Tagged! Thanks Leanne...!

Okay, so here goes:

The instructions were …Open a document or file folder

Click on the fifth folder and then the fifth photo

Post the photo and describe it

Then tag 5 other bloggers

Okay, so it happens that this is a photo taken at the Irish National Stud last summer. This is an amazing place to visit - on the Naas road out of Dublin. As well as exquisite race horses and foals to look at, and a fantastic gift shop and cafe, there is the Japanese garden, where this picture was taken - a tiny garden but packed with surprises around every corner. It really leaves you feeling tranquil and relaxed. Definitely a place I would recommend for a visit if you are in Dublin or the area.

So, who to tag?

http://amazingpaws.blogspot.com/

http://robandmaggie.blogspot.com/

http://lilyfudge.blogspot.com/

http://flyinkai.blogspot.com/

http://bryningbcs.blogspot.com/

Training Last Night

I only worked Amber for a short time last night - half the course just to demonstrate where to go and how to get there(!) - and to practice our contacts and send aways. I also did some focused work on pull throughs with her as I always have problems with handling multiple pull throughs, and we haven't done them for some time - in denial I think!! Anyway, she was great, as ever - very noisy and full of energy and concentation. Working Amber is always like a very fast, energetic, noisy game of Master Chess!!

So, to the Boy. I asked people to be quite tough with him (not harsh - just not welcoming) if he came visiting. I started working on the pull-through sequence, teaching him what I wanted. I knew he would find this quite boring to start with, with too much concentration required before he had checked out who was there. Yes - I set him up to want to go off and see people.... and he did, but what a surprise he got! No welcoming faces at all. He was quite obviously a bit put out as he returned to me and worked quietly and with the focus I had come to expect. So, the damage done last weekend, when it became too exciting for him to remember he was supposed to be working, has been partially put right. We have, of course, been working on the 'stay with me' fun exercises when out for walks etc too.

I then put him over the more difficult of the 2 courses, with a tight wrap start; tunnel avoidance flick flack (that's a 'flapjack' for Lee Windeatt and any other southerners reading this!) and tough A-scale/tunnel discrimination, with both ends of the tunnel well out in front of the A-scale, which of course was the one to be taken. Later in the course it was the tunnel that had to be taken - again, not problems. Every contact nailed; weaves like a pro - no pulling out before the end, so progress there too.

All in all, a really good night's training for my dogs! (Just a bit guilty that Corker My Main Man doesn't feature at all.... so I've included him by using his picture at the top..........)

Consistency

Well, the trend from the last few days has continued at flyball training, and then at NAWS - Bryn bogging off to 'meet and greet' what he believes is his adoring fan club/audience. This is really frustrating, and will not do! He has too much promise at agility in many ways for this naughtiness to be allowed to remain. Some reward based obedience is called for I think....

So, we went weave training tonight - he did it again a couple of times, but people were primed to send him away and he came back readily enough. We also managed to consolidate his weaves again - he had started to bob out towards the end if I ran past him or went off at an angle. By then end of the session he was weaving well wherever I was - alongside, recall, sendaway etc. His weave entries are ace! Especially for a young, immature dog.

And that is the crux of the matter I think - immaturity. I may have been asking too much from him in terms of independent working, and he may have thought it meant 'do your own thing'. Perhaps I need to step back a bit, and support him a little more for a while.

Amber was working well at NAWS, but as I was helping to run the show, I wasn't as good as I needed to be. Lovely courses - wasted by me! I have noticed that, at almost 9 years old, recovery time is a bit longer these days. Must keep an eye on her.

Training Last Night

Was depressing and frustrating! I looked at every exercise and thought confidently: 'Yes, we can do that - just position here, move there, cue like this' etc And each time it fell apart unexpectedly. As the evening went on, I got worse, Bryn got slower, and then decided he was having more fun visiting other handlers and dogs than being with me. And he hasn't done that since he was a pup!
So, the high hopes I had for Sunday's NAWS show are somewhat more tempered now, and my confidence in my little boy is dented, to say nothing of my confidence in my handling. I really must remember that on Wedenesday both Bryn and Amber were working well, and can do so again.....
Flyball for both tomorrow, weather permitting.

