ARCH Magic!

Well we did it. Despite me, we did it.  I was really nervous today, and I am sure Magic felt it.
Trial 1 Level 1 205 Fair run but I had to give dual commands several times. His fronts were really crooked.
Trial 1 Level 2 199 Better- would have been a 209 but I had him do a sit where there should not have been one, which was a 10 point handler error. Nerves I guess.  I really felt shaky during this run, and really cant remember much of it I was so unnerved. Gotta work on that.

Trial 2 Level 1 204 Again dual commands and a couple tight leashes. And crooked fronts.
Trial 2 Level 2 209 Nice run, the bonus test was Leave dog turn and down. He took a step before he downed. I can live with that!

Then since we earned that ARCH with the 2 double Q's, I decided to add in a level 3 run in the second trial. There we earned a 207, which I was very pleased with. I am not sur ewhere the points off were here, but it didnt matter, the run felt so much better. Of course it did- I wnet in with the attitude that we are going to go play and he loved that! He was much more up and happy to play.  Tomorrow I am going to work on the play!

It was nice today getting to play with our fellow bloggers, and dog friends. In the air conditioning!

Goals

The most important thing about goals is having one.



~Geoffrey F. Abert

Everyday I receive an email with a quote for the day.  They are ususally business related, but many times overlap into daily life.  Like this one.  I find I work much better when I am working toward a specific, attainable goal.  Sure I like to dream, and I can dream BIG, but most of my goals are pretty well realistic.

This weekend I hope to attain one of the goals I had set earlier this year.  I wanted Magic to earn his ARCH (APDT Rally Champion). At the beginning of the year, in order to reach this I knew we would have to be almost perfect in our attempts, due to the limited APDT shows in MN.  We have 2 weekends a year, which is 8 trials and we needed 3 to earn his level 2 title, and then 5 QQ's.  Unfortunately that first weekend I NQ'd us for the first time ever in APDT rally.  I felt really bad about it too as we were having a great connection that run and the score would have been great, had I not misread a station sign and performed the wrong thing!

So in order to make this goal possible this year, we traveled to a trial in IA and picked up a few of the QQ's we needed. Which means that we only need to double Q twice this weekend, but of course our scores for those Q's need to be over 190 as well.  I am hoping we can do it, and I am really hoping I can read the signs correctly!   I am pretty sure Magic will be fine, but I will be a nervous wreck. I find that the more I work for something, the more nervous I get about reaching it.  I think thats normal? Not that I have ever been accused of being normal...

Thought for the day

Dream big dreams, but never forget that realistic short-term goals are the keys to your success.



~Mac Anderson

Nosework!

David and Siren had their first nosework class tonight.  Siren really seemed to enjoy the class, but heck, what corgi wouldn't!  She got to eat treats, lots of treats, and all she had to do was find the box!   Seriously though, I can see how this training will be a whole lot of fun, for both handler and dog.  I kind of wish I were taking the class, not just being Davids backup (since he workes retail, he cant always be off when he wants to.)

On another subject, we got my Mom all moved now. Just a few more things to be done at the house, carpet cleaning and such.  Mom is mostly unpacked, but of course arranging stuff will go on for a while.  Going from a large mobile home to an apartment is quite a reduction and has been a bit tough  for her. But its gone well for the most part and I hope to be blogging a bit more regularly now. 

This weekend is the APDT trial.  Magic and I are going to try to actually practice the rest of the week in hopes of earning his ARCH.

Paw it Forward update

I finally found a store with the right batteries for my camera.  For some odd reason everyone was out! 

Here is the Paw it forward package we received from Penni.  Thanks again! The dogs were tickled with the treats they got to actually eat once I got the picture taken.  We are going to be looking locally for th epork pumpers they were a huge hit!

Thank you to4responders who indicated that they wanted  to participate in the other post.. Although the rules say you should send to 2 responders, since I have 4 dogs playing we are going to send to all 4.  You should get an email from me today requesting an address, if you don't, please just send it!

Quote for the day

Your real performance standards are not the behaviors you expect, but rather the behaviors you accept.

~BJ Gallagher

UWP Grace and Peace, URO2 Magic

Both Grace and Peace earned their UWP (weight pulling) titles this weekend. With the heat and humidity on Saturday which was well over what I would have liked, the kids did really well.  On Saturday Siren pulled 420 pounds  (5th place) for David, which is a huge improvement over her first attempt last month where she pretended she couldnt hear him talking to her and refused to pull at all.  Grace pulled 570 earning her title and 4th place, Magic 630 for 3rd, Peace 690 for second. On Sunday it was just Magic and Peace, Magic went up to 720 for 2nd before calling it a day and Peace decided she was done at 510 for 3rd.  Since David had to work and Grace had already titled they got to stay home and enjoy the limited AC our livingroom has.  Both days Maggie the BC kicked our butts, with a pull on Sunday over 1000 pounds.  She was awesome this weekend.

