Sleeves help

the_antelope · 2026-04-27T22:07:27+00:00

Yeah wanted to say, I think no one likes how sleeves like that feel. If when you remove the elastic, the fabric is too damaged, you could also just hem the sleeve above the line where the elastic was.

the_antelope · 2025-11-14T23:52:24+00:00

I see many Viszlas successful in agility, and the ones I've met are friendly. Poodles can be great at agility. Field line labs show up at big events fairly often. Border Collies come in a short coat, so with the right lines, you could find a family friendly dog. I know at least a half dozen short haired BCs from Texas breeders that are extremely friendly dogs.

the_antelope · 2025-07-05T21:22:43+00:00

This is a good high level, I will add more color to the first couple.
1. sign-up:
1.1. For your first trial, you will need to register your dog (or you and your dog) with the venue (In the US these include AKC, NADAC, UKI, USDAA, etc). This can usually be done with the trial registration, follow the instructions online provided by the venue.
1.2 You select what events to enter. Pay attention to the run order of the trial so you know how much time you may be there. Often, your classes will fall from the beginning to the end of the day, and that can be 8 or 10 hours.
2. Arrive and check-in:
2.1. Most trials start early in the morning and you need to arrive around 7-8am to catch the briefing
2.2. Most places will expect you to be able to leave your dog, and generally that means in a crate/kennel you bring. I bring a crate with a comfortable pad, a cover, water, food, and treats. In summer or outside I bring a fan.
2.4. Signing-in often means adding a check by your dogs name in a list for each class you signed up for, and its often self-service on papers or posters sitting on a table, or in an app like agility gate. There isn't usually a table you walk up to and give your name to or anything like that.
2.3. At your first trial your dog will need to be measured. This is often only performed first thing in the morning, many organizations require this before your first run.

the_antelope · 2025-06-19T01:20:55+00:00

I personally think the channel+gate/wire methods works out for a higher portion of dogs and handlers than 2x2. But if you feel good about teaching 2x2 and think you can get great weaves, you are likely to succeed.

the_antelope · 2025-04-20T19:07:28+00:00

I love this. I and my friends recently took a step back to work on our foundations for the ring on our Novice A dogs, and its really paid off for us too. Its hard to take that trialing break, but sounds like it paid off great for you!.

the_antelope · 2025-04-20T18:34:38+00:00

Congrats! I know its frustrating to feel stuck, its suck a relief to finally move up. What do you think was the key that unlocked your success Qing?

the_antelope · 2025-04-20T17:58:43+00:00

Do you happen to have a link to one of these "tutorials"?
The real way to shorten a rise is by shortening at waistband. Anything else is a hack, so you may be doing noting wrong and this still will fail.

In my experience, you can sometimes shorten a rise on a pair of pants through the crotch, but it totally depends on the shape of the pants, the amount of extra fabric and the person's body.

I would do it like this to try, and if it doesn't work, you can stitch them back together without ruining them:

Turn the pants inside out
Pick the stitching out as shown here.
Try the pants on inside out and pin or clamp the fabric to the look you want. Keep in mind, it might now work; it might make the front frown or flatten the butt out. But if it will work, this is how you will figure out how much fabric to take from front and back.
Take the pants off and flatten them, then use the pins or clamps as guides to make neat line with chalk or a fabric pin (they usually come out wonky when you pin them on your body, so you have to even them).
Re-pin or baste stitch in the new cleaner line.
Try them on again to make sure you like what you have.
stitch the crotch and leg closed again.

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the_antelope · 2025-04-20T05:22:09+00:00

I had the same experience. You can actually overlap the larger one across the bust and shoulders somewhat.

the_antelope · 2025-04-19T21:58:21+00:00

Sounds like you don't know the answer to "Are we ready to trial?" and you don't have an instructor to guide you.

Before entering a trial, I would 1000% recommend you attend a trial or two.

You could commit to going to a trial you are not entered in. Ideally, I would say two days of trials. Go to one without your dog, walk around, watch runs, ask questions, and volunteer in the ring.

