I didn't get Tom's first run on video but I wish I had as it was great and he would have come 7th but they only placed to 6th and that was against all the large dogs. I think he was also the fastest small/medium in that class.
His next agility run wouldn't have been bad either if I hadn't put him in the wronng end of the tunnel as you can plainly see below. If it wasn't on film I would have been convinced that I hadn't flung my arm out. The bit after the dog walk was him going to have a look at the number for some reason which was straight in front of him.
Wednesday, 27 October 2010
Sunday, 17 October 2010
Walks with my dogs - Shoreham Woods
This is a good walk but really muddy in the winter so not one we do much between November and February unless the ground is really frozen. I don't park in the public carpark but in the layby at the top of Polhill by the now closed Polhill Arms pub and take the bridleway around the back of the pub and across the M25 via the really high footbridge. It takes about an hour and once you are through the woods the views across Shoreham and back towards Sevenoaks are lovely. Once across the bridge I turn left and walk through the woods until it opens up and there is a field with a stile in the corner and follow the path diagonally across admiring the views on the way down plus trying to prevent Suzi from rolling in the sheep poo that always seems really fresh but I've never actually seen any sheep in the field ever. 
Unfortunatley today was not a good day for stopping her and this is what she looked like after I had taken the picture above. 
In the far corner of the field there is another stile and a path that follows the valley and overlooks the village of Shoreham and eventually passes just above the white cross carved into the hill in honour of villagers lost in WW1. 
If you follow this path until you get to a gate you can turn left just after it and follow the path back to the motorway bridge and back to the car. The trees are taking ages to change colour so hopefully we'll get some frost soon which may encourage them a bit as I would love to take some pictures across the valley showing all the gorgeous colours. Took a few piccies of Tom looking as handsome as ever. 
Plus one quenching his thirst after eating some horse poo (what lovely dogs I have) 
Went to a training session with Mac & Wendy Card yesterday, it was just for small dogs and was great fun, everyone enjoyed themselves enormously and even more so when the home made cakes came out at half time.
To start with Mac and Wendy wanted us to run a complete course so they could get some idea of how we and our dogs ran. The video below is our first run and ignoring the obviously crap handling out of the tunnel see if you can see the other glaring mistake.
Tom is really creeping his dog walk at the moment so at a suggestion from Wendy I have started using his target lid again but it's now placed further away from the contact to encourage him to run through before stopping. I know it was only one session but it really seemed to work so I will be using it all this winter and we will see where we go into next season.
Unfortunatley today was not a good day for stopping her and this is what she looked like after I had taken the picture above. 
In the far corner of the field there is another stile and a path that follows the valley and overlooks the village of Shoreham and eventually passes just above the white cross carved into the hill in honour of villagers lost in WW1. 
If you follow this path until you get to a gate you can turn left just after it and follow the path back to the motorway bridge and back to the car. The trees are taking ages to change colour so hopefully we'll get some frost soon which may encourage them a bit as I would love to take some pictures across the valley showing all the gorgeous colours. Took a few piccies of Tom looking as handsome as ever. 
Plus one quenching his thirst after eating some horse poo (what lovely dogs I have) 
Went to a training session with Mac & Wendy Card yesterday, it was just for small dogs and was great fun, everyone enjoyed themselves enormously and even more so when the home made cakes came out at half time.
To start with Mac and Wendy wanted us to run a complete course so they could get some idea of how we and our dogs ran. The video below is our first run and ignoring the obviously crap handling out of the tunnel see if you can see the other glaring mistake.
Tom is really creeping his dog walk at the moment so at a suggestion from Wendy I have started using his target lid again but it's now placed further away from the contact to encourage him to run through before stopping. I know it was only one session but it really seemed to work so I will be using it all this winter and we will see where we go into next season.
Monday, 23 August 2010
Dogs in Need
This was my first DIN as I've never been able to bare the thought of spending a week in my old campervan but now I have my super dooper caravan so I thought why not.
I have to say I loved the show and just two runs a day suited me as it meant I had time to just chill out with my dogs and read loads of books and drink a few G&Ts.
