Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Monday, October 15, 2012

a walk a day

keeps the crazies away!

We've been busy getting our city house on the market but I've been trying to get to the farm daily for at least an hour long walk. I walk 2km or so and the dogs run and run and run. They have a great time being very free to do their thing and smell the world.







Tuesday, October 09, 2012

details

well the results are in

In her advanced gamble Sally got the second highest point score  (34)even taking out the 4 point jump... had she gotten it the twice in our plan she would have had the highest number of points. Snookers she and the other Qualifying dog earned the same number of points. (45). The tragedy of steeplechase - if the judge had felt she had only missed one contact she would have Qed. Had she caught both yellows she would have been second in the class. She's such a good dog!


Thea earned 25 points in her opening gamble. Good little speedster! In snookers we did a blazing 9 points but an evil back jump caught us both! Whoops! Little speedster! She ran clear in steeplechase but detouring around the tire and then sniffing the ground afterwards ate too much time. She was roughly 20 seconds OT. Her slow weaves wouldn't have helped that either ... I wish I knew how much time was actually eaten at the start line!

Monday, October 08, 2012

numbers mean so little...

Sally's first AAC Q was  a jumpers Q in mid July of 2010. Her last Starters Q was this weekend.
She has only had one trial that she hasn't earned a Q between the two dates...  this September's trial when she was feeling crappy (Lesson learned there maybe ~ although even feeling crappy she enjoyed it!)

We only trialed Saturday. Our first run was advanced gambles - we knocked the 4 point jump in the opening (our only rail) and even so got over the 20 required points. The gamble had a straight tunnel (on a blind entrance  to a spread - both set at the maximum distance - I stopped my motion too early and Sally peeled back to me instead of doing the spread. Good girl! Then must have been standard - Sally ran a nice course - although I had to put her back in the weaves as she came out one pole early. Her table was lovely! Snookers was hilarious ... as you can see for yourself! Sally nearly added a tunnel -but didn't, then a jump but didn't, then stopped DEAD in front of the double but leaped it from a standstill. A true Sally, character filled run!  Steeplechase should have been in the bag - she had a great run but forgot all about aframe contacts in the excitement of running flat out. Goof!


So in two years and two months we have done 8 AAC trials. She's had some train wrecks in there and she's had many five fault rounds. She's had 1 point snookers and 34 point snookers runs.   We've had fun in every single class at every single trial.

Brody's first Q was a jumpers Q at the end of March of 2007. His first day at a trial.
His ADC was early August 2007. 4 months later. He had quite a few trials where he was 1-3 OT in standard and no qs at the trial at all.  His SGDC followed at the end of November of that same year. 7 long months. Back when you had to have team as part of the title. (To be fair we earned both snookers and team the same trial).

16 months for my agility superstar; 7 months for my rockstar. If ever there was a better way to prove they are different dogs these numbers just may be it. (The fact a few years have passed made a difference too - Sally would still have earned her ADC this weekend but you needed fewer starters games Qs for that title so she would have had that in April of 2011.)

Thea was brilliant this weekend - she's hardly done any agility but when I realized she was coming with me I entered her in starters gamblers and snookers.  She was fast, furious and had a great time. Always a great reminder that Qs are not what the game is about!


Yen was pretty darn good at the trial. I'm so smitten it isn't funny.





Saturday, October 06, 2012

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

We that would be Thea, Sally,Yen and I, are over nighting away from Big T and the boys. Getting ready for a trial, participating in said trial and being the judges entertainment! Quite Amusing. Fun.


Yen-ifer zipped over an aframe yesterday and did a few dog walks as well. Including the plank as it was being moved. Memories of Sally leaping on a moving teeter. Self training model of agility dog? Quite amazing to work with. We actually trained on a mock wobble board for a few minutes. Thea was loving all the action too, and Sally really really wants to live at this trial venue no doubt of it. She is feeling much better than our last trial so today should be fun!

Thursday, October 04, 2012

One of A Kind

Long Haired Chihuahua

Pomeranian

Toy American Eskimo

Our little alien

And I rest my case.

At 8 months old I could still be surprised as her adult coat comes in but if I were applying for an AAC or CPE card for her today I'd be listing Toy American Eskimo. We've lived with and loved all three breeds as adults and attitude wise she is more Eskie than either of the others although honestly she is her own unique and cheerful little self!