Sunday, April 24, 2011

UKC Rally weekend

This weekend there was a UKC rally trial, held  with the American Eskimo confomration trial.  Magic earned 2 more double Qs and Grace earned one Q toward her level 2 title. Not much great to say about Magics runs, he clearly did not want to do rally this weekend.  He managed to earn placements, but he was lackluster.  Grace was over entheusiastic. Yesterday she did qualify but she was barky.  Today she was quiet for the most part which is good, but she was also much less focused.  She NQd on a pivot as she just squatted and didnt actually sit, and I didnt notice that she was not all the way sitting. My fault as I should have realized it, but, oh well, we know what we need to work on and we have a few months not to get better. There is a UKC trial in July, but its outside and I just dont thinkI can keep her attention outside.  We will see how its going closer to time.

On the flyball front, Magic was very interesting at practice today. We have to work on ignoring other balls as he cant focus on the box. But on the positive side, he did his first full runs down to get the ball and back. He clearly showed us all that he will run much harder when he has competition-he saw the other dog in the other lane and realized it was a race. Or at least is seemed he did because he sure sped up!   He also one time thought he needed to go over to her lane, but just once. 

Also got to watch some frineds dogs in conformation which was fun. Made me sad I hadn't entered Peaceful.I do love showing. Oh well, Premier is not that far away.

Monday, April 18, 2011

videos courtesy of Laura W

Laura and her wonderful husband took video of just about everyone this weekend.  Here is a link to one of Magic's and one of Grace.  Love how happy Gracie is, she really is such a funny girl.

Thank you Laura for sharing these.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Grace and APDT

Wow. I have to eat humble pie tonight.  Grace really surprised me today.  She did terrific, I was really so happy with my little monster princess.  First a couple of things about Grace.  Really she has been given the short shift having me as her partner.  Grace had some obedience, some beginner classes, but other than that really she has been stuck with what I have taught her. And I have not been good about working with her, but we have played around some. I have been saying forever, I "should" get her to some classes and I havent.  BAD Partner!

Grace is quite opinionated and we have been working on trying to not express ourselves in the ring. And I think we are making progress. Today in her level 1 run she earned a 205. She lost 4 points for barking, but that is much much better than at the last UKC trial. WOO HOO.   That also means the rest of the run was really pretty good. 

Then in her Level 2 run, I figured I would lose her during the heeling parts at least once, but nope she was pretty good, with just a few small bobbles. I thought for sure she would NQ on the moving down. I have never taught her that, but she fooled me on that and althought it wasnt perfect, she tried and she downed.  Good girl.  I  knew the bonus exercise was not going to be good. It was a leave your dog turn and down them. Grace has a hard time with the leaving part, but that was OK.  She had no clue on the down, and althought sh ethought she had to come to me to down, she did down.  Good girl! What surprised me the most though was I thought she wouldnt have any issue witht he jump, after all we have been doing agility lately and I thought she would take that easily, but nope, she heeled right past without even a glance.  Silly me, I never even thought that would happen.  Bad handler. So no Q, but many really good moments and best of all, althought there were a few woofs, and a bit of quiet grumbling, she was a lot quieter than I expected.  LOVED that. 

She got a cheeseburger today.

ARCHX and RL2X

Magic was wonderful today as he always is.  Today we ran 5 times, Qd 5 times and again all scores over 200.  Today with his double Q in trial 3 Magic earned both his ARCHX and his RL2X.  We then went on and had a triple Q in trial 4. Such a good boy!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

APDT Rally today

Today was the CDSP obedience trial and APDT rally trial.  I havent registered the dogs for CDSP, but I am gonna have too.  I stewarded for the CDSP and got to watch some very nicely working dogs, and got to hand out several new title ribbons too.

Magic and I played in APDT today. 4 runs, 4 Q's, placements in all and scores ranging from 210 to 201.  I would like to see a litte more consistency in our teamwork.  Overall a little better heeling, but a few too many other mistakes.  I need to get more focused in my training, so next time we do even better. But honestly, it was not bad at all.

However, I think I need a little more humility, so tomorrow Grace plays too. 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Photos

Magic had some more pictures taken. Enjoy.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

First team practice

Magic and I had our first team practice today.   Magic was a very good boy and seemed to be very comfortable working with all those new dogs and people too.  He seemed very confident doing recalls down past the whole line of dogs waiting. He was a little slower doing box work today. Less excited about that.  The only thing we have to try to train out so far is the need to chase balls that the others dogs drop.  He thinks he should go collect those.

