More Agility Videos

Ok, I know, BORING! But such is life of an agility person.

We had our trial in lovely Dixon, CA. The fairgrounds there sported an especially nasty little stickers that the dogs kept getting in their paws. This sticker had two very sharp pointy ends and when you tried to take it out of their paws, it stuck you. Just lovely.

Dixon also is known to be a little windy. Friday night when I arrived I had no idea. I got up bright and early to the sprinklers that were watering the plants and lawn outside my room. When I opened my door, the wind was so stong, it blasted me with the sprinker water (VERY COLD). I quickly shut the door and wondered what to do. I considered the window in the bathroom, but figured the dogs could make it, but I'd probably break a leg. So we opened the door and ran. No potty for them, just get in the car before the tornado lifts us up and takes us away.

When I got to the show site it was still dark, all the camping spots seemed to be taken and I parked pretty far from the rings in an area I thought would be quite. Well it was quite because it was a garden of thorns! The poor dogs. I moved the van on Sunday, but Saturday we were carrying dogs back and forth.

Lunch was exciting. In my quest to eat healthy, I tried to make a turkey with salad roll up sandwich. All I will say is that it is difficult to make a sandwhich in the wind. I ended up eatting a little bread, and Turkey/cheese rollups as my lettuce was blowing across the field.

We had our ups and downs. The best run of our agility career was the second run of the day on Saturday. Masters Standard. Tazz and I clicked. I did nothing wrong and Tazzie actually was a little speedy!

After the run, I found out I didn't Q. I said, "oh well, such is life." But when I found out that we were EIGHT seconds over time I was totally upset, I could see .25 seconds, or even a half a second, but we really ran well and NO way could we be EIGHT seconds over. I watched the video again and again looking for areas we could save time. I started to wonder whether this was the right sport for Tazz and I. I tried to just shrug it off, but I'll be the first to admit, I woke up a little depressed on Sunday morning. What I found out once we got to the agility trial made me feel really good. Turns out that there was a problem with the measuring wheel. They made the adjustment and Tazz "Q'd!!!!" Whew!

Here was our first gamble attempt. Notice my warm fuzzy hat and multiple layers. It was chilly AND windy. Tazz had a pretty good opening for Tazzie, but once again, that invisible string that attaches us kept him from gong into the tunnel for the gamble. It was a doable gamble "IF" he went in the tunnel. No gamble on Saturday.

This was our steeplechase. A couple late crosses kept us out of Q range, but he really had a nice ending.

The rest of the runs we had our ups and downs. His jumpers run on Sunday looked good but a little slow, I was really trying to run fast to speed him up and left him in the tunnel. In his quest to catch me, missed a jump (I felt that the tunnel to jump was a straight line, but in watching other dogs I see you really needed to support the jump).

Fin was a joy. She played chuck-it. Got to walk around. Played Tug. Worked at the practice jump. Met alot of people and dogs. Ate half my sandwich that blew off my chair on Saturday. Wrestled with her BC buddies. Made her mama happy. She is such a happy soul.

A long windy weekend that maybe wasn't our best, but we came home with that Standard Q and that was worth the sand blasted skin, ouchy stickers, raw lips, and lost salad makings.