End of Summer

Well it is almost the end of Summer. I have been very, very busy. Every weekend I have either worked or attended some sort of dog event. The dogs are all doing great- and they have all done alot over the summer. I will just sort of highlight what has happened.
Starting with the most recent
August long weekend- AKC Show
-Sam earned a leg on his Rally title with a 205/210
-Sam earned a NADAC Tunnelers leg
-Wicca ran both NADAC and CKC- was a raving lunatic mostly but we had some really good runs.

Paws N' Effects Trial- beginning of August....I think
Wicca ran pretty well. I need to be a better handler for her but we are working better over all as a team. Sam did really well. He is very consistent and is learning what dog shows are really about- fun!

Shannen Jorgensen Seminar July sometime
Awesome! It was a very good seminar and I learned alot about my dogs. It was a great weekend and it was really nice to have some feedback on Wicca and Sam. She had some really great advice that seems to be helping a bit with the bar knocking and teaching her that there are consequences for her actions. Also learned some really handy things for teaching weave entries and such....

Kate has been really good- she hasn't been out to any of the above events but I have taken her a few times out to agility and have jsut enjoyed being around her. I'd like to find something that her and I can do together but unfortunately I just don't have the time or the means right now...


Those are the highlights- And the stuff that I can remember off hand. Now that my life is hopefully slowed down a bit I will be back to keeping track of stuff here.
When I have time I will come back and type exactly what the dogs did and stuff.

May 20 something....

How time flies!!!

I can't believe it is already the end of May....Summer has just begun and already every weekend is crammed full of dog stuff!
Here is some doggy news....

Wicca earned a leg on her CD- she did really well but was quite stressed about half way through our routine...I think that although I thought we had gotten past her obedience ring nerves she still has quite a bit of growing up to do...I am going to wait probably another year or so until ptting her back in- In the mean time I am going to get her out to as many fun matches as I can.
Agility wise we have been working hard. Regionals is coming up in a few weeks and there are still quite a few kinks to work out. We are working really well together- finally. But there is still a lot of training on both our parts...I have been working on my handling, and being able to get where I need to be and have stopped worrying about her- She is learning to listen even when she is excited and is consistently holding a start line, not popping of the table and is less frustrated about the weave poles.
We are having a seminar the first weekend in July and I am hoping she will have some good tips and suggestions for us.
Here is a cute picture of Sam and I- at a Rally seminar...Whenever I reward him he jumps straight up like a Kangaroo!
He is doing great. His heeling is getting better and better. He is a very happy, up beat heeler and I'd like to keep him that way. I am also working on his weaves. i have decided to try Susan Garret's two by two method and it is going really well. The rest of his agility stuff is going awesome. He is much more confident on his contacts and and is a great jumper. I have started doing harder sequences and am hoping to enter him in August at the AKC show...

Kate is awesome. She is coming "out" about once a week either to obedience, agility, or just to run around the training yard and seems to be enjoying herself. She is really turning grey these days....but is still acting young and being cute.....
More updates and new pictures coming soon!!!!

update

We have been very, very busy over the past month. The dogs are all doing great and are enjoying our mild winter (we have only had a few cold, snowy days)
We have been to two trials in the past few weeks- in the middle of the month we went to an AAC trial in Calgary where Wicca ran very well- she earned two Q's- one in advanced Gamblers and one in Team....her other run were pretty good but her lack of a solid start line and my lack of control did us in on the other runs. This past weekend was a One Day NADAC Games trial and it was a lot of fun. I have never played tunnelers, touch 'n go or Weavers before so it was really neat to see. I of course didn't enter Wicca in tunnelers- I feared her little brain may explode by the third tunnel...but Sam played! He did great. It was his first competition ever and he had a blast. The first one he was a little hesitant but still Q'd, but by the second one he was way more confident and dove into the tunnels like a mad man- earning a second Q!
I had Wicca in two touch n go games...touch 'n go is just tunnels and contacts so I figured Wicca would love it...she did....a little too much....
The first course she did pretty well....her "oops" were my fault- I didn't give her clear enough directions...the second one Wicca was pretty wound up...blew her start line out right and by the middle of the course was a crazy beast and I picked her up to take her off......I am sure we'll get our act together someday....I hope....

