Winter catch-up

I've been a rubbish blogger lately so just thought I'd try catch up in brief ...
Been to a couple of shows in between things - HnH end of Nov - dogs ran well, Mouse specially so. I let her down on 2 good runs - one where she worked a tricky tight handling bit beautifully then I forgot how hard I need to work her across a box when it's near to the start/finish end of the ring ... and one where I got lost on a simple course and she said: oh well, whilst you're pondering I'll just do this nice jumpy then ;o) Good girl. We did manage a place - 3rd I think in the jumping - least good run of the day but hey ho! No recollection of how Tim did at that show, ooops, perhaps best forgotten?! Then a couple of weekends ago we ventured down to Agiity Nuts near Newark. Worth going as it was a quieter, less crowded kind of indoor show for Tim and he ran well - just ran wide on one in the Agility and I back-jumped him over it for an 'E' but otherwise really nice, then his Jumping run he did some great bits too. Her Royal Hairiness ran well too - strangely faulted on the A-frame, then numpty me got us lost again on the Jumping (after a long year of me fairly well not getting lost, oh dear!!!!). Most pleasingly though we did manage a pull straight across a box close to the finish - she did think about flicking me a 'V' and veering off grinning but responded well and was delighted with a big whoop when we pulled of that bit for once :o) Both of these shows though were spoilt a bit by very icy roads near to the venues. I shall approach winter show-going in a much more cautious/conservative way in future, I do not like driving my precious gang on unsafe roads - agility is not worth more than their safely - ever.
Life in general has been pretty hectic - decided I needed to get a part-time Job (eeek!) for the winter and so not need to rely on outdoor work - & somehow ended up with three ... plus keeping business ticking over, plus family stuff, plus - of course - keeping hairys entertained, plus fitting in some tinkering with the Landy (got some bargain parts - it's amazing how much more economical it is with a new fuel tank without a ****ing big hole in it!!!). So all in all been a bit busy. When I have found time to nip on t'internet the laptop/internet connection has flounced off and said: how can you expect us to have a relationship when we hardly talk any more!!... ;o)
Doglets have been soooo great. We've done a lot of getting up early, going for walks in the near-dark and on rushing home at lunch/between jobs, etc. etc. and they just wag and bound on happily. We've had TONNES of snow. The toilet drain froze up for quite a while ... Billy & Tim's relationship seems to have shifted a bit. A couple of times Constable B. Woof of the Fun Police arrested Tim for petty toy/girl-sharing crimes and duffed him over lightly but soon released him without injury. This morning a really bizarre moment occured - Billy actually nuzzled Tim's neck in a friendly fashion!!?! Maisie is as delightful as ever and is just faintly amused at the boys' bickering.
Starting to waffle on now when I'd so like to spend some rare quaity time with my bed quite soon. So g'night! xxx

Bonfire weekend

This is always going to be our dreaded weekend of the year with Billy & Maisie's extreme noise fears. We got through it though with the usual multi-angle approach of every therapy known along with a large dose of avoidance. Think we drove the equivalent of Land's End to John o'Groats over a couple of nights as rolling up and down the motorways with loud dance music is the way to go! Hey ho, could be worse - at least they don't make me listen to classical music :o) When Maisie did have moments of panic, Tim was the sweetest little bro ever and he literally took her under his wing, at one point falling asleep with his paw and chin over her back whilst she was trembling. Ah bless! I think Billy did a little better but still had moments.
Anyway, knowing all this was going to be happening I'd not entered a show but then we did somehow end up going to HATS show on Sunday. It worked out well as we didn't need to be there first thing, and it turned out a cold but sunny day. Maisie doesn't tend to do as well placings-wise with the two-run per class format and also the jumps are a little over KC height which she does notice - she's only an 'ickle mouse. Anyway, yesterday she ended up placed in both classes (6th & 7th, lovely rosies!) and in both cases not clear on first run, so this time it was good to have 2 runs :) First agility run was just a pole down and first jumping run - well, I had a comedy moment and tripped and booted jump 2 right out from under Maisie as she was in mid-flight!!! LOL! So we retired in a heap of giggles and did her 2nd run instead! Tim did OK. Agility was a bit bonkers but then I felt a bit rushed and my head wasn't in the right place so I'll take the blame for crap handling. He did do some nice bits though and in the Jumping he worked pretty well. He just gnashed off slightly in the Agility as you came off the seesaw straight towards the scribe, then again so did Maisie!!!! Both runs!!! Haha. Her time would've been better but for that but no way was the lady for turning!........ It's a real victory that Tim is pretty reliably staying with me now and he's not snogged a polepicker/judge for weeks now (famous last words?!)
Lots of our pals did super well too and it was a good fun day out all round.

