Nag nag nag!!!!!!!

I have been nagged by a few people (you know who you are!) to update my blog. So now I have to use the getting older grey matter to think what I have done in the last two months!!!

Twix....

Up and down really. Since winning the jumping at Thames, we have had some good runs.. and some not so good runs. I have decided most of it is to do with my attitude and not Twix.. well maybe most of it. Contacts do seem to have got better. Below is a video of some of the work I have been doing on Twix's dog walk. It was an exercise reccommended to me by Lee and Toni. Both of whom have been so helpful in their advice to me.



Quite an improvement and finally it seems to be paying off in the ring. Everything is still work in progress. Watch this space!!

Jag....
Well what can I say about Mr Jaglet. We have had quite a good year thus far. Jag is now on 11 Crufts points.. hm that is borderline for getting in. One more heat to go and I could really do with a few more points just to make sure. In July we went to the Olympia semis. I had qualified for three days (3rd of which was the KC festival semi) and reserve for one. Well Jag and I went up there on the first day. All prepared to have to stay up there all week and would you believe it Jag pulled out all the stops and qualified for Olympia on the first day.

Having not been to Olympia for two years I was so relieved to get back there.. see cheesey photo below.




This time of year seems all about getting contacts back with Jag. Having had to push so many I have needed to work hard on making Jag remember to stop. So fingers crossed they are ok for DIN.

Hm what else. Well I had the pleasure of running my friend Karen's dog Chequer at Axstane. He won out of grade 1 at Thames and so was still grade 1 for Axstane. Karen agreed to let me run him in the 1-3 jumping. Chequer is an amazing dog. Well I think he is. We managed to put in a clear round. Not the neatest but good enough for 2nd place. I will be trying to get my hands on him as often as possible lol.



I also judged at Tenterden show. I was treated very well by the club and all my ring party. They were all really efficent. The weather dried up for me. I did say I don't judge in the rain but after the previous days torrential rain, even I was a little worried.

I had large 1-2 agility, large 4-5 agility, medium 4-5 agility and small 4-5 agility.

I have to say that the standard at the top of grade 1 and 2 large was very good. And the standard in the large 4-5 was not bad at all. I will leave my opinion of the smalls and mediums!! I was however very pleased with how my course ran. My hard luck of the day had to be Grace and the love Mali, Kiah. Fastest time in the 4-5 agility (and Kiah is grade 4!) just one pole down. Ahhh. Won't be long Grace.





So that's about it really. Not much else to say. Well I don't think so!

Happy Birthday Jaglet

I can't believe that Jag is 8 years old today. Where have those eight years gone.

Here he is at just a few weeks old, shortly after we had bought him home.



And another of Jag competing in the champ final at the weekend (thanks Graeme).



And today in the back garden, just looking gorgeous.







HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAGLET

Oops where did that month go!

Just kinda looked at my blog and realised the last time I posted was around Vyne time! Oops. I like being nosey and reading everyone elses blog so guess I should be fair and update mine. Not that I can see why anyone is interested.

Still here goes!

The agility season continues to go well. Jag has missed out on a couple of champ finals but also got to a couple more. Frustratingly I seem to be messing up the finals quite early on. At Thames last weekend we messed up at jump 4 but after that he ran really well. I have a couple of Olympia semis to go to now. Day one and three for certain and probably reserve for day two. Mind you I can't see me driving up to Birmingham three days in a row so will have to hope I make it on day one! I can but hope. I some how think it will be a rather strong day.

Jag really is working so much better this year than last and I really feel like we are back together. I am enjoying running him sooooo much.

Twix, well this year was always going to be work in progress. I had decided that I couldn't accept her contacts as they were so have worked really hard to improve them and improve Twix's confidence to work on her own and ahead of me. Well it seems things are starting to pay off. At Tunbridge Wells I finally managed to get our first clear rounds of the year and a couple of places in jumping classes. Then at Nottingham and Hinckley Twix seemed to be working better and better. No clears but just silly little errors. I had a kick up the bottom at Hinckley when I had decided not to run a grade 6/7 jumping because it was too hard for Twix and I didn't want to de-motivate her... to which I was told don't be so silly of course Twix can do that... so I did and Twix ran really well on a tricky course and just doubled up in the weaves for some strange reason but was so glad I ran that class (thanks Toni!). So it was a weekend off and then off to Thames. This is where it got a lot better with Twix! We did a nice grade 6 agilty judged by Hannah.. and yes I know we went horribley wrong but Twix felt like she was finally moving as quickly as she does in training. I went from that run straight to a graded 6/7 jumping which again was a nice course but had some nice turns in it that Twix could make up time on if she got them right and a tricky weave entry which Twix is kinda good at. So Twixlet ran, did a really nice round and went into the lead.

At this point I turned into one of those handlers that couldn't leave the ring! I was so excited. She was leading by a second. At the end of the class she was still there. Yipee. Was very very happy! So one down... three to go. Twix's contacts were good all weekend and I feel like we are making progress... long may it continue.

I'm sure there are some videos somewhere that I can add.. will have to have a look as it's a bit boring without some videos to break up all this reading.

