Buzzing

LOVED training Tim tonight, not sure why particularly except that it just felt good. We've still a load of stuff to work on but each time we're both just getting it and understanding each other a bit more. He did some nice box work, is sending on and looking for his next jump, and is sending a little way to both types of tunnel. Also he did the A-scale off-lead for the first time and did it soooo well - going over confidently and enthusiastically running into his 2o2o and managing it more often than not, though at least trying to stop every time, LOL! He also did it in combination with wrapping round a jump either end of it too. We've not done much with the weaves yet and probably need to really put more effort into those now too. I'm starting to believe he might actually be ready for the pre-comp class at the first show he's foolishly entered for (NAWS Oct). I was a bit worried I'd taken on more than I should in such a speedy boy, but I feel like he's proving to be exactly what I wanted and needed in a "next" dog and I'm really enjoying his work ethic. I get a thrill from how he works on and drives through turns, etc. whilst still having steerability! Good ginger boy Tim :0)

Whilst we were setting up I ran Maisie over the A-scale about 8 times and did 12 weaves once. I think that's her optimum amount of training. She'll always be my bestest super-duper little fluffy angel girly ():-)

Catching up

Last weekend we were at Scunthorpe agility show just for one day - Maisie did some nice runs, including a good clear in G1 jumping even though it was late in a hot afternoon. I abandoned her contacts again in the agility - in trying to get her zoooming over - it worked and she missed them and then I felt a bit annoyed with myself as there were hardly any clears and she could've had a good place had I worked her steadily and 'safely' ....... ho hum. With hindsight it was the right thing to do - bigger picture and all that :o)

Oh, the week before that Billy flyballed on the Wirral. Good day, team came second. Unfortunately the low-flying planes really worried Maisie and that's taking some getting over.

This last Friday Billy ran at the British flyball champs near Daventry. The team didn't fare too well in their division (5th) but he was such a good lad and loved the frenzied atmosphere, and he got a lovely rosette for the wall anyway. Not sure who was most over-excited - the dogs or the flyballing humans ... I got thinking and felt proud of Billy's progress in the past year or so, from agility hooligan to competing well at national level, albeit in a different doggy sport.

Photo with kind permission of Sunnyside photography

Then we came home via Delinquent Dogz and Maisie had a couple of runs on Sat aft, then 3 on Sunday. She got 3rd in Jumping on Sat which was nice, and she ran beautifully in the flick-flack class - an 'open' class so no place, but pretty speedy for her. We like flick-flacks :0) Then another clear and good happy runs, plus more positive 'freestyle!' contacts on Sunday. She's such a little superstar.

Tim is coming along nicely and he makes me giggle. He had a poorly tummy a couple of weeks ago, but bounced back quickly and his daft big tail never stopped wagging even when he must've been feeling pretty rotten. Agility training is fun though challenging (for me probably more than him) and we're getting there ... He's a lot smarter than he sometimes seems ;o) The best thing is we've made some more strides in him not bogging off to say HELLO to other people/dogs when off lead. I can now take him on exercise fields at shows, with his cage ball on a tuggy, and feel relaxed that he's probably not going to harass anyone, unless he's extremely tempted e.g. by a ball and collie being thrown right in front of his nose LOL. He's also finally got the hang of retrieving said toy so that's a good way of burning up some of that gingery energy. He looks soooo angelic when he sleeps:
ZZZZZZZ

West Lakes for agility this weekend - looking forward to that one ...

Different Achievements

(pic taken at Barrow by Laura Sivell)

Saturday we were at Delinquent Dogz. I've decided we need a radical change to speed Maisie over those pesky contacts so have decided to forget about whether she actually hits the down contact for now and just race her over them and make it huuuuge fun. So I did and she did and it was!!! It means effectively throwing runs for now but so be it. She does seem to mostly hit the down of the A-frame in her stride pattern anyway though she tends to bound over it on the dogwalk. We'll worry about how to put it back together in a bit :o) It was so super to see her barely dithering at all on the A-frame even thought the judge was close by and she galloped on laughing her head off as I ran on making silly noises.

On Sunday we went to a lovely fun dog show at Ogden. It raised loads of money for the Dog's Trust - good stuff. All three of the hairy gang got some very good placings. The judge said young Tim has superb structure, movement and temperament, and he even knew what a Welsh Sheepdog was :o) He even beat some proper posh pedigree doggies (from a Skye Terrier to an Italian Spinone) to come second in the 'breed' class, bless him! And to my amazement he went on to take Best In Show!!!! So in one afternoon he got his first ever rosette and then some more then probably the biggest meringue-iest rosette he'll ever earn in his life, plus a smashing big trophy to keep! Might be a wee while before he gets any for agility ...

