Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Couldn't do it....


Cut Suds down, I had him on the table, clippers and shears ready to go, even had a section banded and braided for me to keep and I just couldn’t do it…..He did get his head trimmed, since he cannot keep bands in for nothin’. Turned out pretty cute…

And our sweet, sweet Ella…now officially Champion FFT MeLou “Well Said”

~Melissa

Pedigree indicates what the animal should be.
Conformation indicates what the animal appears to be.
But performance indicates what the animal actually is.
~ Author Unknown

Monday, June 28, 2010

Weave training


I have started Myth on her weave training. On The Run started a 2x2 weaves class, just a short 3 week session, we have had 2 classes, I don’t have 2x2’s yet so with no training in between classes can I just say WOW! It is absolutely amazing to watch their little minds work it out. Myth has caught on really quick. I am hoping she will have better, more independent weaves than Josie. The 2x2 method actually teaches them to think and to find the correct entrance. It is based on shaped behavior.

I looked at purchasing 2x2 weaves, yikes, the going price for 1 2x2 weave (2poles) is $45. Down to the basement shop I go……for about $30 in materials I was able to make 4 sets of 2x2’s, very easily. They are not metal bases, but they will work just fine.

We'll see how it goes, I may end up re-training Josie’s weaves using the 2x2 method..

~M

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

St Cloud AKC

This past weekend Suds & Josie had an AKC trial in St. Cloud. Saturday was just Josie, she had 3 classes, FAST, Standard and Jumpers. FAST went pretty well, the send bonus was out 15’ to the A-frame which she did awesome, then tunnel to tunnel, unfortunately she went past the entrance of one of the tunnels and incurred a refusal, but the rest was really nice…..Next came Jumpers, a very nice course to bad she missed her weave entrance, once she missed it I pulled her off course. Standard, she did it again! Now the first missed weave entrance OK, she just didn’t want to slow down to weave, but the second ? Oh well, I guess it was just not her day for weave.

Sunday both Suds and Josie were entered. In Standard Josie missed the tire jump WTF!?, not sure why, it was right in front of her, I wish I would have had someone get it on video. She did nail her weave thought and had a really nice rear cross, she is getting better and better at rear crosses. Suds Q’d in Standard Yeah!! His first Excellent Standard Q. Josie did manage to Q in Jumpers…almost went into the wrong end of the tunnel but we saved it. Suds missed the first jump..not the first time, I need to figure out where I need to be and where he needs to be at the first jump, time to experiment.

It was a really fun weekend despite Josie’s weaves and no QQ, a bunch of the Small & Mighty crew all tented together and had a great time. Myth discovered digging…..I had an expen set up for the dogs, I didn’t have any toys in there Saturday morning so Myth occupied herself…sigh….to bad I didn’t have a camera, she was quite a sight, my little show dog ;-)

I once again did a little with Myth at Josie’s Tues evening class, we did a short jump, dog walk, tire, teeter, jump sequence while other dogs were working the class sequence. I am very impressed, Myth was very enthusiastic and had good drive toward obstacles even the teeter which was right next to the fence where other handlers and dogs were waiting. That is a lot of pressure for a young/green dog. We didn’t do very much as it was very warm and muggy. Hopefully she will be as good at tonight’s class.

~M

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Myth Runs....

After a couple of lessons where Myth didn’t feel the need to work….she has once again decided it’s FUN!! I thought I would try running her after Josie’s Wednesday class….and did she deliver, I do think she likes running outside. The collect and wrap after #3 is a little beyond her level but she did super !!! Lovely dog walk and teeter ;-)




I now have to decide which method she will learn weaves, channel, guides or 2x2…….I am leaning towards 2x2. Josie learned with the channel method and she has OK weaves, she does slow down towards the end but I am not sure if the method she learned is a contributing factor or if it is because we were learning agility together…

~Melissa

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” Miss Piggy

Friday, June 11, 2010

Fargo-Moorhead Kennel Club Dog Show

Early Friday 6/4 morning, the crew + 1 headed up to Fargo for 3 days of conformation showing. There was a major in boys so the hope was for Ella to pick up some points, Cary to get a major to finish his Championship and for our friend Mary’s Ruby to get one of the majors to finish her Championship. Friday, one of Marsha Susag’s boy puppies won the major, and Ella won Best of Winners and breed for the cross over major (Yeah!). This entailed us to participate in the Non-Sporting Group, where we went on to make the cut for a placing, alas no group placing. Now, Ella has in the past been known to get “spooked” and not show her best, but she was “ON” and showed like a little rock star ;-).