Next weekend . No qualifiers to worry about so chill chill chill.

It's not luck, really it's not!!

So Vyne show. Couldn't run Twix today... have broken her :-( Well ok we went for a long walk on Saturday and Sunday she was lame. Better today but not enough to work her. I am hoping with a weeks rest that she will be ok for Tunbridge next weekend. In a way it was a mixed blessing, I did miss running her as she has been going so well in training but as today was a Champ show it did mean that I could concentrate on Mr Jaglet.

So Champ jumping up first... gulp... Ya know when you walk a course and you just think how the hell... well that's what I thought here. I kept thinking on one particular bit that I had no idea how to do it and that I was only ever gonna get the big fat E! WEll I think I managed to talk myself out of it by just going over and over and over the course in my head and seeing us doing it right. In the end Jag worked his little socks off and put in a great clear to finishe 4th.




If you listen carefully, you might hear me swear in the video... I do apologise, only I was convinced Jag would get the second tunnel wrong, I should have had more faith. When he did it right, for a split second I couldn't remember where to go next!!!

Champ agility was a much more flowing course than the jumping. Infact I quite liked it. I knew after having a good place in the jumping that I didn't need to push Jag's agility so went for a nice steady trained clear. Jag was paw perfect again. I couldn't have wished for a better run.

So with that I was pretty sure I had qualified for the final.

So now the dilema... if I push too many contacts with Jag, we are likely to miss one. My next run was the KC Olympia qualifier. Now did I push for this or did I push for the champ final. Hm.... the dilema. Any way I decided that I would go for stop and go contacts in this and that if it was good enough then so be it. I have next weekend at Tunbridge to try and get day two and I have day one. Jag again was absolutely perfect!!! (should have a video later in the week). In the end I finished 13th. Not the best result but it was a gamble I took. There are actually four people infront of me that have already got day one so those that understand the rules will know that even if I mess up at Tunbridge I still have a chance of going to day two.

So champ final... I really did go for it.. honest. But in doing so you always take a risk and mine this time was that I needed to get to the end of an a-frame before Jag and in order to do that I needed to "chuck" him at a long jump that was facing into nothing and run. The danger.. knocking it which he did as did some others. So no ticket for me today. But I have to say that Jag feels like he is running so well. We just seem to be on the same wavelength. I have now convinced myself that it's not just a couple of lucky runs.

Can't wait until next week!!!! Hopefully the blonde bombshell will be back to it as well.

The good the bad and the ugly

Or my day at WBSDS.

So the good....

Jag did a lovely clear in 6/7 agility. There were a few tricky bits in the course but he worked so well. All his contacts were solid and he hung on every word and turn. Very happy with that. Twix was in all the same classes as Jag for this show so was nice to put Twix round the same course. Well we did get e'd but.... some people will know my "sress" over dog walks with Twix, I am pleased to say her dog walk was pretty darn good in this class. I jogged along beside it so that Twix had to reach the end without me, which she did so was very pleased with that. We got e'd because of a late call from me but hey ho. Overall very pleased with both dogs in this class.

There were two jumping classes at this how both graded which was really nice. Great to see a show doing this. Just means the extra set of rosettes and trophies but means a lot to the handlers.

Any way jumping 1 was a very interesting course (see plan below). The problem was that at first it seemed impossible but that was because there were 200 people trying to walk it (well ish) so you were basically ending up learning the course pattern and not neccesarily how to handle it. In the event, it ran well. Twix did a lovely round. Just knocking a pole at jump No.13 but only because she turned soooo tight!! What was even nicer is that I believe of the grade 6's Twix would have finished 3rd not far behind the winner and... she was 1.5 behind Lee and Bold wining the grade 7. Now I know that Lee had one bit that could have been better but I am still pleased that Twix was able to post a good time. It gives me hope!!! As for Jag.... well I ran Jag first and got lost. Yes lost! I reversed after jump No. 5 and lost No. 6. Oops but before that and after that was great.





The bad.....

The other 6/7 jumping. Nothing wrong with course, it was a little tricky but nothing to bad for a 6/7. However. I just made a complete meal of this course with Jag and to some degree with Twix. It went wrong with both dogs at the weaves and that was that!! I guess one bad run each out of three each wasn't too bad. I really can't grumble.

The ugly....

The little things that irritate!! First off, the judge (not in any classes I was in) that felt it was ok to eliminate people when they stopped their dog in position on contacts and moved to the next piece of equipment and then released. Reason.. training in the ring. I know not everyone likes it but technically people that do that haven't done anything against the rules.

Secondly the stupid pillock (and that's being polite) of a bloke who's Hungarain Viszla was running in an ABC class and left the ring sniffing. He then got his dog back and carried on. The dog then left the ring again. He called it back and it went back to him. He then proceeded to wrestle the dog to the floor hold onto the dogs neck and grabbed it's leg. I can only assume that he thought he was doing some kind of dominance pose on the dog. A small group of us shouted at him as it was completely unneccesary. A couple of people went over to ask what he was doing. We then watched the bloke to make sure he stopped. He wasn't being verabally aggressive to the dog and neither do I think he was physically hurting the dog. But if he thinks that is the way to get his dog to do what he wants and come back to him, then he is sadly mistaken. He then proceeded to bore the dog senseless by doing down stays by the ring. He was reported to the show secretary.

