Agility Addicts

Rum was a very good lad today and was really responsive. His first jumping round he just had a pole down so I shaped him into that jump better the second time and he won the class - Novice Jumping so is now into Senior at Addicts shows :-/ Novice Agility he was amazing then stupid handler forgot what she was doing before the weaves and got him E'd, the second run he flew his see-saw (very naughty boy!) so I put him back over it. Finally Open Connector and we had a (very messy - my shaping was non-existent) clear and came 5th.

Cas had a couple of poles in open connector then I pushed her in the gap of a flick flack in her first senior jumping run and the second went to pot completely.

Ember was little miss inconsistent today. In agility her contacts and weaves were fab but her sending on to tunnels was non-existent. Then in Jumping could I get any turns out of her, she kept working far too far away! In Connector I just didn't hold my posisition long enough and she back jumped a jump.

Happy Birthday Rum

Happy 3rd birthday to the blue eyed boy. I can't believe three years has gone by so quickly, he has done me proud, although we are going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment he has been amazing for me and I wouldn't be without him. Thank you Caroline and Cai and Gill and Maddi.

Newton Heath Agility

Rum and I just aren't on form at the moment. In his first Grade 5 Agility he just was not listening and backjumped virtually everything - he has this thing about backjumping he's started the last couple of weeks -his contacts were nice though. In his second Grade 5 Agility he was soo much better and listened, though I pulled him off a jump to early then started moving forward on a flick flack. Finally Grade 5 Jumping and he was storming round but jumped into a pinwheel and his stride took him through the gap past the next jump and he tried but just couldn't make it, looking back I perhaps needed to shape him into the pinwheel more.

Cas just had one Grade 6 Jumping run and without a wait I cannot possibly see how we could have done it and I didn't see anyone without a wait get past 2 without being eliminated. She had the first couple of poles down but has been jumping 'standard' height for the last month.

Ember is my little star of the moment. In Grade 6 Agility she missed her A-frame (judge had said in briefing he wouldn't let anyone put dogs back over) then we struggled with a flick out but the rest was lovely. In Grade 6 Jumping she flew and so did I ;-) (my fitness is so much better now) and we were clear and came 2nd. Video below, Ember just seems to be really listening (touch wood) lately.

The Dogs

No show this weekend but I took the camera out (take a look at Flickr - Discodogs or my site and each dogs' slideshow for more) but here are my favs that really reflect the dogs' personalities.

Dizzy - the footballer__________Rum - Forrest Gump

Ember - ballet dancer_______Cas - out of her tree!
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UKA Hereford

I hadn't entered the show but decided to go and enter on the day because the photographer would be there to take some shots of Diz. However he phoned yesterday to say he wasn't going so I thought I wouldn't bother either having seen the weather forecast. Anyway I woke up at 6:45 this morning and decided I would go after all! When I arrived the sun was shining :-)

Rum ran Novice Steeplechase 1 first and it was a naggy course, needless to say we didn't get round but it was my fault because I tried to cut a corner and didn't send him out enough. Novice Jumping followed and the scribe said to go and when Rum was over the first jump the judge said in your own time and I lost concentration as I wondered whether we should have gone and in that split second Rum was off! Then Novice Steeplechase 2 and the course was a proper steeplechase, Rum had a lovely clear but didn't seem that fast however I think the jumps were quite tight and he was having to gather himself for each, anyway to my surprise he won it. Last was Novice Agility and he had number 3 down so I trained the rest - his contacts were really nice :-)

Cassie's first run was Novice Steeplechase 1 and I knew I could get her round, she ran beautifully, clear and won it. Then Novice Jumping, again a lovely clear and won it. Finally Novice Steeplechase 2 and she had a pole down when I was stupid and did a front cross I didn't need to, she then stumbled and had the next pole down. She's a good girlie.

Ember was an utter nightmare in Novice Steeplechase 1 so I didn't hold out much hope for Novice Jumping with a tricky weave entry but OMG she was absolutely AMAZING and I think it is probably one of our best if not THE best run ever, she was a whole 2 seconds quicker than Cas and needless to say won it. She was just so in tune with me. Novice Steeplechase 2 followed and another stonking clear, again she won it. Novice Agility was last and I opted to go for a training round to reinforce her contacts but otherwise she ran nicely. She is getting so much better with her send ons.

So 5 wins in one day, I do feel a little greedy, but the dogs were just fab. Couldn't resist a photo, the trophies were tankards so we have 5 tankards now :-D

Gingers!

Well the two ginger ones (Rum and Emz) have been in for their rabies vaccination today, we're back again at the end of the month for their bloods to be taken to make sure they are protected. Then 6 months after that we can travel - all being well! Fingers crossed the vaccination takes otherwise it will be another month and I would like to do DDV with them next year. Neither of them bother about the vets in fact Rum is positively excited at all the people there he could mob and Ember too!

Cassie

Well I have been concerned about Cas for a couple of months so I booked her in for a hearing test. As soon as we got there we realised she was going to have to be sedated, she only glanced at the vet and was barking at her. Cas was determined not to give in, but eventually after 15 mins she succumbed and the hearing test could be started. I have never known Cas so floppy she's normally such a stiff little dog always alert - it was quite weird! Turns out she has normal hearing in both ears at 40 decibels so I don't know what it is with her, I guess she's just becoming stubborn in her old age! Lol.

She came around quickly after being given the reversal injection which surprised the vet as she said they normally take a long time, but not Cas she was going to be awake even if she didn't feel it! Bless though she's still a bit wobbly and has actually worked quite well as she has slept through the fireworks! She'll be standing there and all of a sudden her front leg will go and wake her up again and she's still a bit floppy and cuddly - I can give her a fuss without her wanting to play! Here she is in her TTouch wrap.

A vid of her trying to fight sleep, lolol!

I bought a sat nav last week as my job has changed and am out on the road a bit now, was quite funny as I have it connected to my phone and I received a text on my way with Cas tonight and it read the text out loud. I was in histericks listening to it trying to interpret text lingo lol! I have a sad life! And if anyone is selling tickets to see The Killers in Brum let me know as am desperate for some!!

Agility Addicts

Rum was a little naughty today as he missed his A-frame when I was behind him in Novice Agility so I reinforced second time round. In Jumping it was a tough course, Round 1 was a disaster and Round 2 was a lot better but not clear. Finally Open Catherine Wheel and we stormed round, he was amazing and beat some good grade 6 and 7s to win it. :-)

Cas was a good girlie, she just dropped a pole in Senior Jumping Round 1 because I hadn't straightened from a front cross! Then dropped a couple of poles in Round 2 - not sure why. In Catherine Wheel I couldn't set her up further enough back from the first jump and she took it out.

Ember was so fab in her Senior Jumping but took a pole out in each round. We stormed round the Open Catherine Wheel and she won it easily. Finally the two agility rounds which we won't talk too much about as she was an absolute nightmare! She won an orange dog witch toy - hmm how ironic!