What a weekend!

Well, this weekend was Scrambles show which I try to help Stu organise. I took a backseat this time, partly due to the fact that I am very busy at home and Stuart is not working!

Thursday AM I packed and got everything ready to go. Dogs in van and all I had to do was hitch up. Hmm caravann wont fit on towhitch as it hits the towing bar. Off to Halford to ask them to fit extension plate... oh we dont fit ANYTHING to do with the towbar- the helpful teen behind the desk says... Grr so new plan, I will go without the caravan and Nic will tow up after work on Fri eve. I will stay with Mum and Stu.

I felt like a bit of a spare part on arrival at the show as I couldn't lift anything but we got setup ok and all ready for Fri.

What a scorcher- by the end of the day I was shattered but the weather had been gorg! How fab. Sat we started to cool down a little, Sunday we woke up to a few inches of SNOW! OMG we were sooooo cold today!

Anyway- all in the show went very well bar a few organisational hiccups I ran my dogs Friday and Sat and they were fab although my handling left something to be desired as it always does when I am helping and running. Boo managed a 4th and a 2nd and Hoaxey so NEARLY had lots of clears bar weave entries and handling mistakes!

Roll on the next show!

No Dog Stuff

Well not much doggy stuff been happening! We spent last weekend seeing family and sorting some stuff out for the baby. Just started to decorate the Nursery and buy cots etc etc- It's soooo expensive! LOL

Oh we also had our 20 week scan and we are having a boy! Nic is obviously over the moon, and as he has also started feeling him kicking (bluddy hard I might add) he feels quite close to little one. My belly is also growing LOADS now and is showing! Feeling like a fatty for sure! tee hee

Hoax and Boo haven't done much this week as I haven't had a chance. Nic has Linx back now after a visist from the Mctimoney so fingers crossed he will be fine for Scrambles UKA this weekend!

Well as I help Stu run the show, I am leaving today to help setup. We then have three shattering days but usually fun aswell. This year snow is forecast on Sunday- eek! So I have packed my hot water bottle for the caravan and will be sneaking the woofers in with me too.

Maybe the weather will change and we will have a hot weekend.... heres hoping!

On a high!

I had a fantastic training session with little Hoaxey last night.

We trained with Nic at our own club and just had a little group of four dogs. The dogs are all very different; there a mad red collie 'Flea', thoughtful BC 'Kez', sweet little Duck Toller 'Tag' and Hoaxey.

All the dogs are so incredibly different that it makes a lovely, lovely little group! Nic set us some tough excersises that I never thought I'd be able to do with Hoaxey, she was fab! IF I get my timing right her turns really are extremly good. I have to get places in advance for her though, the knack is to really trust her and send her out to work quite a lot on her own, then I can be there for her turns. She is quite aware of my body language so is good at watching my shoulders if I turn and does respond to that. I just need to make sure that I am turning early enough for her to see BEFORE she has commited to a line. We really had a great time- hope it continues!

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!

Chippenham Sml/ Med show

Well ups and downs for Sundays show.

We started off with Med 1-3 Jumping (as per video) it was a lovely course and just six weaves. I brought Hoax into the venue and she was a little worried. She was hugging my arm with her paws which is always a sign of worry. The lady booking us in asked us not to play with our dogs in the queue as it was offputting for the dog running. The reason being was that we were queing inside the ring but cordoned off from the dog running by barriers. So in front Hoax had dogs queing and behind, to the left side was people watching with their dogs and on the right was the barrier. She started to relax on the start line as I could play with her but she wasn't quite switched on. The weaves were second and she just wasnt quite with it, anyway as she carried on round the brain started to relax and enjoy but she still wasnt quite my Hoaxey and felt steady for her :(.

Next was the agility (as per course plan below), I ran late in this and it was quiet up at that end, she set off nicely but a little slow again, at no. 6 I was planning on a FC but didnt quite get there in time so changed to hanging back, I think this gave her an odd cue and she flipped right round the wing of the jump. I carried on and pulled her round that far wing of 6 pushing her through to no. 7- messy but clear still! The whole way round the course she felt like she was seeing other lines and it wasn't her neatest or fastest run, I still didnt feel like she was herself. She however gave me nice nose targets on her contacts and tried bless her resulting in her first clear round at a 'proper' show! Bless!

We then sat around for AGES and had Grade 1-7 Ag and 1-7 Steeplechase. Agility first and she was feeling more Hoax like, we had a wide turn and she came out weave 11 but feeling quicker now! Finally the steeplechase, It was tough for a baby dog like Hoax (see plan, yes it IS the back of no 3 and the wrong end of the tunnel at 13)! Where I set her up she was next to the timer, this put her off a little and she came round the first jump, not to worry I carried on, she did the rest nicely including a wrong end of the tunnel without blinking and felt more like the Hoax I am used to.

I hope she relaxes more and lets rip when she works as I know there is much more under the hood. I guess its my nerves as much as hers too!

Anyway- also watched the amazing Dizzy- wow! She is fantastic and I have added a vid of her here. I think she is so far in front of Hoax in terms of competing and training at the mo. Oh well- no rush really :) We also watched little Marli running who is looking extremely good aswell!