The Weekend

Well another weekend is over - don't you just hate Monday mornings!!

Firstly look at the new header, including Mannix now. It was taken on our Sunday walk. I felt bad that poor Mannix was left out of the family shot, so had to correct it!

Saturday we had our clubs monthly competition. Its a great experience for the newcomers at running full courses, but gives the novice handlers the opportunity of trying things that you wouldn't normally if it was at a show. And of course for practising little things like contacts in the ring!! This month was a jumping course. I was pleased with Maisie as it was a fairly difficult weave entry and I just left her to find it on her own, which she did perfectly. She also allowed me to front cross at the end of the weaves, which I normally can't do as she was trained to weave totally wrong (poor dog!). Her downfall was at the last jump when I tried to cross behind her as she wrapped the wing - she took the wrong jump. But overall - a few new things tried sucessfully!!

Smudge on the other hand was not good!! For the first time in ages I felt that we were arguing with each other. He was turning back and barking at me loads, then he came out of his weaves and was jumping all over the place. I just felt we were not listening to each other. Then the unforgivable happened.....he nipped my trouser legs!!! That was it I'm afraid - I picked him up and took him out of the ring. There was no point us continuing in that fashion! At first it really worried me as I have not had that happen with Smudge for absolutely ages. He has been doing so well recently that we were getting confident together. After thinking about it further I decided that I just need to forget it. We had a bad day. It was really humid, Smudge was tired and both of us were not concentrating properly. So I guess I did the best thing by putting a lid on it for the day.

Scooby on the other hand did really well. Since their lesson with Lesley they have been working really hard on the different things that she showed him (jumping wise - contacts are a different hurdle to tackle!) So this was almost the test of how much improvement they had made so far! Normally Scooby would knock poles, particularly when Paul was crossing behind him. Well he did two really nice runs! What a difference after one lesson!! Unfortunately I only got the first one on film and he did break his wait this time, so took the first bar. But the rest you can see is a great improvement.

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On Sunday Paws club was doing a display at a summer fete. We decided to go and watch, but not to put any of our dogs in the display. Scooby would cause a riot at a very English, calm, sedate summer fete, I don't let Maisie do too much and as I am re working Smudges contacts slightly I didn't want to let them slip. Well, that was the plan anyway!! Two minutes before they were due to start I was convinced to run Smudge! I decided to do it on the firm agreement that I could put him back on the contacts if he came off and thought that it was actually quite a good test of his contacts in a ring situation. There was no way I was about to run him around for the crowd and let my contact criteria slip. I also wanted to have a successful run after Saturdays disaster!! He did jump the contacts the first time, but I put him back and he got them the second. He actually ran really well, and full of enthusiasm again. So I suppose it was worthwhile as maybe he was shown that he would not get away with jumping them - even in a competition!! Clearly though I still have more work to do.

The fete was in the garden of a lovely manor house called http://www.samaresmanor.com/. The gardens were beutiful and we spent some time walking around them and the craft stalls before we left. Its amazing that on this tiny island there are still places that I have not visited!! Smudge received lots of attention and seemed to really enjoy a summer garden party! Well I suppose he is an English Shetland Sheepdog! And a very posh one too!! This was us in the garden (with me not dressed prepared to run at all!)

Happy Birthday Maisie

Happy Birthday to my very special Maisie, who was 4 on Monday!! I love this picture of her, taken last year at our May weekend. Doesn't she look like she was enjoying herself??

And these were her winnings in the UK from 2007.

Training with Lesley Olden

After Thames Anita and I stayed on an extra few days to do some training with Lesley. The biggest area that I think she helped us with was contacts! Smudges had definetely improved since we saw Bernadette at the start of the year, but I was getting frustrated that his ring performance was not anywhere near the same as his performance in training! Lesley made me realise exactly what the reason is (and its me - no surprises there then!). Basically it has all to do with not proofing the behaviour enough and too much reliance on body language. So I now have a real plan of action and am feeling much more positive about his contacts. If I put the work in I am sure we will make progress as it has re focused me on where I am going with them! I love getting some training whilst I am away as it always gives me a plan to follow for the next few weeks when I am back!

Lesley also helped Paul a lot with his 'one pole' problem! Again it all comes down to the body language and the fact that Scooby has not been trained to turn in the air correctly, or to steady himself for a turn. She showed us a few excercises that he can work on to correct this, and Paul felt really positive coming out of both sessions.

We are going back to Lesley in July, so hopefully we will all have made some progress by then!

Thames

Well we are finally back home after a great Thames show. We left last Thursday night and arrived on Friday afternoon. The weather was great for the whole weekend which made a big difference!!

