A Mystery Injury

Brian seems to have developed an injury but I cant work out where it is, earlier today he yelped a couple of times when getting on and off the sofa so I checked him over and nothing. He has been for a walk this afternoon with the girls and showed no signs of any lameness so I didn't think much of it.

As the afternoon has gone on though he has been yelping and crying more and more, when getting on and off the sofa and when lying down, to the point where he wouldn't lie down at all. I took him for a short lead walk on his own again to see if he was lame and nothing. When we got back I tried to get him to lie down which he eventually did but he seemed not to want to stretch out his right shoulder so I'm guessing this is where the injury is. I have massaged it and put it through its full range of movement and nothing makes him yelp or flinch so I'm not certain it is this but I think it is. I wish sometimes they could just tell you whats wrong!

He is now asleep in the same spot I made him lie down in so I guess he is comfortable for now, lots of rest for Brian over the next few weeks and I'll keep a close eye on him to try and identify if it is that shoulder!

All Sorts of Training

This week has been a busy week for training, Tuesday Meg had good citizen class and she was a very good girl and much happier this week. We have done all the silver exercises now and she can do them all, we are just spending the weeks going over them and are now starting to work on some of the Gold exercises.

Thursday night was agility and they all did very well again, I need to work on sending Meg ahead a little as when there are 3 jumps in a line she jumps over 2 and runs around the last one, something to work on anyway. Heidi needs to focus more on where she is going and less on me as she almost fell off the dog walk looking for me! Our tyre jump arrived yesterday although we have not had chance to use it yet, I'm hoping the see-saw arrives on Monday and then I'll take them both to York Rd so we can practice.

Today we have been to Flyball, the first one in weeks as it was snowed off for 2 weeks and then they have been away competing for 2 so no training. Brian did very well, remembering everything, I am so grateful to have an easy dog like him, he pretty much just does what he is asked no bother. Heidi didn't start off too well, she wouldn't run to the box as she is unsure of the man who loads it so we did lots of recalling her from the box (and she even let the man hold her harness at the end) and then to get her running to him we threw the ball from us to him, he caught it and put it into the box and then she would happily run to him. I think it will just take a little time with her but she'll get there.

After Flyball I stopped in at work to have a swim for an hour so even I got my training in today too! Tomorrow the doggies are in for a suprise as my mum and dad are coming up for the day and they love having visitors, hopefully the sun will be out and we will get to have a nice walk.

New Coats

On Saturday at Dog Vegas Brian got himself totally soaked and covered in mud in the exercise area (not like him at all!!!) and then sat shivering in the back of the van so I had to go and buy him a coat! I got an XL which was a bit on the small side but it did him for the day and it fits Heidi much better so she now has it. Brian already has a coat at home (which will now be kept in the van) so I got Megan one today too whilst I was in town. Here are they are modelling their new coats!


Today we managed to get to York Rd to do some training, Megan has mastered the flat tunnel, I only had to hold it up for her for two or three goes and then she was happy doing it by herself which was good. Her weaves are coming along well now, today I really managed to close the V's up they are now only slightly more open than Heidi has them which is good so just lots of practice for her now. Hopefully over the next week or so we should have a tyre and a see-saw, both of which she is still to learn and Brian and Heidi could do with some see-saw practice anyway!

Dog Vegas News

Well we have had a fantastic day today, both Brian and Heidi did very well. Each dog had 5 runs, 2 agility, 2 jumping and a Helter Skelter. Out of the agility and jumping the best run of the two counted.

Brian did so well getting 5 clears out of 5 runs coming 5th in Helter Skelter and 4th in Agility and was out of the placings for his jumping. I was a little nervous about the Agility as Lucy (who trains us) was judging and I thought he would just run over to her but he didn't, he was perfect on both runs. (He wasn't overly impressed when I woke him up just to take his photo with his rosettes and is now back to sleep on the sofa!)

