Shouldham..

I havent been to Shouldham for a while so decided to take Diesel and Pip there for a run this morning. It wasn't raining when I left but as I got nearer the clouds got darker and darker. Thankfully it was only drizzle but it was certainly 'interesting' trying to take photos under an umbrella, lol. I wouldnt have taken the camera had I known it would rain but as the car park is very secluded I didnt fancy leaving the camera in the van.



When we arrived it wasn't raining but the sky sure was very black!


Handsome lad (not that I'm at all bias, lol)


Diesel and Pip charging through the undergrowth


Diesel + a bit of water = *kaaapuff* one hairy beastie


Pip + a bit of water = one drowned rat, lol


her 'FEED ME' eyes


having fun

More HERE

Dogs Unleashed..

This weekend I was over at Newark for Dogs Unleashed. It was a lot smaller and quieter than I imagined as I expected there to be a lot more of the general public.

Again I was only running Pip so I took her and D and left the others at home with Si (so no videos sorry). I did feel particularly bad on Saturday when I bundled Pip and D into the van as it was Incas birthday..good job they dont know about these things ;) (She should time her seasons better!)

First run on Sat was Primary Helter Skelter and I managed to get Pip E'd. I thought she was comitted to a pull-thru so turned and as I did she turned on a sixpence and managed to jump the jump. We made up for it in the afternoon coming 8th in the Primary Agility, 5th in the Primary Tunnel Teaser (over quite a tricky course) and 3rd in Primary Jumping. It was certainly a very long day - I left at 7.30pm and they were still running the final.

Sunday our first run was primary circular jumping. Pip did a really nice run and ended up 3rd. The primary wicked weaves had quite a tricky course. Pip absolutely flew round and was doing really well...until I got to 16 and couldnt remember where to go next. I pushed her over a jump when I should have done a pull-thru. Oops! Gutted because it was just the home straight after that and there werent many clears in that class. I got rushed into the agility ring (whilst trying to walk our jumping course) so neither of us were properly focused. She missed her dog-walk contact so I made sure she got her a-frame.

Finally it was Primary Jumping which almost deserves its own blog post. The original course was awful (and included 3 sets of weaves!) but thankfully it got changed. There was then some confusion as to when the class would start and it got pushed back by over half an hour. Eventually when the mini dogs were finished (of which there were only two!) I got Pip onto the start-line to pracitce her sit-wait while they put the jumps up...and the judge had vanished. Argh! Thankfully it was all made worthwhile when we did *eventually* get to run as she flew round the course and ended up winning it - go pip!

I had hoped to have a go at clever-dogs and the 60 weave challenge but Saturday I finished too late, and on Sunday they'd finished by the time I'd done all Pips runs. I did, however, make full use of the practice ring. I put D in a couple times over medium jumps and practiced his weaves and contacts - he was such a good boy. I'd be lying if I said I wasnt excited about UKA later this month where he'll be doing nursery. Hes so much fun to work.

So all in all it was an enjoyable weekend despite being a rather long and tiring one at the same time.

It certainly sounds like its been a sucessful weekend all round. Well dones to:

• Katie and Jet for winning not one but two classes on Sunday.


• Leanne and Dylan on some good results and a very close second in the Wicked Weaves.


• Nat and Drake for winning the gundog scurry on Saturday...and then Alison and Dylan for winning it on Sunday.


• Erin & Ace for winning G2 at Gleniffer


• Andrew & Boris for going G6


• Nancy and Niamh for another win towards G7


• Andy and Kizzy for going G7


• Natalie & Kai for their win

...and well done to everyone else who did well over the weekend x

Brancaster Beach..

Its certainly been hot these last few days so the dogs have been making do with evening walks when its cooler. Yesterday I decided to get up early and take D and Pip to Brancaster Beach so they could have a proper run. It was nice and cool and of course they had the sea to cool off in too. I think they more than made up for the last few days as they were non-stop!





Charge!!


I didnt take a toy...so D improvised


Pip doing her best sheepdog impression stalking Diesel


Bad hair day?


Diesel


Pip


More HERE

Pool fun..

Ready steady...Go!


Pip - I stripped her coat out yesterday


Rex, as always, first in


Despite having the pool for longer than D, today was the first time he lay down in one (at agility at Wendys). Since then I've not been able to get him out of the damn thing


He even fell asleep!




Not overly impressed with being woken up, ha!

Puppy Diary..

This is a video made by Nic and her niece aimed at educating the younger generation. I think the video speaks enough for itself - watch it to the end.



