Agility Addicts

Rum's first run was Senior Agility, his contacts were quick released and lovely and fast but unfortunately I didn't nag him enough and he flick flacked instead of pulled through. In round two I held his contacts, he released himself on the A-frame so I put him back over it and held otherwise he was lovely. In Senior Jumping we had a cracking first run but he just had the second pole down and I moved too early to pull him off a jump, in round two he didn't flick correctly round a jump and back jumped but otherwise perfect. Finally Jump N Gamble and he went clear in the jumping all be it with a twizzle because handler commanded too late and then we complete the Super Gamble - jump, tunnel, weaves with handler standing behind a line - we won the class so was sooo pleased!!

Cas ran Jump N Gamble (standard) first and had a nice steady run and completed the Super Gamble, we came 2nd. In her first Senior Jumping run she had a couple of poles down and in her second run had a lovely clear and finished 2nd.

Ember ran Jump N Gamble first and had a pole down which was a shame as would have liked to have tried the Super Gamble - we've never got to it before! Then Senior Agility and she actually had a clear!! We weren't placed as I made her lie down after her a-frame and held her dogwalk, in round two she missed her a-frame so I put her back on. Then Senior Jumping, she was amazing and the little madam came out of the second to last weave which is most unlike her, in round two we made a right mess!!

Newton Heath Agility

Rum's first run was Grade 5 agility, it was tyre then dogwalk and he crept all the way down the down plank - grrr! He felt really weird in that class though, very clingy and we made quite a few mistakes as he wouldn't go on away from me - I am not sure why. His a-frame was nice and fast though, he did self release and I didn't want to put him back on because I don't want him to creep down it - he's such a sensitive thing! In the second Grade 5 agility class he broke his wait and I wasn't in position so I messed the start up, he then missed his a-frame contact so I put him back on the contact and his second a-frame was nice. He was running a lot better though this time and wasn't as clingy. At the moment I am not aiming for clears with him - I want fast contacts and drive and am being really fussy about how he runs, if he doesn't go clear and his contacts are nice I'm happy, if he goes clear and his contacts are creepy I am not because I know he can do it but he just worries when he's in the ring.

Ember was going really nicely in Grade 6 agility and getting all her contacts so her stupid handler had a moment near the end where she started getting excited and Ember ran to the front of me barking as I hadn't told her where she was going next and we got 5refusal -grr stupid handler!! Then Combine 6-7 Agility and I rushed Ember over the see-saw forgetting she wasn't Rum and it takes longer to tip for an Ember and she flew it - I didn't put her back over because it was my fault and she has only ever done it a couple of times before - then because I quick released her a-frame in the other class she thought she could get away with missing then running her contact - whose fault again for quick releasing earlier!

Here's a short vid Lee took, excuse his comments on Ember's run when Rachel and I have a little natter about naughty shelties ;-) I was really please with her weave pick up in this class.

Contact Drills

Two things I want to work on most this year:

• Speeding Rum's contacts up.
• Increasing the success rate of Ember's A-frame contact.

So I did some contact drills with the ginger ones today, here is the vid:

Rum's contacts used to be really creepy when I threw the toy ahead and I realised this was because when he self-released to get the toy I would take him back and do the whole thing again. So I started just putting him on the contact and releasing him to the toy and his contacts don't seem to be as creepy :-)

I've Been Tagged

Sue (http://rushnsassydogs.blogspot.com/) & Rosie (http://hairygang.blogspot.com/) have tagged me. The rules are:

• Open a document or file folder
• Click on the fifth folder and then the fifth photo
• Post the photo and describe it
• Then tag 5 other bloggers
  

So, here is the picture:

Dizzy is mad about chocolate (they say like owner like dog lol), she really is a chocoholic and has eaten her way through a hole tub of roses, giant toblerone, big bar of dark chocolate before now. You only have to say the 'C' word and she goes mental! So for Christmas I couldn't resist this doggie chocolate reindeer I spotted in Pets At Home, she didn't eat it all at once - I just let her have the ears on Christmas morning :-) None of the others are bothered about chocolate, Rum doesn't like the way it melts in his mouth (weird dog).

And the only people I can see that haven't been tagged (well the might have been & don't know!) are:

http://leegibsontraining.blogspot.com/

http://www.ashdownforest.webecode.com/blog/

http://madmerles.blogspot.com/

http://cockercircus.blogspot.com/

Unplanned Saturday

Well I was supposed to be at the Gundog Show but it was cancelled yesterday and it's a good job they did, Kingswood is only 10mins from me and I wanted to go shopping and couldn't get out of the village at 10am, dread to think what it was like at 7am!

So no show, no shopping, the sun came out so I thought I would take the camera out with new (to me) lens and dogs. Here are some snaps:

Snow Dogs

Only managed to take a few snaps in my lunch break:

The cat didn't seem too impressed with the cold white stuff!