November 26, 2009

Continued Improvement

Last Sunday the girls and I headed to Royackers. This was the first time I entered Kessie in standard. Her weaves aren't yet perfect, but I thought they were better then most starter dogs. All of the courses were difficult for there level , so I was very proud of Kessie! The only time she ran into me on the standard was when I ran too far ahead of the entrance to the dog walk, she was running great. So fast in fact that she bounced right off the table! She had trouble with the weaves (only 6) and wasted a lot of time there, and took down a bar, but she is improving at every trial and I couldn't be happier. Jumpers went pretty well for Kes, she turned into me a few times, most at turns, because I am not at the right place because I still need to babysit her a bit. She had a few 'could have been refusal' moments, but was never called, and walked away with her first jumper Q!

Tink had a really bad day... she was losing it out there.. off days are allowed.

November 15, 2009

One more down, one last one to go!

Tink and I went to Kingston to the Morning Star trial. It was my first time ever going here, it is held in a soccer dome, two rings, with tons of space left over! I only entered the last 4 runs of the day, 2 snooker, and 2 jumpers. The first snooker was tough... lots of call offs, and Tink finally went off course after #2 in the closing. The second snooker started off real bad... after the first jump, Tink went off and did her own thing... my whole run was flying by the seat of my pants, but we did great and made it all the way through, eaning our MSDC. One more leg to get for our ATCh, and two tries to get it! Our first jumper run went quite well, but I took for granted the fact that Tink would pick a tunnel over a jump, and as I sent her to the tunnel, she sailed over a jump. The rest of the run was great! The next run looked trickier in the walk-through... and boy was it ever! It was quite a disaster! Oh well! There's always next time!

November 09, 2009

Kessie's time to shine

Tink Kessie and I go to K9 Klubhouse's second trial at WindReach Farm on the weekend. Tink had some brillent moments, and a snooker Jr Q with Natasha, but only got one steeplechase Q (with a bar down) out of 8 runs all weekend.

But Kessie had a great weekend! She was herding me FAR less the usual! She made it all the way around our planned snooker course, only herding me once, or twice, and got her very first Q. The next day we did Gamble, she probably turned into me the most in that run, but we would have twisted and turned the most in that run. She did a great leadout through a tire even! The closing was 3 jumps, after the first she turned into me, but I was able to send her out over the second one, and she soared forward to the last jump! She held all her contacts in both runs. I didn't take her through the weaves, but when her weaves are better in training, I'll consider entering her in Standard runs. Jumpers went so good for Kessie! There were a lot of jumps in a row (when she tends to herd me the most). Out of 15 obstacles, she made it through the first 9 beautifully!

November 01, 2009

Acton Nov 1

The indoor season officially started for Tink and I. I didn't enter Kessie, so I left her at home. The day started off with a bang! Steeplechase went great, one down bar, but we had the fastest time of over 35 dogs! Master Snooker also want great! Got our 3rd Q finally! Getting closer to that elusive ATCh. Master Gamble, Master Team, and 2 Master Standard classes later didn't go so well, but it was a great day, anyways!

October 12, 2009

Steeplechase Expert

Tink, Natasha, Kessie and I went to the last outdoor trial of the year. It was a very cold, windy day, but it was still fun! This is how the day went:

Advanced Jumpers: Natasha ran Tink for the first time in Advanced Jumpers. The first 3 quarters of the run was very open and fast, and I was happy that she kept up all the bars. Natasha got lost at a 270 at the end, and sent Tink off course, but it was a good run.
Challange: Next Tink and I ran Challange... this one was far more forgiving then the first one we did. Tink kept on course the whole time, but we had a couple refusals and knocked bars
Starter Jumper: Kessie and I ran another Starter Jumpers... she went back to herding me a lot...
Master Standard: This course I found harder then the challange course... we bombed it, so did some training in the ring
Steeplechase: Tink had a great Steeplechase round, even pulling off a tricky sequence. She got her Expert Steeplechase Bronze title.
Master Jumper: It was a decent run, but Tink took and off course jump, then knocked a bar when I pushed for speed.

