A Hot Summer Day

After a long 4 mile hike, cleaning out the hot shed, and organizing the garage, what's a boy to do? Soak in the pool. Some dogs like to swim, but Tazz is just happy as a clam to hang out and rest his weary muscles with a cool dip. Noodles are for hanging out and soaking in some rays. Tazzie is liking his hair cut...the pool filter is liking it even more.

Now that he has figured out the noodle use, we may never get him to swim again!

Oh yeah, I was there too. Just trying to cool off and enjoy what's left of our day.

AKC Weekend Update

Tazz Jumpers Saturday...the dog is looking like an agility dog (at least in jumpers)! Sporting a new "due" the boy is running mighty fine. I notice some hesitancy at the spread jumps, but other than that, one of Tazzies best runs.

Fin Standard Sat. Really nice (although a late rear cross resulted in a spin at near the end).

Fin standard Sun. A nice clean run.

Tazz Jumpers Sun. Another fun run. An angel of mercy came down and saved the weave pools, but other than that, it was all Tazzie!

Trial Report

Mount Diablo put on a great show. My complements to the trial committee and all the volunteers.

Saturday the skys were clear and our runs fun. Sunday it was pouring and I ended up leaving after one run. Came home and took a nap. Sorta weird driving over 4.5 hours for a run that lasted 60 seconds.

Tazz 2 out of 3 runs (both Standard Q's and has an OA after his name now).

Fin 1 out of 2 runs (her NQ in standard, me...not her ).

Saturday:

Tazzies Open standard course was hard. Sorta the Excellent course with a few minor modifications. He was slow and steady and Q'd. He was the only dog in the class that Q'd so he got 1st and a cute toy. Next Tazzie ran jumpers. Lot's of people were having off courses, but it was a good course for Tazz. He started out slow but speeded up the last half. He was clean, but not fast so NQ...1 second over.

Fin. First run was jumpers. I felt the course was very straight forward with some difficulty at the end as jumps were really close together. She did a really great job but checked in with me at the end which slowed her up a bit. It was enough for a Q and first place. She really looked good. I was actually surprised as she wasn't her usual manic self. Her run wasn't until 2 in the afternoon and I had walked her alot, played ball, and just before her run did circle and one jump work. All the exercise helped get her mind into it. I feel she wasn't as fast as I've seen her, but despite me not being where I wanted to be, she was a good dog.

Second run was standard. My expectation was she wasn't going to do her contacts. My plan was to exit the ring if she didn't hold her contact. I walked the course with that in mind. She held her contacts. :) I, unfortunately mis-cued her at the weaves and she took an off course tunnel...then after the teeter, I handled poorly and she ended up missing the tunnel entrance. This was totally my fault. I consider the run a success as she did her contacts in competition. For me, my improvement needs to be in the game and not dwell on my mistakes (after I mis-cued her, I kept thinking about what I did wrong and that resulted in the mis-cue at the tunnel).

All in all, a good first AKC trial. AKC is definitely different. I was really worried about the new leash rule, but Tazz was excellent and did not leave the ring until I had him leashed. Fin was very good and jumped into my arms at the end of both of her runs so the judge did not have to yell at me. As AKC trials go, this one was really relaxed. I knew quite a few people there and it was fun to meet new people.

Next trial March 14. USDAA. Pray for contacts.

Note: A big thanks to Susan and Kraig for videoing my Fin runs. This allows me to see what I'm doing wrong and improve my handling.

The Weekend Was Fun

Three videos to wet your whistle. I'm too busy for all the dirty details. Suffice to say, the weekend was "da bomb!" Tazzie got a grand prix and Super Q! He is now a SCH-br (snooker bronze). Fin was amazing. 3 out of 6 q's ...two of them a little dirty, but the one that Laura ran her in jumpers....simply amazing!

Stories to tell about our hotel, and all the weird things that happened. But the weekend results should keep me happy for at least a week.

Still have a ton of training to do with Fin. Contacts...really not good. Jumping...oh yeah baby! Directional cues...good for the most part. Start line stay...perfection. Weaves...speedy and beautiful. Me...needs improvement.

Tazz n I super Steeplechase. Fastest weaves he's done in competition in a year!

One last one....me running Fin in Jumpers:

Introducing "The Bi-Polar Express!"

This weekend we will find ourselves running agility. Yes my friends, in December. Who's crazy idea was this? It will be a high of 40 (ok, ok, I know...but to me it is "COLD!"). It is going to rain. But agility playing we will be doing. It is a covered arena after all.

This is the first opportunity to get a DAM team "Q" for the 2009 USDAA Nationals. Tazz got his Q last year at this trial with the "Blue Dog Group." This year, his team name is "Bi-Polar Express." My team mate is none other than Ruby of "Team Small Dog!" (http://www.teamsmalldog.com/)

How does Tazz get to run agility with such a famous Internet Blog star? Well, Laura "H" and I were discussing how our dogs are "special" and decided that we'd make either a fabulous team, or we'd crash and burn. Sounded like a good idea at the time.

When Laura "P" got wind of this, she said, "Oh you guys should be like the bi-polars!" Giving it a christmas theme, we became the Bi-Polar express.

Ruby and Tazz sound made for each other, what with the meltdowns, judge phobia, contact jitters, A frame avoidance, leash aggression, and inconsistent fears there is sure to be some excitement this weekend.

Wish us luck. Fun we will have, Luck we will need

Fun Match Report

Fun times! A very small fun match at Fionas Farm. Cool, difficult courses.

Very relaxed and lots of time for walk throughs.

