Jessica goes large...

Unfortunately this weekend i had Jess measured... and she has put muscle on her neck so all over 1cm she is know large. I am really really disappointed about it, as when she has her head in her normal position she is a medium and when she has it up how the measures want her to stand she is large. I won't be disputing it as i was there and i could see it with my own eyes its just i really feel for Jess as just because she has put abit of muscle on through doing agility (which is great) she has know got a massive difference in jump height. I do wonder how long her career is going to be as she has an old shoulder injury which she goes lame over every know and then so i don't know how long she will cope with doing large. I may just do agility rounds with her as i don't want to put too much pressure on her joints as i don't want a dog that is crippled when there old just because of me. This has all hit me really hard as i am know looking at agility in a whole different light. We aren't going to get anywhere in large and as much as i love my dogs and I'm soo proud of how far they've come i do feel like I've hit a brick wall and it is all going to have to be for fun and just for clears. Don't get me wrong it is all been fun but i like a little bit in return for the hard work i.e getting placed where as know it all seems very expensive for abit of fun. I also feel that all my goals and ambitions have been snatched away in the space of 2hours and all over 1cm.

Gemma is still being strange, and having a good old nose at the judges and i pulled her out of her agility i'm finding her really frustrating at the moment as she goes down to the rings as normal and gets all excited and then you get in the ring and shes like a different dog. The only reason i keep going with her is because i really enjoy working her and she is capable. Oh well hopefully one day she'll come back.

Diesel was good on Saturday and i let her down in the team. We had a boxer team and yes if i hadn't have touched her we'd have got a 3rd but the reason i touched her was because she was bumbling through her weaves and a dog outside the ring lunged at her barking away and Diesel just moved out of the way off it bless her. She was in a difficult position to get her back in and i didn't want her to do it all again as it wasn't her fault so i guided her back in. Although touching Diesel was one of my least problems on Saturday lol.

Jessica forgot what in meant on Saturday in the pairs and got e'd so in her jumping round where it was jump jump "in" i was pretty determined to get in. So i screamed at her and she got it and she did a lovely clear in her jumping. By the time her final came round we were all rather exhausted at being at the show since 8 and not getting in ring till 6.45. I had no expectations as i really wasn't in the mood to run and Jess must have been tired by know. We were 8th in and she ran the best she has ever run (apart from her weaves but shh) and she hammered up the a frame and i think on the way down she realsied the amount of people watching her and she took of over a jump looking at everyone and landed on the fence lol otherwise she would have been 5th but what an amazing experience getting to run in front of all those people so i must thanks Jess for qualifying us as i don't think we'll get another opportunity like that again.

Good citizens...

Last night Jess took her silver good citizens and Diesel took her gold. Diesel flew through it with no problem and did a lovely send to bed and made sure ever bit of her was tucked into her bed and even rested her head on the side think she should be a doggy actor!!! Jess proved to challenge me last night, she had her naughty eyes on although she did a lovely road walk and didn't pull once. She had a scratch in her first stay and got up the monster, they are funny as I've never none her to get up. She did do her stay with alot of grumbling from at her although it does show how hard she is and reminds me how far we have come in agility as she doesn't particular want to please me shes just a typical spaniel. Some huge congratulations to everyone last night as we all pulled it out the bag and the dogs looked like real pros and did everything first time to shock us what a wonderful way to finish our training sessions. A massive congratulations must go to Maxine and Meg as they flew through there silver with no problems they have both come so far and who ever would have thought little Meg would have her silver. Also to Sandy and Henry wow what a difference 24 hours can make hopefully you can take those tips into agility as well. All our dogs are a real credit to Emma, remember when we first started we've all come so far and thank you Emma for all your help the proof is there in front of us how much you've helped us!!

