Sprinklers & Seagulls

Well it's still pretty hot here at the moment, I got the sprinkler out on Monday to give the garden a bit of a water, it kept Heidi entertained for ages, she kept trying to drink the water as it went past her but just ended up soaked!

Yesterday morning we headed off to the beach for a good long walk. I think we must have walked about 3 or 4 miles, the girls ran along the shorline splashing about, Brian went out  to where it was deep enough to swim and then sawm the whole distance we walked! needless to say he was shattered when we got back and seems to be in a lazy mood still this morning! Megan decided yesterday that chasing seaguls was fun, I think they were teasing her a bit as they'd land nearby, she'd creep up on them or chase them and they'd fly off! At one point she chased one into the sea and it was much deeper than she tought and ended up going right under, head and all, not that she was at all bothered, crazy puppy!

I gave the dogs a good brush yesterday, with it being hot I had noticed they were losing some fur, when I brushed the girls though (which took about an hour!) I got a carrier bag of hair off them each! Ill give them another going over later on I think, mind you they should feel much better already.

I'm working lates tnoight and tomorrow so I can have the weekend off, we have no agility and my mum and dad are coming up on Friday for the weekend so it should be a pleasant and relazing weekend and i'm sure the dogs will enjoy it as they do love having visitors!

Dogs On Top

I can't believe how hot it has been this weekend, I'm not complaining but it was a bit too hot, I got burnt even with suncream on! I think the sun frazzled the girls brains this weekend. Their agility was pretty poor, as I guess would have been my handling! Megan has decided she cant weave and Heidi wont weave, especially when there is a tunnel straight after! More training required...

I entered the girls into a knock out jumping challenge on both days, yesterday Heidi was out on the first round due to a knocked pole and Megan made it to the quarter final but then ran past the last jump so she was out. Today was much better, Heidi made it to the quarter final before she knocked a pole and Megan the little star made it to the final!!! Unfortunately she knocked a pole (probably her first ever one in competition) so she finished 2nd but I was so pleased with her!

Megan seems to have overcome her flat tunnel issues now too, she has done it every time over the weekend and she had about 20 goes at doing it in the practice ring too.

Anyway Brian...as he isn't doing agility I entered him into the fun dog show as he loves any excuse to be fussed and stroked by strangers. He came 1st in Most Handsome Dog (I know he is a good looking boy!), 2nd in the Dog the judge would most like to take home and 3rd in the Dog in the best condition.

We have got a bit of a break now from agility with no shows until the 9th July and the dogs haven't got training this week either as I'm at work. I'm sure the rest will do me and them some good so we'll all be eager to go again in a few weeks time.

Finally...

...I have got my camera back from being repaired! I sent it off to Sony in April and it took ages to get fixed but I got it back yesterday so I'm really pleased! I've taken loads of photos of the dogs today, I've put a few at the bottom, ill post some more next week.

Tonight we had agility training, Megan seemed to have some excess energy from somewhere, it was as though someone had put a rocket up her bum, at one point when I was running her Lucy thought she was Heidi as she was going so fast! They both worked hard tonight though, Heidi did have a naughty moment with the weaves, deciding she didn't need to do them but she was quickly reminded that if she didn't she couldn't carry on and she did them, little madam!

This weekend we are going to a non KC show, it's a small show called Dogs on Top that we went to last year in Melton Mowbray (It's where we first met Speedy), I thought it was at the same venue this year until earlier in the week (teach me to read the schedule properly!), it's actually another 30mins on from where it used to be meaning a 2 hour drive for us. I emailed the show organiser this week and they have camping spots left so I have booked camping for Sat night so I don't have to travel both days, unfortunately I'm on lates tomorrow so we can't leave until Saturday morning. Lets hope the sunshine continues!!!

It's Hot!

Well after the weekend was absolutely freezing and I had my fleece on  all day for both days, yesterday and today have been the total opposite, it's boiling! The dogs have been taking it easy as they have been finding it hot but they burst their paddling pool last time it was out and I've not had chance to get a new one yet.

