Ginger-sheepdog-superhero

The boy Tim donned his sparkly underpants on the outside of his fluffy trousers again the other day.

We've had some exceptionally severe weather round here this past couple of months - and that's notably worse than average for somewhere 1000ft up northwesterly-facing in the lee of the Pennines!! Most walks feel like an elemental survival battle more than a pleasant stroll. Tuesday was no exception when I set off for a late afternoon expedition with the three 'big dogs'. We were stomping up the path that takes us up onto the fields and this passes the field of a neighbour who keeps alpacas. Suddenly Tim ran back toward me and anchored on, staring worriedly into the field. He seemed to be staring at a stone but then, sadly, I made out the dead body of a tiny baby alpaca - hunched in an awful death pose and now almost covered with a blanket of the sleet which was pelting down in a galeforce wind. I felt so sad as I stomped on past - poor little sod had been a late-born 'accident' and had perished. But Tim would not leave it - he went into his 'bow' position and was trying desperately to burrow his nose through the fence whilst making the oddest crying noise and he would not leave the tragic little mound. He was so concerned I thought I'd better investigate for him. With that normal yuk feeling at touching something clearly very dead, I toe-poked it just to make sure - nothing. But still Tim whimpered. I was just telling him he was a very good boy for finding it anyway when I thought I saw one of its beautiful long eyelashes flicker! I climbed into the field and prodded it further - OMG it was just alive! Maisie Mouse now joined in the concern - she wants to nurse anyone who's poorly! (Billy was was like - 'err, sod it, come onnnnn, where's my bally!?' lol) Deciding it wasn't going to work taking all three dogs into the field with adult alpacas milling around I ran them all home and then ran back with Billy's spare warm dogcoat and wrapped the little thing in it and carried it down to the buildings and worked on warming him up. Sadly, on the way down I found an adult alpaca also in a really bad way and I could not get her up. Within a few minutes of rough rubbing and warming, the baby lifted his head and soon started to try to get up and stumble around!! Within about 20 minutes he looked amazingly chipper! Their owner then arrived and dealt with the adult who turned out to be his mother - she'd been very poorly with a growth in her throat and they'd been trying to keep her hanging on long enough to feed the little'un, sadly she couldn't make it but her suffering was quickly ended. But the little man had just started taking solid food and with a bit of luck - and thanks to our Tim - hopefully will survive ...

So the ginger chap may be a little random in the agility ring but what a bloody cracking sheepdog!!!! :o) Very proud of him. x

Clover is 1!

It's the little blonde bombshell's official first birthday today. Happy birthday beautiful monster. xxxx 

 

Proper collie pose

Wyre

It was a total mudfest!!! Show cancelled on Saturday but went ahead Sun and Mon with improving ground. Not a whole lot to say really except it was extremely muddy! Maisie Mouse's first run on Sat could've been a stormer for her but there was a bit where I'd have needed to sprint to push her onto a tunnel and I was left floudering like Bambi on ice. (I ran her first in the first class of the day in the elusive ring 4 - so her path was fine, handlers' path was terrible just from course-walking!) The ground really improved through the day and, though I very nearly packed in for the day after that first run, we did do some more. Weavitis hit Mais again but she ran well. The cooler conditions have started to bring out much more zoomy Winter Mouse!! 

Tim again was a little star, I can't believe how suddenly his confidence and joy in the ring have transformed! One Jumping run was just fab - we just pushed wide past one jump but crikey he was fast!!! Fast 12 weaves included. One of his classes on Sunday (Jules will like this!...) I walked the course for and was delighted at how handley but flowing it was - perfect for the boy, couldn't wait to run it, went up to the caller to get our ticket, not on the list ... ummm I'd walked the 4-5 course in the next ring by mistake!! So of course then made a bit of a bollox of the G3 course I hadn't walked. You've gotta giggle huh!

The weekend was lifted by some great cakes (Greyhound Gap) and puddings (we made Eton Mess, yumm my fave pud ever!!). Also the Champ class was so exciting to watch.

Then we came home and washed, scrubbed and scraped for days!

