Not really very much happening at the moment, we didn't go to a show at the weekend as the closest was Agility Club and as the classes weren't very good for my dogs this year I gave it a miss and just had a weekend of chilling out.
Dudley was very funny at the weekend when we met a woman and her three collies in the wood, I was hanging back as I didn't really want to catch her up but she waited for me so I thought it would be rude not to walk with her but did warn her that Duds can be a protective of Tom and as she had a young dog who was really in your face I thought I might be diving in to retrieve him. To start with the youngster kept poking Dudley with his foot which he was not impressed by and kept going all stiff legged with his tail straight up and grumbling but the collie was persistant and unfazed and just kept coming back for more (to me that shows some collies aren't the sharpest tool in the box!)I have to say the towards the end of the walk he must have worn Dudley down because the next thing I knew Dudley was rolling about with this dog as if they'd known each other all their lives and he and Tom played chase with it for ages.
It's the last training night until September tonight and after this weekend no shows for three weeks so the dogs get a complete break from agility for a while, I always try to give them August off as the season is so long and I think a break does them good so lots of long walks and chilling out.
SHOCK NEWS JUST IN
I hear that Crocs have gone into administration :(
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Newlands
One of my favourite shows and as usual I really enjoyed it with some nice courses even if 2 sets of 6 weaves parallel to each in Dudley's agility class was a bit of a worry and even though he found what I think was a squashed fox poo half way round which made him go at zero mph I still quite enjoyed it.
Suzi got a nice clear round in 3-5 jumping but was very slow through the weaves so we didn't get in the places but she enjoyed herself I think. Tom ran really well but ran straight past the weaves but came back and did them and finished well without sniffing.
Now to agility which as you can see had a right angle weave entry that caused a lot of discussion as we walked it :)
Suzi was the first to attempt it and if she hadn't missed her dog walk by 2 slats above the contact she would have gone clear and her time would have been good enough for a place so not too bad.
Then it was time for Tom who sat on the start line and went when I said 'OK' so good start, whizzed up he first line into the tunnel and straight up the seesaw, I crossed behind him at the next jump then sent him up the dog walk while I ran really wide to I could get past 13. He was a bit slow down to the contact and took two attempts at 'go' for him to move then over 13 and a slightly panicy 'Tom, weave' straight in kept going 'OMG we could do this', wrong end of tunnel faffy call time wasted, down the line to the finish still clear, over the A frame jumped off quite high but got it over the finish and we were clear and not only that he came 3RD.
Came home with 1 E, 1 10 faults, 1 5 faults, 1 clear, 1 10th place and a 3rd and it didn't rain until right at the end and we were waiting for the last presentations.
Suzi got a nice clear round in 3-5 jumping but was very slow through the weaves so we didn't get in the places but she enjoyed herself I think. Tom ran really well but ran straight past the weaves but came back and did them and finished well without sniffing.
Now to agility which as you can see had a right angle weave entry that caused a lot of discussion as we walked it :)
Suzi was the first to attempt it and if she hadn't missed her dog walk by 2 slats above the contact she would have gone clear and her time would have been good enough for a place so not too bad.
Then it was time for Tom who sat on the start line and went when I said 'OK' so good start, whizzed up he first line into the tunnel and straight up the seesaw, I crossed behind him at the next jump then sent him up the dog walk while I ran really wide to I could get past 13. He was a bit slow down to the contact and took two attempts at 'go' for him to move then over 13 and a slightly panicy 'Tom, weave' straight in kept going 'OMG we could do this', wrong end of tunnel faffy call time wasted, down the line to the finish still clear, over the A frame jumped off quite high but got it over the finish and we were clear and not only that he came 3RD.
Came home with 1 E, 1 10 faults, 1 5 faults, 1 clear, 1 10th place and a 3rd and it didn't rain until right at the end and we were waiting for the last presentations.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Agility Boot Camp
Not as tough as it sounds with no pressups, no route marches and no compulsary head shaving but still hard work and really great fun.
Leah and Nancy had put an enormous amount of work in to organising the weekend and I would really like to say THANKS and I can't wait to do it all over again.
There were 2 rings set up, one for jumping and one for agility and each day they had a different course for us to work which I thought was a brillant idea as neither the handlers or the dogs got bored or complacent. We did a lot of work on tightening up our turns and also on getting the dog to go on to jumps away from us and not keep looking back or twiddling which helps a the finish when you've just about had it. I'm lucky that Tom has always done this very well but it was nice to do some extra stuff to reinforce it. I would be impossible to put everything down here and not have a post that's 10 pages long so I'm not going to but I had a great time and the venue and instruction where second to none.
It was nice to be able to chill out with my dogs and just do nothing but read books in between the training and I'm glad that I didn't book to do the extra clinics too as I think it would have given Tom major overload and probably undone all the we had learned.
On pooped participant.
Leah & Nancy taking a break with their puppies.
I want one of these!
and just because I liked this picture.
Leah and Nancy had put an enormous amount of work in to organising the weekend and I would really like to say THANKS and I can't wait to do it all over again.
There were 2 rings set up, one for jumping and one for agility and each day they had a different course for us to work which I thought was a brillant idea as neither the handlers or the dogs got bored or complacent. We did a lot of work on tightening up our turns and also on getting the dog to go on to jumps away from us and not keep looking back or twiddling which helps a the finish when you've just about had it. I'm lucky that Tom has always done this very well but it was nice to do some extra stuff to reinforce it. I would be impossible to put everything down here and not have a post that's 10 pages long so I'm not going to but I had a great time and the venue and instruction where second to none.
It was nice to be able to chill out with my dogs and just do nothing but read books in between the training and I'm glad that I didn't book to do the extra clinics too as I think it would have given Tom major overload and probably undone all the we had learned.
On pooped participant.
Leah & Nancy taking a break with their puppies.
I want one of these!
and just because I liked this picture.
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