Tink's first time out

This is Tink's very first time running at a trial. I ran her FEO at a lower jump height just to see how she'd do. I also think this was the first time she ever did agility anywhere else other then the Klubhouse. She was so loud! (Not to say she isn't now!) We were so choppy back then (not to say we are great now, hehe, but there certainly is a difference). I think this was Sept '06.

(If anybody can help me embed... that would be great... not so good at this computer crap... copy/pasted link, blogger is telling me 'Tag is not closed')

What a way to end the year!

Off to Royackers this morning for Tink's last trial of 2008!! And I must say, it was a pretty good day!

Steeplechase was first. Tink's only mess up was the weaves, the second time around she missed the entry... it starts again... or so I thought. She ended up getting her 15th Steeplechase Q!

Tink's second class was Master Team. Tink's original partner was a scratch, so Tink ended up running with Fizz, who had to run twice, so that run only counted for Tink. Fizz was first and ran clean. Tink missed her entry, arg! But only being 5 faults, if the rest was clean we could get another Q... no such luck though, Tink took an off course tunnel, miles away from where I was! I yelled... LOUDLY... to call her off, but her mind was set on that tunnel... She caused a few laughs though!!! Further along in her half, I told her to go through the tunnel... and she took a jump instead... oh well!

Master Standard was next... not clean, a couple of refusals, but she got her weaves, and did a call off of a nasty off course tunnel (now she does it!) only I called her off too much and she ran right past the jump!

Another Master Standard was Tink's next run. Some tricky parts... three straight tunnels right in a row! Tunnel entry city!! I figured it would be a challenge for Tink but she did quite well with it, and (despite me almost getting lost) ran the rest clean, getting her second Master Standard Q!!

Up next was Master Gamble. I was too busy chatting and missed the briefing, so wasn't sure if I did the mini's right or not! She nailed 2 pretty difficult weave entries... one of which proved helpful in the next run! The main gamble was a jump heading straight into a tunnel, but the dog had to take a line of jumps to their left. Oh no, not another tunnel trap! Haven't we suffered enough already!?! But Tink did very, very well with it, and didn't even think twice about the tunnel. So Tink gets her 5th Master Gamble Q!

Last of the day was Master Team, a last ditch effort to get as many Teams in before the rule change. Tink needed 2 Q's for her title, so it wasn't do or die for Tink. Or her partner, Yoda, who already had his ATChC. The course was pretty smooth, and not very trappy for a Master Team, Tink took down a bar (her first, and only, of the day!!) but ran the rest clean. Yoda was clean, so we get our second Master Team Q!

And with that, Tink has 25 Master games... enough of the game requirements for a bronze... just waiting on the Standards (and the jumpers and snooker required for the ATChC!)

Tink ends up with a total of 34 Q's for the year!

Wrapping Presents with Dogs

(dognapped from Simba's HM... edited for truth! LOL)

1. Gather presents, boxes, paper, etc. in middle of living room floor.
2. Get tape back from Kessie.
3. Remove scissors from Tink's mouth.
4. Open box.
5. Take Kessie out of box.
6. Remove tape from Tink's mouth.
7. Take scissors away from Kessie.
8. Put present in box.
9. Remove present from Kessie's mouth.
10. Put back in box after removing Kessie from box.
11. Take scissors from Tink and sit on them.
12. Remove Kessie from box and put on lid.
13. Take tape away from Tink.
14. Unroll paper.
15. Take Kessie OFF box.
16. Cut paper being careful not to cut Kessie's foot or nose that is getting in the way as she "helps."
17. Let Kessie tear remaining paper.
18. Take Kessie off box.
19. Wrap paper around box.
20. Remove Kessie from box & take wrapping paper from her mouth.
21. Tell Tink to fetch the tape so she will stop stealing it.
22. Take scissors away from Kessie.
23. Take tape Tink is holding.
24. Quickly tape one spot before taking scissors from Tink & sitting on them again.
25. Fend off Kessie trying to steal tape & tape another spot.
26. Take bow from Tink.
27. Go get roll of wrapping paper Kessie ran off with.
28. Take scissors from Tink who took them when you got up.
29. Give pen to Tink to hold so she stops licking your face.
30. Remove Kessie from present & hurriedly slap tape on to hold the paper on.
31. Take now soggy bow from Kessie & tape on since the sticky stuff no longer sticks.
32. Take pen from Tink, address tag & affix while Kessie tries to eat pen. (Wouldn't be the first time!)
33. Grab present before Kessie opens it & put it away.
34. Clean up mess Kessie & Tink made playing tug-of-war with remnants of wrapping paper.
35. Put away rest of wrapping supplies & tell dogs what good helpers they are.

...one step back

Off to Acton last Sunday. Tinky had a full day ahead of her! Starting off with a Master Jumpers course. It was a very tight course, so I didn't have high hopes, but Tink wasn't really paying attention to me, so we didn't finish the course. Steeplechase was a little better, but she took down 3 bars, and missed her weaves... and her weaves were coming along great :(. In Team, Tink missed her weaves again, took a wrong tunnel and knocked a bar, but she did do a sequence nicely that I wasn't sure that she'd get. Tink had a great opening in the gamble, getting the highest points in the opening at 50 points, then at the gamble, I set her up and told her tunnel, assuming she'd take the first jump in the sequence on her way, but just went to the other end of the tunnel, so I left the course thinking it was done, forgetting that until she has done the first obstacle, she can keep running... oh darn! She then ran Standard... and did a good run, finally getting her first Master Standard Q! She ran Standard one more time and was one wrong tunnel entry away from another Q. She finally was getting her weaves back...