Puppy Clo is now just about 8 months old. I thought it might be time to start introducing props to our bits of basic training so I got out a traffic cone last night and took it up on the field. I started her off going round it either way about 6 times each way and she got the hang of that very quickly and thought she was ace. I took her off then for a wander and play round the field, leaving the cone to maybe go back to and do a couple of times again after. Well, we walked on but then I heard her doing her squeaky yipping and looked across to the other side of the field where she'd zoomed back to the cone and was play-bowing to me and staring at it with the biggest most enthusiastic grin on her pretty little face. Helllllllllp!!!!

Billy Woof ... I'm still getting sandy knots out of his bum fluff from West Lakes!!! LOL x

Slightly random pic of  my new shed :o)

West Lakes

The last half hour of driving to the venue tired on a rainy, dark Friday night, on windy roads, I was promising myself I'd not bother again, it couldn't possibly be worth the effort ... I was so wrong! The show has to be in the most stunning location of any agility show in the UK, probably the world!! Surrounded by big hill scenery, the venue itself (Millom rugby club ground, Haverigg) is perfect - flat, well-mown, well-drained, superb facilities - shower to die for, cheap club bar with hand pumps, lovely gang running the show. Oh and you just tootle off from the top of the rings over a narrow strip of dunes and you're on an idyllic beach!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

The weather was quite kind - crazy blustery rainy late evenings, but daytimes were bright and dry with a perfect cooling sea breeze. We had a lovely supper from the village chippy, eaten on the front. After being knackered driving home too on the Sunday last year I opted to stop over till Monday and so we got some fab whole gang walks on a very quiet beach in at the end of the show. Ah yes, the show!.. We did indeed do some agility too! Maisie got a nice 13th place in G3 agility on the Saturday and she did some happy running in other classes, though has really gone off her weaves - must work on jollying them up for her!

Tim ... was the most consistent he has ever been over a weekend - & no, not consistently baaaad! He was such a good lad and really enjoyed all of his runs. On his first one he was so un-anxious that when he ran past the weave entry I felt able to gently bring him back to try again and he did all twelve, same on his next run, and then on each run after that he nailed his weaves, one even from a tricky angle, good boy!!!! One jumping run he ducked under the first jump (rushing to get to the weaves, ironically! haha) so I put him back and he went on to run clear! Ho hum. Another very nearly good clear was spoilt by a crap handler moment - I was so shocked he'd done the hard bits beautifully I failed to step back far enough when pulling him in round a wing and so of course he back-jumped. Couldn't be more pleased with him though - gosh, it's a journey for us both but we are getting there - wherever there is!! He has been quite challenging from the start, just coz he's such an anxious, easily-distracted little man, but I've never stopped believing he's got "it" in spades. Watch this ginger space!! ;o)

Not much to report. We had a nice weekend at Hare n Hounds at Primrose Farm (up Barnard Castle way) again a couple of weeks ago. I'd entered Sat/Sun/Mon but didn't manage to get up till the Sunday morning due to a family happening - some good came out of this as they had the most horrific thunderstorm on the Saturday, bad enough to cancel the show, so I was very relieved not to have been in a tent with the scaredy pair for that. The rest of the show was good. Maisie ran a couple of clears - on fast courses and just missed on places but that was fine as she did enjoy them. Tim did some nice bits again, fair bit of muppetiness on Sunday but much better on both of his runs on the Monday. I was very tempted to stay for his third run but instead quit whilst we were ahead, finishing on a super positive note. The quiz in the marquee and real ale were great, puppies galore and so I took Clover in for a bit and she had a fab time, totally unfazed by rowdy crowds!

Work's fairly crazy for me at the moment and the dogs are all brill at how they fit in with a really random routine - them often, all or some, coming with me, or staying home for a bit then being swapped! Obviously Clover isn't left much yet, if at all, she's only 'ickle. She's about 7 1/2 months now though! Still growing like a ridiculous fuzzy weed and soooo delightful. She's not done anything agilityish yet but her basic stuff is coming along ace. She has a fab wait, proofed with thrown toys, not-quite release words, etc. she's so funny - very very VERY READY!!!... We've started vaguely on directions with little spins for treats/toys but that's about it. It's amazing how their listening vocabulary builds up without much conscious "training". She's a lot different to ditzy-social-butterfly-boy-Tim, very focused indeed and joyfully desperate to please me, bless her. She's more similar to both Maisie & Billy in that way but I'm sure with much more natural drive than Princess Mouse and (hopefully!?!) a little less natural lunacy than Billy Woof :o)

Last weekend was another one off. Ooo I do love weekends at home in the summer! & now we're all excited about this coming one away at the seaside for West Lakes, wooooo!

summer daze

Eeeek! Where is the summer going? Seems to be flying by. 

