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.

The Royal Staff

Miss Mouse has done such a good job of training little Tim to pander to her every whim. She will lay down whilst he carefully cleans her eyes and ears, and she's now even started to open her mouth wide so he can gently lick her teeth clean - like a croc with a plover!!!!! She is such a pampered princess :o))

Billy's turn

Billy Woof flyballed at Doncaster Racecourse yesterday. Another not brill team result but my boy enjoyed himself so it's all good. We had no height dog so were running at full height for the first time ever in comp, and Billy decided that those big jumps were slowing him down waaaaay too much on the way to his ball so he started to run out! Took him in closer to the line though and he agreed to go over the jumps after all :o) Luckily his 0-60 acceleration is pretty good so it didn't matter too much.
The chance came up to have him checked over by a physio and that was worthwhile. I do worry a bit about the stresses on his joints as he does his flyball with such enthusiasm, but it seems he's in very good order. The only slight thing was some tightening in his back leg muscles, but as he'd had a hard morning's racing and then been in the car for an hour, this wasn't surprising. She showed me some stretches to do with him so that was useful. I'll try using them on Maisie for agility too.

Tim was a very good lad. Recall keeps improving and he was allowed to have a run round with some other dogs and actually came back when called mid-chase, gosh!!

And Maisie found this week's new best friend in a big black young dog called Jack. They had a high time rolling around puppy playing on the grass.

Elsewhere, at Newton Heath show at Tatton Park ... Jules and Jette got their first KC places in the form of two "tenths" and another clear!! Very very well done!!!!!!!!!!! & well deserved. & Rachel and Amos made their KC debut and Amos was a good boy and did 12 weaves, brilliant!!!!

Tim has a name!

The boy's KC name came through in the post this morning. He is now officially: "Jolly Good Ginger Beer Tim". Ummm, it's a Famous Five thing!.. but also he is very jolly, may be jolly good?!, he's ginger, I like beer and ginger beer :0) and he's called Tim. I guess it might have been nice to nod at his Welshness in a name but didn't think of that at the time, so he's frightfully English now :o) Well they're meant to be daft names, aren't they?!!
(Damn, I have to stop winding Brenda up with the secret now ;o) )