rising above it all....

Mum:
Rising above the domestic mess, it's time things became positive!!!
We got to Lucy O training whoop!!!! What a lovely evening and so nice to see people again. Jette was on tippy-toes when I said she was going Lucy-jumpies lol!! It didn't really matter what exercises we did, it was all good to be back :-)
Trying for the contact training we've been doing with Lucy, I've devised a set-up from the car involving Willow's car ramp, it's a bit crude maybe, but it works, I can run past the car and set Jette off to achieve a nice contact wait whilst and release...can only build on this and see if it works at Hare N Hounds next weekend!!!

Cheeky monkey even waits whilst her pic is taken lol!!!

We had a lovely walk at Langsett, did the full moorland walk with Flynn and Jake plus got Jette swimming in the res, was just like being on holiday and can't believe how near this is to home!! Lovely company, sunny day, came home all refreshed :-)

So to Hare N Hounds....we had a jumping and agility first thing, I knew the jumping judge set tough (for me) courses so got to the show really early so I could walk it over and over...to be honest my heart sank, I was really looking forward to this but I couldn't see it working for us, rear crosses all the way round and so tight I couldn't work out how to get in front of Jette who hates rear crosses with a passion...so very nearly bottled it... the agility was full of contact traps another nemesis, so had to give myself a pep talk, we'd come all this way we should run it and s*d it if we couldn't make it work...
Agility run was first, we were straight in, no waiting, so I thought, I'll just run it like the car ramp training and, blow me, it worked!! All contacts and clear :-) Was feeling better now for the jumping, ran the ABC first as a warm up and ran clear too, then straight in the jumping...first half of the course was OK, managed to get in front of Jette but after the difficult weave entry, ended up in the wrong place and had to run it from behind for a very scary clear, a bit scrappy but Jette worked it and really helped me out, what a good girlie!!!
Results, 2 more 2nd places yeah!!!!

Best bit about the show though was seeing lots of people, so great to catch up with everyone. Kirsty was there too and we had fab walks with the dogs (including Willow!!!) in sunshine, which just made for a perfect day, everyone was smiling and enjoying the show with loads of ace results. Saffs (who had been really poorly and just recovered) stormed in with wins, Julie with Timmy won up as did Ann so there were plenty of good runs to celebrate, one of the nicest shows for ages :-) Bella did Claire really proud with an 8th in the ABC agility, wow how good is that!!!! Pesky kelpies, who needs them go super-labs!!!

I wish I had a camera to get Tim's finish jumps for Kirsty, he was fast, focused and looked amazing :-)

On the home front, Hols baby says she doesn't want to come out yet...but really it could be anytime, how lovely, scary and exciting all mixed up!!!

on tour....!

Mum:
Last weekend we went on Natalie Mitchell's training day in Cheshire, pre-booked a while ago, we were lucky to get on as Nat had a reserve list of handlers waiting in the wings..
Jette and I loved it and, despite it being quite a long session for us, 2.5 hrs, Jette was really up for it. I knew nearly everyone there too which made for a positive, relaxed, working atmosphere. The exercises were set at an appropriate level with challenges for all of us without being over-faced. Some interesting approaches too, especially liked the reward/startline wait which I've been practising with both dogs ever since. It really increased focus and drive :-) Also a different approach to wing wraps/turns I found easier to understand than some I've tried of late. Good day, hope it's one of many more, would highly recommend to everyone.

Fabulous choice of venue too, Dig It Dogs near Sandbach, easy to get to and great facility! Nice to see Clover and Kirsty in her new posh van too!!

Then, driving home, I cut across to Dove Stones again... weather was very foggy and damp but the dogs didn't seem to mind and enjoyed their walks and play.

What a difference some sunshine makes!!
I could hear Jette snorting under the bedroom door, this normally signals breakfast lol!! Then, squinting, opening eyes, saw the weather, we got sunshine!!!! All day!!! I'd booked hydrotherapy so made plans to drive on from the pool at Luddenden to Hardcastle Crags instead of coming home. Wow what a lovely day, dogs enjoyed themselves hugely and what a fantastic place to visit, Gibson Mill is just such a picture lying at the foot of the steep valley, really atmospheric!

Coming home I stopped off to stretch the dogs legs before bedtime and also to try and get Flynn weaving. I've had use of some stick in weaves from a friend, which will have to go back to her, so wanted to utilise them as much as possible over the weekend. Building on what we'd started to work on at the club, just 10 mins each time both days.... just trying to stop Flynn jumping them instead of weaving through. He did well, seems to be getting it and this time I've removed the toy so he's not going forward haphazardly, it seems to help him think through the movement more, so yeah!! Progress!!

Sunday, another lovely day so off we went to Cannon Hall for ball games and fun. Returning laden with recreational bones from the farm shop for a leisurely doggy Sunday evening, we stopped off again for weave practice and, lo and behold, it seems to be working and Flynn actually went through 6 weaves by himself. Well pleased we've not over worked this obstacle, so he can learn to understand it. Result!!!

What a lovely weekend!! Jette has Lucy O training Tuesday, she'll really enjoy that I know, not sure if we'll have access to these sessions anymore now we're not training with the club at the moment, but maybe we can go on the reserve list if not, Jette soooooo loves her Auntie Lucy!!

We've still not got any regular training in place, which isn't good for Flynn especially, but I'm hope something will crop up for him eventually and, in the meantime, hey, touring is great! (especially when the sun shines.....) :-)

...the best laid plans of mice and men....

Mum:
Isn't it funny, you're just carrying on with everything in life and all of a sudden, overnight, it gets hugely crap....!

Well life is what happens in between....

So along with my OH of 30 years dumping me, housesitting for a friend where there's nowhere to walk dogs....all of a sudden I've lost my agility training slots. It's no-one's fault, just down to club restructuring but there you go, lost! So instead of my lovely Wednesday evenings training with chums, going to shows and camping with mates, I can't afford the new fees/class structure, we'll have to find something else to do, poor Jette's jumpies, poor Flynn's ever-so-nearly weavies!!!
All that work gone...and we were just telling everyone how good the club/training was and how everyone was really enjoying it...ho hum!

Well I've training sessions with Nat and Lucy for Jette, and Jette's got a couple of shows booked too, but Flynny-bobs won't have anything to do so will have to look at new things for him....bummer! It would be hard to place him successfully at another club, most don't 'get' ABC dogs, which was where this club excelled and why Jette responded so well.

I've pulled both Jette and Flynn out of shows booked next year. He was coming-to-play-out for the very first time at NAWS, but can't do agility on a stop start basis 'cos of his elbows, he either does it weekly or not at all as he could easily pick up an injury if his elbow joint doesn't stay conditioned.

Brenda soothsayer remarked I wouldn't be bringing Flynn out till he's 7 and then I'll say he's too old....as it turns out she may well be right!

We will keep ourselves entertained, we'll go on weekend beach trips, forest walks, something all the dogs can manage (including Willow who's doing very well on her new tablets) all of which we'll enjoy and all of which is very nice, but it's just not agility...

So here we are for the first time on tour at Dove Stones