Golden Valley

This weekend ive once again had my highs and lows. Ian went up early on Friday to set up and i travelled up with Amy later on. It was great to just turn up and everything done although we all helped put Sandys tent up which was good fun i took it upon myself to hold Emmas beer lol!! I was rather anxious at running Gemma as i hate going in the ring not confident and i can see shes really not enjoying it at the mo grrr!! She still has abit of an ear infection so im hoping it might be that although i feel i am clutching at straws as i am gutted that she doesn't want to do it no more. I am also going to spend abit more time on my own with her and take her training on her own again like we used to and have a good time and see if that gets her back into it although to start i am giving her a complete break from all training!! It just puts you on abit of a downer and then you've got to pick yourself back up and give your other dogs 100% which i find very hard. I think Jess has really felt my stress and just gone well i cant be bothered if your going to be like that. So im going to take her back to the beginning and make it all fun as to be fair to my dogs they havn't trained for a while. Jessica was having a fab run Sunday morning and then did a usual spaniel thing and sat down and had scratch 2 from home grrrrr i could have shot her at this point oh well Amy knows how i feel spazy spaniels!!! I am going to finish on a high as Diesel was absolutely fantastic i couldn't have asked her to do anymore for me. She had a fab run in her agility on quite a had course where alot of dogs where going wrong and she got all her weaves (always helps if mummy stays back and lets her find her own way in without being pushed lol) Diesel may look easy to run but she really isn't as you have to hae an eye on her all the time as she likes to work quite far away from me and if im too close i push her to the wrong obstacles. Its taken me a while to realise this and i am still learning isn't it funny how you can think your novice dog is crap but actually when you learn about them and how they work for you it all clicks. Her best round was in the pairs whether she was more jolly ed up as Crafty was there who knows but she had a fantastic round one that i will never forget bless her!!!

Bike ride...

Last night me and Ian all the dogs and our neighbours decided to go for a bike ride (to the pub lol). I walked the dogs to the field and Adam kindly biked his bike and somehow managed to push mine to the field. Ian was rather worried about the dogs and didn't think this was going to be a good idea but i am pleased to say they were fab and had a fantastic time. Gemma was perfect and just following me, Diesel took a liking to Adam and his bike especially as he was the fastest. At one point Adam and Diesel where one side of the field and Jess and Gemma noticed and took off after them although that does mean they hooned back and only just got out of our way. We went through the woods to let the dogs get a drink out the stream although i had forgotten about the stinging nettles, i was trying to get through when Gemma jumped on some which went straight down my legs and then as she got off it stung all the way back up my legs and i must say they are still stinging know!! The dogs kept up well and what away to exercise them will definitely be doing it again soon and the cider was lovely and well deserved!!

Thames

This weekend Ive had some highs and lows. I was hoping that Gemma would be abit more up for it as we were doing the pairs with Anne and Crafty. Unfortunately she really wasn't and again i had to take her out of the ring. Luckily we managed to finish early and Jerry had very kindly agreed to have a look at Gemma back that night. He couldn't really find much at the start just the usual but nothing that would stop her. Shes not the easiest as she keeps sitting down and cant possible stand on her own. After about 20mins of putting things back into place he worked on abit that he knocked into place and she squealed and went for him opps!! But were hoping that was what it was and that its all back in place i could definitely see a difference as she was flowing more as she bumbled around his garden so fingers crossed for this weekend. Jerry kindly had a look the others aswell for me, Diesel just had the odd bit thats know back in place and Jess loved it shes never had so much attention. She wasn't to bad and he found that shes got an old shoulder injury which could be why she goes lame and her other leg the joint is stiffer which would explain why in all her photos that leg is never stretched out like the other, all very interesting. I must say they all look so much better once they've had it done its like they've got more condition and you can really see a massive difference and judging by this mornings run round the field there much happier.
Jess was rather slow yesterday and i find it really hard as i always feel i am waiting for her and shes never really bothered as shes going to do it her speed and only her speed. She went clear all day and even got a weave entry which i tested her on as i just left her to get on with it, i just find it frustrating!! Diesel was a a very good princess i really adore running her and shes really picking things up ie working away from me. Her first round she slipped off the seesaw bless, then missed her weave entrance but to be fair it was Aframe weaves very close together so they had to gathered themselves quickly and we all know what happens when Diesel goes into her weaves to quick lol. Her last round was so much fun i wasn't quite sure how to run it as there was 2 ways which could both prove problems. But she was amazing where i thought we were going to land into each other she was already looking at the next fence and i crossed behind. Once again the weaves where a very tricky angle and to be fair i haven't done many tricky entrances in training so i wasn't bothered as she went in the second weave so made an effort. She popped out as i got abit to far in front so i put her back in and then she really flew round the rest of the course im starting to get that clicking feeling with her and she just gets better and better.
Congratulations to Amy and Summer who got there first clear round. Anne and Crafty went really well in the pairs there defiantly working together and look promising. Emma and Maisy had a lovely jumping round in the morning and ive never seen Emma so in control and remember you got further than me and Gem in the pairs lol. I think Clare had 2 18ths from Saturday so well done and hopefully the giant sanitary towel will work lol.

