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!

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.