Consistancey

So not written much recently, but we're just back from 5 days at Dog Vegas and have had a great few days. On Friday Jo was judging and I was down to scrime all day for her, and when you are committed to working all day it does take your edge off a bit, although I was really pleased with Ruperts runs, the wind and rain made it hard going!, Saturday arrived and so did the sun, we had a much better day gaining a sticky clear in one of the jumping and a lovely one in the other jumping affording us a 1st and a 2nd place (so a bit closer to grade 7).  Sunday was my birthday, I woke with a headache that remained all day, this is probably what hampered my performance as Rupert and I didn't have a good day at all, there were some great bits but we couldnt get it together at all.In the evening Jo and Rich invited me to dinner which was lovely and then we headed to bingo where we met up with Lucy - I think i heard the birthday song about 9 times in total and then a suprise cake! we had such a laugh so thank you Jo & Rich, it was lovely :-) Monday came and we were back on top, another great clear in the agility with just a little detour between the 2 tunnels resulting in another 2nd place, and then the rain returned on Tuesday I had 2 nice agility classes, making silly mistakes and then I stayed for the jumping, the rain really started to come down and I was regretting my decision to stay, but Rupert was brilliant again just taking a pole on a tight turn so I drove home extatic with him.  It was also really nice to hear some lovelty comments from people saying how good he is looking and like he is ready for grade 7! I just need to catch him up. Cant wait till Hinkley on Saturday - bring it on..

Wallingford

What a lovely spring weekend, Sun shone and we arrived looking forward to our pairs with the Mali's, Rupert and Zippy went first and Rupert was splendidly E'd LOL , Summer and Keisha got through to the 3rd round as amazingly did Ronny and Maisy who were the most fun out of all of them, they are so funny as soon as they get together they just go even madder than normal!
Rupert had a couple of good runs, he is really trying to keep those poles up, in his agility I got him E'd for not getting in place quick enough and he took 2 poles in his jumping, again down to me for over commanding him. Summer didn't get to run her courses as we had to get away early but she had a great time in the pairs event and ran really very well.
Sunday was an exhausting day, both Amy and I were really tired even before the day began, so a quick stop off at Maccy D's was needed. again we had the pairs, only today we were the only ones in the ring as it wasn't a knockout. Summer and Keisha set the pace with a lovely double clear, although did run an alternative route which made us laugh! Maisy and Ronny had another great time, Ronny took the first pole and Maisy had a pole and then we totally missed a jump LOL and it was Ruperts turn to go clear, with Zippy taking the wrong end of the tunnel, one day those two will get it together and will be amazing!! just not this weekend. Rupert also ran a brilliant agility just taking the last but one pole, still not quite quick enough, I've spent so much time working on his jumping I now need to re-visit those tight turns, we had just under a second to make up, and we had a clear in the jumping, albeit very messy, I nearly lost him 3 times in my state of panic! but a clear is a clear and I was over the moon with our consistancy.
Summer was again brilliant in the pairs, and had some really lovely moments in her other 2 classes but she still seems a bit off, not sure how to explain it but she just isn't her normal self, so she will do the shows she's booked and then take some time out, perhaps do a bit of obedience for the latter part of the season.
Amy took Maisy into the grade 3 jumping, all I can say is LOL!! for a 9 year old collie she was certainly running rings around the set course, very well done Amy for piloting her around, I can only describe it as a hurricane in a tin can.... if only she had managed a clear I'm sure she would be grade 4 now.
Brucie came for the ride and had a great time playing with his friend Rumble, he is back with Dave Munnings on Friday so hopefully he will see how well he is progressing.
We have a weekend off next weekend and then we are off to Shrewsbury for the show and then a few days holiday, I cannot wait.

Not so sunny Shuttleworth

We arrived on site at about 5:30pm after driving through intermittent torrential downpours!, We found a camping spot and began setting up - the ground was VERY wet as were my spirits.  After setting up and walking the dogs we decided it might be a bit cold for Brucies first night in the awning so ended up with all 3 of them in the caravan! we didin't get much sleep.
Saturday morning came all to quick, we had 3 courses to walk each and I was down to Scrime all day for Lou. It was a bit of a rushed morning and although Rupert was working well, I let him down by either over commanding or rushing where I didn't need to so although we got 4 spectacular E's I was actually quite pleased with some of the work we had done.  Amy and Summer had a difficult day, I only got to see one of her runs and she was just not herself, we put it down to the shooting that was going on not to far away, but no clears for her.
Sunday was a different day, we woke up to sunshine!!! although it was quite blustery there was no rain Woopeeee. Again I had 3 courses to walk! and Amy had 2, they were nice courses with some tricky elements, not too naggy or stupid.  Rupert was listening much better, and we only had 1 pole in the combined 5-7 agility, my fault as I didn't que him well and he had to make his own decision but apart from that I was thrilled, he also only took 1 pole in the jumping class, right near the end just as he came out of the tunnel, again I rushed off when I really didn't need to so I was actually very pleased with him. He actually was placed in the agility class - 15th with 5 faults and a long held dog walk contact! Summer again was not working well - she was choosing to skip around some of the jumps so we thing she is probably under the weather! so this week she is on light work only, and having a lot more Amy time :-) we'll see how she goes next weekend - we gave her a lovely massage last night, which she really enjoyed.
Brucie had a ball, wondering around, meeting up with his sister Luna, playing with his mate Rumble and generally enjoying the fresh air, he does need to learn that you sleep in the caravan when the lights go out not fling your toy around your crate!! I have a feeling he will definitely be in the awning at Shrewsbury.

