Tuffley Limit Agility

Rum was first up in Graded 3-6 Jumping. It was a rubber surface and I must admit he (and I) struggled on it, I felt like I was sinking and Rum was really clingy, we had 5r as he ran back to me then past a jump - otherwise he ran really well. I have been working on his turns and even in a fast line of jumps he turned on the spot and really tight which was great. Then Helter Skelter and we had a bit of a moment where I almost fell over and he bounced at me asking for directions lol! But otherwise we were clear and came 2nd. Finally agility and he was amazing, his wait, his a-frame, his weave pick up, his turns, his dogwalk was still a little creepy and the handler 3 jumps from the end didn't tell him where to go and another 5r and he then proceeded to get very confused by my flapping!

Cas ran in the jumping first and considering she hasn't done full height since December I was really pleased, she had a fabulous run with just the first pole down. Then helter skelter and I forgot Cas isn't as responsive on her turns and didn't nag her enough so we had a big E. I was really pleased with how she ran though considering the surface and she hasn't run for a while, just one pole. :-)

It was a really nice show, the walks in the woods that back onto the venue were very pleasant and the weather helped too.

Crufts - Ember

It was Ember's turn today, Rum had more points than Ember for Jumping but I decided to run Ember to give them both a bit of experience. I walked the jumping course and wished I had had them running the other way round as it wasn't quite as tight as the agility so it would have been better for Rum, but still.

Ember was fighting me all the way round and I just didn't feel we were working together. She pulled off the first tunnel and ran into me, I really had to run as fast as I could to keep up but that just seemed to make her go faster! She did the pull through to weaves nicely (has been one of our bugbears) but then pulled off a jump on the corner and looking at the vid I think I possibly didn't hold position long enough?!? She wasn't committing to obstacles at all and I was having to go every step with her. When we make one mistake it all tends to go to pot! She enjoyed it though and does cope really well with the carpet.

Crufts - Rum

Rum was competing in YKC Senior Agility - our last year in the YKC and Rum's first year at Crufts. I was a bit worried about how he would cope as he can be such a stress pot. At first he wasn't great but after some ice cream off his auntie's mum, some biscuits off someone he befriended then a pigs ear off a very nice passing lady he was much happier! Then proceeded to mug everyone for food!

Anyway onto agility and it was his first time and artificial grass and you could tell, his first turn he fell over! The weave entry was tight for big dogs and quite a few of the larges missed it and Rum was one of them, I didn't expect him to go for it as much as he did because he had been worrying and didn't call him over the jump into his turn so he landed long, went in the second weave. Then I sort of gave up a little and didn't work the next bit and he got E'd but otherwise I was really pleased with him, his first a-frame wasn't great but his second one was good and I was really pleased with the way he flicked to the a-frame.



Here we are, piccie taken with camcorder so not brilliant:

Time for home!

And a couple of totally amazing collars I bought for Cas - bargain at £5 each!!

UKA Hereford

Rum ran in Novice Power & Speed first, his a-frame and see-saw were lovely but his dogwalk was so creepy grr! Then he was clear in the speed section and ended up 3rd. Following that he had a lovely if a bit messy run in Jumping and ended up 5th. In agility he was going soo well I pushed his contacts and the dogwalk he wasn't really in position however I had peeled away and it was fast so I released him, he had the last fence down which was a real pity and then I was told he would have won by 5 seconds! Finally Novice Steeplechase and he had a nice neat run but I didn't really push him down his final line as I worried he might have a pole down as the spacings were tight and we ended up 3rd. So he had a really good day and I was really chuffed with him.

Cas ran Novice Jumping and had a couple of poles down - the surface was quite heavy going and she didn't feel very smooth. I really pushed her round Novice Steeplechase and she won it. That means she is now Senior in Steeplechase.

Ember was naughty in Novice P&S and missed her a-frame. In jumping her stupid handler had walked the course incorrectly and sent her over an extra jump - major grr as she was clear!! In agility she was naughty on her a-frame again so got taken out of the ring. In Novice Steeplechase she worked lovely but took a pole as I moved too soon, the timing failed so I was offered a re-run with faults still standing - she then pulled an amazing clear out, I am so pleased with how she is going on away from me.

All in all a good weekend, especially for the collies. Video below, please excuse the audio YouTube is disabling anything I am upload so unfortunately I am having to stick to YouTubes extensive (not!) audio collection!!

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!