(Well done x)

EMDAC June

We headed off to Asfordby on Friday. I was a bit dubious when we left as it was absolutely tipping it down but thankfully we got to the venue and it was clear and dry. After setting up out tent and garden we went and set up the training ring. Thankfully its just the contacts and weaves but it seemed to take forever (probably more to do with my indecisiveness as to where to put things). It was impossible to put the equipment in a way that flowed and yet and decent angles for the intro dog handlers. Still, we got there in the end and tucked into our dinner of veggie curry and wine.

Saturday was an early start as I was straight in the agility ring with Pip. Pip did a nice round and ended up coming 5th.



Next was snakes and ladders. I walked the course but really felt the 'ladders' weren't justified enough (eg 12 weaves as the ladder or two jumps) so ended up only doing the see-saw out of the contact equipment and the rest jumps. She ended up 3rd in that so I was very pleased. Her helter skelter was a very straight forward course but Pip went off sniffing part way round so we didnt get anywhere in that.

Our final course of the day was the Primary Jumping. It was a twisty turny course that took me several walks to get my head around. I was over the moon when we went clear (one of 9 clear rounds!). We ended up 3rd in that although I cant help feeling her time was wrong. According to the results she took 38.83 secs but our camera video was 45 secs and theres a good 10+ secs before the start/at the end. Si seems to think maybe it sould have been 33.something but I guess we'll never know. I cut the long wait at the start out for youtube:



Sunday started off with Primary Agility again. Pip did a lovely run but cut behind me at a pull through at the end and took a wrong jump. I was just pleased she got her contacts! Power & Speed was after and I wanted to focus on her getting (and holding) her contacts so I didnt drive her on. She did a lovely run in the Speed section doing it in just over 10 secs and ended up 3rd.



The Primary Steeplechase was another really straight forward course that AGAIN the bloody beagle terror took over in. I wanted to do a nice long wait at the start so set her up and off I went. When I released her the nose went down and off she went. I could have killed her!

Finally it was Primary Jumping. A very flowy collie course in which we ended up 11th. Pip was a bit slow in her weaves but then it was HOT and we were both loosing the will to live somewhat by this point.



It was very strange only working one dog, especially as many of the courses were right up Incas street (always the way isn't it!). I couldn't believe that 3 of the classes on Sunday didn't have weaves! Running Inca isn't that much hassle as they're both in the same class so all it means is when I put Pip back I get Inca out.

Finally it was time to pack up our tent and the training ring too. June said we managed to raise just over £80 which was fantastic as it all goes to the children of chernobyl.

RVA..

I enjoyed RVA again this year, although I have a feeling I'll travel further afield next year. I wasn't impressed by the fact that they only gave day parkers one entry pass per handler (so Si didn't get one) and then expected anyone who came with you to pay the full entry fee (£15 a day!!). Thankfully Ellen gave me her spare Exhibitor pass so I gave Si my tickets. I don't think he'd have been impressed to have to pay £30 to watch me, lol. It was also a bit of trek to the car and with all the public I didn't feel safe leaving my van how I usually would. That said, it is a great place for socialisation (especially puppies!) as you get the walk them around the country show and see all the people, livestock, different events etc. D certainly did his fair share of walking (making up for last year when I carried him!)

Pip ran really well all weekend. She was back to being her (mostly) fast goobby self. Over the weekend we got E'd in 3 classes by her going off and taking a random jump or tunnel. I guess all the work on her working away from me is finally taking effect, just not when I want it to, lol. She managed to get a 3rd in C3-4 Jumping, 3rd in G4-7 Agility, 5th in C4-7 Jumping, 2nd in G4-7 agility and 8th in C1-7 Tunnel Vision.


This was game for a laugh jumping which I really enjoyed again. There are two different courses (two sets of numbers with different colours) which you get to walk. As you enter the ring you draw a ball from a bag and which course you do depends on the colour ball - you don't get a lot of time to get your head around the course!


This was the combined 4-7 jumping - two sets of 12 weaves, urgh! Pip managed to get 5th place which I was really pleased with.

Inca was more focused this weekend and I tried a different approach and focused on getting it right and taking it nice and steady rather than trying to push her. Shes still very hormonal at the moment and just cant take getting things wrong. It worked and we managed a couple of clear rounds and a couple silly mistakes in a couple other classes (like knocking a pole or going in the wrong end of the tunnel). We didn't have any blonde moments which was the main thing.