Dashing Dogs

We have just got back from a great but exhausting week at the Dashing Dogs show, all the dogs had a brilliant time, Summer worked really nicely and came away with a 4th and a 5th place and Maisy managed another clear to gain her 2nd jumping win, so only one more to go till we are in grade 3! Amy took Summer & Rupert to the Welsh Kennel Club breed show, I got great news that Rupert qualified for Crufts 2011 and Summer just missed out on qualifying by comming 4th, but her sister and Ruperts Mum came 2nd so also gained a qualifier. Monday came and was a rest day for all competitors and dogs, so Jo, Amy and I took 9 dogs to the beach, it was a brilliant time for the dogs to run off a bit of steam and relax, even if we did get a bit wet in the process!

KCI Festival

I was really lucky this weekend, Steve and Amy had arrived and set up the caravan in advance so all I had to do was turn up on Thursday afternoon and enjoy. We had the most awful weather over the weekend with really heavy rain and thunderstorms, this made walking to and from the rings quite a chore at times, but luckily yesterday decided to at least be dry while we packed up.
Friday was the qualifiers for the Starters cup, and both Ellen & I managed to qualify for the finals on Saturday! I was really nervous on the start and managed to almost send Maisy into the wrong end of the tunnel, but after what seemed like an age she took the correct entrance, she worked all her contacts and then as I released her from the A frame I sent her over the wrong Jump !!!! Ellen and Hamish came out with 5 faults so neither of us managed to qualify for Discover dogs! never mind.. Amy had taken Rupert and Summer to the companion show which was being held on the same site, she had booked Rupert into the any variety puppy class which had over 20 entries and what a clever puppy he took 5th place even though he was thick mud from the waist down (ssshhhh don't tell Sheila) Maisy had a brilliant jumping round and won the class, so thats the first win towards grade 3!! OMG. Yesterday Maisy felt a bit tired and had a couple of poles down in a very fast jumping course and didn't steady enough before the weaves taking the 2nd pole entry but I was still very pleased with her attempts so a great Festival for us.
Over the weekend we couldn't believe how many dogs were getting loose, it amazes me why anyone would leave a dog loose in their netting garden and leave them while they either run another dog or just go walk about! and I had a jolly good moan to this effect on Saturday evening, then on Sunday morning Amy was scribing in the furthest ring away from our caravan, I had left Rupert in the metal crate and Summer zipped into the fabric crate while I ran Maisy, the next thing I know is Summer has unzipped her crate from the inside and run all the way down to find Amy through 17 rings and hundreds of people! I suppose at least she ran to find Amy and not just off on a jolly!! so I am a little bit more understanding now when I hear that tannoy announcement that there is a black and white collies in the secretaries tent!
I can't wait for Thursday to come so we can set off for Dashing dogs, good luck to anyone who's going, hopefully the weather might improve slightly, but I'll pack my waterproofs just in case ;-)

First Grade 2 show Aaarrrgghh

So I've just read Jo's blog and have reminded myself that it's our first grade 2 show on Friday - we have entered the starters cup but I'm not too hopeful because we still haven't managed to sort out our contacts in competition so I've decided to just keep going as the agility part of it is our first competition of the weekend and I don't want to put her off for the Jumping part of it whic follows straight after. Maisy's jumping seems to be on form and I've been practicing her directional commands which are going really well.
Amy could do well if she can gain 2 clears - it isn't unobtainable so long as they both work the round instead of just having a jolly around the ring so fingers crossed for some exciting news on Monday.
Good luck to everyone competing this weekend - I can't wait

Busy times

At last our month off is coming to an end! and I can't wait to get back to some shows, hoping to have a final push before the end of the season. Maisy was quite naughty at training on Tuesday leaping off all her contacts, but at least it showed Sarah what she is like in competition! however her last run of the evening went really well and she felt on great form so fingers crossed I can keep this going for the KC festival and Dashing dogs. Summer has been putting weight on nicely in preparation for her Breed shows and hasn't really done much agility training as she's decided that she HATES horses and as there are 2 in the paddock next to the training field can sometimes be a bit too distracting. but she is only competeing on friday at the KC show so hopefully that will serve as a reminder to set her in good stead for DD. Little Rupert is a star as always, he now knows left and right without any arm signals and somehow manages to execute very tight wing wraps without demoloshing the wings, he is getting more like Smartie all the time and when he gets really excited becomes quite vocal, but whereas lots of dogs become vocal when we don't give clear signals he seems to become louder the more he understands just with the pure excitement of executing something he knows really well and just wants to let everyone know! so this will be something we work on over the winter with Jo.

Bill (the caravan) is going to be tested to the full over the next couple of weeks and Amy and I can't wait to test the new awning and TV.