Remedial boxer contacts

I took Apollo out of agility class about two months ago. There were a couple of reasons for it, mainly that he just didn't seem to be enjoying it anymore and overall we weren't getting anything out of it. We'd pretty much run every sequence a-ok in class and then go sit down and wait for our next turn to run a sequence a-ok. So now he comes with me to Icon's class each week and I'll do some stuff with him after class or during other people's runs if there is room on the field. And this way he still gets to see his fans.

Now, I don't know if his newfound lack of interest is because he's just getting older (he's 6, which is old for a boxer!). At home he's quite content to do nothing but curl up on the couch in whatever room I'm in. When we're all out in the backyard Foster and Icon still pester me incessantly to play with them, but Polly is generally happy to go lay down in the sun and watch me do whatever yardwork I'm doing. And then when I'm not paying attention, he'll go and eat the cat food. But that is another story.

I'm also not sure if the newfound lack of interest is even that. Is it possible that now I'm comparing his enthusiasm to Icon's and it just SEEMS like he's less enthusiastic? Quite probable, I think! The same thing happened when I started doing agility with both Foster and Apollo. Of course Foster REALLY didn't like agility. But I can't blame him. Throwing 75lbs over 24" jumps doesn't sound like fun to me either.

But anyway, Apollo is in the twilight of his agility carreer and invitationals is our last ditch effort to be an agility star! So I've decided to get back to some serious training with Polly! Our strengths are that he rarely goes off-course or misses weave entries (which is fairly new, as of December last year I was trying to sell him for $10 because he couldn't make a weave entry to save his life). Our weaknesses are bars (We'd be at MACH gazillion if it wasn't for one bar on SOOOOO many runs) and, it's becomine more obvious recently, speed on contacts. I need to think if I want to try do to something about the bars, but I expect my decision will be no. However, contact speed I can do something about! So look out, Polly. You're about to go through remedial contact boot-camp!