I didn't have any places but Tom only sniffed once in the ring and got 2 clear rounds the other rounds were things I did wrong as he worked really hard for me and Suzi was clear and in time in all her jumping rounds.
I've also come to a decision about my next dog!
I also promised myself that I would update my blog more.
Here are a few pictures that I took during the week.
I have to say I loved the show and just two runs a day suited me as it meant I had time to just chill out with my dogs and read loads of books and drink a few G&Ts.
I didn't have any places but Tom only sniffed once in the ring and got 2 clear rounds the other rounds were things I did wrong as he worked really hard for me and Suzi was clear and in time in all her jumping rounds.
I've also come to a decision about my next dog!
I also promised myself that I would update my blog more.
Here are a few pictures that I took during the week.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
New addition to the Kingswood household
No not a new dog (yet) but a new to me caravan.
I hadn't noticed that Suzi was in the picture until I downloaded them but she seems to approve but Tom needs to learn how to use the step and not keep launching himself over it and nearly missing the doorway.
It's a Mardon Saffron and and the layout means I can leave a bed made up at the back if I want so no more making the bed up and finding that I need to get something out of the fridge like the campervan.
I'm very excited as you can imagine and can't wait for our maiden voyage to Colchester at the beginning of May.
I hadn't noticed that Suzi was in the picture until I downloaded them but she seems to approve but Tom needs to learn how to use the step and not keep launching himself over it and nearly missing the doorway.
It's a Mardon Saffron and and the layout means I can leave a bed made up at the back if I want so no more making the bed up and finding that I need to get something out of the fridge like the campervan.
I'm very excited as you can imagine and can't wait for our maiden voyage to Colchester at the beginning of May.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Mid Downs and such like
I have to say I enjoyed Mid Downs even though I came home with 3 Es and one 5 faults, both dogs worked exceedingly well and Suzi even got her dog walk. She was so excited about being back at shows that I was left standing at the start of her agility and had to do a mad dash to catch her, she flew round with much more enthusiasm than I have seen for ages, the seesaw was her downfall as it didn't tip when she thought it was going to and her momentum slid her off the side but she charged back up it and finished the course. Tom was not at all sniffy looked as if he was really enjoying himself in both agility and jumping, our downfall was having to turn sharply from a fast straight line as he powers on and doesn't always here my panicy commands of 'Tom, TOM, TOOOOMMMM'. Suzi, once again, flew round the jumping course and if I hadn't got over excited, and tried to get somewhere too soon thus pulling her into the wrong end of the tunnel, would have got a lovely clear round.
The van has been gone so I'm now looking in ernest for a caravan, seen a really nice one but it's over my budget so I'm either going to have to do some haggling, not my strong point, or try and find some more money from somewhere or keep looking. My first caming show is the beginning of May but that will come round so quickly that I have a feeling I wont have found anything by then.
I went for a lesson with Leah at her new outdoor paddock last night, my first thought was 'what a nice place to be able to train', my second was 'God that equipment is spread out'. We worked on Tom turning off a straight line (must remember that he actually knows right & left and use it at shows), going on, and me cutting corners slightly without him coming in to me. I had to do lots of running!
I was so pleased with him as the temptation of sheep poo was very strong but he didn't even attempt to stop while he was was working and if he did wander he came back as soon as I called him let's hope this bodes well as Spring at Shuttleworth usually has sheep poo in the rings.
I'm supposed to be doing Chippenham and Downlands but I now have to go to Boulder, Colorado for work on 20th so will miss both of them :(
The van has been gone so I'm now looking in ernest for a caravan, seen a really nice one but it's over my budget so I'm either going to have to do some haggling, not my strong point, or try and find some more money from somewhere or keep looking. My first caming show is the beginning of May but that will come round so quickly that I have a feeling I wont have found anything by then.
I went for a lesson with Leah at her new outdoor paddock last night, my first thought was 'what a nice place to be able to train', my second was 'God that equipment is spread out'. We worked on Tom turning off a straight line (must remember that he actually knows right & left and use it at shows), going on, and me cutting corners slightly without him coming in to me. I had to do lots of running!
