Agility Anxiety

Casey and I started up another Agility class this afternoon. It's been quite a while since the last time -- about a year -- and I had a bit of anxiety going into it. Casey is a purebred terrier, through and through, and we've had our struggles in the past due to her born nature. I've always remained open to new techniques, however, and hoped that eventually Casey would settle down and focus on the task rather than the distractions around her.

Within moments of the class starting, I knew the trainer meant business. I was worried at first, but quickly understood that if I listened to her pointers and did as I was told, we'd get along just fine. It's like train-the-trainer, and I'm okay with that! Casey had some issues at the beginning due to her excitement level, and the fact that it's been so long since the last time. She did quickly get the hang of it and remembered the commands, such as "tunnel" and "jump".

The issues only began when she got territorial with other dogs. She loves all dogs; they're not the issue. The problem is that she thinks that when she's with me (or any other female authority figure that she perceives to be "hers"), she gets very angry when other dogs show an interest in me or I in them. The trainer noticed this right away and we actually got to work on it. I was completely open to her taking over, especially as she was forthcoming with me in that she told me I may think the treatment was harsh. Honestly, she's the professional so I must have an open mind when it comes to training my terrier. I don't know what to do, she does, so I was more than happy to allow her to take the leash and attempt to get Casey straightened out. She definitely was affected, and we're going to keep working on it. The advice I received will be put into practice so that we can move on and fix this little issue of ours.

We have next week off due to Remembrance Day, but we'll be at it for another five weeks starting the following Sunday. I'm looking forward to Casey getting better at the obstacles and us developing a better relationship. It does get emotional for me a bit when she acts up, but I have to remember that it's for her good that we don't allow her bad behaviour to be accepted. In time I have faith that we'll be a strong team, even competing in fun agility events. And hey, I was sweating by the end of the class so it's a good workout for me too :p