Magic also did Rally the one time, completing his URO2 with a score of 92, for second place.  Really wet grass outside first thing in the morning caused just way too many interesting smells for really great scores, but hey, I have no issue with that as the horses going by actually distracted me for about a second during the run too.

Peace also picked up a group 3 win and a total dog award for winning in both conformation and having a qualifying run in her weight pull.   Here is a link to a photo of Peace and her ribbons. click here

Paw it Forward

Yesterday I was greeted at the door coming home from work by 3 very persistant girls.  Lots of rooing and hurry ups! Mom come, Mom Look, Mom, MOM  A box.  It smells good mom, All 3 girls went straight from me at the door over to the table where a box stood.  3 noses pressed to said box all the while Grace woofed out the hurry up command.   It didnt take more than a quick glance at the mailing label for me to see that the corgis got mail!
Once the dust settled and the package opening helpers actually let me get the box open, we were amazed at the loot the Baddogs sent us.  Rope toys, a cool linking ring toy, stuffed toys, tracheas, pig hearts and treats!  WOW!  Thank you BADDOGS!

Someone left the camera on and the battery was dead, so we will take a picture of the package later  and post it, assuming I can keep corgi noses away for a whole day. 

So a huge THANK YOU to Penni and Chase, Holmes, Leidy and Inca!  And if you would like to have a Paw it Forward package sent you, please leave me a comment.  I need 2 fellow bloggers who would like to receive and send out and PAW IT FORWARD! Leave me a comment.

Healing and Heeling

Well, with Magic being in healing mode, we haven't done any training in a couple of weeks now. Zero! Now, I am not someone who religously trains every day, but I usually do something every couple of days or so with each dog. But Magic has been on crate rest and wearing a cone. And since he is less that stellar about heeling anyways, I couldn't see practicing a heel position with the big cone slamming into me.  (I swear, he can take you out with that head of his)

But, now his nose is much better, so last night he got to go out and work with me, and he got to have the dreaded cone off to do it.  He was a happy, happy boy and he let it show. He heeled last night, head up, looking at me, focused and attentive. It was beautiful. The best heeling he has ever done!

So maybe he just needs to wear the cone and be on crate rest before every trial?  Just kidding! But it was such pretty heeling.....

Pathology report is in

No cancer thank goodness.  There were 2 different granulomas, but nothing the vet was worried about.  If they reoccur, which is likely, it will be cosmetic.  I can live with lumps as long as I know they are not dangerous for him.  Prayers answered.

Living on Faith

There are a few events coming in this month that I have been planning on all year.  The UKC show on the 17th and 18th and the APDT rally trial on the 31st and 1st. Entries for the UKC show need to be there by the 9th or 10th, which means I need to get them out today.  I am going to go forward on the plan that Magic will be healthy, his pathology report will come back OK. I am entering him in the weight pull and the rally trial. He only needs one leg for his URO2 (rally) so I am just entering once.  I had hoped to be able to enter all 4 rally and both obedience trials, but with the expenses of his care, I can't really afford more. This time, next year, we will be doing ALL the events again. (There is that Faith thing again.)

Then I know I have time before entries close for the APDT trial, but the entries are limited.  I am afraid to wait to enter him, because what if he cant get in? I know they will refund his entry fees if he is not able to work when the time comes, but I have faith that we will be OK.  He is close to reaching his ARCH and I am certain he and I can do this. So I am going to send his entries and pray that he is healthy enough to play, which he should be as I refuse to consider that his pathology report will be bad.  Living on Faith.

No Pathology report yet.

Magic is tired of wearing the cone.  I have been taking it off him when i can directly supervise, but he needs to be watched all the time.  Yesterday with the cone on, he figured out how to hang himself off the edge of the couch and use the corner of the table to scratch at his nose.  Unfortuately, since I had to stop him, I couldn't get a picture.  It was creative.  What a goober.

Magic July 5, and the end of the herding group agility trial

Magic is looking much better.  The only swelling left is right over the location where the big tumor was attached.  Unfortunately, apparently he has an ear infection. So back to the vet we will have to go tomorrow, unless the head shaking stops that is. 

It was a busy weekend for us.  Today was day 3 of our agility trial. I am very happy to report that the trial seemed to be a success.  I heard many great comments from the exhibitors.  The team that put the trial together were awesome. I hope they know how much I appreciated all the work they did. 

Always a happy boy.

Why I love this boy!

Swollen

Poor guy!

Magic

Well the surgery went OK.  They found 2 more small tumors on his nose so those were removed too.  The large one in the middle was solidly attached to the bone, so it was difficult to remove, and required some skin removal too.  She was unable to get really wide margins on the tumors, because of the lack of flesh across the nose.  Tonight it is swelling in really odd ways, bulging below his eyes primarily on the right side. And a little bit of blood has been weeping out near his nose.  I feel guilty, because he is miserable tonight. He can't have another pain pill until morning either. Poor baby.  Now we rest, heal and wait for results.