Fitness/Agility club starters

This week me and Ian have been making a huge effort to get the dogs fitter. They go for there normal walk in the morning and then at night we all get straight in the car and head for a lovely field that we've found. Its fab as its on a hill and we just fling tennis balls down and off they all go, you never know they may be abit more bothered about flyball lol. A lady joined us with some sort of huge mountain dog which we even managed to send down the hill a couple of times until Gemma got fed up with it and told it off, not that it payed a blind bit of notice. The lady was very interesting as next to this field theres a lovely little paddock with 2 stables and a tack room which hasn't been used for years but its always mowed, this lady knows who owns it so on Saturday were going to go and ask if we can rent it off her woop woop.

I had an e-mail this morning about the agility club starters competition uhh ohhh. I had forgotten about this so some training needs to be done Jessica. Feels like i havn't done any agility training with Jess for ages lol. Im looking forward to it although it will be at the end of the day so may have to have a rethink about running Jess through the day, i shall see how she gets on over the next couple of weeks.

PADS

This is Sasha. A little while ago one off our neighbours aproached me asking if i knew anyone that wanted a boxer as they wern't aloud to have her in there reneted accomadation. I knew Brian and his wife who Ian works with were looking for a dog. Christine is at home all day and i knew they would be perfect parents. Im glad to say they are all having a great time together and i think they all have a new lease of life and Sasha looks loads better after abit of love and care. They came to join us last night as i took my equipment up to Bodicote playing fields. She had a little go at the tunnel and the tyre and a couple of jumps, she had a great time and then all the pooches had a good play at the end. We then went back to Ian and Nicolas, Gabby wasn't to impressed at having to share her garden lol although she has to share our garden. Jess did try to show Gabby how to jump her garden fence hopefully she had her eyes shut.


Last weekend we went to PADS unfortunately sheep had been grazing in the field before hand so there was lots of smells for Jessica so she was rather slow due to sniffing. She manged a 4th in her graded agility and a 2nd in her jumping which was a great round. Diesel had a fantastic weekend she had 2 clears on Saturday and then generally 5 faults which i was thrilled to bits with as all her classes were 3-5 corses and extremerly hard but we battled our way through. I only did 2 rounds with her on Sunday as i couldn't have asked her to do anymore for me, she has really impressed me this weekend and is so much fun to run. Gemma is still very slow and thats even if i can get her to jump the first fence lol. I tried to swill her with cold water before i went down and covered her with a wet towel whilst we waited for our turn but no she wouldn't jump anything then. So im gonna buy her one of those coats that keep your dog cool see if that helps and get her back done again just to check. Then we finished the weekend off with meeting Emma and her husband and Amy for a drink it was a perfect way to finish a wickard weekend!!

Congratulations to Clare and Charlie for there 8th on Sunday and Emma for getting kicked out the ring lol.