Tomorrow we are at the agility club show, Jess has got her starters competition although have just looked at who is in the class and have just noticed a dog that is very good and quick and lovely to watch. I just hope Jess is feeling like the Daventry weekend, i have her pow wow active drink sat in the fridge ready for her!! We also have a boxer team, he he i can't wait i'm so excited! So alot to look forward it, good luck to Jo and Ronny in there qualifier well be thinking about you and everyone else who is competing this weekend!!

My most successful weekend ever...

Last weekend we were at Bretford show. My morning started off with listening to some people walking the course commenting on how dumb agility people are and how it makes it easier for them as apparently they had the common sense and good handling, know hang on a minute agility is a sport where you are there for your dog and if you let your dog down your the one that feels guilty. Also i am there to have fun to get away from day to day work and to forget about our problems to have a good time with our dogs and our friends and plus it was a 1-3 show so they can't have been anything fantastic. Anyway i am incredible glad to say that karma hit them on the bum and there handling really let there capable dogs down. Anyway that was my quick moan.

I must start with my first most amazing achievement, Diesel got a 14th in the combined 1-3 agility woop woop. It was a shame as i really didn't expect to get placed so was no where near the presentations but he ho we went to pick our rosette up after. Bless Diesel she really kicked on round this course and it was a pleasure to be running next to her. Diesel had an excellent weekend and is getting quicker every time she comes out but the main thing with her she has the most fantastic time.

I ran Gemma on Saturday and although she did get going i still wasn't happy with her and we all know our own dogs and it just didn't feel right so i left her for the rest of the day. On Sunday i walked her down to the rings to que for Diesel as the sun was popping out and then Ian was going to bring Diesel down for me. I noticed before i even got down there that her back legs where trembling which is what she used to do over agility. So i thought well she must be thinking about what she could be doing so i ran her in her jumping and she was much better, i sort of made my own lines up so i could keep her flowng without nagging her too much and she was so much better and she really enjoyed it so hopefully shes forgetting about babies will try her again this weekend.

Jessica has had the most fantastic weekend. To start with she won her agility so is know in grade 4 woop woop. She also won this with 10 secs over the dog that was 2nd. She was so good and has really worked hard this weekend. She also won her jump and go so we bought 2 trophies home which we have never ever done before and i can't imagine will ever happen again. She also got a 3rd on both days with her jumping and a 4th in her steeplechase which was a very quick course. She has really motored around this weekend and i can't believe how different she has been after so many weeks of me feeling like i've been dragging her around, we have speed and its excellent i'm just praying she keeps it up. I must thank my girlie's for an excellent weekend and how much they have worked for me they couldn't have done anymore for me.

Last night i joined Emma for a lesson with Jo. I took Gemma who worked very hard and is so much better than what she was and really enjoying it again. We worked on alot of bounces and our contacts which im pleased to say Gemma had some great running contacts but theres still a long way to go and alot of homework for me lol. Thanks Jo it was a great lesson.

Congratulations to Sandy and Henry for winning grade1 agility yeah and it was a great round, and to Clare and Charlie for there 3rd in jumping and the bandits for there 2nd and all there pb's think we've all had a fab weekend.

Club competition...

Last night i took Diesel to the club competition as i was running abit late so i just took one dog. Gemma was soo excited she knew i was going to Janes and wasn't very happy about being left at home!! Diesel didn't quite realsie where she was as she has never been to Janes before so i think she was abit shocked when she went into do her run, she wasted a very long time trying to eat the bird shit off the seesaw but otherwise she went clear with just one time fault the silly moo although there was only 2 of us that went clear but the rest of the club that couldn't make it last night are going up tonight. After we had a lesson once again i think Diesel was quite shocked although she wnt really well. We did alot of work tightening up her ins as she goes very wide. She worked really well and she has realy suprised me with what she can do i just need to trust her more. She really started motoring on her contacts aswell especially her a frame and was even in front of me at one point lol. She got very distracted by the cats wondering around though bless her!!

Wellingborough!!!!!