I have to admit I was really nervous running Smudge at his first UK show, the most nervous I have been for a long time!! First was the pairs class (with Scooby). Smudge went clear, but Scooby had a pole. Never mind!! I was feeling much more relaxed now, and his G1-5 agility ran really nicely. This class was graded and I was really pleased to find he had won the class!! Not only had he won, but his time had beaten the winner of the grade 5 class! Wow!!! He went on to win three classes, and get a second in the jumping. Grade 3 here we come!! I was really proud of my boy and we had lots of lovely comments about him. These were his winnings on one day!

Although he did well, I am still not happy with his contacts. He was getting them, but they were far from perfect. I also want to speed up his weaves and get him looking ahead of me more. In the G1-7 agility he came out of the tunnel and looked back at me, causing him to crash into the jump wing! Eek!! This wouldn't have happened if he had been looking on. We now have plans to work on all of this, helped by some training we had on the way back (more about that later!)

Maisie really enjoyed herself and to be honest was flying contacts left right and center! I was just so happy to see her running with enthusiasm again that I didn't really care! After all she has been through, as long as she is having fun, thats all that matters to me! That being said, she did get a 3rd and a 5th in jumping and a 10th in agility - what a little star she is!

Scooby also had a really good weekend. He had a 3rd place in the G1-3 Agility, which Paul was pleased with. His other runs were good, but always had one pole!!!!! However the problem areas that we expected (waits on the start line and contacts) were perfect all weekend, so all in all Scoobs did fantastically. Now we need to sort out keeping all the poles up. His best run was in the pairs. It was a tricky course which we thought could be a total pole crasher, but he ran it really well!! It also had a wishing well which Scooby has never even seen before and we wondered how he would react. In fact he didn't actually even notice it and just took it like another jump - so at least we know he can do them now! I took these photos at the show, but because the sun was on the screen didn't check how they had come out until we were at home. Do you think he was happy with third?! He doesn't look impressed! Haha!

Mannix had a whale of a time. He spent a lot of time around the rings working on his tugging and tricks. He took everything in his stride and seemed to really enjoy the whole experience. On Saturday evening Bernadette had cake and champagne to celebrate Hex' AgCh, and most of the latest Obay litter were there. Mannix had a really good play with them all and it was lovely for him to be able to play with other pups around his age. It did make us realise what a monster he is size wise though! Bernadette kindly measured him for us and he is already 13.5 inches!! At 16 weeks! Yikes! Hopefully we think he will stop at around 16 - 16.5 as apparently you add two inches to the 4 month height. So fingers crossed!!

We had such a good time that we have decided to go back sooner than expected and do the Agility Club show in July. So 6 weeks to work on problem areas. Better get training!!

Do you think this dog is loved????

I have only just got around to going through the photos that were taken at last weekends show. Some of them are great!! One of my favourites has to be this one, which we didn't even know had been taken. Do you think he is loved?! Or smothered!? Haha. You can almost see poor Smudge thinking 'get off.....its embarrasing!'

My other faves are these. Look how Maisie stretches out across the jump!

And the youngest........growing fast!

But the prize for funniest photo has to go to this one!

I know that I had two pictures of a lovely collie that the owner wanted me to send them. Unfortunately I have lost your e mail address! So Julie if you happen to be reading this, send me a message or e mail and I will forward them on.

Probably won't update the blog again now until we are back from Thames. The next few days will be spent busily preparing to go away on Thursday. See you when we get back!

GSD May Agility Show

Well our May show has been and gone for another year. I have to say in a way I am relieved as it was a lot of hard work to organise!! At the meal last night Sara said I had my 'I want to be at home on the sofa' face on.......and she was so right!! But it was a great weekend judged by Sara Bennett and Steve Treamer, and we had some fab results.

Saturday was a total washout - quite literally in every way possible! We had torrential rain all day, and I had a terrible day agility wise as well!! Maisie got a 4th in the Small/Medium Open Jumping, and 3rd in the team event but that was it. Smudge and I just couldn't get it together and we had a really off day. He was jumping contacts, skipping weaves and all sorts. I don't think the weather helped either as I was not really 100% focused. It was a case of run to the ring, do your run and get back under cover as fast as possible!! He did go clear in his team run which was a nice easy circle to finish the day, so we ended on a good note at least. The sheltie team came 6th.

Sunday was much better. Maisie had a 3rd in Small/Medium agility and 4th in Small/Medium helter skelter. But the real star of the day was Smudge. He won three out of the four classes!! When we get it together he is such a little star! But as usual I am never satisfied and although he got his contacts, they weren't as I would like. You can see on the video that he is slowing down and running them, rather than powering down to the bottom and coming to a stop. Its my fault as I don't think I have been consistent enough in the ring. Sara really helped me with this by allowing me to take him back over and do his contacts again (even if he had technically got them!) so that I made sure he targeted!! We blew a few runs that way, but I'd rather blow a run in Jersey than one of the few I get to do in the UK. Still, I can't complain as he did manage to bring home this lovely haul all on one day! He is a great dog! We had a lot of lovely comments from the English competitors about him, and I was really proud! He is still only just 19 months, so a baby really!

