I am Gina, I started this blog to track the dogs' progress in agility and HTM shows. Also see my photography website at: www.ginastokes.co.uk And more on the dogs at: www.dogsdodance.co.uk
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Dashin Dogs
Cas had a 5th in Grade 6 Jumping, nice run and then knocked a pole in Comb 6-7 Jumping. She had a fab agility round on Sunday getting all her contacts but I pulled her past a jump grrrr! Then she was naughty in both jumpings and I had to pull her out which I have never done in jumping so am still a bit unsure about her.
Ember had a 4th in Comb 6-7 Jumping and that was with a twizzle as I struggled to keep up! The agility classes weren't Ember courses so I reinforced her contacts. She was storming round Grade 6 Jumping when her stupid handler started sending her the wrong way - major major grrrrr!
HUGE well done to Lee and Scott who won two Grade 4 Agility classes (their first time in G4) :-) Am glad to be home, it was a bit mad with 12 runs I didn't seem to stop especially Sunday!
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Bromsgrove Agility
I judged Graded 1-2 Agility and Grade 3 Agility. It was my first time judging and I really enjoyed it. Here are my courses, 1-2 on the left and 3 on the right.

Saturday
Ran Rum in Graded 5-7 Jumping which I hadn't walked! He was naughty as shuffled in his wait and went round the first jump, so I put him back and he worked lovely apart from completely flattening a spread which was on a turn. Then Combined 1-7 Agility and he picked up the wrong tunnel entry, rest was lovely. Finally Burns Derby and he got his contacts but then the jumping was jump weave and the weave was on a funny angle which he didn't get as it was also quite tight and his stride just took him past it. This time last year Rum was winning Grade 3 Agility so am pleased with the progress he's made over the year.
Cas I ran the G5-7 Jumping and she had a pole and the spread down, then C1-7 Agility and the naughty so and so missed her dogwalk and then A-frame so I put her back on, in C6-7 Agility she got her dogwalk but then was being weird and sort of switched off so I took her out - am a bit worried about how she was in that class.
Ember missed he weaves in C5-7 Jumping, she struggles when they aren't following a jump, so this was a pull through and send to the weaves and she just cannot pick this type of entry up. Then C6-7 Agility and she missed her dogwalk so put her back on then got her A-frame but released herself so put her back on and took her out, I didn't run the last agility as it would have sent her round the bend!
Sunday, 14 September 2008
Paws In The Park
Rum ran in C4-5 Jumping first and it was really twisty we got E'd early on but he ran it nicely until we got to a pull through which he wouldn't pull through!!! Then Graded 4-5 Agility and he was lovely, his contacts nice and quick again and I just felt he really listened - did two pull throughs lol, but he did something weird between the A-frame and weaves and am not sure why so he had 5R - having watched video back I still don't know why he did it.
Cas ran in Graded 6-7 Agility and procedeed to miss her contacts and we made a right hash of it. Then we ran Combined 6-7 Jumping which was a tricky course (perfect for us) and I was in shock we got round it, over the moon, then to find out we came 3rd was just amazing, in a combined class - wow!
Ember we won't mention was very naughty on her contacts in agility but got a nice weave entry.
Cassie's 3rd and Rum's agility 5R
Saturday
Rum's first run was C5-7 Agility and I went in thinking I would train his contacts and they were awful! I have never seen them so slow!! Then Combined 3-5 Jumping and he had a cracking run but just rolled a pole, darn shame as he was running lovely. Then C3-5 Agility and we were clear but I held his contacts. I was really pleased though as two of the weave entries were REALLY tricky and he got them fine :-) Rum worked in Novice HTM and I was so pleased as have been having trouble with him switching off in the ring but he had a wobble to start but once over that worked lovely so was really pleased with him.
Cas ran C6-7 Jumping and rolled the second to last pole, a shame but I didn't feel we ran that well it wasn't our type of course. That was it for her and we went on to compete in Crufts Advanced Freestyle performing to Cotton Eye Joe and the little star came 4th gaining her qualifier for the Semis next Feb!
Ember was okay in C6-7 Jumping but rolled a pole early on, in Helter Skelter she was naughty and missed her weave entry. So I entered her into the Weave Challenge and my god she did it perfectly 2 out of 3 times and won the qualifier for the Small/Mediums but I never made the final as I was working Cas in the Freestyle - shame!
