Exciting times

Many things are happening.  We've got a fun dog show this weekend.  Yet another USDAA. Fin and I are ready. 

Family comes on 4th of July then a very busy long working weekend getting a fence up around our agility field.

July 13-15 is an event to remember.  I will be CAMPING!  No, not in the forest.  At York school for the SMART USDAA agility trial.  Normally I would drive back and forth, but my husband is having poker night and lord, I will stay away.  Why set up the tent for only one night...so I'm doing both nights.  This will be my first ever night in a tent.  I'm sure it will be interesting.

I've been working on Maddies hair cut.  My goal is to make a smoothie.  We are getting there.  Photos will follow the successful completion.  Right now, well, it is pretty rough.

Tazz is doing well and enjoying life. 

Rocks is super stoked to have received a brand new "orange" ball.  He is sleeping with his ball right now.

Apricotts!  Oh my.  Yummy goodness.  The birds have pretty much eaten all my peaches (I did get a few), but apricotts.  Yum.

My full time job. Busy.  My part time job.  Busy.

That's all folks.

Wine Sunflowers

I love sunflowers.  Really do.  I plant them in the garden, but they never make it.  Decided to plant in the flower garden around the pool as I always keep that watered.  Sure enough, grow they did.  They grew so much that I have trouble actually seeing them.  Taller than my husband.

They are not yellow.  Not sure what I was thinking when I purchased the seeds, but these are Chianti sunflowers.  Very pretty.  Deep burgandy with an edging of gold.

The bees love em.  Lady bugs seem drawn to them.  A little green grasshopper lives on one.  I adore them.

Next year, yellow.  I'm getting and planting yellow!

Update on Tazz

I knew all would be well with the world when Tazz lunged at a golden yesterday morning.  The little turd is back!  Still very tired and not quite solid in the output (if you know what I mean) but all in all, the boy is feeling really good.

I gave him a bath yesterday.  He still was a little weak, but I couldn't wait.  Gone is the stinky sick boy.  Here is the fluffy fresh as a daisy boy.  Now when he walks down the hall, the other dogs don't sniff and back away.  You know you smell pretty bad when your best mates don't want to hang around you!

Runs from Woodland

Got in a couple runs before I left for home.  Master standard was a Q, but GP was such a fun run and a pretty good run.  My feet just didn't point in the correct direction and I got a refusal on an attempted rear cross.  But other than that, I thought my timing on the opening was great...ok, darn dog did NOT stick her A frame.  Will work on that (my continuing saga).  But the ending, she listened really well and just went for it.  Love my little Finnie Fin Fin.

Master Standard



Grand Prix

Ya don't get the highest highs without some lows...

Drove up on Friday per my plans.  Ran Fin in Gamble and worked contacts, but didn't get the gamble.  Ran standard, super job, second place :)  Grand Prix...aaaaahhhh! a refusal on a rear cross, otherwise a beautiful run.  Then got the phone call we all hate.  Tazzie is really sick, please come home.

Long story short, Tazzie has been in Emergency Care since yesterday morning.  We don't know why, but he has terrible stomach flu type symptoms.  Could be he ate something, could be a blockage, could be something more sinister.  It took hours of IV fluids and meds before he was considered stable.  I thought maybe he was getting better, but last night symptoms returned and it was a rough one.  As you can imagine we've agreed to whatever care he needs.  I've spent as many of the past 24 hours with him that they will allow (small emergency clinic and he is hooked up to hydration..not room for visitors).  The care is great and looks like he'll probably spend another night there.

He is getting better.  Still won't touch food.  But my last visit with him, in my opinion he was best I've seen him since I left on Friday afternoon and he was running around chasing the sprinkler.

Hate to see any of my dogs sick.  But those of you who know me know that my little Turd holds a very special place in my heart.  I hate to see him sick like this :(  The question that is foremost in my mind is why?  What in the heck is going on with the little Dude.

Amended 9:47pm:  Tazz is home!  Got the call to come get him, he finally ate and I rushed up to get him (thanks Trish for helping)!  He is sleeping on the sofa with his dad right now as I'm cleaning beds and making up our bedroom with an xpen for him.  Still don't know what happened (anywhere from ate something to an alergy to something).  At this point doesn't matter.  what matters is he is home and seems very happy (albeit very weak).

Heading to heat...hopefully we'll be hot too!

Off to Woodland California.  106 expected on Saturday. 

I had this idea I would try camping.  I looked at the weather and said, "Laura, I'm staying in the trailer."  Air conditioning here I come.