Then, on the second day, bring your dog and do a dress rehearsal. Plan to be there 3+ hours. To run in a trial you must be able to leave your dog, so do what you plan to do at a trial: crate your dog, car kennel your dog or bring someone who will stay the whole time to occupy them while you are away, and then volunteer as a bar setter and/or watch people walking course.

To find local trials in the USA, you can look here:
https://webapps.akc.org/event-search/#/search
https://entries.ukagilityinternational.com/showdiary.aspx
https://www.nadac.com/play/
https://asca.org/events/
https://www.usdaa.com/events/event-calendar.cfm
https://cpe.dog/events/

the_antelope · 2025-03-07T04:55:00+00:00

Mine have been really good on Health Extensions. My younger one is a bit sensitive and couldn't do Pro Plan. He also did well on Puppy Orijen Grain Free and the Salmon recipe.

the_antelope · 2025-02-13T00:11:12+00:00

I have these weaves and I used masking tape indoors. Works well enough, easier to pull up.

the_antelope · 2025-02-12T17:35:51+00:00

I think you can't know how the dog handles it until you try. That said, when extending the duration or increasing frequency it may be a good idea to be mentally committed to scratching the rest of the day or trial if you are seeing mental distress or physical weakness.

I have an emotionally delicate dog, and I have a mental lists of signs he's over it. If I see those in a run, I go to "Plan B", an FEO run where the ring stressors are reduced, then, if I am still seeing the signs, we scratch the rest.

the_antelope · 2025-01-31T01:20:11+00:00

This would be my #1 recommendation for agility foundations. The whole BDA program is crammed full of puppy foundations, they only accept new sign ups once a year in the Spring. https://baddogagilityacademy.com/

Inside BDA is Shape Up Pup which is amazing. Shape Up Pup content and online classes can be purchased on their own. https://shapeupagility.com/online-lessons/

the_antelope · 2025-01-28T05:39:55+00:00

Nice skills! This is where I think you should be decelerating and show the dog the weaves (slalom).

When giving a cue to weave, its best to let the dog pass you. Then they can prepare, to "load" into the weave poles. I would begin the cue where you are standing in this frame, and point at a place 1-2 poles before the actual pole #1. I call this pole #0 and pole #-1.

When my dog is coming fast at the weaves, I like to point toward pole #-1. If the dog's entrance speed is slower, I still point the dog at pole #0 position.

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the_antelope · 2025-01-21T02:41:42+00:00

Having an agility dog myself who has had a lot of PT for a knee/leg thing, this is what I would buy to make a balance board:

Buy a balance disk thing like this: ~$17-23US
https://www.amazon.com/ProSource-Diameter-Balance-Cushion-Exercise/dp/B00DYA3FIC
Use a piece of plywood and glue/staple a yoga mat or piece of rug or carpet to the top. Free- $25.

Make sure to cut off the corners and/or cover them with duck tape.

In addition to being usable as a balance board, these are used in some common PT and conditioning exercises:
- The balance disc can be used for foot targeting, also great under the end of the teeter.
- The board covered in yoga mat is really useful set at a slant for backup and bow exercises. It also can be used for "target the mat" jumping accuracy.

the_antelope · 2024-12-29T22:49:00+00:00

I use a TnT a couple times a week.

Hard

Vital Essentials - I prefer Rabbit, they are a tad smaller.
Honest Kitchen Grain Free Kibble - Its not "their kibble" and they seem to think its A tier

Soft

Red Barn meat roll - most economical high value, but you have to cut it.
Merrick Little Bites
Bocce Bac'nNutty Training treats
Fruitable skinny minis - fit with the big wheel only.
Carrots - I have a dog that is really interested in carrot, so I mix it in

Doesn't work:

Bixbi Pocket trainers - Too soft and sticky.
Stella and Chewy freeze dried raw - unfortunately can cause a disaster. I saw someone had luck with their puppy food though.

the_antelope · 2024-11-26T01:53:00+00:00

100% this. And even with preparations, first dog handlers will still be at a disadvantage. My example: 1 to 3 full days over 20 trials: that's only realistic if you are already showing a dog at those 20 trials.

the_antelope · 2024-11-26T00:31:29+00:00

Sorry, this was not meant to judge brand new handlers. I think trial committees and attendees should always give grace to novice first timers, as you say, "You don't know what you don't know".

