Diesel passed!!

Today was Diesels Good citizens bronze test and I'm very pleased to say we passed and congratulations to everyone else in the group that also passed, all the dogs did brilliantly!! Diesel performed brilliantly and i couldn't have asked her to do anymore she really proved herself but she did get cold towards the end so had to have her coat on. We spent the rest of the morning watching other classes and then we did flyball although we were very cold by then and couldn't muster up much encouragement for our poor dogs who were quite happily doing it (useless parents). After spending nearly 5 hours outside we are all very happy to be home and warming back up on the sofa!!

Boxers feeling better!!

Bless them they are slowly getting there bounce back, as Gemma proved by having an extra long roll on our bed this morning to make up for the last couple of days. My Mum and John came round for tea last night and as you can see if you dare to sit on the sofa your guaranteed to have a friend to keep you warm. We had a sit stay practise in the field this morning in practise for Kennel Club good cits test on Sunday. Diesel sat very nicely watching the world go by, it was good practise as the other two were running around her still, so good distractions. On the day the other dogs will be sat next to her quietly so she should find it easy. We have been practising 2minute stays in the hope that her 1 minute on Sunday will be easy!

We have just received our YKC stuff for Ladies Kennel Association show in December which means me and Diesel need to start practising our handling again!!

Tiring weekend!!

Last weekend we packed the car and left for Scotland, we arrived about 11.30pm. We had a quick drink with our friends and then decided to find our cottage in the dark. We found it easily due to knowing the area well and had a quick explore before going to bed at 1am. The alarm went off at 5.30 am so not much sleep and we were back in the car travelling to a show. We arrived and it was minus 1 but i walked the course and it was quite a nice course not to hard not to easy. Then we walked the dogs who didn't notice how cold it was. Jess did a lovely run and she was very excited about being back in the ring and she went clear. She was the fastest in her class so she should have won but the show had decided to put all the dogs in together so we were competing against all the large and small dogs as well so we didn't win!!! She went on to have 3 clears and and a round with 5 faults due to her sniffing in the weaves so that's her best ever so i am very pleased!!

We travelled back to the cottage with the temperature know at 0 it was very chilly. We had chance to explore the cottage and its massive garden which had a stream at the bottom. The dogs loved it and me and Katy took them for another walk so they were very tired. We went to our friends for tea and the dogs happily had a nap. We woke on Sunday to 2 inches of snow and due to the windows in the cottage being very low the dogs could see the snow and where very excited about it and couldn't wait for us to get ready. We spent an hour playing in the garden and taking photos until the camera ran out of battery. We spent so long playing we were late vacating our cottage!! We then drove to a walk we had spotted and fancied doing and spent another hour walking in the snow the dogs especially loved the golf course in the snow. Back in the car and to the village where our friends live, we were due to have dinner in there restaurant at 12.30 so we took the dogs for another walk that we love next to the river where in the summer Gemma normally has a swim. We had a lovely dinner (roast beef) perfect for the temperature we were braving. Me and Katy went and rode her ponies before it got dark and had a good old chin wag. Then back to the dogs they had a little play in Katy's garden but were very tired apart from Diesel playing with an apple in the snow that she had found all by herself on the petanque course. We decided that it wasn't going to snow anymore and we wouldn't get stuck so we'd have to start the drive home. We left at 5.30 pm and got home about 10.30pm and went to bed.

Monday mourning we were up early to go for a walk with my grandparents dogs and my uncles dogs so we had 8 dogs altogether. They had a lovely time although Jess couldn't give a monkeys about it aslong as she can go off sniffing.

Training was abit of a disaster last night Gemma just refused to jump so she went back in the car as she couldn't be persuaded at all so that was fine and Diesel was very very slow although Diesel did do some jumps single poled for the first time and she went straight over so i was chuffed with that. Jess on the other had was fine and flew round. I think Gemma is a sore from the travelling as we went to put her in the car and she cried out and she doesn't run up the stairs like she normally would so there having a couple of days of chilling and glucose powder in there water although Jess keeps drinking it so she'll be as high as a kite!!