Traveling with a great group of people and will enjoy the potluck we call lunches and dinner. Looking forward to fun conversation unless we are all so hot we just stare into space and wish for fog.

Fin gets to go while her brothers and sister stay home in a cooler environment.  She say's, "What?  I want cold weather too!"  Ah well.  Off we go.

Courses for MHDogsports this week

A Snooker Course

Such a fun course and we got through it!!  Mostly because of Fin's most awesome weave entrances...and possibly because of my screaming.

The best part of this run is my friend was running in the next ring in Steeplechase.  In her video you hear me screaming, "Fin, Finnie, Fin" and in my video I hear her yelling, "go on, go on"...maybe I was a bit louder!

Trip to Oregon was good.  Two long days of driving.  Fun times with my good friend.

Course this week at Morgan Hill Dog Sports

This weeks courses focus on tunnel/A frame discrimination, running fast to weave and tunnel entrances, threadles, and on really hard 270.

This first course relied on a lead out and your ability to get up to 3 sending to 4 to get the correct turn to the weaves.  If you are too far back you had to RC 3 wrap 4 and put the dog in the tunnel.  FC 7 to 8 and run.  

This next one was much fun.  We all handled 1 to 3 the same with a FC from 2-3.  Most serped 4 to 5.  FC 8-9 and then GO!  Dogs really had to take the double on their own so handlers to run up to support 12.  An option would be to RC 11 and RC 12.  Most dogs had no problem independently taking 13 and we changed the ended to do tunnel then weaves as we felt the handlers would kill themselves trying to get down to that weave entrance.

For this next one we all led out to the end of #2 tunnel, called the dogs and sent into the weaves and let the dogs do the weaves while we stood there.  On completing the weaves we ALL rewarded, then started over.  Most go the FC between 5 to 6 to push to the weaves, but many also RC 5-6 and that worked as well.  If you are good at threadles 11-13 not so bad.  If you are like me and hate the threadle, it is tough.  Most had trouble getting the backside of 14 but once there, serp and RC out.

Hope you enjoy these exercises for the week.  Can be built on a 50x 90 field.

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character

A quote from Albert Einstein.  I think he was very wise.  When it comes to attitude, a positive, happy attitude goes a long way to a happy life. Your attitude determines how you feel and what you project to the world.

Truly sums up how I feel about agility.  Attitude is everything.  There is no reason on this planet that any person doing agility should feel anything but Joy.  You can put in hours and hours of training, seminars, reading, and practice, but that will not bring the joy.  The joy comes from inside you, the connection you have with your dog.  If you get to the field and you don't feel the joy, got to go back to basics and find out what the heck is going on.

Yes, there are days of frustration.  Yes there are days of self doubt.  Yes there are days that anger creeps in.  Yes negativity in the world comes down on us.  It wouldn't be fun if emotion weren't part of it.  The highs are high because the lows are low.

But the light of going out and enjoying the day with your dog should bring a sense of joy to your heart.

The other day I was at a trial.  I was standing getting ready to go in and I was a bundle of nerves, I was smiling trying to get my head in gear.  I really didn't believe I could do the course but I was trying to make myself believe.  A very good friend came up beside me.  I said, "Hi."  She said, "I believe in you, you can do it."  Wow, just wow.  I am one of the luckiest people in this world.  Seriously. 

A load of people are writing about attitude today. Take some time to read their posts: http://dog-agility-blog-events.posterous.com/pages/attitude

I found a post I did early this year.  Interesting how I speak about the joy of agility and it aligns with attitude: http://www.kvk9.blogspot.com/2012/01/joy.html 

A fun fun fun trial in Turlock this past weekend.  Loads of great stuff.  One Q in Snooker.  Many things to work on, many more things to be very proud of.

First on Friday had a little issue with my handling from the table to the dogwalk.  I must must must remember that from a stop Fin will come in to me and that I need to hold my position.  However, the opening was a beautiful site.  So many dogs ate it way before the table.  I was really proud of my handling on that opening. 

I did go off course on the tunnel/A discrimination.  Interesting.  I just didn't push that line enough and she elected to take the A frame.  Actually it is a good thing as I've had trouble with her ALWAYS taking the tunnel.  So we are getting better...unfortunately, this time it actually was the tunnel (can't take those for granted any more).



Fins table needs some fine tuning.  I'll let the video tell the tale.


Dinner at the Bistro was AMAZING!  Yum!  Even better, shared the meal with good friends.

My list of what to work for this summer is growing.  So happy to have a hobby that I can continually find areas to improve.  It makes it fun.