We also won the jumping/agility pairs with Anita Barrette and Tyke (beating all the big dogs) Go smalls!! Scooby had a better day with a 7th in Agility and 7th in the Pairs.

Scooby also got the judges choice. But the rosette went to Scooby himself......and NOT the handler! Haha! Paul must be the only person who can get lost on a helter skelter and poor Scooby didn't have much chance of getting it right!! He was brought out to prize giving especially so he could be given his rosette and doggy bag personally!

Monday brought more rain and wind. Lots of wind!! So much so that poor Smudge almost got blown off the dog walk in the first class of the day. He really had to hang on for dear life! I feel bad that I let him go on it really, but it didn't seem that strong until a gust came whilst he was on there. Luckily he held on and was fine, and I thought no more of it. By the second class of the day the wind had dropped and the contacts were turned to face into the wind. Strangely though, he refused the A frame 7 times!! I couldn't work it out as he has never refused, until I realised perhaps the gust on the dog walk had really scared him! In the end I put my hand in his collar and took him over it, then he did it again on his own. Thankfully it seemed to be a short lived problem as he was back on the contacts again after that, but it was really helpful of the judge to let me do that. Otherwise he may have developed a fear of contacts!! I will be VERY careful in wind from now on. Its just not worth it. Anita and I won the pairs again (this time a jumping relay) and Smudge also got 2nd in the Small/Medium Jumping. Maisie had a 4th in Helter Skelter, 3rd in Agility and 3rd in pairs. Scooby had an 8th in large jumping.

The extreme changes in weather meant there were a lot of clothes changes going on, and some very unusual combinations! However I really think Steve surpassed us all with this lovely outfit. Weren't Trinny and Susannah looking for volunteers?! Haha!

All in all it was a great weekend, and I am so pleased with some of Smudges runs. You can see in the video below there are sections where he is really starting to power ahead of me. Ignore the dodgy contacts though - we will get there! Roll on Thames!

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Paws May Show

This weekend we have been to Paws agility club show. With 5 runs a day per dog it was really tiring! Lots of English competitors were also at this show, which is great as it is nice to have fresh competition. I was really pleased with how Smudge is running over jumping sections. He came 1st in Helter skelter, 1st in Steeplechase, 1st in Power and Speed and 4th in Pairs (with Anitas Bertie again).

All in all he ran well at the weekend. I am pleased to say that he did get every weave entry!!!!! Yay!!! Although he skipped a weave once or twice which he has never done before!? I'm pretty sure it was me causing him to do this by altering my body language from in training. The only thing that was real concern over the weekend were his contacts. In training he has fantastic contacts (and I mean really good!). They are fast and reliable. But in the ring, they completely disappear! Totally! He did win the power and speed, but the 'power' section was not pretty! He got the contacts obviously, but he was running them and not doing them as I want. He almost bailed off the dog walk as well, which I think is because I shouted target at him and he thought I meant turn around and target! Obviously he doesn't have the process as clear in his head as I thought. It is so frustrating because I know it must be something that I am doing! So this week we are spending five minutes every day working on his contacts, hoping that we can at least start to fix this problem before this weekend, and completely before Thames!

In the pairs there was a photographer lying on the floor behind the start line. Anita ran first, and as we were waiting Smudge really freaked about the man lying so close to him! I honestly didn't think he would run at all as he was barking at the man as Anita was coming round for the changeover! He did run, but his mind was elsewhere and every time we faced back towards the start line he would have a little bark and growl, then he missed his weaves and it all went a bit pear shaped! (Sorry Anita!) Lesson learnt though, so we are getting people to lie on the floor next to the ring now! I took him to see the photographer afterwards, who fussed him for me and gave him treats as damage limitation!!

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Maisie seemed really well this weekend. She was enjoying running again, and was even fine with her balance on the dog walk which was really good to see. I'm just hoping that this lasts for a long time! For such a young dog is is not nice to see her ill. Maisie had a 4th in Jumping, 5th in Steeplechase, 3rd in Jumping, 4th in Helter Skelter, 4th in Power and Speed and 3rd in Agility.

Scooby was a handful as always. Parts of what he did were lovely, and parts were just total chaos! You can always tell with Scooby on the start line what he is going to be like. If he is arguing with Paul already then there just isn't any point them even running! He needs to work on a more consistent start line routine as I do think this would help to calm him down. When he did go clear he got 1st in TYOL Agility, 4th in the Pairs agility, 3rd in Collie Jumping and 4th in Collie Jumping.

This weekend coming we have the GSD May show over three days, which even more people are coming over for. Should be an interesting one as smalls and mediums are combined, so Smudge will be against all the medium dogs!!