In the mean time we don't have another trial for a few weeks now so I am going to take that time and work on start lines...at this point with her all I care about is that she stays on the line...I have to change my criteria and be tough about it...no couching, no whining, no scooting....no breaking....I'll keep you posted....

With Sam I am going to start working on weaves. This past weekend he proved that he is ready to be out and handled being in the ring like a pro...we just need to improve his contact equipment performance and start those weaves.......

Kate stayed home both of those weekends but I did take her out to practice last week. She had a great time...I kept things really short, only ran her about 4 or 5 times and quit as she was showing signs of being bored....hopefully we can get her back into the groove sometime this summer.....

news

Well I am glad the holiday season is over....it always seems like an awful lot of work for one day....

Anyway, we are back from an AAC agility trial this past weekend and boy was it fun. Wicca was a dynamite! This was the first full trial and her first runs with weaves and she did great. She nailed her entries and only popped out when there was 12 and a tunnel after but I made her work through it and I was very proud of her. Her pole knocking was minimal- and overall I was very impressed with my little girl she ran fast and listened very well.

We have yet had the chance to run Snooker- she breaks the line and we end up getting whistled off right away- this was our third try and we blew it yet again...what a goof she is....

Her jumpers round was amzing she had the fastest time- of 19seconds! She was flying AND listening.....

Team was so fun- Kaleb and her were team partners and it was a blast.....Wicca ran her half clean.....Her first clean anything.....Kaleb was showing off for her and had a few faults but it was still a really great run....

Her standard runs on saturday were okay- she held her contacts but I wasn't paying attention and didn't handle her very well....
Her sunday standard was awesome- we layered part of the course, nailed 12 weaves and if not for the end jump/chute discrimination we wound have Q'd....I told her chute and wicca took the jump instead....It was my fault- I should have stayed in her head more instead of just assuming she would take it....

Overall it was a fun weekend....We slept in the barn which was an adventure (but not as bad as you would think) and even though It was an exhausting weekend I am very satisfied with how my dog and I did....

We do have some things to work on though
-staying down on the table- she likes to hover and is a bit slow going into the full down
-start lines.....I didn't have them for much of the weekend....

lots to talk about

Well...still no home computer...it sucks....

anyway last weekend we went to calgary for another ckc agility trial. Wicca was a maniac!! She had a great time but I definatly have to work on self control with her. We had a hold up at the start line so we had to wait for quite a while and by the time we were ready to go Wicca was so wound up she was screeching before we even started...I ended up pulling her right off the course when she blew her contact on the wall...I have never had to do that with her...Wicca is a work in progress...
We did have some really good runs though- she earned leg #2 for her novice title.
Scent hurdle was fun- we earned 35 points.....

I have Wicca entered in a couple AAC trials coming up soon so that will be fun- her weaves are awesome and I have been working on building some self control with her-
I have a revised list of things we are going to work on over the winter
-table (fast approaches, no flying off)
-start lines
-tunnel entry discriminations
and jumping
she was really good at the canine center- she had to jump safer and the 12inches made a difference to her...she barely knocked any poles....but I think AAC 10inches will be a lo of knocked bars to start with....
what can I say...I got what I wanted a high drive dog that loves agility....

update

Well- my home computer is still busted.....it sucks....
anyway- thought I would update the blog with news about the beasties.
Kate is still enjoying being a house dog- she hasn't been out to agility or anything for a long while- she is jsut hanging out- keepin' the corgis' and the kitties in line...

Wicca is doing fantastic- I took her to the barn last week- well the week before and got a really good practice with her- Her weaves are fantastic-very consistent. I am excited about trialing her thi upcoming year. I have her entered in another CKC agility trial next weekend that I am pretty excited about- I will take her to the barn next week and work on jumping- with tunnel distractions- she seems to knock bars mostly when there is a tunnel as the next obstacle.....

Sam is so fun- he is such a good boy- a hard worker and really enjoys being with me. I took him to the barn this past week and worked on his contacts- they are coming...his jumping and directions are really great though- I will work with him all winter and have him ready by spring to trial-

We (Go! Dog Go!) are having a christmas party tomorrow which should be a lot of fun....

-amanda

Wicca Can WEAVE!

