Ldx8WM

Pairs Vito was very excited as he loves going second, but we failed our half.  For some reason Vito didn't get the weave pole entrance even though he read my front cross well and it was a straight approach.  Then he weaved really slow again and had no momentum to send to the next jump so we got a refusal.  I was happy that he screamed at me as I resent him and picked up some speed for the closing.  He loved ending with the dogwalk and then a wrap.  http://youtu.be/359_abLsO-s