What an "elimination" can lead to at a Bee Happy IDA show
Those pesky weaves
Being involved in dog agility shows for over a decade I have seen countless dogs and their handlers navigate all sorts of courses but one, recent moment at a Bee Happy show stuck out in my mind. This was with a little brown terrier named Sage and her handler, Angela.Sage was a blur of motion as she launched herself over the first jump. Full of eagerness, she sped past the entrance to the weaves. "Weaves, Sage, weaves!" Angela called, and Sage, being a dutiful dog, circled back, entered the weaves, and completed them.
The whoopsie in the ring
The pair continued around the course with great communication until they came out of a tunnel and took another jump that took them back towards the weaves. Sage was supposed to turn left into another tunnel, but the weaves she had just conquered were straight ahead. Sage, clearly happy with her prior success, made a beeline for them and went through them again.I watched as Angela, already running toward the next obstacle, paused. In that moment, both she and Sage realized they'd lost their connection. For some handlers, this might have been a sign of a mistake, a failure. But not for Angela. To her, this was an opportunity to listen to her dog and go with the flow.
Redefining a "failure"
Angela knew they were now eliminated from the competition, but Sage didn't, why would she? Dog’s do not have the Prefrontal cortex for that kind of abstract thinking. As far as Sage was concerned, she had just successfully completed a difficult obstacle and was feeling great about it. Unlike Kennel Club-licensed shows, where an eliminated run is just that—finished—we encourage handlers to turn these moments into training opportunities.Angela could have simply left the ring or continued the course to the end but she chose a third path. She called Sage through the tunnel to reconnect, then used a couple of jumps to rebuild their momentum toward the weaves. "Weaves, weaves," she cued again. Sage entered the weaves with gusto, and just as she burst out, Angela's timing was impeccable: a fuzzy petal ball with a treat tucked inside—Sage’s favorite toy—landed right in front of her paws. Sage trotted proudly from the ring, toy in her mouth and tail held high.
Grabbing the opportunity with both paws
Angela later told me that Sage hadn't been fully confident in her weave training. The fact that Sage chose the weaves showed that something had clicked for her. Her little terrier was finally starting to enjoy them. Angela knew it was a powerful training moment that needed to be rewarded. All dogs learn by association, and by rewarding a positive choice, Angela reinforced that feeling.Sometimes the most rewarding moments happen after an "elimination,"! Have you ever had a moment like this with your dog, where a "mistake" turned into a powerful learning opportunity? I'd love to hear about it!