After months, and months...and months of practice and training Wicca can weave. I took Sam to practice last night instead of Wicca and brought home the "grown up" poles to work on this week with Woo- I was expecting to have to put the wires on a few times and gradually wean her off the practice poles to the real thing- Wicca said no problem and off she went- like a pro...
I was so proud of her I was jackpotting and jumping up and down like a fool...But wow did it feel good. Her weaving style is very neat- she bounces through the poles- and is fast and accurate. I can't wait for next week to practice at the barn with her....
What a great dog!

CKC Agility and First Title!

Wicca earned her first title! She got her SHD or Scent Hurdle Dog title this weekend. She was great- we haven't practice since august so I was a bit worried but she did great. We did agility aswell- her first CKC trial and her first time at 12inches....what a difference those two inches make1 Wicca only knocked two bars all weeekend- the extra inches make her pick up her feet....she had great contacts and only one "tunnel suck" moment. She came away with one leg towards her CKC Noice title. What a good dog!
I took Sam along for the weekend and he had a great time being admired by everyone. I got a chance to work him a bit in the warmup area and he was great- not the least bit worried about the other dogs and new place...

Computer Problems....

So my computer has been down for almost two weeks now and it is driving me crazy...I still can check my mail everyday at work but miss everything else I do on the computer...you don't really think about how important it is until you don't have it...
Anyway- I have a few spare minutes at work so will catch up on everythin around here...

News

I have been slacking off a bit it seems. I have been really busy with work, and boring real life stuff but Everyone is doing awesome. Kate is still just hanging out- she is enjoying her change of routine I think. Wicca is doing fantastic. Since the "weave pole breathrough" she has been getting better and better as the weks go on. This morning she nailed an off side entry out of a fast pinwheel, tunnel combination. We have a CKC agility trial coming up on the Nov.11th weekend that I am pretty excited about. CKC has no weaves but it will be really good practice for her contacts and jumping. She has to jump 12inches (compared to her usual 10) so I have been really working on her jumping.
Sam is learning a ton and is doing great. I have been working on his obedience a bit more lately and his heeling is coming...he is very exuberant and happy when we work and i love it.
Well- off to work I go...

She's Got It!

Well Wicca can finally weave- she is not 100% by any means- but she is reliably weaving! My backyard poles are straight up- no gaps. No Wires....Nothing....She is stronger on the left side- but that's my fault and I have been working to fix that. I am so excited.
Her weaving style is quite cute- she is a hopper. This morning I did jump, jump, weave, tunnel, come back and weave- and she nailed it. I am so excited!

Dis-obedience

I have been working more and more with Wicca and obedience lately. I haven't done a lot since the lethbridge dogshow and when she was sick but have been puttering around the yard alot with her. She is doing awesome. Her heeling is improved quite a bit from the summer and she is able to work with harder distractions. She is still a bit "I'm a Princess, Make Me" but for the most part she is pretty good. I do have to work on her recall though- something I took for granted. We work on fronts- not alot but at least every few days...she is always really eager and is very reliable- I took her out to a different park this morning and she was a bit weird about the actual recall part though...not too sure what exactly she is thinking. I always leave her with a quiet- "wait" command. And call her "Wicca Front!" but today - every time I did it (about 4times) she kind of started coming and then would either stop or look away- very stressed about it....hmmm....I thought maybe my body language, maybe my tone of voice...so I tried it without making eye contact with her- with a toy, running as soon as she started towards me...as soon as the toy came out she forgot about her stress but it is something I will have to figure out and fix.......

Hold

Wicca is holding her dummy! Yahoo! I was a bit worried about teaching a hold- I had such a hard time with Kate, even getting her to pick it up. But Wicca's got it! She has always loved the dumbbell- I made sure that as a puppy it was the most cherished, special toy. A few weeks ago (actually when she was recovering from Parvo and couldn't be too active) I worked with her for about 15 minutes or so trying to get the duration of the hold up- in scent she spits it at me and that's fine but in obedience she is going to have to hold it until I take it from her. This morning I worked again with her for a few minutes and wow- she is so clever. I started just giving it to her- Take It. Then I moved in front of her (in the "front" position) and asked her to take it again. I got her to hold it for about 4 seconds or so. Then I Stepped a little farther away and asked her to "front" - what a great little worker...She just amazes me!

I worked with Sam a bit this morning aswell- he has been really great with his attention and can almost do a full heeling pattern look at me- now that I have his attention I am going to start teachin him to heel. His natural position is not too bad- he just tends to swing his but out quite wide.

fun, fun...

-amanda

Busy, Busy...