Here he is looking all posh and proud:

& here he is looking more like Tim :o) & coz they're proper gorgeous too:

Billy won the Obedience - hahahahaha! I shouldn't laugh, he is such a Good Boy.

A Billy Woof Drama

“THERE WAS A SPIDER IN MY BED!!!”
“But Billy, that was almost a week ago now, sweetheart”
“DON’T CARE, IT MIGHT STILL BE THERE, I AM NOT GETTING IN THAT BED!!!”
“OK Billy, you just lay down on the rug there then.”
“OH NOOOO, I SAW IT AGAIN, IT MOVED!!!!!!! I HAVE TO GET ON THE SOFA OUT OF THE WAY, IT’S DDDDANGEROUS!!!”
*Billy reclines on sofa, Tim spots an opportunity and snuggles into Billy’s bed*
“WOOFWOOFWOOF, GRRRR, GERROUT OF MY BED TIM, HOW DARE YOU!!!”
*I give up … *
:o)

Weardale

Last Friday the weather was horrific! Never stopped raining heavily for a second all day. The Weardale show organisers bravely went ahead with the weekend though and, despite the minor flooding in the gateway to the camping field, the show was great!!
Maisie went through the 75 KC points mark which means we could go up to grade 2 on points, though not doing, so it doesn't actually mean anything really but it was a nice milestone to aim for and reach.
She ran really well, probably because the weather was a bit cooler than of late, and she got an 8th in the agility on Saturday.
The venue was lovely - really scenic. I believe there would've been a nice walk along the riverbank, had it not been in high flood ... maybe next time! There were Champ classes on the Sunday - just awesome to watch, wow!!! & Helen brought her yummy birthday cheesecake which we ate till we felt sick :o)

Soggy weather

Last weekend we were at Wirral. The venue was lovely - a country park with woodland walks. Maisie managed two clears, but her best moment - inventing the plastic chair jump - earned her a "judge's special" rosette. Teehee!

Today the boys properly played together for the first time!! They had a mad old chase around in the long wet grass. Billy is very tolerant but he doesn't actively give his friendship very easily, so Tim must now be firmly accepted. Billy had flyball training tonight and he loved it but unfortunately we were rained off halfway through. Hope the rain backs off for the weekend ...

Tim had another good session at training last night - we sort of managed a flick-flack and a star and some other little sequences and he went over the dogwalk for the first time and he was even anticipating his check on the down contact, good ginger thing! He is sooo different to handle to Maisie - feels not so much like a different breed as a different species. Help!!!

Barrow

The carefully made plans of this weekend went wonky when the car broke down in a major way meaning poor Billy missed his flyball on Sunday :o(

Maisie had her agility at Barrow though and was mostly a good girly as usual. She did what felt like a nice fast agility run for her though it was an unplaced clear, then later got a 12th place on what was a much slower run with a long pause for admiring the scenery from the top of the A-frame. Hey ho! Mostly good I say because she was really out for the laughs - flinging herself down for a mad roll on the grass in the middle of one run, having a footspa on the startline in another, and then - well, err, this one was my fault - mis-timing a front cross and flapping my hand into a wing knocking it over, doh! She's doing really well though and I think we're becoming a more confident, if sometimes chaotic, partnership :o)

Really nice time overall and some fab performances from Sara and Tilly - 3rd in grade 1 jumping!! & another good place in a 1-3 class, and Helen & Lucy had some brilliant bits including one fantastic sooooo nearly clear, till the last pole came down - arrrrg!

Lune Valley

A scorching hot weekend in The Lakes at the wonderful Westmorland County Showground.

Great walks along the canal (a blessing in the extreme heat), good ice cream, real ale in the marquee, and some agility! I managed Maisie’s energy levels better – sticking to 3 runs, lots of ‘power naps’, shoving high-energy food down her at regular intervals, and queue avoidance. Kept her as cool as possible as well, of course. She managed a 10th, 15th and another clear, which I’m really pleased with. She also finally moved on from advanced paddling and launched herself into the canal for her first ever swim!!

The boys had a lovely time as usual and carefully dipped their delicate little boy toes in the water. Tim was KC measured so is all ready to go – after a bit of growing-up and training of course ;o)
The weekend had got off to an awful start on Friday when on a walk at home just before setting off Maisie had been petrified by a birdscarer going off very close by and she bolted the ½ mile home with me in hot pursuit. We both collapsed in a trembling heap once home. She was fine over the weekend but has been very anxious walking around near home today and I’m feeling sad about it as she’s been so confident with most things lately and this seems a big setback for her. We’ll get over it though ’cos she’s Amazing Maisie Mouse.