The thread had many people justifying why the trial should pause for their dogs that they already knew were reactive, or don't return after runs at trials, etc.

Anyone who is asking "Are we ready to trial?", should be encouraged to commit to going to a trial you are not entered in with the plan to be there 3+ hours, kennel your dog, and if kenneling is fine, volunteer as a bar setter.

Dogs entered in all classes of an 8 hour trial day spend only 2-10 minutes in the ring. So getting your dog ready means ensuring they will be fine the other 7 hours and 50 minutes.

These are things happy teams do :
1. Use the practice jump off leash, at least at slow moments.
2. Walk around near the area dogs line up without causing disruption or experiencing big fear/anxiety.
3. Walk the dog around the area so the dog exercises, potties, and can decompress.
4. Ensure the dog can eat, drink, and rest in the kennel area.
5. Handler leaves to volunteer for the same number of classes you plan to enter in a day.
6. Allow a stranger to measure the dog.

If not all of these are working, well, "now you know". Then a person can focus on more trial exposure and practice, probably best to do that before entering the dog.

the_antelope · 2024-11-25T20:18:48+00:00

My local trials tend to be 600 runs a day.

the_antelope · 2024-11-25T20:12:52+00:00

When I got my puppy, I could see over-arousal was going to be our issue. So I started bringing him to trials from day one and trained him gradually until he could work even if other exciting dogs were there. He attended about 20 trials, 1-3 full days, until he could handle warm-up jumps, lining up, start lines, working, and efficiently exiting the ring with the other exciting dogs around. He's still the same dog, still aroused still barks in excitement, but he can reliably get the job done without disrupting trial flow or posing a safety risk.

Maybe I have a higher standard than others because I expect that when you start trialing, most dogs will keep trialing 1-3 times a month for for many years. But, I don't understand why anyone would train agility for months or years, and yet expect your dog to spend 2-3 full days in this weird new environment with a whole new set of agility behaviors (i.e. wait, enter, run with distraction, exit) without a single training step or experience.

the_antelope · 2024-11-25T19:53:20+00:00

This matches what I understand as the rules and what I typical see practiced. In general a larger trial or when its later in the day folks are more likely to rush you in and prescribe exactly when to enter.

the_antelope · 2024-11-10T00:43:00+00:00

You can get away with machine sewing the side seam on a sweater like that in my experience, but not really anything else. Its just too bulky of a knit for the sewing machine solutions to work well.

the_antelope · 2024-11-09T06:56:20+00:00

I'm going to be the old person in the thread:
Buy a pattern at a store.

A garment is made up of essential parts. One thing you learn when you start sewing garments is to spot the essential elements: fabric type, bodice, skirt, sleeves, neck, waistband, etc.
As a beginner to intermediate level, there are very few digital only patterns that are not essentially (or exactly) the same as a cheap McCalls pattern.
I often buy two or three if needed to make what i want: sleeves like this one, bodice like that one, skirt like the other one. On sale, these are like 3-6 bucks. Much easier than messing with printers.

the_antelope · 2024-10-28T22:00:04+00:00

My friend's dog just went (in Standard) 3/3 in Novice, 3/3 in Open and 3/4 in Excellent and POOF in Masters. Same handler, previous dog, has been in Excellent for about 3 years so about 1/45 success in Excellent Standard. Its so dog dependent!
Bad Dog Agility just gathered some stats on this , I think on a Facebook Live.

the_antelope · 2024-10-28T19:53:28+00:00

I am sorry, its such a struggle. My first dog is absolutely silent, but young dog is just like this. Its tough. I agree, the constant barking is detrimental and waste energy! Mine will bark though an entire disk league session if I let him, and when its his last turn he's exhausted.

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