Overall the show was really good. Nice to see lots of people enjoying agility and having a laugh with friends is always good. As I said before, nice to see lots of graded classes.

Scunny, Easter and Wallingford

Just a show update really.

First of Scunny, first "big" show of the year. Champ and Crufts singles. First off Twix, some good bits but no clears. I have to confess that I really struggled to concentrate on anything with Twix at this show. I was so up for getting Jag to the Champ final that Twix kinda took a back sit. I don't think that could be helped as just getting back into my Jag zone has been taking all my effort.

Well what can I say, my boy is back!!! Jag and I were clear in the champ jumping round. And ok, as my friends would say I resorted to panicy pigg... which basically means I clapped all the way round like a grade 1 handler. I did get suitabley ribbed after leaving the ring and so decided that that was NOT happening again. Champ agility we had 5 faults. It was a weird one because I thought Jag had doubled up in the weaves but wasn't sure. Simon(judge)hadn't marked it but if Jag had come out wrong then obviously he would have marked then by which time it would be to late to stop Jag doing the next item and so we would have an E and as the one thing you don't want in champ is an E, I decided to take him back and redo them.

Jag qualified for the final and was going really really well until he had the pole off of the wishing well. I did get e'd after that but you kinda switch off a little after a pole. Needless to say I was really really really pleased with Jag. I just got "that" feeling back. Ya know the one when you just know you are working together and you are both giving 100%. Oo I enjoyed that. Having not qualified for any champ finals last year, it was good to be back in one. Now just to get to some more!

Crufts singles was a lovely run but sadly we had a pole but again I just felt that we were together.

So onto Easter Celebration. Only one day of competing as I was judging on the Sunday. Twix did a lovely round in her grade 6 jumping, only to kinda miss time a jump at the end which resulted in two or three poles coming down as she was off stride. But... she worked it really well and even had similar speed to training. Maybe there is hope for her to show that same speed outside one day! (pretty please!).

Jag and were e'd in the 6/7 jumping. Ooops. 5th in a twisty grade 7 jumping, was pleased with that one. But best of all.... Jag put in a really nice round to come 2nd in the KC Olympia heat. To say I was pleased in an understatement. Video below.



Again Jag just felt brilliant.

Wallingford was only Saturday for me and two runs per dog. Don't think I want to mention my runs with Twix. Not really sure what planet we were on today but it wasn't the same one!!!! Jag however.. well think you might know what i'm going to say. Grade 7 jumping we came 6th. The start of the round wasn't pretty but got better the further we went on so that is good. We won the grade 7 agility. I hadn't expected to get anything as I was training this round and when you train you don't tend to get places. Well Jag was the first clear. In fact there were only 4 clears in total. I did think I might have a job convincing some of my friends who do a wondeful job in reminding me that I should train contacts, that I really did train. But I hope that explaining that everyone that got placed on faults was quicker than me.. the quicketst was 4 seconds quicker.. so hopefully that is enough to convince that I really did train my contacts.. honest.

I don't think the grade 7 agility was that hard really just seemed that some made it look hard. However the same cannot be said for the grade 6 agility which was followed by a grade 5 agility that I personally think was harder than the 6 and IMO the 6 was way way way to hard! Now I don't usually have moan about judges courses as I believe you just have to attack what is put up, but these two courses (5 and 6 agility) were just ridiculous. There wasn't even any flow to the course. It was just one constant nag for 20 pieces of equipment. Not much fun for anyone. The 6 jumping wasn't great but was better than the agilty. And yes I know I have a choice weather or not to run them. And I did.. badly.. but I certainly wasn't going to get the hump if Twix went wrong. I'm honestly not sure if I would have got Jag round them. Hey ho. I know we all do the same course but.. well grrr!!

That's it for now. Next weekend WBSDSBWBWSDSD ya know that one!! Then another champ at Vyne. I just hope Jag and I can keep this form going. I feel like I could tackle anything with him at the moment!! Still smiling :-)

Pictures and dog walking

As I have been working week on week of for the last 6 weeks, I have been going on lots of nice dog walks. Actually most seem to be to the beach!! It has been great really as both my dogs were a little on the unfit side and this has really helped me to get them back in condition! Some friends have taken nice pictures of them while we have been out.

I have been taking a puppy class on a Saturday morning. Have a great group of four dogs and handlers. All experienced handlers with their new "charges". We seem to have got into a bit of a nice habit of going for a nice walk after training. One week we had 12 dogs between us. No wonder we got some strange looks!







My friends Karen's dog, Chequer


Chequer again.


All 12 that were out with us.

And for anyone who thinks it is a good idea to have a blonde dog.......




Which is not quite as bad as she looked after the end of today's walk!


Last weekend was gorgeous weather so I went outside with my Dad's super dooper camera and took some nice pictures.






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