Fiona's farm is located in Brentwood. She does fun matches a few times a year. I see alot of newbies there and the matches seem well run, friendly, and relaxed. Here is a link to their web site: http://www.fionasfarm.net/

The harder standard course presented some interesting challenges. I had no problems at all until 7-8. What I noticed is that trying to front cross, if you didn't get there super quick, all the dogs were going wide. Fin practically took the A frame my first attempt. If you didn't do the front cross, then you were rear crossing and way behind late for the teeter. The other area of major difficulty was the closing. Timing of the rear cross had to be perfect or else dogs went into the weaves.

Here is the jumpers course. No major issues, just getting behind on 17-18-19, Fin needs to drive better.

Fin was everything I know she can be with a little chaos thrown in for good measure. I did 6 runs total (that's alot in 3 hours). I didn't do whole courses at first. Just looking for challenges and opportunities for reinforcement. Got to work rear crosses and tight turns. Contacts were GREAT! She played the entire time I was there and at the end I stood talking to a friend and she layed down in the dirt and took a nap (a very good sign of a tired dog).

Tazz just wasn't himself, I think a little stiff. Balked at the A frame and triple. Had no problem with everything else. I decided after 4 runs that was it for him (2 standard and 2 jumpers). He did lunge at a few dogs, but only half heartedly, he is sleeping in his dads lap right now, I'm sure he'll be better by Power Paws on Tues.

A "well worth the drive" kinda day. Now gotta get ready for TG!

A Madera Weekend

Madera is always one of my favorite venues. This weekend, the entries were small and we finished in time to get home, take showers and have dinner with the husbands. We did have to get up at 4:50am to drive back, but dinner with Kel was worth it (and sleeping in my own bed).

I really liked our judge. His courses were challenging without being over the top.

First up on Sat was pairs. Usually one of my least favorite classes, this pairs was fun. It was so long that it felt like a mini standard run. Not very many clean runs, but Tazz got through clean and his parter got through with a couple faults, but still under course time so "Q Baby!"

Next we did standard. I thought it was doable. Tazz was first of the day, he was perfect, just slow:


Havoc was next. A couple close calls, but miracle of all miracles, he didn't call any refusals....until 3rd jump from the end she went around it, great time, just no "Q."



The rest of the day was like that. Laura asked that I work contacts in gamble, so I did and Havoc was a good girl. Just didn't want to go out to the Teeter. It was a repeat performance for Tazz, good in the opening, no gamble.

Grand Prix was a pretty tough course. Was fun though. Tazz was a good boy and ran for Laura. He stopped at the 4th jump and looked confused (I think he was looking for me) and got a refusal. But the rest of the course he stayed with Laura and was a good boy. Havoc was almost too good at the beginning. There was some nice parts...then there was the part that she went around the teeter :)

Havoc Standard on Sunday


Tazz on Sunday was a story of slow. He just didn't have the speed needed. His standard was his best run of the day, but he missed the dogwalk contact. Otherwise a pretty good run.

The trial was over by 1:00pm! Came home, greeted everyone, played ball, then went over the gym and did 45 minutes of cardio. I felt that even though I had an active weekend, it was probably good for me to do some extended cardio since everything I did was in short burst.

Came home, had dinner and fell asleep on the sofa.

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.

Surprize!

Well, I'm going to admit. I've been feeling down about Tazzies runs. I know I'm usually a pretty positive person, but this last weekend was somewhat disappointing. Even I need to take a sanity break and ask myself, "why?"

So I go to the USDAA website to see whether results have been posted and what do I find? I find that Tazz actually Super Q'd in July! That's TWO super Q's ...only one more to go. For those of you who don't know what a super q is, keep reading...for those of you that do, skip a paragraph.

A super Q is something you get for a fun game called Snooker. If Tazz is in the top percent of the scores he gets a super q. I can qualify in Snooker with only 38 points, but I need alot more than that usually to be in the top percent. To get a Snooker championship I need three super q's.

So lesson learned. No matter how bad I think we are doing, I should go look at those darn score sheets. I might find surprisingly good news!

Tazz gets his AAD, Havoc gets her PII, and Vici still coughs

First I have to give a BIG shout out to Trish who drove down, stayed the night, got up at the ungodly hour of 5:30am, and helped me out for the SMART trial. I would have LOST my mind on Friday had she not been there.

Second, a huge thanks to Kel who helped maintain my sanity by doing whatever I asked and then a few things I didn't ask and held me when I wanted to lay down and let my flu take over.

The trial was fun. Lots of work and a few things to do still, but almost all done. I heard very nice things and the entire trial committee should be congratulated for a job well done.

I did go. Coughing, sneezing, and a somewhat altered state of voice..but go I did. Saturday I only ran Tazz in Gamblers, Snooker, and Standard (well, ok I did try to run steeplechase but forgot the course and ran out of the ring). Laura ran him in grand prix for me and he did really well, staying with her the whole time. He would have Q'd, but he stopped twice looking for me.

The highlight of Saturday was Tazz and Havoc both "Q'd" in their standard runs and got their Advanced Agility Dog title (AAD) yipppee! (Havocs title is PII which is the same as an AAD just Havoc jumps a lower jump height).

A big Whoo Hoo to Laura! Here is Tazzies run.


Fin, Maddie, and Rocks stayed home with Dad this weekend. I felt that being the secretary, running Tazz, and resting were about all I could do. So I stuck to the plan. I do want to say that I started to feel better on Sunday and missed her a bit, but Kel got to enjoy her and she seemed happy enough being with him.

Overall it was a fun weekend and my exile is over. I'm feeling even better today and I think I've knocked this flu out of the ball park.

And finally, my creative Snooker. I had a plan. I practiced my plan. I showed the plan to Tazz. Tazz had his own plan. We went' with it...and ALMOST finished :)