Yesterday I did some contact training on the A-frame with the girls, Heidi's are still excellent but it wont hurt to keep on top of them. Megan got them about 90% of the time but she does in training, its shows where she gets to the different coloured bit and then jumps over it as though she is trying to avoid it! I've been at work today but when it cools down a bit later I'll do a little bit more training with them both on it and tomorrow I hope to get in some weave training with them.
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Brian seems to be enjoying life taking it easy, I have walked him a bit more with the girls this week but with it being so hot he tends to sleep a lot anyway. He hasn't had any swimming this week as they are closed for a few days and so were fully booked but he is back there on Monday and I'm sure will be full of enthusiasm as he does love a swim!

RVA Update

Today has been a bit of a mixed day really that seemed to get better as it went on. No clear rounds but not to worry. First up was the girls agility, Heidi didn't even make it to the 4th obstacle before I took her out of the ring. It was tyre, jump, 6 weaves then tunnel, first 2 went well, I told her weave and she ran straight past them into the tunnel, I gave her a second chance, called her back to do the weaves and again straight past and into the tunnel. I gave her a third go to which she did 2 weaves and then you guessed it, into the tunnel. I decided not to continue with her, I thought we had got past the silly not listening after the great runs we have had over the last few weeks.

It seemed to click in her head that she needs to do as she's told as her comb 1-7 jumping was lovely, only knocking a couple of poles (might have been 3) and in her 1-2 jumping she missed out the middle weave in 12 so we had to re do them and she had a pole too but she was working so well and listening. At least her mad moments are few and far between!

Megan decided today that she had forgotten how to do the tyre, she ran under it twice in her agility but when I called her back went through it! She did do it on her third attempt but her heart didn't seem in it this morning and she jumped her A-frame contact too. With it being such a big show there were lots more people around than usual including coach loads of school kids and so she had been quite nervous in the que.

It started to rain this afternoon which meant the crowds soon disappeared and by the time it came to her 1-2 jumping there weren't many people left. She was much more confident and I did as I'd planned and ran her like I would Heidi and she ran really well. So well in fact that she tried to do her weaves much quicker than normal which resulted in her coming out in the middle so we had to go back. I was really pleased with her though.

The show today was a lovely show, really well organised and no constant cries for helpers which was good. I helped in the ring running the team agility this afternoon and that was fun to watch, the dogs really seem to get excited in their teams! As the show had other things on I did have a good wander round and watched a bit of the show jumping too. It's been an enjoyable but very long day so I think it's time to put my feet up :)

Megan Has Moved Up!

Megan has moved up classes at training, Lucy text me earlier to see if I would move her. I have always been happy enough with her in the class she was in as she is with only 2 other dogs and they all started about the same time so are about the same level but Lucy has taken on about a lot of new puppies from this week so Megan has gone into the big dogs class! I was a little worried that it would be too difficult for her but she really surprised me. I ran her like I do Heidi and it went really well, she got some good weave entries and seemed really confident so tomorrow I plan to run Megan as if she were Heidi and see how it goes!

Friday Agility

The dogs have had a pretty chilled out week so far this week, Brian had swimming on Monday which went extremely well, he really put in a lot of effort bless him. Tuesday and yesterday I was on lates so the dogs had a good long walk on the bridle path on Tuesday and yesterday morning we had an hour at the beach which they thoroughly enjoyed. I even had a paddle in the sea!
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Brian is looking so much better, he is really almost back to his old self, he is still a little cautious when he goes upstairs but he hasn't yelped at all since we got him seen by Natalie last week. He has been out twice with the girls this week too (Tue & wed) and he has coped really well. I am still taking him out on his own some of the time though; it's nice to spend some time with just him too.
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Tonight we have training and tomorrow we are off to the RVA show at the East of England Showground so it will be an early start for us as it's a 2 hour drive to the venue. Tomorrow is our only show this week though as I'm working all weekend. I've used so much of my holiday already on having weekends off for shows so I'm starting to do some extra shifts to get some holiday time back for the rest of the year!

EMDAC Success

Today we have had a really good day at the EMDAC show. The girls had an agility, jumping and steeplechase run each. Heidi went clear in the steeplechase but did a spin before the last jump and so came away with 3rd place but there was less than a second between her and first so had she not spun round she'd have won it! She went in the wrong end of the tunnel in her jumping and on agility the weaves were not pegged so she popped out towards the end so we had to re do them.