October 10, 2009

Starter Games both way!

Natasha, Tink, Kessie and I went to the last outdoor K9 Klubhouse trial of the year. This is how it all went down...

Saturday
Master Standard: The run went very smoothly! She seemed to know where she was supposed to go, even without me! We ran it great and got a Q!
Master Gamble: It was a tricky main gamble with a teeter and a set of weaves, but Tink was one of 3 dogs out of 25 or so to get it!
Junior Advanced Gamble: Natasha moved up to Advanced last trial, so this was her first time. For Tink, it was a much more difficult main gamble, she had to come out of a tunnel and run between the other end of the tunnel and a jump to a tire with Natasha on the other side, of the jump. Though she never made it to the tunnel... Natasha said 'Get out!' and she went past the tunnel to the dog walk! Shocking!
Steeplechase: Tink had a great run and walked away with another Q. Running 3 for 3 that day, I knew that the odds were stacked against us for the Jumpers run, that I actually really needed!
Master Jumpers: I set Tink up on the line and started my lead out, I looked over my opposite shoulder to make sure the other dog was on leash, and turned back to Tink and she was standing beside me! Crud!! Starts off with a refusal! But wait it gets so far worse... she actually runs the rest of the course CLEAN!!! Rotten devil finally gives me a clean jumpers... after she creeps up on me in her start line, which she doesn't normally do!
Starter Jumpers: Kessie has a usual 'Kessie' run... Jump, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, tunnel, jump, tunnel, jump, herd, jump, herd, herd, jump.... something along those lines!

Sunday
Starter Jumpers: Natasha and Tink finally keep up all the bars and get Natasha's Junior Starter Games Award of Merit... or whatever they are calling it... Kessie has an amazing run for her, and makes it about three quarters of the way through the course before herding me, what a girlie!!
Master Jumpers: Not so good... already gone from my memory, but we had a couple wrong tunnel entries, I think...
Steeplechase: Took down a bar, but had tons of time left over, so got another Steeplechase Q for the weekend.
Master Standard: Was a great run, but I got too far behind her at the end, and she took down the last bar!
Master Standard: I was so busy building all day, that I didn't get to see the courses until I was building them, so imagine my horror when my nightmares came back to haunt me! It was a replay of the opening from Standard round 1 and the Nationals this year. Here is the Nats course. We occurred 60 faults at Nats, and if you didn't automatically get an E in Masters, we wouldn't have been much better off!!

Over all it was a great weekend, with threats of rain, we didn't get very much and the cool autumn air was bearable. Off to the last outdoor trial of the year tomorrow!

September 28, 2009

The one bar wonder

Natasha picked up Tink on Saturday to bring her to SuperDog Central's agility trial. She signed up for all three starter games over the whole weekend (jumper, snooker and gamble). I had to work, but Tink helped Natasha get her second gamble Q. I was able to get there when they were setting up for the jumpers, and got to throw in Kessie. She was her usual self... prefering to herd me mostly. Natasha and Tink had a great run, but took down one bar along the way.

We both returned on Sunday. I was running Kes in Snooker and Jumpers, and Natasha added Tink into the Jumpers for that day too. We both ran the snooker, Kes made it through 1-7-1-7-1-7 and ran out of time. Natasha and Tink did 1-4-1-5-1 then knocked the bar in 7, she then got a bit frazzled, and Tink jumped another 1, but it wasn't one she had taken before, and the whistle didn't go, so Natasha went straight into the closing not knowing what to do... WHISTLE! Off I went to finish scoring in the trailer like I had been doing all day, and Natasha came running in saying we all get a re-run... the timer had been buzzing at 50 seconds instead of 60. So off we went again. I had decided to back to my original plan with Kessie (same thing Natasha had done with Tink). This time we did 1-4-1-5-1-7-2-3-4-5 then ran out of time. 6 was the weaves anyways, and she was just starting to get 12 weaves, so it would have taken a lot of time anyways. The 5 was the teeter, I didn't really want to do contacts with her yet, but I decided to try it... and she did it great the first time! The second time, I didn't say 'Bang it' so I think she didn't know it was going to move, and bailed when it did, but did it well when we tried again. Natasha and Tink's rerun went as planned and she got her second snooker Q!