This weekend we camped at Wellingborough, unfortunately Emma and Amy tried to save us a space next to them but some miserable campers next to them had saved about 5 spots round them so we were a little further up. During last week i had been really practised my waits just walking round all my dogs and then letting them go, and it had payed off they did some great waits and i felt so much more confident with them allowing me to take a breath!! Jessica's first run was tunnel vision which involved going in tunnels 9 times and i got very lost, as soon as I'd gone wrong though i thanked the judge and ran her to the finish line as it was to hot to keep going over my stupid mistake, i was rather annoyed with myself as Jess was running really well and listening. She had a great day on Saturday and is working so much better and i even got some bouncy weaves in one class. Yesterday morning was her agility, i personally didn't like the course as it really needed your dog to run on so you could cut behind but he you hae to test yourselves sometimes to get out your comfort zones. Unfortunately she did break her wait on this course as she was looking for Ian and normally i would panic and just let her go to get her attention but i thought no ill wait for you to look at me again but instead somehow she managed to jump the first jump looking backwards. She was really running in this course id managed to wind her up really well but i didn't get my weave command in quick enough (I'm not used to going this fast) and she smacked straight into the first pole the muppet he ho!!

Gemma is defiantly having a phantom as she is producing milk so i shall completely leave her know for a couple of weeks until her hormones have calmed down and will have to really consider having her spayed know as this has been going on for a very long time, she still my princess though and is queen of kisses!!

Diesel had to wait to 12.15 for her first run and by this point she had switched off although she did go clear in her jumping she wasn't as fast as what she had been. She had a very very slow agility but it was quite a tight course to start and she switches off then. She went clear in her tunnel vision and i am pleased to say i finally managed to remember the course. She was aloud round to Maisys caravan Saturday night were she had a great time and lots of cuddles. Sunday morning she did her abc a lovely flowing course which is great as she had a great time and got faster and faster bless her it was so nice to let have a run without having to shout at them it did her really good. She had the last pole down though think Maisy had words with her the night before. She then did her grade3 jumping i was quite worried about this course as it started with flick flacks then a tight in nearly at the end of the course otherwise this course also had a nice run in a nice line in the middle and at the end. She really started motoring and normally i would go the long way round rather than pulling her in as shes not the most athletic dog in tehe world but she did a really tight in and was flying but then also had the last pole so i think i need to keep running as though there is another fence after the last. I didn't run her in her agility as i was so pleased with her and wanted to leave her on a high. I'm having a great time running her at the moment and so is she!!

Wednesday i've got a inter club competition which will be my first and i must say im really looking forward to it. I'm trying to decide which dog to take or i may take Diesel and Jess, will let you know how i get on..

Congratulations to Anne and Crafty for there clear in the abc and Ellen and Hamish for there 3rd in there combined 1-2 jumping!!

Swimming boxers...

Yes you may not believe it but they can. Last night me and Nicola were going to go and have a play with my equipment but when i got to the playing field there was alot of children setting up a football match so we gave up on that idea for health and safety reasons....
After racking our brains we couldn't think of anywhere else to go so decided to go for a nice walk. We walked over the canal and nearly made it to the M40 lol before we round the river cherwell. All the dogs smelt the water a long way off and were gone. We joined them 5 minutes later and Gabby was in up to her neck so i threw a stick in for Gemma and she was off swimming. Gabby got so far and then before she knew it her bum was floating and she was off with Gemma having a great time. We played for about half an hour and Diesel and Jess decided to watch from the bridge rather than put the effort in. I threw another stick in and the two were swimming around and then Gemma took a deep breath and stuck her head in and dived down to get her stick, it seemed like a lifetime i was getting ready to jump in and get her lol and then she popped up with the stick in her mouth. At this point we decided to walk back and Gemma and Gabby had obviously cooled off as they went hooning around the field and a couple of other dog walkers asked where there energy was coming from and then realised they were wet!! Will hopefully go back down soon and take the camera and video them playing!!