Easter Celebration Show

Well Saturday morning we got up at 5.15am. Got dressed, packed the van and left home...

Forty five minutes later, driving through the snow and wind we decided, sod this, and turned around. We took the dogs for a lovely early morning walk and curled up on the sofa with the dogs draped around us, and a movie or two on our lovely big TV.

Sunday we had to go down to Easter Show as I had arranged to meet a lady, who has a bitch, that she wants to use Boo on. So again, up early but the weather seemed much better... hmm

Got there nice and early and walked a connections agility for Boo (once someone had explained it to me)! And Hoaxeys Agility class. Hoaxey first and she set off well. We got the weaves, yay, just round to the DW.. Little cow! She realeased herself off the DW! Now looking back I can't for the life of me remember if I actually told her 'target' which is her stop cue, if I don't say it I don't expect her to stop (it's to do with the way I trained her) so she can have the benefit of the doubt. Nevertheless, my brain was still back at the contact and I messed the rest up. Boo was very naughty in his Agility and he jumped off the AF. So I walked him out! Aargh- little sod- trains perfect contacts all winter- comes out into a show and bam! LOL. By that time the snow was getting very heavy I was cold and miserable... boohoo!

So not so good a start. If I hadn't had to wait around to meet Boos wife I would have gone home there and then.

I had lunch, relaxed and then walked Boos G7 Agility. It was a nice course but too twisty for Boo to do well in. Nevertheless he ran a lovely clear for me! Good boy Boo!

Just Hoaxey left now. She had G1-7 Helter Skelter and Grade 1-5 Jumping left. I walked the HS and as she was early went straight off to get her. It was a tough course for a young dog like Hoax. As I was queing they started walking her jumping next door, there were seven dogs or so in front of me so Nic held Hoaxey in the queue and I ran round her jumping twice. I turned round to see ONE DOG in front of Nic! Aargh! Ran back over, played with Hoax and off we went. She negotiated the start quite well- good girly, accellerated round the outside, then. I got lost. I really shouldnt have come out the queue to walk her other course but had to as they started it by the time Hoax had run her HS. It didn't matter I got lost, we just carried on and pretended it was all ok. She was a little star, even doing a wall for me which she has never ever seen before.

Finally her jumping, it was a nice course for us. She set off and did the first bit beautifully. I knew I had to get her to shorted her stride at 9 or she would jump long and pick up the pipe tunnel. I asked her to 'steady' which she did perfectly, while I front crossed, then I made me mistake... I waited to post her in the collapsible before trying to accellerate to the end to get her over jump 11 which was offset. I jus was too slow and she checked back with me what to do, I then had to coax her over no. 11 and that put me behind at the entrance of 13 (pipe tunnel) she obviously beat me out of that and checked again. We got to no. 16 and again she just checked before taking the jump before the weaves- sorry Hoaxey! We were still clear but she had lost a little confidence by now and missed her weave entry. I took her back round and she finished perfectly. She really was fab here. She did exactly what I asked of her and listened and shifted when asked. I was over the moon with her last two runs and am sure another clear round isn't far off...

Oh also the lady who came to see Boo liked him very much and is going to use him on her blackrobin highlander bitch at the end of the year. She is a red tri BC 'Zeph'. I met her and her daughter Uno and they are just gorgeous! I am sure it will be a lovely litter!