Home from our holiday

So our little holiday has finally come to an end, we have just arrived back and the dogs are already fast asleep, I guess they must be feeling quite exhausted after their 10 days of competing, I only did half as much and im ready to drop dead !!!

We arrived at Dashin Dogs on thursday night in the pouring rain and gail force winds, I was beginning to think this was going to be a nightmare holiday but after the initial night the weather did settle down for the rest of the week. All the dogs ran well and gained several placings, Zippy has truly lost his start line wait but apart from that is running brilliantly, he has mastered the one footed action in the weaves now so im really pleased with that.

Anyway, monday was rest day so Emma, Amy and me took our 9 dogs to the beach, they had such a brilliant time and were truly exhausted upon our return, we have a few good memories from this day but I think we may keep them to our selves !!!

After Dashin Dogs I picked mum up on route and headed off to Dog Vegas, some really great runs from the dogs, Keisha won G6 Jumping and Zippy gained 3rd in his jumping class, there was even a moment of Ronny being at his best and was just about to get a clear round when he ran past the last jump to get his bloody toy, I was screaming 'in' 'in' but he was just fixed on that dam toy and he ended up coming back and jumping it the wrong side getting us eliminated. (That's why he is only looking at the ice cream van and not getting one, he can wish !!! ).

Anyway a really great holiday, the dogs have all really enjoyed their time away but I think they are as glad as me to be back.

A few congratulations, Emma and Maisy for winning G2 jumping, Amy and Summer for their placings and for qualifying Rupert for Crufts, Ann with Crafty and Gloria for their great runs and placing 4th.

Holiday time

One more day at work and then im off for 2 weeks. It's going to be an action packed adventure as tomorrow evening we set off for a week at Dashin Dogs. Emma and Amy are camping next door so im sure the entertainment will be great. Monday we are off to the beach for the dogs to let their legs loose in the sea and for me to have a well deserved rest, my mob love the beach so hopefully I will be able to drag them away at the end of the day.

No sooner as Dashin Dogs finishes we then make our way for a further 4 days at Dog Vegas, I love going to this show as its just so relaxing, Keisha has made the Dog Vegas final but as her contacts have been a bit 'iffy' im not holding my breath.

So ive been a good person and have completed all the house work, cleaned out the kennel, done the shopping for the caravan and even had a green finger moment and cut the grass and pruned the bushes, now ive just got to go and pack. (I definitely need a rest now)

See you in a week or so, I will update the blog on my return, byeeeeeeeeee x

We got it, not one but two !!!

So this weekend my wish came true, Ronny got that clear ive been waiting for on friday to finish 13th in the G6 Jumping, he was a bit wide in places but I was just chuffed he got round safe, he also ran an amazing agility round in the British Open but he was just too fast for me to keep up and I got him eliminated on the last but one jump, bummer !!!

Then to top the weekend off Ronny had another excellent run in the jumping class today to finish 7th, less than a second off the winner and im now kicking myself as I was late giving him the command for the last jump making him hesitate and waste that vital time, what could have been !!!

Keisha has been very frustrating this weekend, naughty contacts, pole knocked for the first day and generally just not working together. However it wasn't all bad and she did have some moments of brilliance, great weave entries and some nice tight jumping sequences. Hopefully we will be back on form for our week away at Dashin Dogs.

Zippy ran well, friday he had a lovely clear in the Novice Cup jumping round but managed 10f in his agility class, all to do with the see-saw, he messed up getting on and missed the up and then fell off before it even tipped, other than that it was a great round but sadly that was enough to throw our chances out for qualifying for the final. Saturday he ran a fantastic jumping round to finish 6th, his speed is getting better and better and im sure it wont be long until he starts matching his dad. The best thing this weekend was he got all his contacts and they are solid again (other than the see-saw incident that is) now ive just got to get his wait back.

Finally huge huge congratulations to Emma and Maisy, they gained 2nd place in the Starters Cup jumping round which was more than enough to get them to the final and then went on to win G2 jumping on the saturday, what a brilliant weekend for you both.

Well done to Ellen and Hamish for there great runs this weekend, they also had a great friday and made the Starters Cup final, it turned out to be a great weekend for everyone.