All Natasha needs for her Junior Starter Games title is one jumper Q, jumpers has been the hardest for her, Tink knocks a bar in almost every jumper run. Kessie was first... started off a bit silly, but did well when there were sequences where I can send her into a tunnel! She did the tire all weekend! Starting to get over that issue! The last jump was really hard to get her over... Natasha and Tink had a really nice jumpers run... but dropped a bar... sigh...

September 20, 2009

The Dock Part 2!

Today was back to SuperDogs for our second day of dock diving. Tink started the day by topping her personal best from a couple days before by a foot and jumping a 17' 1" putting her in contention for the Amature finals. I was hoping for a teeny bit better to solidify another jump from our second wave, and Tink pulled out a 17' 4". We went into the Amature finals in 5th, Tink jumped her best yet with a 17' 8" and come out 4th overall in Amature. She exceeded my expectations for the weekend, she did great!

September 18, 2009

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Ok... so maybe not sitting... nor was in in the bay, but Tink did compete in SuperDog Central Fall Splashdown! We did 2 waves and a speed retrieve.

Tink first jump I did a place a send and she jumped 11' 7", I was expecting better jumps out of her, so the second time around I threw the toy for her to try and get a bit of a pop off the dock, but she only jumped 11' 1" so that didn't help. Tink got her 3rd Junior leg.

The second wave I almost forgot Tink's toy, so last second ran to go get it, and was a bit frazzled on the dock a threw my toy out really far, but her jump was over 14'! Which was her best official jump yet! Her second jump of that wave I threw it far again, this time on purpose and she jumped a 16' 1"!! Her first time jumping into Senior! Way to go girlie!

Tink had never attempted speed retrieve before, but I entered it anyways. She had a bit of a hard time in practise, so I wasn't sure how it would go. She was successful in both rounds, her times being over 14 secs and then over 12 secs.

Back for more on Sunday!

September 13, 2009

What a Challange!

Tink ran her first Challange class at Spot On today! Well... it didn't go so well... but the best part was when she held her frame contact even with a tunnel and chute screaming in her face! Wahoo! Tink's Master Standard run wasn't much better, but her Steeplechase and Master Jumper runs were really nice... except Tink rushed out at the 10th pole in the weaves and continued on into the next tunnel, and knocked a bar in the Jumpers, but it felt really good.

Kessie also ran Starter Jumpers, and was more drivey on the equipment, turning into me less. She avoided me at the end for the first time in a trial, but I think it had to do with not 'herding' me so much... which is the lesser of two evils?

September 07, 2009

Up for a poker game?

You might think twice if you are playing against an Expert Gambler!

Tink and I went to Campaign for a trial, we had 5 runs.

2 master jumpers, one super bad one, that we both messed up badly (me forgetting the course, and Tink running off for her leash)
A master snooker, where we, again, got through the opening, but messed up in the beginning of the closing (our specialty since the Canada Cup)
Master team, where Tink was paired with a sheltie named Braveheart. She pulled out at the 10th weave pole... twice!
and she got her 10th master gamble Q, earning her ExG Bronze!

We recently were at the K9 Klubhouse trial. Tink had 8 runs (including one snooker, and 2 jumpers, q's she needs) and we run 0 for 8!! She had some very bad moments, and some brillient moment, but tended to mix them evenly in her runs. Kessie ran 2 starter jumpers as well, her first run was half decent for Kessie, her second run she only got through 4 obstacles before I took her off the course for constantly turning into me and biting playing, just not paying any attention on course. Tink and Natasha earned a starter snooker q.

August 28, 2009

Catching up!

Here's what we have been up to the last couple of months!