Bretford Update

So the show went ahead, albeit indoors - I really hate indoor shows but as Amy reminded me it was better than no show.  We decided that we would still take the caravan as we wanted to take Brucie and have a trial run before the main show season gets underway, but it was freezing, not so much at night, as we were well equipped with hot water bottles and our onsies.
So Saturday was a bit of a blur really, Summer was brilliant and ran extremely well gaining 3 nice clear rounds just out of the places, Ruby came for the day and had an amazing jumping round going clear in a faster time than Summer, Amy even said she felt like a "proper" agility dog! bless her labradoodle socks. But Rupert was - Well - a bit predictable, he had 3 okay runs but was very naughty in the final jumping just being lazy and taking most of the poles ending up with me taking him out and back to the car PDQ! so I was dissapointed. Sunday morning came and we had thick ice on our windows - it was a COLD day.  we had a combined 4-7 agility course to walk first thing and were happy with the course set, Rupert was a very good boy and had his listening head on, as the course progressed he wasn't touching any poles and before I knew it he had gone clear, what a clever boy. Jo told me we were in 2nd place at that point so I was very pleased with that, Then Amy took him in the Drontal class and he had another clear round! again very good, and I think he only had 1 pole all day  - at the prize giving for my agility class I was getting ready to collect the 2nd place but to my amazement I had actually won the class and Jo and Amy had told everyone not to tell me!! they are devils! so we had our first grade 6 win :-) Amy also came 4th in her class with him and Summer was again really excellent and got a 2nd in her grade 4 jumping WOW a brilliant day.
We actually took the caravan home on Sunday afternoon meaning we would drive up on Monday, so after a great day yesterday what would today have in store - well as exppected Summer was tired and it did show although she still manages 2 clears, just a bit on the steady side, Rupert had a brilliant agility round just taking 1 pole where I panicked a bit and had another clear in his jumping finishing 3rd. ion the other two rounds I was a bit crap! sorry Rupert... but he was really consistent so I'm a very happy easter bunny.  I think the total weekend tally was Summer 6 clears and a 2nd place and Rupert had a 1st a 3rd and a 4th. Fingers crossed we can keep it up.

March Freeze

25th March and it feels like -6 outside with the ground covered in snow! we have our fingers and paws firmly crossed that the ground clears before the weekend, however I doubt it will and i'm afraid the Bretford will probably have no choice.
We took Brucie and his little friend Islay to their first Dave Munnings course on Friday morning, it was seriously cold (well for me as a spectator) but they were both little stars, and so much fun to watch, they saw lots of new things and both Amy and Sally came away with lots of homework before the next on in a months time.  We spent the rest of the weekend at the training barn, Saturday was our club match, we had entered 3 dogs, Rupert, Summer and Ruby, Both Ruby and Summer did really well, with Ruby gaining a 2nd place in the steeplechase and Summer comming 4th in the agility.  Rupert although was brilliant in most ways was knocking more poles than normal, perhaps the lack of training over the past few weeks has made a difference but I have to admit to being REALLY dissapointed.  Sunday was the Barn show, again Summer and Ruby were really good, just having the odd pole here and there, and again Rupert knocked lots of poles!! but I had taken Maisy who was a star, I had forgotten just how mad she was, and at 9 years old I couldn't ask for more, god that dog can shift.
Lots of fitness training this week for Rupert, we then have a 3 hour session with Dave Munnings on Thursday and then we may or may not be heading for the Easter show.

Blinking Weather

Rupert is all back to normal now after his op, so we are starting back to training this week.  We have a match on Saturday and a little show at the barn on Sunday which Maisy is going to LOL that could be fun! 
Brucie is growing really fast, he's on the floor now, getting into mischief.... but such a lovely young man, Amy has started her local puppy classes, it's the 2nd one tonight, and she has her first foundation class with Dave Munnings on Friday, so there will be lots to talk about after the weekend i'm sure.
We went to the last Bitz and Bobz show of the season yesterday, Amy took Ruby and Summer, both dogs ran quite well, Summer has some blinding moments of brilliance followed by plenty of can't really be bothered moments! which is obviously frustrating for Amy, however we are looking forward to taking her to the outside shows, so long as they don't get cancelled, I just have a gut feeling we may be staying at home for easter if this Blinking weather doesn't buck it's ideas up!! very depressing....

Playdates

Brucie had his second playdate with his new girlfriend Islay, she's a lovely blue merle collie who's just 1 day older so an ideal play pal.  After a lovely play session they almost stood still long enough to get some pictures, here is our favourite one, he just looks so cute.

Rupert had his op on Tuesday and all went well, I keep checking and he doesn't seem to have any infection, however we have an appointment at the vets tonight for a check up and then again next week.  Apart from him being a bit peed off with me on Tuesday evening he seems to have forgiven me now :-) so he's getting a two week holiday from training, means he'll miss out on the next Laura training session, but i'm sure we'll catch up.