We went to Barnard Castle. It rained – a lot. We were pants – well, mostly. There was real ale though – yummm! And there was nice hot chocolate too! Clover had a fun little play with her new big pal Flynn, she can’t wait till she’s big and strong enough to play proper roughy-toughy with him! Then we came home and dried out.

Billy Woof - just coz he's handsome & shiny x

Then we went to Weardale, in the end … Setting off on the Friday night was scuppered – We were pretty much ready to roll and then Maisie & I popped out to get the car and trailer and then home to pick up the rest of the dogs, and found Tim three-legged!! I was really worried for him as he was clearly in some discomfort. Remembering to breathe and that he has previous form with seemingly-serious-but-not-really injuries I just gave him a cuddle and stayed calm for a bit. It was getting a bit late anyway so shelved the idea of setting off north for the night, thinking we were probably going to end up with a vet visit. Soon, though, the boy started to improve, and within an hour he was back to looning round the house and garden – sound as a pound!!! I never did find the source of the problem, wonder if something could have stung him? Anyway, miracle over, time for bed and then an early start. It’s quite a long drive (2 hours) up to the show but we arrived just in time to walk the first course. Maisie wasn’t too happy, there was a bit of birdscarer noise, and we didn’t run well together, I just can’t run her right at the moment, useless human. Tim, though, pulled out on of his best runs yet. It was a 3-5 Novice Olympia qualifier and he wasn’t far off clear, and fast!! Would be just typical of him to flukily get well placed in something like that and qualify for a final then go into a big ring and look like he’d never seen an agility course before!! Got to love him :) Anyway, of course we were e’d but he did some really special stuff on that and other runs.

We had a super evening in camp with Pimm’s and plum wine (not together!!), really enjoyable, sat out on the grass, steadily drinkin’ n’ chillin’! It is a really nice show, almost surprising as it’s full of big classes – champ and qualifiers – but it retains a small, friendly feel. The walks along the river and around are smashing too.

Sunday turned into a too hot day. Maisie & I managed a scrappy clear and then retired to the shade. Tim did OK again, nice bits but I also pulled him from his last run too – too hot. The day was marred by the gang having the most almighty brawl in our garden … Still don’t know what kicked it off but Maisie seriously nobbled poor Billy (the most unlikely pair to fall out ever), then when I grabbed her, Billy took it out on poor Tim who did react back but looked equally surprised. Good girl Clo kept her distance and just looked mildly surprised. Anyway, no blood spilt, just a lot of hideous noise, and peace returned as quickly as it went and no-one held any grudges. Slightly disturbing though, my gang are just not like that at all. Dogs will be dogs, I s’pose.

We’ve had some ace walks and playtimes at home in the long summer evenings and a blissful weekend off last weekend. Far too many fair weather dog-walking numpties around at the moment though. Also, I’ve been increasing worried by some dogs up the road – three English Bull Terriers who live in a garden we have to walk past to get up onto the fields. I’m sure they’re nice dogs really but the bloke who owns them stand gormlessly and lets them lunge very aggressively at the fence and gates and, as they’re all built like brick outhouses, they are very intimidating indeed. I was feeling really fed-up about this as the only other way onto the fields is down the road and along a single-track lane which is not much further but it had a blind corner and the odd lunatic vehicle speeds round it, making it feel unsafe to walk two dogs on the narrow footpath, let alone more. Then I made a remarkable discovery!!!... A few years ago I saw a historical map of the area and spotted a right of way via “cat steps” up a snicket between cottages. By complete chance, Maisie wandered off on a sniff up on the field and I meandered after her, only to literally almost stumble down said steps!! So now we have this awesome new route onto the fields which it’s hard to believe I’ve not found before as it’s like 80yds from home!! lol! (They've obviously been rebuilt since - errr - 'historical' times ;o) & the land happens to be owned by a master craftsman waller.) Happy days. 

Cat steps. Enid Blyton couldn't have written a better Secret Way!

At last! Someone who can tire Tim out! :o)

This weekend we should be back at Barnard Castle for a Hare n Hounds long weekend … fingers and paws crossed. 