Short Week

This week is going to be a short one, it's a nice feeling when you know you have only got a four day week, yippee !!!
Thursday evening we are off to the KCI Festival, although it is a massive show it's always a nice atmosphere. Ronny, Keisha and Kody are all entered in the British Open Cup on friday, if we go clear it will be hard enough to get a place let alone qualify for the final so im just hoping for some good runs. Zippy is entered in the Novice Cup but as we are currently re-training in the ring, holding contacts etc etc I feel our qualifying hopes are already out of the window.

However for the remaining two days im hoping our weekend will be more successful than the last, I keep praying it will soon be Ronny's turn for that clear round, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE !!!

Emma and Maisy are back in action this weekend, it's their first G2 so im very excited for them, im expecting them to win out straight away, no pressure, :) LOL

Good Luck to anyone else competing, hopefully you will all have a successful weekend.

Scunthorpe Update

It's just been one of those NEARLY's weekends, all the dogs have tried hard but we never really got it spot on. Ronny is finally returning back to what I was seeing at the start of the season, its been a hard few months with him but he was such a good boy this weekend, just that dreaded one POLE in each class that keeps snatching our clear round from us, he did have awesome weaves and contacts this weekend so im proper chuffed with him.

My reliable Keisha has not been so reliable, not running at her best and infact taking quite a few poles which is unlike her, still she did manage a cracking run in the combined 6-7 agility to finish 9th so it wasn't all bad.

Kody has been a bit under the weather this weekend, I think maybe he has caught a bug or something, he was still up for running so that's what we did, quite a few poles down but for his first G6 he ran really well and coped with the tricky courses.

Zippy is another story, I think now he has found a new gear we are having a few issues, surprisingly he missed his weave entries on a couple of courses which I was shocked at as he usually nails the entries, if he got the entry he would then come out the last weave and if he got his weaves then there was always something else, a wrong turn or the wrong end of the tunnel etc etc, however, we did get our act together today for him to run a lovely jumping round to finish 3rd.

Mid week training

Decided not to go training tonight, I was in two minds especially as im having a few problems with Zippy, in the end I opted to stay at home and concentrate on his waits and some tight turns.



Training went well, no issues with waits tonight so it's definitely a excited competition thing, I think being put back on the start line will hopefully rectify the problem, im just wondering how many times he will need to be put back (If he is anything like his dad then im guessing a few !!! )

The tight turns went well, it didn't take him long to grasp the idea especially as his toy was in my hand, the good thing is, he is already starting to read my body language so is naturally starting to adjust himself.

This weekend we are at Scunthorpe, it's Kody's first G6 Show so ive got my fingers crossed he will be able to cope with the courses. I am looking forward to not walking as many courses, I managed to get Zippy eliminated last weekend because I ran the wrong course (maybe thats just a sign of me getting old).

Dog Vegas Update

Wow what a very busy weekend, after 3 days of competing my legs were starting to feel it (Can't wait until the week long at Dashin Dogs) NOT !!!

Anyway, thanks to my brilliant dogs we brought home some great results. Keisha as always ran really well gaining 3 x 2nd's in agility and 2nd & 3rd in jumping, still having the odd issue with the A-Frame contact but generally speaking she is alot more consistent so im really pleased with her progress.

Kody has just been brilliant this weekend, it was his last Grade 5 Show and he definitely went out with a bang. 5 x 1st places and 1 x 2nd, when he is confident he is such a good boy, only one class with weave issues this time which on reflection I think was probably my fault, just peeling off to early and forced him to exit before the end, definitely a winter training point for him but apart from that he hit some great entries and his contacts were just super.

Zippy, how lucky am I to have another good dog, I cant believe how quickly he is growing in confidence and for such a young dog he is doing most things I would normally ask Kody to do. Don't get me wrong we are still having in-experienced moments like running past the dog walk if its not completely in line but im sure that will disappear soon. For his first Grade 4 Show he ran brilliantly and gained 3 x 3rd and a 4th.

So although the dogs are running well I am currently telling myself off. You think by now I would have learnt to get full control in the ring, especially after having a life time of naughty Ronny. Well for the first time ever Kody broke his wait (as seen on the video when the tunnel is the first obstacle) and then Zippy is being a very cheeky boy and yet again we have lost our waits at the start and his contacts have blown too. So from now on if any of the dogs break their waits they are being put BACK, if they release from the contact before agreed by me then they are being put BACK, if you see me ignoring this you have permission to Shoot ME !!!

Thanks to Kate for taking the great pictures of my dogs in action.