I really am enjoying flyball much more than I thought I would.  Actually I am quite surprised at just how much I do like it.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Agility and Grace

Grace has really change in so many ways since we started agility.  She has always been an interesting girl, but since starting agility I have seen several changes.  Fisrt off, she is much more interested in working with me than she used to be. Yet, at the same time she has gotten more vocal about doing things her way than she used to be.  Vocal to the point that she is constantly barking instructions to me-and its carrying over to the obedience ring. I need to find a way to stop it.  I may start pulling her off course when she barks, but I don't know if that is a good way of dealing with it.

  I need suggestions if anyone has any.

When we started agility, she was moving, but more slowly, now, she is showing speed.  Now I need to speed up, but that is a whole 'nuther issue!   Grace has never been interested in toys, and although she will not tug yet, she is starting to at least chase the tug for a minute or so.  Her stays in obeience and home situations have improved significantly, but her start line stays in agility are horrible. She will stay in a down so far, but not in a sit, so I have given in and am using a down.  And although overall she is just as independent as she has always been, she is also more cooperative. I know it sounds like those two things wouldn't happen at the same time, but she makes it work. Thngs like she hasn't really played the you can't catch me game in quite a while. Of course now that I mention it, it will probably happen.

The most interesting change, though, I can't quite figure out if its related to agility or not is her relationship with David.  She has always been very independent.  If she looked to anyone for anything, going out, tummy rubs or begging, it was always me.  Lately, since David started riding along to agility class (his class with Siren is after our class, so we go together) she has suddenly started looking to David for thngs. She now will ask him to take her outside, or go to him for tunny rubs.  Last night I asked her where's David and she ran right to him.  She is 5 and has lived with David for her whole life so I really find this interesting,  I am glad though, because it means if I am busy she will ask someone else to go outside.

I am really enjoying doing agility with Grace, and I am really looking forward to starting our herding lessons too.  Which is something I never expected to think 5 years ago when this really tough puppy had me in tears more often than not.  She is my girl.


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Frustration/Concerns

Entries opened for the UKC Premier on Monday.  Since performance events are limited in number I entered pretty early in the day.  The website for entries states that confirmations will be sent within 5 days.  OK I can wait. But then today I read that some people got the confirmation the same day. So now I worry- did they get it and its being processed, did it not go through- what if there are errors.  WIth all I am reading about entry confusions for the CWCCA National I am just anxious about my entry. My plan was to enter Peace in Conformation the 4 days and weight pull on Friday. WP opened a while ago and I mailed that one. No conformation there either.  I entered Grace in agility all 3 days, rally 1 on Friday and conformation on Saturday.
I just hate the not knowing.

On the plus side, Graces heeling tonight was pretty good.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Flyball Level 3

I know I have said it before, but this dog is just so wonderful.  Tonight was our first class of flyball 3 - a big step in training. A new group of dogs, no more barrier between the lanes and practice involving more than one dog at a time.  Tonight for the first time, we did recalls over the jumps going toward the box- simultaneously in both lanes. We did box turn work, incorporating a jump on the way to the box (new) we worked up to the ball being in the hole, and with the box triggered so it would make the noise also new. We did a passing drill where the dogs were not in the same lane but the jumps were side by side and the release was staggered so the dog going the finishing direction was crossing the line as the one leaving was starting. So although not actually in the same lane they were very close.  No hesitation or concern from Magic at all.

Tonight he made his first bobble with the ball actually dropping it before he reached the jump, but he picked it back up and continued on.  The other thing that I thought was pretty good was on one of his first times going over a jump to get the ball another dog was running in the other lane, he swerved away  like he was going to run over there, but then he remembered what he was doing and came back and self corrected and went over the jump.  I am so tickled with how well he is doing.  Such a good little guy.

Sadly though, an hour of flyball is apparently not enough. All night tonight he has been bringing me the ball begging me to throw it.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Training Plan, adding in Flyball

This weekend I sat down and created a training plan.  I have a hard time going beyond generalities, so this is a stretch for me.  I am not sure how this will work as I tend to blow off schedules, but I am going to give it a try.
One change to the plan will be the addition of flyball practices on Sundays.  I met with the team today and I felt really comfortable with them.  They are a friendly group and it seems like their style will mesh well with mine.  I loved the fact that they are very diverse, all sorts of dogs playing and having fun.   Sort of the play with what you have mentality which I appreciate. There is quite the variety of dogs, some all americans, labs, a sheltie,  IG's and a pekenese. There are more who were not there today, but it seemed like a really fun bunch. They have dogs in all levels of training which is wonderful  So next weekend Magic and I will go to practice and see how that goes. Can't wait.