3/4 today and the missed Q was a Q for Brody and I - somehow I had the wrong course entry into a tunnel (the MUCH HARDER ONE) so I asked him for that tough one - never realized it was wrong and zoomed off to run a fabulous course - while I am PEEVED at me I am thrilled to be running again .. and I didn't let it rattle me for long 9it was the second class today)
The other classes were great - snookers is one of my favourite classes - I like the thinking - Brody racked up 45 points!! Fullhouse is fun too - the challenge of this course was to get three plain jumps in - a NUMBER of people didn't manage that. brody needed 23 points and got 29 so that was quite secure. Wildcard is not my favourite game - I always try to do something in it to make me think - it is usually VERY straightforward and over too fast for me .. today I ran without my hands - no sweat ...
I am so very lucky to live with Brody ..
I am so very lucky to be able to play a game I like SO MUCH even if not often enough
I am so very lucky to have a support system that understands this strange desire
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
He really is a super star
the comeback tour began with a strong start today
2/2 without a foot wrong
Masters Snookers .. the closing went tire(2), tunnel (3), jump (4), dogwalk (5), tunnel, jump, tunnel (6) and weaves (7)
I usually don't pick sequences for Brody to repeat but this was CLASS ONE of the tour .. and I wanted flow - the best flow BY FAR for Brody was red, 6, red 6, red dogwalk and start the closing - he sailed around it - nearly got through 6 in the closing ...about 1/3 of the dogs qualified in the class so I was very pleased Brody was one of them :)(he won his class too) he was very pleased too - which was pretty amusing.
Masters Jumpers - a nice opening line around and into a tunnel then a line back with a LOT of off course options ... then a spin around and angled line to finish
The course was made for Brody - so I pushed myself and handled him as if he were Thea or Sally - adding crosses in places Brody might not need one and being as tight and clear as possible with my handling ... it felt really really good - there wasn't one second on course that I had any doubt about my dog - and that included when a horrible sounding squabble between dogs broke out .. it distracted me quite badly but Brody just steadied til he knew where to go then blasted away
He was 9 seconds under time - a quick little JRT beat us for first but only by 3 seconds .. I don't really mind where I place in a class - I suspect that comes from my starter days when sometimes I'd be the only dog - and getting a ribbon when you don't q seems weird to me
a very nice start to the tour that's for sure :)
2/2 without a foot wrong
Masters Snookers .. the closing went tire(2), tunnel (3), jump (4), dogwalk (5), tunnel, jump, tunnel (6) and weaves (7)
I usually don't pick sequences for Brody to repeat but this was CLASS ONE of the tour .. and I wanted flow - the best flow BY FAR for Brody was red, 6, red 6, red dogwalk and start the closing - he sailed around it - nearly got through 6 in the closing ...about 1/3 of the dogs qualified in the class so I was very pleased Brody was one of them :)(he won his class too) he was very pleased too - which was pretty amusing.
Masters Jumpers - a nice opening line around and into a tunnel then a line back with a LOT of off course options ... then a spin around and angled line to finish
The course was made for Brody - so I pushed myself and handled him as if he were Thea or Sally - adding crosses in places Brody might not need one and being as tight and clear as possible with my handling ... it felt really really good - there wasn't one second on course that I had any doubt about my dog - and that included when a horrible sounding squabble between dogs broke out .. it distracted me quite badly but Brody just steadied til he knew where to go then blasted away
He was 9 seconds under time - a quick little JRT beat us for first but only by 3 seconds .. I don't really mind where I place in a class - I suspect that comes from my starter days when sometimes I'd be the only dog - and getting a ribbon when you don't q seems weird to me
a very nice start to the tour that's for sure :)
Thursday, June 10, 2010
hmm another week goes by
wasn't the best Tuesday night ever ..
wasn't the worst either I guess
Sally did some nice contact work and some lovely jump work
Brody worked well too - but there was no ZING
we just did what we were told ...
wasn't the worst either I guess
Sally did some nice contact work and some lovely jump work
Brody worked well too - but there was no ZING
we just did what we were told ...
Monday, June 07, 2010
sally ... sally ... sally
ain't she darling?
she is not an easy dog to run agility with and take pictures at the same time ;)
Sunday, June 06, 2010
the head game ...