Heidi was a little star today, considering we have only had a couple of classes together she did so well. Her Helter Skelter wasn't so great, she ran around jumping over anything and everything and I thought, its gonna be one of them days but once she had got that out of her system she picked up. Her agility rounds were really good and fast, only 5 faults in each for a knocked pole. The jumping course had a trap where you needed to call the dog off the tunnel, in her first jumping round I didn't manage it and in she went so we got eliminated, but no poles down which was great. I could have kicked myself in her last jumping, we managed to avoid the tunnel but I almost ran into a jump causing Heidi to hesitate and she got 5 faults for a refusal. everything else was spot on, no poles down or anything. I know that clear round is not far away!!!

Megan had a good outing today, lots of walks in the exercise area and she got to meet Speedy too (as did Heidi and she was a bit of a flirt!). Speedy is a lovely calm boy, I wish the girls would take a leaf out of his book!

Looking Forward to the Weekend

This week has been pretty quiet, I've only had to work lates yesterday and am on earlies on Sunday which has been nice. The girls are currently in the bad books for ganging up on Brian and just generally being bully's towards him and him being a softie doesn't stick up for himself.

Brian had a really good class tonight, so many people have commented lately on how well he has come on and I have seen a massive improvement, he is so enthusiastic which is really nice to see. Tonight he did some lovely jumping sequences and got them weaves spot on.

(The picture is a black lab weaving, I've got it on a t-shirt that I got the other day!)

Our new flat tunnel arrived yesterday but its far too long to fit in any rooms in the house so hopefully we will get to York Rd tomorrow to put it to some use, Megan has never been through one and Heidi hasn't for some time (we don't have one at training) so it will be good to get them in it.

This weekend we are off to Dog Vegas (and might actually get there this time!) There is no snow forecast and hopefully nothing else will prevent us from going. I'm really looking forward to it, having had a brief look at the running order we are not in anything first thing so a late start for us too which is nice :o) Brian is working really well so hopefully we will get some clear rounds!

Silver Here We Come!

Tonight was Megan's first silver good citizen class and it went very well, she didn't seem overly impressed to back doing training but she'll get over it! There are a few familiar faces in the class from our Bronze class so that was nice to see.

Tonight we did a road walk (Glad I had wrapped up as I didn't know about it!), recalls, a 2 minute stay, checking over our dogs, coming away from distractions, food refusal and questions. Megan did all of the exercises well and I doubt she will have any problems although I think she would benefit from practicing the food refusal (she's a hoover!).

Megan has been a bit snappy lately with other dogs and tonight was no exception, it started that she didn't like them near her face but now she seems not to like them near her at all unless both parties are off lead, its not like she hasn't been socialised but it definitely needs some work over the coming weeks.

Training

I expected last night to be a bit manic at agility class as we have had a few weeks off but I was pleasantly surprised by all of the doggies.

I was most impressed with Heidi, after the last time I hadn't expected much but she concentrated and listened to what she was told instead of just jumping over anything she could which was great and her contacts on the dog walk and A-frame were spot on. It wasn't that difficult having both the girls in the same class either, I just left one in the van and swapped them over after their go.

Good news tonight, the lady who ran Megan's Bronze Good Citizen class text me to say she had enough to run a second Silver class on a Tuesday night so me and Megan are going from this Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to it too.

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Other than that not much happening here really, the snow has finally gone apart from the odd stubborn bit here and there which I'm glad about although we are now left with a very muddy back garden, roll on the summer!

Willingham Woods

Yesterday a snow plough came to clear our road which meant I could finally go out after a whole week of being stuck at home! I took the opportunity to escape for an hour and went to Tesco (how sad am I?!)

Today I was on lates (only just got home and wide awake!) so this morning I took the dogs for a nice long walk in Willingham Woods. There weren't many people about which is always good, some places had lots of snow still, others not so much.

How mental are our dogs though, there is snow on the ground and all 3 decide to go paddling in a very deep stream! Silly dogs.

Thankfully we should be back at agility training on Thursday night as long as we don't get any more snow, I'll be glad to be honest, it seems like so long since we have done anything and Santa brought me some new agility trainers that I want to try out!!!

