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!

Agility Addicts

In Rum's first Senior Agility round he missed his dogwalk as he flew so fast, I am not too fussed as I expect a few to be missed as he gets his speed going so I asked him to get back on his contact and we finished the course. In round 2 I realised putting him back on the contact isn't a good decision as he crept all the way down the down ramp! He gets so worried about doing the wrong thing and I have never told him off at all and always just say oh dear lets try again but he still worries. In Senior Jumping I didn't call him enough to get a pull through and in round 2 he was absolutely flying but he just wasn't listening and had about 4 poles down which is not like him to knock poles. In Speed Jumping he was such a good boy but I raced him too much and he took a pole. So lessons learnt - don't ask him to get back on a contact when he misses it, don't race him too much and don't let him follow a screaming dog as he just doesn't put brain into gear!!

Cas ran Speed Jumping and for some reason skipped a jump out, I know I was cutting a corner but it doesn't bother Cas. Senior Jumping she had two poles down but in round 2 had a lovely clear and came 3rd against some good senior/advanced dogs so I was really pleased with that.

Ember had an AMAZING dog walk contact in Senior Agility and got her a-frame but pulled off a jump. In round 2 another amazing dog walk and she jumped her a-frame so I put her back over and finished the course. In Speed Jumping having watched the vid back her stupid handler made the most basic mistake ever and tried to direct her with my right hand when she was on my left - twice! Senior Jumping and as we were going round the corner I realised she was jumping a medium jump and I lost concentration for a second so the judge let us restart but the sheltie with a turning circle of a jugernaut missed a pull through, in round 2 though I really got on her case and she was clear finish 2nd (to Sue White's medium - Bug) so I was mega chuffed with that - she got the weave entry lovely which was at speed in a straight line.

Ember & Cas Speed Jumping


Ember/Cas Speed Jumping - Addicts Jan 09 from Gina Graham on Vimeo.

Ribble Agility

Rum I ran in Grade 5 agility and held his contacts which were lovely and fast. Unfortunately in pairs he decided to have a deaf moment and went off in the wrong direction! I didn't run jumping as was cold and wanted to go home!

Cas was a good girl in pairs just rolling a pole which her partner did also, only the one run for her.

Ember had a fab dogwalk in agility but missed her A-frame so she was put back over it. Jumping didn't go very well so I picked her up and took her out as she was getting very frustrated!

Training

Yesterday really inspired me to do more HTM with Rum as his heelwork can be really stylish and he would look great in the HTM ring. He has had really bad ring nerves but when I competed with him in September he was so much better and only had one concentration lapse. Because of this I have concentrated on his agility and not taught him many moves but now I want to do some more with him as I think we could overcome the ring shyness. I really like his heelwork so would like to go down the HTM route really rather than freestyle at the moment, but there are so many HTM positions I need to teach some more!

We did some training in the garden this morning concentrating on weave entries and I did some heelwork with Rum. I am still not happy with his weaves as he is chopping and changing his style through the weaves and I want him to be consistently weaving with one style whichever it may be. I think I am more likely to get the one foot style as it is only when he is being lazy he goes to consistently two stepping through. Perhaps I am being too fussy! Here’s a vid:

Dog Training from Gina Graham on Vimeo.

Rugby HTM

Today was the day of the Crufts Freestyle Semi Final, I had heard it was a big entry and looking at the programme there were 20 or 21 dogs in it and only the top 10 qualify. I haven't done any practice since September with Cas as I just really haven't had the chance, my new job has taken up so much time and with the dark nights there just hasn't been a spare minute. So to be honest I didn't expect anything from her but she was really good and only had the odd bark not losing anything for it though. She missed a couple of cues which was understandable and her back weave and back spin was a bit wide. I was really pleased to come 12th, if we had practiced we could have done it but am not upset about it, yes it would have been nice but I am not gutted as I know I didn't put the time in. So anyway need to work on a new routine now which has a bit more to it.

Year End Review

I have to say I am pleased with the dogs’ progress even though I didn’t get Rum to Novice Olympia – perhaps next year providing he stays in Grade 5!

