Grass Addiction

That's grass as in the stuff growing to make my lawn where I like to play agility, not the other kind. The addict is Brynley, who may henceforth be known as "he who eats everything, all the time".

Brynley made his agility debut this past weekend. No big deal really, just a couple of classes at a local USDAA trial in performance to get an idea of how our training is coming along and how my ankle will hold up to running at a trial. Over all, it went well. I think the best part for me was that I did not walk out to the start line with jitters about running with Bryn for the first time. It just felt like something we've always done.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. I came home with a list of things to work on before we trial again. (which is coming up quickly, yikes!)  The biggest thing for me was that Brynley occasionally stopped to grab at the grass during a run. (that dog will eat anything) Yeah, I've seen it before. Usually when I correct a behavior, most often marking a problem in the weave poles and calling him out of them. So I can't say it surprised me.

This required hours of analysis, pouring over the 90 seconds worth of video from each day. I mean, oh my God, what am I to do?! Should I be running over to stop him every time this happens? Oh crap! He's not focused on me, a sin, a crime, we should be forever banished from agility trials! What to do? What to do?

Oh yeah, back to the videos.   So, the first and most obvious conclusion. It only happened in standard, not in jumpers (the only 2 classes I ran him in). Hmm....   So it doesn't happen when he's running fast and confident? Back to looking at video, frame by frame. Hmm... it only happens when I get behind him. Ok. Well, he's a fast dog, that's a bit of a problem. 

Back to videos, focus on the handler. That's me. Hmm... handler is slow, out of position, and usually late with cues (except when I'm early and he follows me off the jump, good boy!).  Well, that puts a bit of a different wrinkle on the issue.

Conclusion: the problem is 80 percent poor handling, primarily bad positions and timing, 25 percent a need for further training and practice, and 15 percent  just being a young, inexperienced dog acting out his frustration and insecurity. ( I know, it doesn't add up to 100. Just want to emphasize how much of the problem I think is my handling).  The good news, it's totally curable with more training and practice. There were some other bobbles on course this weekend, but they also were also mostly due to my problems with being in position and giving well-timed cues.

So, we're heading back to the grass for more practice. We'll work on Brynley's confidence to work away and in front of me and his understanding of going on to the obstacles. And weave pole entrances, didn't see that in practice, that's why you got to take to a trial. For me, well, I'm going to work on getting in to better positions and figuring out how to improve my timing even when I can't be in an ideal position. Lots to do, but I love spending time playing with my boy!  And, I should add, he did get his first Qualifying run and first place!

Branson vacation

stack of cousins

cousins

look out, there's gonna be a BIG splash!

the boys, and one little girl, hang out

Go carts

grown ups, too!

a break in the stream for a family photo

sea turtles

a highlight of our recent California vacation was two days spent at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Five 8 month old green sea turtles were new on display the second morning we visited. They were cute and charming and very cooperative in swimming by for pictures. I fell totally in love!

a new advocate for the sea turtles and our oceans.  Don't you want to preserve the oceans for her?

getting around

June has been quite a busy month. First, the girl and I spent a week in Missouri for a dance competition. Now, I am in California with both kids visiting family and places I love. Here is a small taste, maybe I'll post more later. 

Branson, MO

Yosemite

Morro Bay

Brynley weaves

sight seeing

Dyslexia and the learning process

Thirteen years of watching my son and puzzling out how he learns has finally led to some insight. These are some thoughts I would like to share with all his teachers, and a reminder for myself.  As his seventh grade year comes to a close, I can say that I have seen some breakthroughs that I have been waiting for for years for my dyslexic son. The biggest is that I can now say he is a reader! Not only has he finally started reading for pleasure in the last year, he now devours books almost as quickly as I do. When he was 10, I wondered if he would ever read and enjoy the Harry Potter series. The answer is yes, when he was 13.

So what do I know about dyslexia that was so hard to understand? I think I finally understand how smart my child is. And I finally understand that although I don't understand his learning style, and it takes a little longer usually for him to master something, he will get there.

My new analogy for understanding how my dyslexic son learns uses the image of building a puzzle. Most people build a puzzle in a linear fashion, finding one piece and then another and systematically building the picture. Dyslexia means building the puzzle in a completely different way. One day he may build a small piece of the puzzle. When he comes back to it the next day, this piece is gone. This pattern may repeat for quite a while. Putting small pieces together, only to seem to loose them. But suddenly, almost overnight, some kind of grand reshuffling takes place in the brain and the next day the dyslexic looks at the puzzle and the picture is complete. Complete and mastered, never to be lost again, and occasionally just a little more brilliant than the average puzzle.

Be patient with my son. Keep giving him the pieces. He may not get the puzzle on our time frame, but he will get it, and it will be better than expected.