Megan has had a good day, her steeplechase was very messy to start but then she went clear in her jumping and finished 19th but they only placed to 10th so she came away with a nice clear round rosette anyway. Her agility was very good, much quicker but she missed the contact on the dog walk so ended with 5 faults.

Brian had a nice day making friends, I left him tied to the fence while I walked one of the girls courses and when I came back he was rolling around on the floor playing with a Staffie that had also been left there! He is such a good natured boy bless him. He also had a quick dip in the river so that made his day I think.

Brian is better!!!

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Today Brian has been to See Natalie in Kidderminster and we have good news! She found his problem, a knot in each of his pectoral muscles. He really squealed when she worked them out but it was obviously that which had been giving him so much pain. We have got some stretches to do tonight and for about another week but then he should be as right as rain. I am so glad that it was only a muscular issue and nothing more serious and Natalie is very good so well worth the 300 mile round trip! He is already showing signs of improvement as he came in and got straight on the sofa, something he hasn't done in weeks and when he does he usually yelps so I'm really pleased.

The weather has been so terrible this week we haven't managed any training, hopefully we will get some done over the next few mornings although I think we are forecast rain! The girls have club tomorrow though so we will get something done at least.

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This weekend we only have agility on Sunday, we are going to EMDAC so not to far away really for us, good job as I'm on lates on Saturday night and I usually have an early night if we are up early for a show.

PADS Agility Show

This weekend we have been to PADS show held at Catton Hall just outside Burton-On-Trent. It was a show I'd been looking forward to as we are there for 10 days at the end of July for 2 shows back to back and I wanted to check out the venue! I'm pleased to say it has my approval anyway as it's really nice and the bonus is its only 25 mins from my mum and dads house which I hadn't realised so we got a lie in this morning!

Heidi has had a good weekend, no clears but generally only knocking a pole or 2 here and there, she is really listening and we have had a lot less eliminations! She did a lovely jumping round today and just came out of the weaves at the last one in a set of 12 and had been going clear until that point and everyone watching went 'ahhhh' as it happened! A few people have stopped me over the weekend and said how nice she runs so that is always good to hear.

Megan was entered into 2 runs each day but yesterday in her jumping she seemed to be limping so I took her out to check and she had skinned the tiniest bit of her pad somehow and although wasn't limping when she was walking she must have been landing on it. I didn't run her again and she did limp a bit at my mums but I think that was more to get the sympathy vote! She was ok this morning so I ran her in her agility today and she was better but the little madam jumped ALL of her contacts so that will need some work this week. I didn't run her in the jumping as it was quite a difficult course and I didn't want to end up nagging her all the way round it so I left her, she has had a busy week for a baby!

Brian stayed with my mum for both days in the end and I went to collect him after the show today, he seemed to enjoy staying there and pottering about with them. He is off to see Natalie for a massage to get her opinion on his yelping on Wednesday so fingers crossed she finds something as I'd much rather it was a muscular issue than anything more serious.

Clear Rounds Are Like Buses...

...you wait for ever for one then they all come at once!

Well we have had a fantastic week at Quad Paws, we arrived on Monday evening and our camping spot was right by the river so that has pleased Brian and Megan this week as I've had a hard time keeping them dry!

Anyway Heidi has been an absolute star this week, getting a 1st and 4th in Steeplechase and a 3rd in Agility!!! I was especially pleased with her agility as there were 12 weaves and only a few weeks ago there wasn't a chance she would get a contact, now they are brilliant! She has had some really great runs this week, really listening and working well and generally only knocking a pole, I feel like we have come on in leaps and bounds so I'm really chuffed :0)

Megan had had a really good week too, getting her weaves in almost every class and generally only making one mistake which has usually been running past the odd jump. She had an awsome steeplechase round on Wednesday and only had to clear the last jump but the dozy plank ran straight past it!!! She has seemed a lot more confident this week though, her wait at the start has improved and she doesn't seem to be as nervous about queing now either so lets hope it continues!

Brian was entered this week and I tried to run him in casual jumping on Tuesday but he did 2 jumps and the weaves and didn't want to carry on so I haven't ran him since. He has enjoyed camping though and has had lots of swims in the Thames.

Tomorrow I am off to PADS with the girls, Brian is spending the day with my mum which will be nice for him so lets hope we are not having to wait too long for that next bus (or clear round!).