I was very lucky that at the end of the training session Emma let me run Maisy (Manic Maisy) who is super quick and off her head. Good God did i have to run but she went really well for me and i was really pleased and it was so much fun running something that works ahead of you. I was buzzing all the way home in the car trying to persuade Ian to let me have a collie, i think i need more time to work on him. Thanks Emma for letting me run her it was really good to run a different dog as you can learn different things from different dogs!!

Also thanks to Katy and Brian for a great weekend! P.S I am very proud to say i didn't get totally pi**ed which is a first a bit merry but still in control, i know its hard to believe!!

Scotland!!

We both woke up with headaches this morning after with had a little dinner party with Emma Amy and Anne and her puppy Gloria who was on her best behaviour all night. We got to bed about 12.30 and i woke to hear Gemma being sick at 5am (serves her right for eating some of Gabby's tea!!) So Ian very kindly dragged himself out of bed to clear it up whilst I made sure Jess wasn't going to eat it, lovely!! Gabby arrived about 7am and Nicola her mummy was going to come for a walk with us as shes having a day off work. I decided I had better have breakfast and a sugary cup of tea before i went otherwise i don't think I'd have made it. The dogs had a lovely time as Gabby has spent the last couple of days at home with her mummy and daddy so they were rather excited, pulling us to the field so they could go. Poor Gabby desperately tries to keep up with the others but her legs just won't go fast enough won't be for long though she'll soon be bigger than all of mine. We got back and the dogs had some well earned breakfast and then they chose to go to sleep on Nicola. They are still there know!!

This weekend we are going to Scotland to visit friends and go to an agility show as well!! I have high hopes for Jess as we haven't been for a while and shes always really quick at the start of the day, i feel i have got control of her at the moment but you never know until you get into the ring what she might do. I am looking forward to it as it seems ages since we've been to an agility show. I will let you know how we get on after the weekend with some pics and I'm going to rest my sore head!!

Training!!

This weekend i managed to get to Sunday training which we all enjoyed. Gabby attended her first puppy class but was far to interested in playing with Gloria her litter sister, but hopefully Ian and Nicola took some valuable knowledge away with them from it. Diesel was then aloud out the car to do her Good Citizen bronze class. She was rather excited seeing the flyball kit out but we had to do good citizens class first. We started with doing some stays and although i had brought her something to sit on she broke the first time, and the second time she broke to have a quick shake so more practise is needed. Everything else she was really good so it will all be down to her stay so i must start practising everyday, if i can get her off the sofa first! Then came flyball training the exciting class. Jess was also aloud out of the car and she was very pleased with herself. Both dogs did really well especially Diesel who loves it and as you can imagine shes not like the other dogs i.e. other dogs use both paws to get the ball not Diesel, shes a proper little boxer and prefers to box the ball out. Jess gets a bit tired after so many runs and gets a bit bored and can't understand why she has to keep going down when she has obviously proved that she can do it and she doesn't need anymore practise. Bless they have a lovely time!!

Discover dogs!!

Me and Amy ventured down to London for discover dogs yesterday. We left around 8ish after id got a soaking whilst walking the dogs in the morning, thinking I'm sure it will stop soon, of course it didn't. We managed to find Earls court but not our car park. After half and hour of driving round London we managed to find the car park funnily enough where everyone else was aiming for. My competition wasn't until 4pm so we spent the day watching others in the rings and shopping!! Diesel had a lovely day she got plenty of cuddles and kisses as everybody loved her. She was very good as she had lots of children and adults kept coming from all directions and grabbing her to give her attention. Then it was time for me to get changed and let everybody have there own attempts at doing my hair and then we settled on Sarah's attempt so thanks for that Sarah. I was first in the ring which at first i thought was quite scary but then I was pleased i did go first as less time panicking. We did really well and i was so pleased with Diesel i couldn't have asked her to do anymore. We ended up being 4th and we were against some very good handlers s0 i was chuffed to bits as everyone said i didn't look out of place against them compared to how little I'd done. We got back around 7.30 and Diesel had some much deserved tea. Thanks to Amy and Sarah for helping me out all day couldn't have done it without you!!