Training with Lee Windeatt

I was really fortunate to be able to get a place on a training day with Lee Windeatt, who had ventured into the frozen North to bring knowledge to us barbarians - not really; he is far too pleasant and positive to ever take that attitude, though he did have one or two problems with the language.....

Bryn was down for the morning session for Grades 1 to 3, and, having looked at the list of names, I realised that I was definitely the Elder Citizen of the group, ie the most 'challenged' in terms of fitness and speed. However, the Boy Bryn did okay I felt and I was given some things to ponder over in terms of handling skills. I was amazed at one complete change in handling (for me) that worked instantly for Bryn. A very simple and subtle movement that made real differences to line and commitment. Lots to work on - sometimes it's just nice to have existing training reinforced by a guest trainer; sometimes it's good to have totally new ideas. Today Bryn and I got both.

Have to say a big thanks to Natalie (See Kai's Blog) for organising it all!! More please!

Still blaming the 'flu!!

Which isn't really fair - more a cop out.

Went to one of my favourite indoor winter shows on Saturday - Wilmslow at Myerscough. This club always runs a well organised, happy show - lots of smiling faces despite the very cold weather, and excellent courses from most of the judges - thank you for standing there freezing your bits off while we ran around and got warm!

Amber was in full flight mode, and nailed every contact and weave or tunnel entry all day. This, of course, completely threw me, so I cocked up the handling for her.... 5F, 10F and 15F were our results. To be fair to myself, I wasn't able to breathe very well still, and my legs felt like someone had drained the energy from them, and my head was a bit fuzzy, but I should have done better than I did.

Bryn also suffered from crap handler syndrome - he was shifting a bit - faster than he has done at shows - and of course nailed all contacts beautifully, layered elements of courses like a Grade 6 dog (not the Grade 3 he is) but took out some poles on turns because I flicked my shoulders around too sharply for him. Again, no eliminations, just a few faults. The one that still puzzles me is in the jumping when he came out of the weaves 2 before the end - twice - something he never usually does, and there were only 6 weaves anyway. He was either distracted by something ringside ( the weaves were next to the ring ropes) or spotted the tunnel further on the course ahead of us. As it is not like him, I'll have to try to replicate the situation and work out what caused it, as well as training him through it. Weaves are one of his strengths, so I don't want problems to start.

Corker had a lovely day being admired whenever he went for a walk, and strutting his stuff as my Main Man and Guardian of the Universe. He is such a lovely companion dog for me to have, and really enjoys his role much more than having to work for a living like the other two.Ha, ha!

I blame the 'flu!!!

I've only just noticed that people have been leaving comments on the posts - really interesting comments too. I'm mortified that I've only just noticed - can't possibly be my age ;) so must still be the effects of 'flu.........
Sorry people - thank you, and please keep leaving the comments!

Corker - the Mystery Deepens

We got the biopsy results for Corker's 'illness' today - they show absolutely nothing wrong at all. (£1700 spent for Corker to have a couple of days at the vets with a variety of tests and medications, which he seemingly enjoyed...)
Which is good news except that we still don't know what was the matter in the first place. The vet pointed out that the last similar incident was almost exactly a year ago....can the time of year be significant?? And the pan scrubber that went missing? Oh, Amber sicked that up a couple of days ago!
Anyway, as suspected, Corker is fine....which is more than I can say for myself, as I've been struggling with a bout of 'flu (the real sort) while trying to take care of him........ Luckily, Amber and Bryn have been angels throughout. Sometimes you just have to love them!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! Just where did the last one go?? Blink and you missed it!

This was the first New Year's Eve without Meg. For 14 years she was terrified by fireworks, trying to dig holes in the bath to escape from them, or trying to sit on top of my head .... she was so scared. The other dogs thought she was fair game at these times, which made things worse for all of us.
This year there was ...... nothing.......no reaction at all. It was bliss.
Bless you Meg, but it certainly was a pleasanter New Year's Eve without your terror....probably for you too!

New Year Resolutions:
Enjoy my dogs and their 'work'
Keep things in perspective
Recognise and achieve the potential that I have and that each of my dogs has.

What are yours?