Saturday we had a leisure morning as our ring time was not until 2pm, headed off to the show grounds around 10am, 3 dogs to groom. Myth & Fonda were pretty quick for grooming, I did spend extra time with Ella to get her looking good. Once again, one of Marsha’s boy puppies won the major and Ella won Best of Winners and breed for the crossover major with gets her………….her Championship !! very nice! And we went to the group ring again, she showed really well and had fun. Marsha came by the motel to celebrate….produced something she called the uffda drink, lemonade and wild plum something, it was yummy ;-)

Sunday we had to load the van as check out at the motel would be after our ring time. AND to complete the weekend Cary (a Suds son) won winner’s dog, the major and his CHAMPIONSHIP !! YAHOOOOOooooo!! Nothing like waiting ‘til the end. Ruby went Best of Winners for the crossover major and her Championship. Ella won Best of Breed and we did wait around all afternoon for groups, no placing put even after two days of showing and living in a motel she still showed great !! Good girl !

Myth also was entered for the weekend and was very good, still needs work on the table though.

Miss Ella in the group ring.


~Melissa

Tuesday, June 8, 2010



Wow, a little behind….so catch up…

First, Memorial weekend, I hope everyone remembered and paid tribute to our fallen service men and women .

I spent the weekend playing agility, Josie and I had an AKC trial on Saturday and Sunday, then on to a USDAA trial on Monday.

Saturday Suds and Myth came along to the Bloomington Obedience Training Club agility trial. Josie’s first run was Ex B Jumpers, unfortunately she dropped a pole, not sure why, after a little distraction between jump 7 & 8 she ran really well, maybe a little slow because the grass was about 5 inches tall and thick. It was the first pole she has ever dropped in an AKC competition.

Her Standard run started well, got called for a missed contact on the dog walk….hmmmm, and then missed her weave entrance, I had decided in the past if she misses her weaves I pull her off course, so that was the end of that run. We had one class left, after about 3 hours we ran Open FAST. FAST is an optional class that is not offered at many trials, you make up your own course, each obstacle is work a set amount of points, you also have to complete a send bonus. In the send bonus, the handler stays behind a line and sends the dog to a set of obstacles. Not sure if being pulled off course earlier inspired her or what but it was her fastest run of the day, went out on the send bonus just awesome and finished with a first place and her Open Fast (OF) title.

We also Met Mary, Roman, Taz and Moka at the trial. Roman ran with a friend as Mary is still recovering from foot surgery. Got some cute pictures of M & M;

Moka
M & M




Monday we ran in a USDAA trial on a DAM (Dog Agility Master) Team Tournament. Josie was on The Small & Mighty team, consisting of Josie and two Papillions, Sky and Mellie. We each run 4 classes and our scores are combined for a team score, we then run a relay. We competed against about 26-30 teams over all jump heights - and ended up 12 overall, we were quite excited, and showed Small Dogs ROCK! One think I must point out, as a handler, when at the start line, make sure you check each jump before starting you run…..I failed to do that in the relay, Josie and I were the first to run and the 3rd jump was set incorrectly at 16” eek, she did try to jump it but really knocked it hard, the Judge said to go on and it wouldn’t count against us, it did shake her a little and she ran the rest of the course very hesitant.

Thursday 6/3, we had a seminar with Stacy Peardot-Goudy, Stacy has numerous national and international championships, just recently coached the US team at the 2010 IFCS World Agility Championships, presents seminars worldwide and hosts agility camps, workshops, classes, and private lessons through her agility training school C Spot Win located in LaPorte, CO. Josie and I have taken several seminars with her in the past and it is always a fun learning experience. Josie was in the Small & Mighty group, it was a fun group and we worked on some very technical sequences. Suds did his first seminar, he did the afternoon intermediate session and was super! Worked all the way through, although he did slow down in the last run. Really showed me I need to have more confidence in him finding the jumps, I still need to support, but he is seeking out the jumps better. After the seminar I pulled Myth out and ran her on a couple of the sequences Suds did….WOW, she was super even did the tunnel – had been having a little hesitation with the tunnel away from home.

Friday we headed up to Fargo for a conformation show -------BIG update in the next post ;-)

~Melissa