I was looking over Rum’s results and it stood out that we have really made progress, at the beginning of the year he was having 4ths in Novice at Addicts and at the end of the year we had two 1sts winning us up to senior & finished the year with a 1st in Open! We didn’t start KC shows until May really at which point he was Grade 4 but is now Grade 5 with two jumping wins. His contacts are better but still can be quite creepy – it’s a difficult one as toys make him worse and he isn’t particularly motivated by food. So I have been doing lots of quick releasing at home but in the ring I want him into position quickly and stopping there a bit as this seems to make him more confident as he knows exactly what to do – what is helping is not using a stop command to make him stop just to reinforce the position, he isn’t then waiting to hear the command & it doesn’t rely on my poor timing! His jumping has really improved as we used to struggle without control points (ie contacts!) but now he is turning really well and we seem to have really improved.

Cas has slowed down, with this being her first year in grade 6 I didn’t really expect much from her. I decided mid season to retire her from agility classes as we weren’t enjoying them and it felt a real relief not to stress about contacts. She doesn’t really go training much, a quick session in the garden every now and then is enough. I am pleased with her, she’s still fit (is almost 9 now) and has had some good placings - 3rd in Comb 6-7 being the highest. I am just happy to be able to run her and she’s still fit and healthy.

Ember has been fab, we’ve had our best year yet. Charlotte Harding did some work with her in April and actually got her last 2 wins into Grade 6 (all jumping!) - thanks Char :-) . She then went on to win 4 more classes at Waldridge. She’s doing well and am really feeling like we are more of a partnership now, we still have contact and wait issues and I think we always will as she pushes you every step of the way and questions everything. Now I am fitter I am finding it a lot easier to handler her, I need to maintain my fitness though and with the gym having been closed over Xmas I can feel the muscle melting lol!

The ginger ones (Ember & Rum) have had their passports and can travel from late May next year. I have always wanted to compete on the continent and am looking at shows to enter.

Happy New Year everyone!

Agility Addicts

Rum ran in Christmas Contacts first and his stupid handler dropped the coin and faffed getting another so I was nowhere near him to direct lol, his A-frame contact was nice but his see-saw a bit creepy. In Open Jumping he had a lovely run just dropping a pole when I front crossed too soon and then pulled off the flat tunnel when I called to early - good boy. In Open Agility he was AMAZING, his see-saw was lovely and fast and his A-frame too, I released as soon as he was in position (as will be holding at KC shows and I don't want him to think they will always be held) and he came 1st, soooo chuffed! He was 2 seconds faster than Cas and she was on standard height with tight turns! In pairs he misjudged his pace and crashed a jump.

Cas actually went clear in Christmas Contacts and came 2nd. Then Open Jumping and she just dropped a pole when I moved off too fast, shame she would have won by 3 seconds. Last class was pairs with Liz & Barney - Cas is 8/9 and Barney is 9/10, both rescues and both white with black splodges ;-) so we thought they would pair up nicely, they both ran really well. It was double pairs and the first changeover was a little messy but the other was perfect, anyway to our delight we found they had won it by 9 seconds! Show those whippersnappers a thing or two lol!

Ember missed her A-frame in Christmas Contacts so was put back on. In Open Jumping the little so and so was running superbly until she decided to ignore me and shoot off over a jump after the flat tunnel just a couple of jumps from the end - grrr! In Open Agility we had handler navigation error - oops and she was flying too. Finally pairs and both of us picked up an E at some point ;-)

Thanks Carol for doing these vids, Rum & Bryer in Double Pairs


Cas & Barney winning Double Pairs

Happy Christmas

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I was in the garden doing some agility with the dogs and all of a sudden the cat decided she wanted to join in, couldn't resist a video (taken on my phone)!

LGT DVD Out Now

Some of you may or may not know for the last few months I have been involved in the making of the LGT Workshop DVD. This has now been released and I personally think it's an excellent, affordable and informative product. You can buy it from Lee Gibson Training