I was so pleased with him as the temptation of sheep poo was very strong but he didn't even attempt to stop while he was was working and if he did wander he came back as soon as I called him let's hope this bodes well as Spring at Shuttleworth usually has sheep poo in the rings.
I'm supposed to be doing Chippenham and Downlands but I now have to go to Boulder, Colorado for work on 20th so will miss both of them :(
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
New plans
I've decided that my campervan is no longer big enough for agility shows, and that's with one less dog, so I'm selling it and looking at caravans. I would love a brand new one but know this is impossible so it's 2nd hand here I come. I don't need anything huge as even the smallest ones seem to have 4 times more storage space than the van and even a loo which is really my main reason for changing, plus the extra cost of insurance, tax and MOT of having basically two cars. The van is on ebay so hopefully I'll be able to start looking in earnest for a caravan very soon. I can't believe that once I used to say that I would only do one show a month, then only one day a weekend and I would never camp!
My diet is going well but the need for new clothes is looming so more expense, lets hope the van gets people's interest and really brings home the bacon.
Tom's training is still going well with less and less sniffing but we have the big test this weekend at Ardingly, indoors in a riding school that has been used all winter for show jumping so will no doubt be very interesting. I'm taking Suzi and will enjoy running her but however positive I am I really think that contacts may be our downfall :)
My diet is going well but the need for new clothes is looming so more expense, lets hope the van gets people's interest and really brings home the bacon.
Tom's training is still going well with less and less sniffing but we have the big test this weekend at Ardingly, indoors in a riding school that has been used all winter for show jumping so will no doubt be very interesting. I'm taking Suzi and will enjoy running her but however positive I am I really think that contacts may be our downfall :)
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Catch up time - sorry no piccies or video
I have loads of photos and video but my laptop is currently refusing to download it so I'm using this as a sign that I need a new one with more memory and a bigger hard drive hopefully I will then be able to add some of the stuff I've got.
Tom's training is coming on well after the Christmas break with sniffing at a minimum especially when I'm able to see the signs and get a call in to get his attention back. I'm continuing to use a target at the bottom of the dog walk, sometimes with a treat and sometimes without. If it's there we get good speed to the contact and he hits and stops but if it isn't he still creeps down, at my first show I'm going to try and get him looking while I walk the course and pretend to put something there hopefully he's as clever as I think and will remember me bending down.
A bitter sweet development of losing Dudley is that Tom is turning into a real Mummy's boy, he's got much more cuddly and appears to want to be with me more than before rather than playing with other dogs. I would never have wanted to not have Dudley but am taking advantage of this with Tom as he is much more interested in where I am at training than what the other dogs are doing and Wendy has pointed out that he watches me all the time when I'm walking courses etc. I'm actually really enjoying this as Duds was always one for everyone else and would forsake me for someone else without a backward glance and am seriously wondering about putting off having another dog until 2011 rather than the end of this year as planned. I will wait and see what happens this summer.
Tom's training is coming on well after the Christmas break with sniffing at a minimum especially when I'm able to see the signs and get a call in to get his attention back. I'm continuing to use a target at the bottom of the dog walk, sometimes with a treat and sometimes without. If it's there we get good speed to the contact and he hits and stops but if it isn't he still creeps down, at my first show I'm going to try and get him looking while I walk the course and pretend to put something there hopefully he's as clever as I think and will remember me bending down.
A bitter sweet development of losing Dudley is that Tom is turning into a real Mummy's boy, he's got much more cuddly and appears to want to be with me more than before rather than playing with other dogs. I would never have wanted to not have Dudley but am taking advantage of this with Tom as he is much more interested in where I am at training than what the other dogs are doing and Wendy has pointed out that he watches me all the time when I'm walking courses etc. I'm actually really enjoying this as Duds was always one for everyone else and would forsake me for someone else without a backward glance and am seriously wondering about putting off having another dog until 2011 rather than the end of this year as planned. I will wait and see what happens this summer.
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