Sally wondering if the tour plans are REAL this time
As I look at planning the comeback tour I realize there are some parts of this game I can do quite well already.
Nerves aren't a problem for me - though they may flare up on the comeback tour!
Nor do I get frustrated with the dog when things go wrong (myself - that's another matter.
I compete against myself not against other people - as long as every run is better than the one before I am quite happy.
There are things that I will always need to work on too:
Running with intention can be problematic for me at times - I don't always care enough - awful eh?
It is POURING rain here - and there is a driving wind - I woke up and thought - if I had agility today I would NOT go - what a bad bad attitude - however it is my attitude and one I will have to learn to live with.
Keeping what matters to me at the top of my mind can be tough too - think about the dog first. It's not what I see modelled so it's easy to let slip - but when it does slip I get quite upset with myself so it's important to think MY WAY.
Learning the more complicated masters courses was challenging at first - I suspect that will be challenging again.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
planning the comeback tour ...
actually managed to print off some premiums this week - need to sort them still and see what is when and how they can fit with life but I think I'm ready to put my toe back in the agility pond and see what happens
I'll run Brody in jumpers and snookers as much as I can for now I think - though masters jumpers can be tricky at least there are nearly always lines we can charge through - good for us both
I MAY run Thea in jumpers (starters) occasionally too - I think the more she sees trial situations the more confident she'll be
Sally can wait .. and wait and wait til I start her up .. she is doing beautiful work but I don't want to screw it up in a ring ...
Tuesday night was fun - proofed contacts and a couple of jump drills with Sally - did a chute too - which was great as we hadn't done one in a LONG time ....
then the last class started - I brought Thea in to do her teeter work and ended up keeping her in the building .. Brody motored his way along through everything .. what a good dog he is
then we had the jump work - neat little course with some WICKED turns ... Brody was great; Thea was awesome; the first time I ran Sally she overshot everything but once I thought about who I was "driving" it all clicked
I really wonder if I should trial one dog at one trial .. I can switch who I trial but switching back and forth between runs is really difficult sometimes as the same move has a very different effect depending on who is on the receiving end - just something else to figure out I guess ...
I'll run Brody in jumpers and snookers as much as I can for now I think - though masters jumpers can be tricky at least there are nearly always lines we can charge through - good for us both
I MAY run Thea in jumpers (starters) occasionally too - I think the more she sees trial situations the more confident she'll be
Sally can wait .. and wait and wait til I start her up .. she is doing beautiful work but I don't want to screw it up in a ring ...
Tuesday night was fun - proofed contacts and a couple of jump drills with Sally - did a chute too - which was great as we hadn't done one in a LONG time ....
then the last class started - I brought Thea in to do her teeter work and ended up keeping her in the building .. Brody motored his way along through everything .. what a good dog he is
then we had the jump work - neat little course with some WICKED turns ... Brody was great; Thea was awesome; the first time I ran Sally she overshot everything but once I thought about who I was "driving" it all clicked
I really wonder if I should trial one dog at one trial .. I can switch who I trial but switching back and forth between runs is really difficult sometimes as the same move has a very different effect depending on who is on the receiving end - just something else to figure out I guess ...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A BAD DAWG- and NO it's NOT Sally
as hard to believe as that seems
even harder to believe it's BRODY
yup the little rock star -my heart and soul
was AWFUL - truly awful at the vet's today
he could hardly be restrained for blood work
he screamed when vaccinated and the vet understood quite clearly why his nails get a little long sometimes - I don't have 4 arms and hands and he sure needs 4 to get done ... I held him very firmly and she trimmed nails and commented that perhaps next time I will hold him for blood too ...
BAD FUNNY DOG
even harder to believe it's BRODY
yup the little rock star -my heart and soul
was AWFUL - truly awful at the vet's today
he could hardly be restrained for blood work
he screamed when vaccinated and the vet understood quite clearly why his nails get a little long sometimes - I don't have 4 arms and hands and he sure needs 4 to get done ... I held him very firmly and she trimmed nails and commented that perhaps next time I will hold him for blood too ...
BAD FUNNY DOG
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