Wednesday Classes

Wednesday evening starts with me flying home from work (Eagan to Stillwater -26 miles), tossing the dogs out to potty, quick change, loading appropriate dogs and zooming (as much as one can zoom in rush hour with construction) up to On The Run (Stillwater to Ham Lake – 30 miles). Myth’s Turbo puppy class is first, last night was a small class (3 were absent) so the puppies got lots of work. We started with a jump circle, a little to boring to start with for Myth, she kept wanting to go visit her friends. Next up was teeter work, I have worked very hard to make sure she likes this obstacle unlike her mom. Working her on things that move and working my teeter at home very low and it is definitely paying off, she runs right up it. We are still at the stage where it is not full height and it is a controlled descent, but so far she really likes it. YES ! Then we moved to on to the Dog Walk, one of her favorites….and she did it full height for the first time..Wheee. Next was a short sequence, starting with the Chute (not her favorite), tire, jump, tunnel. Had to make a couple of attempts at the Chute but ran the rest really well. We ended the evening with a couple of recalls. Puppies were all very tired.

Josie’s master class was next, again it was a small class only 5 of us. I experimented on how far I can send her to jumps – need to work on it some more. She was very good, driving to the jumps and several really good teeters. Jacque had a tunnel, tunnel discrimination set up at the beginning of a course and Josie took the tunnel closest to me (wrong one) and then got stuck on that tunnel (repeated it several times). Awesome on the table, OK dog walk, we put her hoop on the end to make sure she drives to the bottom of the contact zone. Earlier this week at home Josie gave me a glimmer of how fast she can weave…….WOW, it was amazing, I wish I would have had a video of it. I just have to figure out how to get that speed all the time….

~Melissa
“It’s all about the journey”

Just another Monday......

This past Sunday the Lhasa Club sponsored a canine massage seminar at Pet Junction. Jacque was our presenter. There was a very nice turn out, about 15 people. Very useful information. I think everyone enjoyed it and I received positive feedback.

Myth is coming along in her agility training. She is doing well on all the contacts, loves the A-frame and is enjoying the teeter, especially when there is braunsweiger waiting at the end. She does have a little trouble focusing in class when we do one jump exercises, I have decided to only do each exercise a couple of time – the same as we do at home, otherwise she just gets bored and tends to wander off and try to visit Terry and Katie. Last week we put together a 5 jump sequence with two front crosses – she did great! At home we have been working on short sequences and tunnels and keeping it fun! We have had to step back a little on the tunnel, when I add to much of a bend she will go in a few feet turn around and come back out, baby steps. She will be a year old the beginning of June and I am trying to decide by which method she will learn the weaves….Channel or 2x2, or a combination……of course either will require an equipment purchase.

A week ago Sunday, we went over to Mary’s for a feet trimming lesson. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, Josie and Myth got to play with Moka and Roman, well, mostly Myth & Moka played. Here are a few clips of the girls;











This coming weekend Josie has a USDAA agility trial, we are hoping for a standard and gamblers Qs so we can move up to the advanced level. As long as she hits the down contact on the dog walk, which is shorter than AKC she should get the standard Q, gambers...well working from a distance is not our strong suit but it is something we have been working on so just maybe. She has been weaving like a fool at home, it helps so much when we can get out there everyday and I can send her through the weaves once or twice, she really picks up speed.

~M

"It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes a difference." Bear Bryant

SPDTC Agility Trial

This past Friday - Sunday was the St. Paul Dog Training Club's April Agility Trial.

It was definitely Josie’s weekend. She started off Friday with a bang, 2nd place in Standard, could have been first but a little slow with the sit on the table, but good weaves. She then came back and won the Jumpers class, started a little slow, the weaves were #2 so didn’t get going very fast before them. Judge Steve Shelt has great courses, tough but fun, I will definitely look for him to judge any trial I go to.
Here are Josie’s runs from Friday;
Standard;


Jumpers;


Saturday she was just a good, seemed a little slower in her Jumpers run, and went wide on a couple of turns (this is a work in progress, getting her to tighten up turns without loosing impulsion) ended up 3rd (didn’t get this one on video). Her standard run was really good, although she was slow to down on the table, which is unusual as her down is normally very fast, she ended up 2nd by .01 seconds, first place had a time of 50.28 and Josie was 50.29, so the table did cost her, although her dog walk was also very slow for her….Here is her Standard run;


Sunday Josie was just as good. She just blew away the competition in her Jumpers run, nailed a VERY tough weave entry ! yeah ! was just blazin’ took first place by over 2 seconds. Unfortunately we had a handler error in her standard, she ran pretty well, although she spent a long time on the teeter.

Ended the weekend with QQ number 14 & 15, which means only 5 left to go and picked up 123 points to put us over on MACH points for a total of 795. And she is now qualified for the 2011 AKC Agility Nationals. Cool !!

Suds’ weekend was not as good, seems we had a little regression, he just stressed and was not with me. On Friday he took the first two obstacles and then avoided the tunnel hmmmm. In his second class I knew I was in trouble when he left me at the start to visit a bar setter. Oh, well…..


~Melissa
"I like the winning, I can take the losing, but most of all I love to play." Brois Becker