We are very tired today zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Spookily good weekend

It had been a month since our last show when we went to Hare N Hounds halloween show (woooooo!) this weekend. Bit of a strange one really as it was a two-day show but I ended up driving there and back both days to near Richmond, wasn't too bad though as it was the w/e the clocks went back so an extra hour in bed. On Saturday we had our first agility run early. I thought Maisie might be a bit bonkers with having done no agility at all in a month - I was right, she was!! It was all a bit chaotic to be honest, haha - very E'd but ace fun! Then it was Tim. After Myerscough the other week I was unsure how he'd be indoors again but I needn't have worried coz he was rather ace!! Just fluffed the weave entry and I didn't turn him quickly enough on a diagonal towards the end, but pretty good focus. He wasn't as fast as he can be - slightly hesitant, but v v pleasing, good boy! Our second agility class - and only other class entered that day - went up late morning and Tim was first - again he did some lovely work and only a couple of minor mistakes. Was looking forward to running it with Maisie and went to get her - loitered for a couple of minutes on the way back to the ring but not long but was then gutted to find that the class had already closed!!! It was such a Mousey course too, BOOHOO. Sara and Tilly did the same thing too - also gutted. Oh well.
Ended up staying a bit longer into the aft anyway and sooooooooo glad I did coz though I blinked and actually missed their run - arrrg! - Jules (following the earlier victory of actually getting to the show!.. teehee) and super Jette won the G1 Jumping!!!!!!!!! ACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! & Sara & Tilly came 3rd!!!!!!! So it turned out to be a SUPER-FAB day after all :o) & Billy met his doppelganger in the shape of a lovely boy called Harvey. Billy even liked him!! Till Harvey liked Billy so much he tried to hop on and have sex so then Billy didn't like him so much any more ;o)

Lookeee, I got a rosie all of my very own!!
& I arranged my beard specially for this pic :)

Back up on Sunday to do it all again. Maisie was entered in 3 classes this time, Tim just 2. First up was Maisie's Jumping - nice course, she was a little spooked (wooooo) but ran well considering, specially as she coped with a big man judge (Doc) and a big man polepicker in a big hat - both stood on the outside of the 12 weaves. Clever brave Mouse, and she finished 3rd!! Then it was their agility class. It was a nice course for Tim so we went for it! Second obstacle was the dogwalk though and just outside the ring at the bottom end was a photographer plus a WITCH in a big tall hat!!! Tim wasn't the only dog who stopped in their tracks! So he spent several horrified seconds at the top of the down plank. He then carried on though and worked really well round the rest of the course, picking up the speed he's capable of when he's happeeee. Couple more slightly hairy moments - one with a turn away from the edge of the ring where the ring party included some of his best human pals! & then another turn that I just handled too late but he responded ace when I did pull him round. In a blurry waggy ginger heap we landed at the finish - CLEAR!!!!! Bearing in mind it was the first time we've not been E'd at a KC show it felt pretty damn fab!!! :o) Still in a state of shock it was time to run the Mouse - and she didn't half go for it too!!... I know Tim lost a few seconds on the dogwalk but otherwise he was v fast, but the little fluffy one actually beat him on time, bless her!!! In the end she finished 2nd and Tim 3rd!!!! His first KC rosette was appropriately ginger (pumpkin?) & black :o) My mum had baked ginger biccies which seemed an apt celebration :) The afternoon is all a bit blurry but I remember smiling lots!!!! & watching Helen & Belle also do a really super round with just an unlucky pole down, they are doing sooo well too!!!! & then late aft we had another Agility class. Tim's brain exploded slightly and he charged under a couple of jumps and orbited off the seesaw, but he still did some nice bits and stayed with me and carried on even when it started to go a bit pear-shaped. Then Maisie came out and pretty much stormed round again, v speedy considering it was her last run of the day, and she finished 3rd again!!! So clocking up lots of lovely points and prizes and still cleverly staying in G2!!! Ahhhhhh happy happy days :o)

Seasons

Last week it was summer, this week it is winter. Anyone seen autumn anywhere?...

Vaccinations

Oh yes, that dreaded annual event for Billy & Maisie. The bad bit is the kennel cough vaccine up the nose. I debate with myself about them having this vaccine every time, it really is a horrid thing to endure. What I decided this time was to have Billy done but not Maisie - two reasons: one is that though Billy is also very upset by it, he gets over things more easily than Maisie does; secondly, when Tim had his earlier in the year, Maisie developed a minor sniffle which suggests that she picked up some of the live vaccine shed from Tim's nose - harldy surprising as those two do live in each other's faces! Also, now Billy's been done there is a fair chance of him also shedding some of the vaccine to the other two and so they share the immunity around. Anyway, it'll have to do.
Today we saw the vet who originally dealt with Billy's heart issues and I was interested to hear what he thought of his heart now, whether there had been any deterioration - well, no!!! & not only that but it has improved again to the point that in every way it is within the "normal" range!! YippEEEEEE! He said that if he'd never met Billy before he wouldn't say that he was a dog who'd ever had a heart problem at all!!! Big smiles :-D I do so love that big soft dog.