July 11 - K9 Klubhouse
Master Standard & Gamble Q

July 18-19 - Canada Cup
It was a fun weekend with some different and challanging courses. Tink had a very off weekend, and we didn't do very well at all. You can watch the trainwreaks here!

July 31 - Aug 2 - AAC Nationals
This was Tink and my first Nationals! It was fun! Friday started off with 2 steeplechase qualifiers for the finals on Sunday. Tink amazed me by running BOTH classes clean! She placed 10th in the first and tied for 9th in the second out of over 100 dogs in her division! She qualified for the finals in 6th place! Saturday started out great, making the main gamble in our first run with 60 points in the opening! Standard didn't go quite so well! Tink blasted off of the walk and frame into off-course tunnels, and tallied up 20 more faults in knocked bars and refusals! Jumpers was a slight improvement, though, oddly, she took an off-course jump instead of a tunnel! Sunday started with Standard, she had a knocked bar and a couple refusals, but stayed on course this time! Jumpers was going really well, until I forgot to add a cross and was in the wrong place, causing Tink to spin, and get a refusal. Gamble was close, she had a questionable non-completion in the main before finally making the final jump. The day ended with the Steeplechase finals! It was a lot of fun, and Tink did some great stuff... until the second last jump when I didnt support it and she ran past it, wasting very precious time! We placed 5th and got to take home a decent cash prize. Here's the vid!

Aug 8-9 - SuperDog Central
Tink earned a Master Standard and Gamble Q, and helped Natasha earn a Starter Team and Jumper Q
Kessie had her first agility run! She wasn't feeling well the day before, and was a little calmer then usual... she did well in her run, only getting one refusal. I was proud of the baby dog!

Aug 15-16 - Rocket Relay
Tink's third flyball tournament. We drove down after work on Sat, and got to run in one race. Sunday was very hot, but lots of fun! Tink got 425 points, putting her at 1,342 and earning her FDCh-S. I also figured out the trick to get her running faster, and at the end of the day, ran her best time of 4.2 in start.

Aug 23 - Daytripper
Tink (finally) earned a Master Jumpers Q. this is our third, we only need one more for our title.

July 06, 2009

Whoa...

I have been so lazy in the blog lately!!

Tink has had one more flyball tournament, and did pretty well! She didn't spit very much!

Tink and Kessie competed in a frisbee trial. Tink had an awesome first trial, getting her first advanced Q, and a personal furthest catch of 126' 6"! For the second trial of the day, the wind changed a bit, so it didn't go quite as well, but it was certainly a successful day. Kessie's first trial was a bit of a stress for me. She thinks that she gets to decide when she stops playing, so she won't leave the field when I am done. I had be training crate games in the park, and sent her to her crate when she was done, and it worked! She didn't catch very much, but I just wanted her to play in that environment, and she still did well, catching will come in time, I know she can catch!

Tink has also competed in a few agility trials. No important Q's or titles to speak of, but...

Tink competed in the AAC Ontario Regionals!!

On Saturday, she completed the main Gamble, and on Sunday she ran the Standard clean, and placed 6th!! She qualified for Nationals with 434.41.

On a sad note... Tink's Uncle Bogey passed away in June. He was a very special dog who lived with some very special people! Bogey was Craig's first agility dog, and they accomplished some amazing stuff together. Last year they competed together for team Canada. This year, only a month before his passing, Bogey finished in 3rd place in the 26" regular division at the Regionals. My thoughts go out to the Eaglesons.

My goal is to try to keep more up to date again.

April 27, 2009

Blog Lazy!

I have not been keeping up to date with my blog :( Sorry!

Easter weekend, Tinky competed in her first flyball tournament. She plays with SuperDog Central's On The Fly. She had a good first tournament but needs work on passing and not spitting. She spat her ball way more then I had expected her too.

Each of the 3 days were it's own tournament. Tink ran in Regular on Friday and Sunday, and in Open on Sunday.