No Nuts For Us

Well we still have loads of snow! Today we have had mostly rain mixed in with the odd snow shower so it has started to melt and is quite slushy underfoot.

Yesterday having got fed up of being stuck indoors for a week me and the dogs took a walk over to Stella and Ambrose's for the afternoon. We had a nice dinner and the dogs played in some fresh snow (which pleased them) and then we walked back later last night.

We have had lots of trips to the field and they have still been playing out the back for hours on end, Heidi just doesn't want to come in!

Today we should have been at Agility Nuts but we didn't risk the trip. The show was confirmed as being on and the venue and route to it were clear but I didn't really fancy the drive this end to be honest not knowing what the routes out of the village are like so we stayed home instead. We have dog vegs anyway in 2 weeks time so fingers crossed the snow will have gone by then!

Frosty the Snowman

In case you hadn't guessed, we got more snow. If anyone was gonna get it obviously it was us! It snowed yesterday non stop for a good 12 hours and we have had some more today.

As I'm not at work now I decided not to be too miserable about it. The dogs had a good play in it on the field this morning before anyone else had been on then we came back and I built them a snowman (not really sure if it was for them or me!) Anyway the picture is of Megan and Frosty.

Needless to say he didn't keep his nose for long, Megan came trotting in from the garden with the carrot only a few minutes later!

I had intended on making him a bit taller but every time I put some snow on the pile Megan ate it so he wasn't actually growing and I gave up.

I'm hoping the roads out of the village are clearer tomorrow so that we can get to Agility training tomorrow night but we shall see, I've just noticed it's starting to snow again so maybe not.

We have had a two hour power cut this afternoon too and i doubt the bins will be emptied tomorrow (they weren't last time they were due either due to snow!) seems the whole world stops when you get some of the white stuff!

Much Better!

Well apart from still having a cold I'm feeling much better. We did have plenty of snow on Saturday night but not enough to prevent me from getting to work. Once out of our village the roads are clear (Apart from ice anyway).

Today has been my day off, it was nice to be off when everyone else was starting back to work (hehe!) This week is my favorite week on my shift rotation at work as I only have to work 1 day and that's tomorrow, then I'm not in again until the following Tuesday, yippee!

Today was a busy admin day, running errands and stuff. The dogs decided to help in that department too. Yesterday when I got in from work I left my bag (complete with lunch box in) in the utility room, whilst I was out today the dogs emptied my lunch box for me and ate the Wotsits that were in there for me too. (obviously they knew I would have left them in there for them to find!), maybe a clue that I should tidy my stuff away when I get in from work!

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Anyway I did manage a little bit of agility with the dogs before it got dark tonight and all was well. There is a bit too much snow still at York Road though, I'm hoping it will have melted a little by Wednesday.

We are back to class on Thursday night but I have a feeling Heidi will come into season any day now so she might not get to go after all, still we shall see as on Sunday I am off to AgilityNuts with Brian and Heidi (and a day out for Megan!) so lots to look forward to this week.

A Bad Start!

I was back at work today so last night decided to have an early night as I was on earlies so have to be up at a ridiculous hour to walk the doggies before work. Anyway, it took me ages to get to sleep and then I was wide awake at 3.30am with a sore throat. Great. I must have dozed off again and woke to hear Megan whining, she never whines so I went to investigate and found she had shut herself in the spare room, Muppet!

Anyway after a horrible nights sleep I headed off for work and have felt progressively worse through the day and now have the full blown lurgy! As if that isn't crap enough I have just looked out of the window to find its GOD DAM SNOWING AGAIN and I'm at work again tomorrow! It's coming down really heavy and is sticking. Now usually I am all for the snow but we have had it pretty bad now for about 2 and a half weeks and it's getting a bit frustrating. God only knows how I will get to work in the morning if it doesn't stop as no roads get cleared around here!

The girls are out playing in it again at the moment, Brian has decided staying curled up on the sofa is a better option and I quite honestly agree. I'm off for a hot bath in a minute and an early night and maybe tomorrow might be a better day. (Sorry for the moan!)