I love you to death but you're making me crazy!

Last Wednesday (March 21) was the second class in this session of agility. We are working on contacts. Cash is pretty solid on 2on/2off on the stairs but seems to have a problem touching without using a target or my hand. He did well enough for my team instructor (Patty) to move him to the A frame. He held a solid 2o2o at the bottom only working 4 feet or so up onto the frame and then back to the bottom on one side. Christy had him try the dogwalk. He got across it nervously by being treated every second step but held 2o2o once he got to the other end and was much better coming back. Teeter was better than last week although he is suddenly uncomfortable with the motion. This was the nutcase that loved the buja board.... Sigh....

Start line stay is once again a problem. He just seems to become unfocused as the time at class lengthens. I have to keep reminding myself he's young, but feel we need to take a step back and work more on attention and focus on me at home. I was about ready to strangle him. I put him in a sit in front of a line of jumps and he's looking everywhere but at me and then decides to stand up. Put him back in a sit, wait for attention and focus on the first jump. Finally get it and we're off. Jumping has never been a problem, but this start line stay issue is starting to annoy me. Instructors are trying to be diplomatic (most of the time) about making sure I understand he has to hold a sit/stay at the line. I GET IT!!! Would you like me to velcro his ass to the floor??? Hmmmmm????

I have to admit there was ONE shining moment. Toward the end of the sequence there was a square of jumps set up and a tunnel at one end. I was to place him to start at the tunnel and then jump, front cross to another jump, jump, jump, with some complicated handling between jumps. The little shit held the SLS like I had had him cast in bronze! I mean HELD it for like, A MINUTE! Of course once I released him and he came flying through the tunnel to the jumps, I completely got confused with the jump pattern and became a total bumbling idiot. I think I was SO impressed with the SLS that I had a complete brain fart with the rest of the course. He so deserves a better handler.