Friday our Regular team tied for first, but got beat out in fastest time to place second. On Saturday the same thing happened, another tie but got beat out in time and ended up second. Our Regular team on Saturday got first place. On Sunday Tink's team went into the finals tied
for first and won the first 3 heats in the best of 5!


Tink ended up with 575 and her first 3 flyball titles, FD, FDX, and FDCH.

Also yesterday we attending the last Rat Pack trial of the indoor season. Tink had 5 runs, Steeplechase, Master Standard, Master Team, Master Snooker, and Master Jumper. Tink had an off course (two wrong tunnels and an extra jump in Jumpers) in all but Master Standard and Team. I messed up Tink's weaves in Standard, and because of that redid a blown frame contact, and Tink's only clean run was Team, her partner, Goofy, (it apparently was the Disney Team) must have caught Tink's disease and took a wrong tunnel entry. So no Q's for the day, but all the bars stayed up. I'll be posting videos on YouTube soon, but meanwhile the flyball vids are up there.

April 19, 2009

Kessie gets to play

Kessie went to play a few fun courses at SuperDog Central today! She had some equipment that was different then she has seen (full height dog walk, chute, double jump) and she handled all of those like and old pro! We started off doing small sequences at a time, trying to work at her going ahead instead of biting my feet! By the end of the day, she almost did a full jumpers course nicely! (I still rewarded after the tire, her arch nemisis!) She did much better then I was even hoping for! I was proud of my girlie!

April 13, 2009

New venue, fun weekend!

K9 Klubhouse held their first indoor trial at WindReach farms last weekend. WindReach Farms is a beautiful facility that does a lot of work with disabled children. Tink had some nice runs. Another Steeplechase Q and some other close calls. We also had a really bad run, but they don't happen as often as they used to, so it wasn't so bad! I forgot my camera, so no video this week. :(

March 23, 2009

Quick post

Have been to 2 trials in the last few weeks. Some close runs, but just a Jumpers Q (finally!). Check out the runs on my YouTube account. Sorry for the poor update, promise it will start to get better when I have my own computer again...

March 09, 2009

Tinky's gone MAD

So... this is a little delayed, but 'Better late then never' as they say!

March 1st Tink and I went to Royackers, Tink got a Steeplechase Q and a Master Standard Q, earning her Master Agility Dog of Canada! I didn't get any vids, but Tink also ran her first 0 point snooker!

Steeplechase

Master Standard

Master Jumpers

February 23, 2009

Dog sledding



Tink and I attended a dog sledding seminar Feb 6th, taught by Pam Casselman at SuperDog Central. It was a lot of fun. I think Tink and Kes would make a good 2 dog team, Kes can run wheel and Tink can be lead! One of the training exercises had Tink pulling a large bottle full of water through the snow, everytime it got stuck, even a little, Tink wouldn't try to pull it. By the end of the exercise, if Tink got going, she wouldn't stop, even if she ran past me and a tug! I think she didn't want to get stuck again! We got to hook up to a sled, and because Tink has some dog issues, we hooked her up in wheel, with Shep ahead for her to chase! I was able to ride, it was wicked cool! Tink didn't seem to be thrilled at first, but she did well.

February 08, 2009

First trial of the year (finally)

I had to miss the first trial I had signed up for this year, I was sick, and we had a major snowstorm. So last Sunday I attended the Rat Pack trial. I will post videos (yay for my new camera!) and let them 'speak' for themselves!

Steeplechase

Master Jumper

Master Standard

We also ran a Master Snooker... only a 1 pointer though!

Today Tink got to do some dog sledding! It was fun! Tell you more about it later!

January 28, 2009

Happy Birthday Kessie!!

It's ruff being a birthday girl!


Today is Kessie's first birthday! How quickly the year has flown by, yet I also can't believe it's only been one year! She is such a fun little girl, can't wait for the many more years yet to come!

January 12, 2009

Now showing...

Tink is now 1 of 12 dogs featuring on the HiQ offspring page! Check it out! Her full sister Mellie, right above her, looks so much like Tinky, the first time I saw her picture, I thought it was Tink!