Oh, and to end the most waffle-rambliest blog ever … Clover’s posh name has been approved by the KC: Mioruilt Golden Clover – ‘mioruilt’ (it should have accents) being Gaelic for ‘miracle’, coz she so is. xxxx

AKA Little Miss Norty! :P

Lakeland hol, Otley, Rescue Finals, all go!

Cool gang

Oh where to start with catching up?... We had a fantastic summer hol in The Lakes for Lune-Barrow week. It was very VERY hot and so we did very little agility! Instead doing plenty of chilling, walking, puppy socialising, eating, drinking, being merry, tripping to various pretty places and seasidey splooshing! Why would you let agility spoil a great hol? ;o) The very best best bit was an afternoon just me and the woofs spent on the beach at Ravenglass. We were in the Landy for this trip (& it chugged around beautifully!) and somehow I found myself driving right it onto the beach!! Goodness knows whether this was allowed but hey-ho, no-one shouted :P It was awesome to be able to stop and let all four dogs out to run and chase and swim on our very own miles of beach and sea, what absolute total bliss. 

Ravenglass - heaven!

 The gang are getting along so well it’s untrue. Clover-giraffe-legs is proving herself to be the perfect addition to our family. Back at the show we had a decent-sized garden set up and I spent hours sat on the step watching them play and interact nicely. I’m especially pleased with how lovely the Mousey girl has been with her – was a little nervous about adding another girly but, so far, no problem – of course there may be jostling as Clo gets bigger but I really don’t forsee any major fallings out, they’re both such (mostly!) nice girls.

Could bang on forever about what a lovely break this week was but will shut up now.

Fun in the surf

'Swamp Cooler' to grow into, bless!

Happy Mouse at Crooklands - home of yummy grub! :)

A short week back home and then we had Otley show. Went on Thursday eve to help set up, putting up the trailer alone in a thunderstorm wasn’t much fun!! But hey-ho, got sorted and then on Friday helped get the show ready and had some nice walks. The afternoon brough a horrific thunderstorm, poor Billy & Maisie were very upset; luckily the other two didn't give a stuff.

Saturday morning saw us on the move again! Down to Just Dogs Live at Peterborough for Miss Mouse to take part in the Rescue League Finals again! I dithered and wobbled about whether to go as it promised to be warm again and last year she had sooo wilted there in the heat.  In the end I took her just for the Agility final in the aft, skipping the invitation jumping in the morning to keep her fresh. It all worked out just right as we travelled down at a civilised hour and then got parked right underneath some big trees in a quiet spot – perfect! I kept her quiet, calm and cool-coated and she arrived at the ring with a spring in her step! The course was v straightforward so no point going for a steady clear so decided to run for it. I did her running launch at the first jump and for the first time ever the pole fell (ooops, my fault!) but that was probably a good thing as it meant the run really was just for the joy of taking part. Actually we got e’d (ran past the cloth tunnel) but that was absolutely fine, she really enjoyed it and that was all I wanted for her – it was super-duper! & several of our pals were running there this time too. Sue & super-spaniel Rosie won our class!!! & our new lovely friends Ulla and Max came third, brilliant!! Gill & Zara did very well too. Paula and Border Terrorist Gruff TWD absolutely stole the show with some very terrierish clowning, bless him!!! Again a proper ace event, very proud indeed to have been part of it again.

Smiley clever Mouse
(thanks for pics from organisers)

Gruff takes his deserved bow!

Back to Otley for a rather wild evening!!! Felt very dodgy Sunday morning, ‘nuff said! Helped on the rings, etc, did some crap runs, got very rained on, ate some lovely cake and had brill company and giggles. Oh one good Agility moment (certainly not from Tim, he was v norrrty! lol) – Miss Mouse set off on one and did jump-jump-jump-TUNNEL with a huge grin! (we were supposed to turn left before the tunnel) – I was sooo proud of her for whizzing on instead!!! :o) Then we came home and went to bed, zzzzzzzzz!

Life seems to be conspiring to stop us going training anywhere, ever, so it was a rare treat this eve to snatch 20 mins on the field with Tim with two jumps, 12 weaves and a tunnel – crikey, he was fab!!!

Will we got to Barnard Castle this weekend? For: Real Ale! Against: I need a really, really big sleep-in! We shall see!...

Clover in Clover

Sorry, the pic had to be done ... :o)