Ups and Downs

Had class last night for Fin.

Popped the weaves 4 times. Brain totally fried. Then, she starts doing the weaves, wicked fast and stops at the end. Just stops. Looks at me. Targets the ground. Looks at me. Does this new thing 3 times. Oh Booooyyyy! This is fun, NOT!

The popping out. I need to work more on running by her as fast as I can. That's what I was doing last night and she wanted to chase me and then didn't know what to do after that. I think the stopping behavior happened because she was confused as to what I wanted.

She was really wired. Took out a jump. I'm not really happy as she can hurt herself. I know it is my fault. I wasn't where I needed to be, she got out of position and when I redirected her she slammed into the side of the jump. No self preservation.

Last run of the night was the best, but it was so dark, I was having trouble seeing.

I need to run faster. It is what it is.

So the confidence that I had from Sunday. The cockiness and swagger...well those are gone now.

I'm just a humble agility bum praying to the agility god in the sky for fair weather, good turf, and a dog that can break her crack habit.

Ho Hum

No blog today...just a few words.

Nothing inspirational.

I'm just trying to get used to this darn time change.

Here's a pic to jog your memory. Fin is 9 weeks old here. She was a bundle of joy!

I'm Starting to Get "It"

Today my phone rang at 5:30am. It is my friend Laura. She's like, "Hey, are we meeting at 8:15?" I'm like, "Laura, do you realize it is 5:30AM?" She says, "Vici, it is 7:30!"

Now I'm confused. "Are you telling me we are meeting in 45 minutes?" I ask. Exasperated she responds, "Yes you dingbat! You lied to me and said we get an extra hour but we actually loose an hour! You set your clock wrong." I hang up and still not believing her, run into my office where my screen saver tells me it is 7:30.

"Kel! Help me! I need to leave in 30 minutes!" Since both of us were out with friends last night, we are feeling the effects of a late night out. He takes the dogs potty while I run around getting ready.

Out of the house and almost on time, I pick up Laura and we head down to Hollister for a wonderful morning running jumpers courses with friends. "Rob" was our trainer today and he had some really cool courses to work our dogs. Everyone did well.

I worked my acceleration and deceleration and at the end started to feel my timing was getting pretty good. My rear crosses were working and we ran clean our last run of the day. A very good feeling.

Fin Teeter on Saturday Standard

Here is a series of Photos taken at the trial on Saturday of Fins Teeter. I thought they were fun. The pics were taken by Dog Gone Digital.

This first one Fin is running to the end of the teeter, she is almost to the end and it is still at full height, just starting to go down.

Here she is at the end and the teeter is making downward progress. I like how she is working hard to ride the teeter. Head down and shoulders bent.

Here is where she starts to get a little stiff legged. I still like her position. She is really working hard to hold on.

This photo cracks me up. Her tail hasn't quite caught up with the rest of her. I feel I'd like her legs to be a little more bent to take the impact that is about to come (still about 3-4 inches off the ground).

She ended with legs bending to take the impact (don't have that pic) and then stepped into 2o2o position.

I'm proud of her teeter. She was TERRIFIED of the teeter and the bang when we started teeter work more than a year ago. She mastered the bang game before I started her on her run to the end and let it drop behavior.

Are you my friend?

According to facebook, I have 125 friends. Here are some stats:

• a few of my good friends aren't listed
• a few people listed I don't really know
• everyone listed I like, except for the ones I don't know...then I don't know if I like them...but I'm going with the assumption if I actually met them I would like them
• I've accepted everyone that wanted to be my friend, but then I turn around and delete them if I totally don't know who they are (I'm not sure if that is anti social, neurotic, passive aggressive, rude, or sneaky....just don't want to hurt anyones feelings).
• if it is an agility "friend" I generally don't delete them
• if I don't know the person and they don't have an agility picture...I usually will delete them
• I'm afraid I'm going to delete someone I know but don't remember I know them
• my husband didn't accept me as a friend until I stood over his computer and showed him how to do it
• one of my sisters tells me she accepted me as a friend...however, no sisters listed as my friend...I think she did my accept then delete habit
• some of these friends hate facebook
• some of these friends are on facebook all the time
• one of these friends doesn't write in english and I have no idea what they are saying (even though I took 2 years of italian)
• I play "risk" with my nephew on facebook
• I see photos of my nephews, they probably don't want me to see on facebook
• I got sucked into playing Mob wars and Vampire wars...I don't play anymore...just boring and sucks away time I could be playing with my dogs
• I decline all application requests (pillow fight, dog awards, special friend, etc..) I just don't understand them and although I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, I just can't deal with all these requests...makes me crazy
• I did do some of the "Tag" stuff, I enjoy reading other peoples tags, but for me it got to be too much of a good thing and stopped playing (although I still read what other people write)
• I do like seeing the old photos people post, especially the late 70's and 80's
• for a couple of my "friends" I feel there is a false sense of knowing them when I read their updates, sometimes when I see them in real life I don't know what to say...my relationship with them is totally virtual but doesn't hold up in the real world
• I've been tempted to just delete my profile and not be on facebook, but I'm afraid I'll miss something good
• I started facebook because of my professional network
• I stay on facebook because of my agility network and my nephew network
  

Ode to the Leash Runner

Thank you to the leash runner.

Flying leashes, through the air
Sometimes hitting you square
Flinged leashes, no where near
Making you dream of beer
and another job
maybe control the mob
at the gate
where everyones late

Thank you to the leash runner

Without a thought
the leash is brought
To the end
She hopes to send
over the last jump
the leash is dumped
Placed where you need
leash a dog with speed
To insure the Q
And drink some brew
To toast
the most

Thank you to the leash runner
Thank you to the leash runner

Ok, I seriously need a vacation. I believe I've broken every poetry rule known to man...you can see that poetry was not my strong suit... I just wanted to thank the leash runners who tirelessly get my leash to where it needs to be so that I can run my dog.

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.