Well- the last week or so has been really...The dogs are doing great, but becuase life has been so busy I haven't had too much to report or write about. I am still working with Wicca on weaves- every day. She is doing really great- the poles are right close together now and she is about 75% accurate- she will still occasionally pop the last pole- so i have the wire back up on that pole. We went to the Kathy Keats seminar last week and it was awesome! Kathy is a great instructor- and worked really well with all types of dogs. We worked on a jumping exercise with a pinwheel on either end and a jump in the middle. We worked alot on front and rear crosses- timing- trusting your dog, obstacle commitment. Wicca did really well until we started added discrimnation with tunnels...oh my...she is a true tunnel suck...So Wicca is "grounded" from tunnels for a few weeks while we focus on jumping- making the jumps a reward themselves(like the tunnel) anyway it is working really well. Kathy is coming back in february and I am definitely interested in going again. Sam is doing awsome. His contacts are coming- he is just a bit slower on learning he can do it himself....I have barely done any weaving with him but am in no hurry- I will maybe focus more on that this winter. For now I am teaching him front/rear crosses on jumps and some simple discrimination. Kate is still enjoying her holiday- I haven't had her out to agility since the trial and have just been doing lots of regular dog stuff. - playing fetch, lots of walks and just letting her be...

Tribute to a great dog

Tribute To A Best Friend
Sunlight streams through window pane
unto a spot on the floor....
then I remember,
it's where you used to lie,
but now you are no more.
Our feet walk down a hall of carpet,
and muted echoes sound....
then I remember,
It's where your paws would joyously abound.
A voice is heard along the road,
and up beyond the hill,
then I remember it can't be yours....
your golden voice is still.
But I'll take that vacant spot of floor
and empty muted hall
and lay them with the absent voice
and unused dish along the wall.
I'll wrap these treasured memorials
in a blanket of my love
and keep them for my best friend
until we meet above.
Author Unknown
------------------------------------

On Tuesday, September 27, 2005 my family and I said a final goodbye to a great dog. Tina will be greatly missed and leaves a huge hole in my heart. She reached the age of 15 before her body could no longer keep up. Tina was my first dog- one that I will remember forever. She taught me so much about dog training, patience, and love. Growing up she was the best friend that you could ever ask for. As she grew older and I moved out- she stayed behind as the family dog- but she was so much more than that. I will miss her cheerful grin and the gentle wagging of her tail. She will be missed forever.
Goodbye old girl, I miss you.

-amanda

First Q!

We went to Medicine Hat this weekend for an AAC Agility trial. The weather was perfect- the field was great, and the courses were very fun! Wicca ran awesome and got her first Qualifying Run! - She got 37 points in her opening and got the gamble no problem. That allowed her to move up for today into Advanced Gamblers and she did pretty good. I have quite a bit to learn about her yet but it's coming. Her jumpers rounds were very fast- one of them was just over 20 seconds! Only one or two knocked bars becuase of my handling. Her snooker- well...lets just say if they had a prize for fastest time and no points we would have won. Right away we got tweeted off the first one and the second one today we were doing not too bad until I was a bit late on a signal and TWEET!.....But overall we had a blast. We worked on start lines- her contacts were even better this time- no more creeping, and the barking is almost non-existent.
I finally got to run a steeplechase and what fun Kate and I had! It was a great course- lots of room to run with only a few tight spots- she nailed her weave poles and didn't miss any contacts. It was her best run in over a year. Kate's other two runs weren't spectacular- I still find myself disapointed when she messes up on course and even though I try hard to tell her what a good girl she is and keep it happy she is reading my body language or something and it's not long until our run goes from so-so to bad and then worse- she actually left the ring today. I got her back of course but she obviously found the ring to be too stressful. Usually Kate does her best at this trial- she likes the venue I guess...But we did hae one good run which is good for Kate. And we placed second out of 5 dogs in one of the other classes so overall she did pretty good. I did find that she was more stressed than usual- very anxious about being in the kennel- actually bent the door on the wire crate. I think I may stick to one day events with her from now on- no more traveling. We'll see.....
I took Sam just to get him out and he was great. He is really good around other dogs now- able to focus when there are lots of distraction and I got a few really good training sesssions in with him. We worked on heeling- downs and practiced some tricks- I am teaching him Wave and it is very cute with his stubby little legs.
Anyway- I am going to a Kathy Keats seminar on friday with Wicca and I am really looking forward to it. It should be lots of fun and a great learning experience- for both of us....