Discover Dogs!!

This weekend i am taking Diesel down to Discover dogs to attempt a handling competition. When i entered it seemed so far away but know its come round very quickly and the butterflies are starting to came back. Thankfully Amy is coming with me for some moral support and for a pink shopping trip. I shall let you know how we get on after the weekend, wish us luck!!
Fortunately know Gabby's had her injections she is able to come for long walks which makes life allot easier as she know sleeps more. Unfortunately due to her being white she gets covered in mud from herself and from mine flying past her and splattering her in mud. She enjoys herself but her mummy and daddy haven't yet seen her yet when she comes back from the field, he he, i will try and get some photos.

Gabby and newark YKC weekend!!

Don't panic its not my puppy but she is a new edition to the family. I am know an Aunty as this is my brothers puppy called Gabby. She is 11 weeks old and has just finished her injections so is starting to be let loose on the world. She was the last puppy out of the litter but i knew my brother and his partner would just fall in love with her as soon as they saw here. She comes for day boarding at my house in the day whilst her mummy and daddy go to work to pay for her. She has been very good and has settled into her routine very well and she tires herself out playing with Jess's big fluffy ears!! She will be coming up the club on Monday night to see everyone and sort out some puppy classes!!

Last weekend we went to newark for the YKC training weekend. As i am 22 i've still got a couple of years in the Young Kennel Club but i did only join a couple of months ago so i am going to make the most of the opportunites that i can. We borrowed a horsebox of a friend with living, we must thank Carol and Ashley for lending it to us for the weekend i don't think we would have stayed the whole weekend otherwise. We packed the lorry Friday night and started our journey. We arrived and let the dogs out for a well needed run and then went to find our dinner that Amy had kindly got for us. Saturday brought a full day of training i did 2hrs of agility with Jess and 2hrs of handling with Diesel. The weather turned pretty nasty that night so we were very grateful we weren't in a tent. We had a good night playing games and generally drinking plenty. Sunday morning bought Diesels handling competition which i was very nervous about as it was my first. I tried to remember everything that i was taught the day before and what Emma and Amy were telling me. I didn't disgrace myself and i feel we did rather well as we were against some very good handlers. Although we didn't get placed i was pleased with how we did as i still get very confused about it all. Diesel is very relaxed about it all and is often laying flat out in the ring unfazed by how nervous i get. It rained the whole of the sunday and Gemma wasn't pleased about having to do agility in the rain and wind, but she was very good. We watched Amy win her obedience competition so congratulations to her and it was great to watch. Also congratulations to the flyball team who qualified for crufts!!

My pooches!!

Hello and welcome to my blog. These are my three pooches. Jess the springer spaniel is 4 years old and we've had her since she was a puppy. We started agility training December 2007 and started competing in April. Shes not the quickest but when shes working she goes really well and enjoys herself immensly. She also goes flyball training which once again shes may not be as quick as everyone else she tries hard and is consistant. Diesel the plain faced boxer is very special, she is 2 and i've had her since a puppy. Everybody loves her and she may come across as being quite dumb but really she has the brains she just doesn't always use them. She is a favourite with everyone and started doing agility in June and is comeing on really well she loves it and gets very excited. She also does flyball, it may have taken along time sending her down for a treat but she is know getting it and goes down for a ball so we are really pleased we didn't rush her and let her do it in her own time. Gemma the other boxer will be 3 in December. I had her from the age of 1 and although she can be abit difficult at times due to not being sociallised enough she has come on leaps and bounds to what she was like when we first got her. She is a very loving dog in the house and wants cuddles and kisses all the time but she does get abit wet when in situations when she doesn't feel confident. She started doing agility in June and although she was abit rubbish to start i am pleased to say that she is starting to get it and enjoys it and so do i.