Sulking

So then it was Maisie's turn. Went out to get her from the Landy. As she jumped out, on lead, she realised where she was going and she shot off. OMG, her lead slipped through my hand and she was away. I was soooo scared as it's near a road - can't believe I didn't doubly secure her, not like me at all as I'm completely paranoid about her safety especially. Of course I immediately leapt after her and dived to rugby tackle. My head nutting the wing of the car parked next to us made such a bang it actually startled her into stopping dead and I grabbed the lead as I landed, so she only actually got a couple of feet away. Ouch (again!! lol). So I gathered us together and staggered in, trying not to look like a total loon, but as I was sat there with her I could feel blood oozing through my trouser legs. I've got two badly grazed knees and an elbow - look like a 7-year-old after a bad playground tumble! and an egg on my head! Anyway, back to Maisie ... she did very well and also has a clean bill of health. Checked both their weights and they are both a little leaner than last year - Maisie about 14.8kg and Billy 17.9kg. I think Billy's slightly on the lean side myself but the vet was v pleased with him at that. I think their body shapes have changed for the better since they've been having more raw food.

Told you there's a whippet-slim doglet inside this Polar Bear suit, nurrr!

Also got a bucketful of their firework meds and we're as prepared as we can be for that horror to come.
So hopefully they will avoid the v.e.t. until next year ... Tim's due at a different time but he is soooo easy to do compared to the wibbly jelly pair.
Called to get them big bones as a treat on the way home but there were none, so they've got a big disgusting pile of tripe instead. Me, I need a stiff drink!!!!!!

big dogs small bed (cont.)

You use all that effort to get your second pair of legs in and then
 the first pair pops out. Ohhh my brain cell's too tired, zzzzzzzzzzzzz

darkening nights

This week started off wondrously when Tm stuck his toenail in my eye! Not his fault really - he was pestering Maisie to play with him and she kept saying "No, Tim, go away", and Tim being Tim kept prodding her more till she said "SOD OFF TIM!!!" and Billy joined in: "YEAH, SOD OFF TIM!!" So he sodded off ... over my shoulder ... via my eyelid. Result was some handsome bleeding, swelling and afterwards a black scabby eye. Dogs!!!! Course it was my good eye and the other one is so duff I was a little stuffed till the swelling went down as I couldn't actually see much - like: the road (so no driving), computer screen, phone display, telly, mirror!!! - so at least I couldn't really see how awful it looked, haha! 
Anyway, wounds heal. 
Whilst pottering round in a partially sighted state I came across an old puppy bed of Maisie's so gave it a wash (just to keep it fresh, there is no patter of tiny paws!!) Left it out on the landing to air and it started all sorts of fun!... Both Billy & Tim have come over all Goldilocks and have to keep trying it for size & comfort. Honestly, it's only about 18" across, they are Too Big!! But they're both constantly in and out of it - & when one of them's in, the other lays beside it looking mournful and waiting for his turn! Maisie thinks they are nuts and reclines in luxury in the big bed in the other room.

Billy's good squidging technique

Tim tries the reversing in method ...

Ummm nearly ...

Duh, look, just can't quite get that last ear in!



Boys are buffoons

 Training
No shows for 3 weeks (arrrrg!) but we had a training day on Saturday. I am soooooooooo chuffed with how Tim has started working the past few weeks. No bogging off, fab focus. We've kept everything pretty simple for him all along, to build his confidence, and now it's really starting to pay off and it feels like we've turned a definate corner. When I get the handling right he can do lots of the harder stuff already and he's so keen & speedy. Sort of by accident we ended up playing with the higher grades group and I wouldn't have thought he would cope but he did really, really well. Oooo exciting boy!!!!! Just need to keep working on transferring that focus to shows now ... Still not decided whether to do the indoor shows with him; much more looking forward to the spring anyway though. Maisie bounced off the subs bench & did the last bit of the training session and ran at medium and she was a very happy girly too and quite giddy!

This morning loads of crazy people ran up our road. The dogs wuffed for a while but soon got bored. It was the Bradford City Run. Well done crazy people.

Weather has really turned this week and it's quite chilly at night. Not lit a fire yet but it's stacked up ready to go. Brrrrrrrrrr.

Male Bonding

OK, I know this is not a remarkable sight in most doggy households but my Billydog is not a snuggler - well he luurves human snuggling but not dogs really. He does quietly adore Maisie and always has, and will let her lay with him sometimes, and recently in the back of the car he's even let her lay her chin on his flank! Tim is a huge snuggler and sidles up to Maisie a lot and rests his chin adoringly on her, which she sometimes consents to - yeah, she is the princess! But the boys ... snuggling together ... nah, never!... Tim sometimes brushes past Billy and Billy goes "ARRGG, GEROFF ME, MUM, HE TOUCHED ME, HELP!!!" (Think Christopher Biggins' "IT WAS ON ME!!!" moment with the rat in the jungle.)

This state of affairs held till just the last few days ... when suddenly snuggling broke out!!!!!!!! OK, it's only bum snuggling so far but ahhhhh just look at my sweet snuggley boyz!!! heehee :o) xxxx