NADAC trial this weekend

Once again I lost my mind and entered all 12 classes available at the Companion Dog Club's two day trial with the very personable Matt McCarter as our judge.

January in Nebraska can be EXTREMELY COLD! The high temperature today was 15 degrees. Our trial is being held at a nearby horse stable with a huge indoor (unheated, but insulated) arena. The attached crating area has three propane heaters running, so it is chilly but livable.

The 6 or 8 barn cats have discovered that agility dogs get treats after they run and one little grey one in particular decided my crate area was a great place to hang out. We would return from a run and little grey guy would be sitting in my chair. Cash jumped into the chair and gave him a hip check to move him over and they shared some leftover filet mignon.

We went 3 for 6 today totally due to handler error. Cash read my body language perfectly, unfortunately it was directing him to the wrong obstacle in a discrimination. One little bobble toward the end of otherwise beautiful runs ended them in NQs.

We got our first Chances Q on a course with two tunnels side-by-side and of course the correct one was the far one. We got it with me teetered just inside the line, directing "Out. Tunnel." Bless his little heart, he zoomed into the right one! One of the BC handlers in Open had a fabulous run going when she directed "Out. Tunnel." and he took the tunnel 20 feet into the next ring. Well, she did say, "Out. Tunnel." and that was the furthest tunnel out.

We Q'ed in Jumpers and are now one Q from his Novice Outstanding Jumpers title. Crossed fingers for tomorrow.

We also Q'ed in Tunnelers and gained Cash's Novice Tunnelers title.

Six more runs tomorrow in frigid weather with 3-4" of snow predicted tonight. Oh joy!

It's my birthday!

Yeah, mine. Not Cash's.

Actually it is the 16th anniversary of my 40th birthday....

Last night Denny and I went to his office Christmas party at a local restaurant that also has an arcade. I did pretty well and won this:

A poodle! Imagine that!

Denny, Katie and I are going out to eat tonight so a pretty low key celebration.

My biggest excitement of the day is that I mailed Betty's registration to the AKC today. Hopefully I will have it back within a couple of weeks and can start planning our 2009 show season. I'm thinking of bringing her out at the Greater Wichita Poodle Specialty in early April. She is in need of a shave in the picture but you get the idea of how pretty she is.

I'm a total unknown in the breed ring, having been away from it for 40 years. Although I did have the #4 Cocker Spaniel in the country owner handled back in the 70's.

This ought to be a hoot, an older woman with a stunning, typey bitch that has never been seen in the area. What fun!!!!

Anniversary

On a personal note, Denny and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary tonight with going out to dinner with Katie.

Wooo Hooo! Another Q

We only entered Starters Jumpers today and Cash again Q'd and won the class. Pretty easy when you are the only 12" dog. SCT was 43 seconds, his time was 26.39, due to a "visit" to the ring crew over by the tunnel at #6..... :-(

His YPS were still 4.66. I felt really good after the run when all 3 of my instructors who were there complimented me on my handling. Normally my plan flies out of my head when I step to the line, but this time I felt like I had an angel on my shoulder telling me, "Don't take your eye off of him. Support that jump. Call his name when he's in the tunnel." I actually feel like it's coming together. What fun!

Video and course below:

USDAA trial today

I entered Cash in Starters Jumpers and Pairs (with my friend Darla, and her Pom, Nina) at our GoDogs trial. In his Jumpers class he Q'd with a time of 26.53 on a course with a SCT of 46 seconds. Here's the course:















In Pairs, Cash ran the first half of the course
cleanly in 14.23 seconds. Both dogs Q'd and our combined time was 12 seconds under time.


















Here are a couple of pictures from an AKC trial a couple of weeks ago:

NQ - Novice JWW - Greater Lincoln Obedience Club

And today we went down in FLAMES!!! It seems like Cash either wins the class or we totally bomb. But when we bomb we do it in spectacular style, going MACH III with our hair on fire!

I like it better when classes run tall to small, so I have more time after the walking the course and the judge's briefing to ratchet Cash down just a notch before ring time. Today was small to tall and after walking and the briefing, I got him from his crate and had just a couple of minutes before we were due at the start line.

He did hold his SLS, but I could tell by about the 5th obstacle, he was way too cranked to be in control. My fault as I should have trained better. He has never left the ring before, but he blew 30 ft. out and came right back when called, but then took the wrong end of the tunnel. Once I got him turned around, he was fine, although he missed his weave entry but got it on the second try and didn't back weave. Even with the zipping around he was 15 seconds under course time. I'll still take a dog that is balls to the walls. I can learn to handle him rather than have to cheerlead around a course. My cyberfriends on one of my agility lists have recommended I get him really cranked in class and have him practice focus and self control so when he gets to a trial it's nothing out of the ordinary. Good advice I plan to heed.

Anyway, I'm still thrilled with yesterday's Q!

First Novice JWW Q!!!!!

After an all day wait, Cash Q'd (and won the class) in Novice JWW at the Greater Lincoln Obedience Club trial today in Lincoln, NE. SCT was 41 seconds and he ran it in 25.03. His YPS were 4.07. Video below.... (I know I need to be a better handler!)