2009 round up

Well as 2009 comes to a close we can reflect on the highlights of the year and think about our aims and hopes for 2010. The Brickyard Bandits had a brilliant year, we have met so many great people and there is always a feeling of team spirit at flyball shows, something which is sadly lacking from other dog sports, both Jo and I tried our hand at judging which was a real experience and one which we both really enjoyed (mostly!) the young dogs came through their green stages and proved to be valuable members of the team, but we both agreed that we need to concentrate on Agility and therefore the Bandits will no longer be racing, which although sad, really is the best thing, we have been incredibly lucky not to have gained any serious injury's considering Maisy and Ronny are at full throttle all the time.

We have spent most of the year watching Summer grow in confidence before our eye's, Amy mainly focussed on obedience and with a little push also dabbled in flyball and agility, in the beginning Summer lacked motivation which we have found to be one of the downfalls in clicker training, but combining it with motivational training and their growing partnership 2010 looks set to be a good year, having said that she didin't do too badly in 2009, with 3 Crufts qualifiers under her belt that might take some beating for the next 12 months.

Ben & Dylan have had a fairly quiet year, Ben has really enjoyed retirement and the odd outing, however in 2010 he will join us at as many shows as he can manage, especially the camping ones, he really loves his little holidays and most of all he want to be with Amy whatever she is doing. Dylan will be entering more Agility I feel much more confident now in my handling so he will have a great time skipping around in his unique sprollie style, we might not be show stoppers but he dosen't need to know that SShhhhh.

I feel like I have come on a real journey with Maisy over the past 18 months, but I finally feel we are working as a partnership, there is still plenty of work to be done, mainly on my handling but I finally feel like I have my method worked out and the results have started to come, 2 jumping wins and a 2nd and at the past 2 shows only silly mistakes or the odd pole down proves the point, so I am excited about the 2010 season and my goal is simple - maintain a happy partnership, if we get a rosette or two along the way then all the better, obviously in real terms I'd like to progress up the grades but truely I'm really enjoying my dog.

And so to thanks - Thank you to our group of friends who always have something nice to say, who cheer even if it wasn't clear and who scream when it was!! and who share a glass (or two) of wine in the evening to celebrate. Thank you to Clare who has helped me so much and who has rewarded my help with some fantastic results of her own. Thank you to Jo for everything, especially at Portway earlier in the season when I was ready to give it all up! you have been a real friend this year and I'm really looking forward to giving you some good results for your hard work. And a real special thank you to Amy, who is my little rock, she has worked so hard this year with Summer and Dylan and I am rewarded when I see how much they have progressed, at the weekend lots of people commented on your improvement and I know 2010 is going to be a great year for you.

I hope you all have a great New Year and that 2010 brings you all you wish for XXX

Rugby Christmas Agility Show

On Friday night it was my works Christmas Party, I had said I wouldn't drink too much but unfortunately my head had other ideas so Amy drove to the show on Saturday morning with me a little worse for wear in the passenger seat. We were helping at this show and it was a good job that I had to focus my mind on something but luckily Mary kept the tea coming throughout the day so I managed to survive. It was a 1-7 show and the jumping course at first site was a bit mad, however it ran really well with both dogs getting eliminated for taking the tunnel instead of the jump, both handler errors but Amy and I knew that and enjoyed the fact we managed the tricky bits well. Next was agility and I was thrilled with Maisy's contacts and weaves all executed from a distance with ease, I was over commanding as usual so we had a few poles and little Summer went clear, so after a long cold day we came home very happy again.

Wrye Update

Another early start on Saturday but this time Amy and Summer came too. It was one of those days that I really enjoy, no real results Charlie gained a couple of 6ths which was a nice indicator of his progress. The courses seemed quite technical, with some difficult lines but Maisy was really listening, we had a few poles here and there but directionally she was great, Summer was a star again no clears but she remained really motivated throughout the day so we all came away happy with our dogs. yesterday I did a little training with Maisy, just following on from Yvonnes lesson, I'm retraining the contact points for Maisy, it is so frustrating having a dog thats is great at home but is just so wired at shows, her starts are appalling, no sooner have I taken my hand out of the collar and she's off, no matter what I say to her, if I stand still she will realise she shouldnt have gone but by then it's too late!! so as soon as I have this last win under my belt we will not be going past the start without a stay, I know she is more than capable of it she just need to realise she won't get away with not listening from the start. Summer on the other hand has amazing waits on the start, even with dogs and people in close proximity behind her, I'm still trying to persuade Amy to do more shows and more training, Summer would be a real agility Star..

Moan Moan Moan

I was going to save this post for my end of year round up, but recent events made me decide to post now and get it out of the way! As competiors in the lower grades of Agility any place or even a clear round are very precious to us, this usually means something we have been struggling with in training has clicked, or for some, a very long awaited win, with a dog who has been on the brink for a long time has finally come. In the main peoples comments are genuine and very warmly appreciated by those who recieve them, however occasionally there will be ther person who's comments are not necessary and actually quite hurtful when Clare won at Preston we where all thrilled, it was so well deserved, a person whom I have always tried to be supportive of made the comment that it was easy to win out of grade 2 but 3 was a different matter!! Actually Grade 2 was not easy to win out of with Charlie, and it was testement to the hard work that has been put in that won the day. There are also those people who hover outside the ring eagerly waiting for you to put a foot wrong so they can gleefully tell you about your bad handling, you are not doing me any favors, up to now I have accepted their comments and moaned about them afterwards, but no more, do you not think I am aware that my dog broke it's wait? after all I was stood their in the ring right next to her, I possibly even watched her do it, and decided in the nano second I had that I would carry on, do you think I was unaware of the various handling errors I made? but what you were unaware of is that I came out of the ring albeit dissapointed with myself but extatic that my dog was unaware of my mistakes and had a ball regardless, I was thrilled that on this occasion she blasted through the weaves without fault and turned left on my command from a distance, all of these things you missed! In the very wise words of Winnie The Pooh, "If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all". On the other hand, next season I will be making the time to watch more rings in the hope I get some free training tips!! and if I watch your round and find myself impressed I will comment afterwards and it will be because I mean it. If you have been guilty of making negative comments to me in the past, I hope you are a brilliant handler because I will be watching you and when i say nothing to you outside the ring you'll know why!

Trainers!!
What I look for in a trainer be it for Agility or obedience firstly is someone whom I can get along with, it doesn't matter if they are ticket handlers, I have a friend who doesn't even run a dog who has given me some fantastic advice, and I have travelled hundreds of miles for a lesson in the freezing cold, however I am learning all the time what makes a good and bad trainer, I think we should all have an ever increasing list which we should add to each time we encounter a new experience. Recently a friend of mine was told by a trainer that her dog was un-trainable and she should get another dog to start from scratch with! he has had issues with his contacts either jumping them or creeping slowly to them, I know this dog very well and in my mind he is confused, he always tries to please and clearly just doesnt understand exactly what we want, the girl that owns him is 16 and to be told that her beloved pet was not suitable was heartbreaking. You can make your own mind up which list this trainer now falls under, I personally found it shocking and this dog will not be retireing as we now have a point to prove, but we will do it with love and motivation.

Hopefully a much happier post next week after Wyre on Saturday, Maisy was excellent at Yvonnes on Tuesday, Ronny was so funny but I'll save that for another day.