Sunday, 31 August 2008
WBSDS Agility
Cas ran Combined 1-7 Jumping and naughty handler was in the wrong place doing a stupid blind turn and she ran past the tunnel. Then 6-7 Jumping and I moved off the weaves too soon and she came out. 6-7 Agility and she was going lovely but was very naughty and missed her dogwalk despite me standing right by the contact – A-frame was lush. Then Helter Skelter and she just had a pole down because I was nagging her too much!
Ember was in la la land today, in the one jumping she missed a tricky weave and it just went downhill from there. In the other jumping she decided to go bombing straight on out of the tunnel instead of listening to my ‘LEFT’ – darn pity as she ran lovely. In agility she was all over the place but got her contacts apart from A-frame which was the last contact and I put her back on and got a lovely weave entry. Finally Helter Skelter and the naughty dog determinedly ran through the tiniest gap between my leg and the wing, another great shame! Ooh she’s such a naughty little dog.
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Dordale Agility
Didn't take Cas as I don't think she is 100%.
Ember was good in Combined 5-7 Agility as she got all her contacts but she cut across me and picked up the wrong tunnel entry. In Combined 5-7 Jumping she had a lovely round with a couple of wide turns and came 2nd (beaten by a grade 7 dog). Then Combined 1-7 Jumping and stupid handler made her push round a jump instead of flick flack the jump - stupid handler!!
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Pembroke Agility
Cas missed all her contacts in the first agility as per the norm, then the second agility she was better and just missed her a-frame. In circular jumping we were clear but unplaced as she seemed to be struggling a little especially with right turns so am going to to take her to the chiropractor.
Ember was naughty and missed her a-frame in agility so I put her back on and carried on, she was twizzling and yapping but her first run is tending to be horrendous! Circular jumping and she was amazing and won it for the smalls in a time of 20.40. In jumping she got eliminated at number two by shooting off into the tunnel, such a shame as she ran the rest lovely and I pushed a tricky ish weave entry and she got it.
Sunday, 17 August 2008
Dashin Dogs
Cas missed her a-frame in agility so I put her back on, then in jumping she had a couple of poles down, not sure why. Grade 6 Jumping (same course Rum won) and she had a lovely clear, coming 13th not a Cassie course as it was so big. Finally team and she was running last, the pressure was on as the team had gone clear but we did it and won team so are in the final tomorrow! Wow!
Ember had a pole down in jumping and pinged her dogwalk in agility so I put her back on. Combined 6-7 Jumping (same course as Rum's win) and we went clear - with two sets of weaves!! She had a couple of spins but otherwise ran well and came 5th.
Well Sunday our first dog had a pole down then Cas had a pole down, not much to report on as I am always rubbish after we have won a class!!
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Dizzy Update
ourite game!) and whereas in the last couple of months she hasn't been able to get up the next morning (so I stopped playing) she was fine the next day and hasn't had a bad morning like that since wearing it. I am so chuffed it has made a difference, it was horrible to see my lovely Diz Dog suffer and her colitis cleared up within a week too. Sunday, 10 August 2008
KC Agility Festival
Cas - well we just couldn't get it together, so many 5 faults and silly little odd mistakes. Her dogwalk and see-saw contacts were fine but she was missing her A-frame, she was picking up weaves from the most awkward of angles.
On Friday Ember was hard work and we messed up a flick flack in the cup jumping and in the cup agility I was so excited she was going clear I didn't move onto the next bit and she flew off in the other direction!!On Saturday we were having an okayish round in G6 Agility, clear until the second to last obstacle which was the dogwalk and she flew her contact - grrr. She had a clear in Combined 6-7 Jumping, I had to really run and we did have a couple of mega wide turns but ended up 5th! On Sunday I ran her jumping and after two obstacles picked her up and took her out and we went home as I had a cracking headache and Ember isn't the sort of dog to run when you don't feel 100% and I think she knows it!
And I bought a new pair of Ditas, anyone who knows me will know how worn my old pair were - well after 7 years they would be lol!!
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Agility Addicts
Cas started with agility and for the last couple of weeks has been at home not having much exercise (when I was at camp I took the ginger ones ;-)). She had the first couple of poles down in agility so I trained her contacts, in round 2 she went clear coming 2nd in Senior Agility. Then Jumping again a nice clear but at one point went left instead of right so just came away with a clear. Finally Tunnel Vision and she had a pole as I handled her too much like Rum and put my other arm up to block her turn.
Ember was naughty in agility and missed her A-frame so I put her back over then in round 2 she missed again so I took her out. Jumping she went in the weaves the wrong side like Rum. Finally Tunnel Vision and she had several spins before the tunnel coming 3rd.
Pleased with them as they all waited on the start line and worked nicely, only my mistakes.