Waldridge Fell KC show this weekend – almost on the beach near Redcar. Arrived on Friday after a rubbish journey to be whisked down to the beach for a wonderful weekend-starts-here walk! It was the dogs’ first time near the sea and they loved it. Absolutely bizarrely, Billy, who won’t even tiptoe in a puddle/stream/lake, or even go out into the garden if it’s raining, went charging in and out of the waves!!!!?!!! & Maisie the swamp monster/ waterbabe wasn’t really that fussed about it, but enjoyed running on the beach with the other dogs. Tim did follow his hero Billy into the wet stuff. We had about ten dogs all together and they all got on well. The waves were crashing and the sun was setting with a perfect golden glow. It was an hour I’d like to have bottled to keep forever, but took some pics instead to try to capture the essence …
Oh, and the agility stuff … Maisie ran very well but we just had little ‘blips’ in most rounds, so no placings this time but some pleasing work. Every time we run together I think her sunny grin gets that bit wider! She’s such a fun, happy girly.
Helen & Skip had the most fantastically successful weekend – loads of very good places. Really well-deserved and it was an absolute pleasure to share in their victories, well done mate!!!
Brenda & Bryn had a difficult day on Saturday when he kept bogging off to see people ringside, but had a real breakthrough on Sunday when he focused so much better and worked. He’s a lovely boy. And our pairs run on Sunday wasn’t too disgraceful either :o)
Tim conducted himself well and was calm around the rings. He was a little worried by the tannoy so it was useful to get him used to that. Out walking he still tends to try to join other dogs’ games, but is gradually getting better and I was able to let him off lead both on the beach and the exercise field when it was quiet, and only had to go and retrieve him and apologise a couple of times, and most times he did come back to huge praise, cheese & tuggy games. It was exciting to watch Suzanne running fellow Welsh Sheepdog Bailey – wow, FAST!!
What a fab show - beside the seaside, beside the sea.
“It’s day 26 in the Big Brother house and Maisie Mouse and Tim have been quietly bickering over a rope toy for one hour and twenty minutes.” Observing these three form a pack is like a fascinating social experiment. Like the inmates of a BB house, all was fluffy and over-polite to start with. Maisie & Tim were best buddies – constantly puppy-playing hard, not a cross word, whilst Billy kept himself out of the situation, politely reserved. As the days go by, though, the cracks start to show, disputes arise, allegiances change, different sides of personalities emerge, social rules are formed and challenged. After a week or so and it became obvious he was staying, Maisie started to get a bit fed-up with the way Tim was just too OTT – not respecting boundaries, biting her ears that bit too hard, barging, diving in for toys, etc. and she started to tell him off, really tell him off in that scarey bitch way! Maisie & Billy have always had a quiet relationship – Maisie henpecking Billy, but Billy mostly quietly deferring to her, so no conflict. Tim doesn’t back down so easily – not that he answers back, rather he stands there looking goofily nonplussed and then goes right back to being an annoying youth!! I’ve noticed Maisie getting more frustrated with this lack of respect but she’s kept at it. Now, though, Billy is stepping up to the plate! When Tim’s a pain and Maisie tells him so, Billy strides into the fray and loudly enforces the telling-off. And it works! All he does is some big woofing and he marches Tim into a corner, and Tim really respects him for it, and Maisie gazes at Big Mister Woof adoringly! Tim now tip-toes around Billy and is also starting to act a little more respectfully towards Maisie. To be fair, Maisie does wind Tim up. She takes a toy and drops it on Tim’s head so he goes to grab it and she then gets cross! You can see why the word “bitch” is used in its context as a derogatory human term.I tried to not intervene myself at first, thinking they needed to establish their own rules, but now I am getting more involved and trying to help Tim pick up the rules, sometimes telling him when he gets it wrong or right before the other dogs feel they need to. Tim is basically a very sweet, well-meaning, adorable young lad but I really wonder whether his background may explain his lack of doggy etiquette – could be that he’s grown up with his sibling(s) or parent(s)?? Or he may be just a very awkward age. The rules and interactions all change again outdoors, but that's a whole other chapter ...Anyway, Tim’s learning all sorts of stuff pretty quickly – apart from picking up at least a few manners, he’s also cracked house-training, he walks beautifully on lead, and he’s doing lovely basic obedience which he takes very seriously, bless him. And who will be voted Pack Leader in the BB House? The dogs will decide! Big Bro Billy Woof
This weekend we’ve been flyballing at Drax Power Station. It’s a surprisingly pleasant venue! And some quality Billy Woof time. The boy is just super and I’m ever so proud of him.
We ran on Saturday in a team of otherwise baby beginner dogs. They all had little “moments” – running out and whatnot, but they all showed bits of confidence and promise for the future so it was satisfying to run with them and the lack of placing just didn’t matter. At the end of the day all was lovely and fluffy till … Maisie and I had a bit of an accident – I bent down, she jumped up! My world went red, then very very black for a while!!! A broken nose and two black eyes, ouch. Real teamwork came into play as lovely clubmates sorted me out from a terrible state of shock, determinedly avoiding hospital with some deftly applied first aid and upside-down cups of sweet tea. Crikey, not nice at all.
Sunday was a quiet day of recovery, relaxation and walks. Young Tim had a good big walk with a couple of other dogs, Raven and Moose. He played hard with the gorgeous Raven – young Lab girly – and she was so tolerant with him but eventually, sensibly, told him to bog off, ever so politely but another little lesson well learnt. Later, Tim also had a lovely play back at camp with collie boy Eric, the same age. They’re both hilarious “roughy-toughy” boys with legs of odd lengths, and a firm forever friendship was formed, I think.
Today (Monday) we ran in the Multibreed competition. Flyball, for a sport that at first seems like a simple case of organised ball-chasing, actually involves a whole load of complicated rules!! The team name we ran under was new and so our “seed time” was a guesstimated declared time, and the dogs ran too quickly!!! We kept beating that time and exceeded out “breakout time” three times and so were eliminated from the competition, oops.
So no rosettes BUT Billy Woof gave his all every single run and he really did enjoy it, so job done! I absolutely admire Billy for his total and utter commitment to his chosen job. He gets so excited beforehand and then goes in and focuses and runs as hard, fast, straight and reliable as can be, every single run. Billy Woof, you’re my inspiration and little superstar! What a good lad.
Oh, and the agility stuff … Maisie ran very well but we just had little ‘blips’ in most rounds, so no placings this time but some pleasing work. Every time we run together I think her sunny grin gets that bit wider! She’s such a fun, happy girly.