Start Line and Training Opportunities...

Today we had a funmatch which was lots of fun. We offered a Standard Run, and a Gamblers Course. We had a pretty decent turn out- about 12 or 13 dogs. The weather was great and everyone had a good time. I am always amazed when people don't take the opportunity and fix or help their dogs. A funmatch means it's just for fun- so reinforce those contacts and practice those start lines....

I definitely used the ring time well today- I worked on Wicca's creeping start lines...I have decided to ask her to sit rather than down- I figure it's a little harder to creep when your sitting- not impossible if you're a corgi but I think that she might understand and respect the "wait" better...So today I worked on that- the first run she went into a down the minute I turned my back....the second run was better- I reinforced the sit about three times before letting her release...I think that I have nipped it in the bud soon enough that it shouldn't be too ingrained in her little brain. I also worked on her contacts- she is releasing herself instead of waiting for me so I C/T on course when she held them- which surprised her and the next contact she was definately waiting for that cookie. Her gambles were awesome- she didn't knock any gamble poles and I got some really nice distance from her- We got 37 points in the opening and successfully completed the gamble so I am really happy with her.

I played with Sam a bit on the gamble course and he did great! We have been working on our contacts and he is catching on really well- he loves jumps and tunnels though- he is going to be a great jumpers dog! As he is getting more confident and understanding the reward system the faster he is getting which is awesome to see.
I left Kate at home- I am going to take her this week one on one and just play with her- do one jump then play, play, play....do a set of weaves then play, play, play....I think for her right now it is really important to make sure each training session is made up of 90% play and 10% actual work...We'll see I guess this weekend.

On another note- I was watching CNN tonite that was about the animals left behind in the wake of Katrina- I could not even imagine leaving my dogs behind. There was a story about a fellow who couldn't find his cat when he was evacuated and the news team actually tracked him down adn reunited him with his cat- it was very emotional and brought tears to my eyes. The showed of course the hundreds of dogs and cats that are currently homeless....It is horrible. Like I said- I could not even begin to imagine....
Well-
It is late and I am off to bed.

Wicked Weaves...

Wicca is doing great on the poles- she is nailing the entry and commited all the way through. I think that she should have them down pat 100% by October...It makes a huge difference to practice them every single day and I can see the results! I have the entrances almost closed and the middle poles about 1.5 inches out- I am thinking that by the end of September I will be able to try her on the real poles....But for now we are working them into sequences- fast out of tunnels, jumping lines, and even slow off the table. I want to make sure there are no surpirses when we move to the "grown up" poles....

Sam is doing well- I have been working quite a bit on front and rear crosses- changes of direction that sort of thing. He is doing well but doesn't much like to change his lead when Jumping so will focus on that for a week or so. He is such a goofy dog- his running style is going to be very different than Wiccas I think....

Kate is having a holiday after last weeks trial...Not sure what I am going to do with her yet....We have a funmatch tomorrow- I may take her out....I changed her entry for the medicine hat trial too (which is next weekend) I pulled her from Team and just have her in 2 gambles and a steeplechase.....(Gamblers is her favorite class) I have to figure out how to put the fun back in the game for her. She obviously is not enjying herself anymore...

Well it was a very, very wet weekend in Kimberley this weekend. It rained, I mean poured all day Saturday and we even had a bit of sleet and fog to boot! But even with the wet and cold Wicca did awesome at her first trial. I had her entered in only a few things- no weave poles yet and she ran beautifully! She nailed her contacts, was very fast, and I handled her pretty good! No Qualifying runs do to a few knocked bars but her runs were amazing- she gave me a ton of distance, very little barking and didn't bite me once! She listened to me- followed directions and was very focused. She had a great time and I could not be prouder of my little dog. She gave me 110% this weekend and all I can say is Wow!
After the weekend I have a list of things to proof with her
*Start Lines
*Fast ONTO the table (she flew off coming out of a fast sequence)
*creeping to a bottom on the dogwalk
*and get those weaves done!

She is going to be awesome when we get those poles....she is doing really well- but still has at least a month more of serious training before asking her to weave at a trial- I am hoping for October.....

Kate did not appreciate the rain, and the corgis. She had a good run first thhing saturday morning and then was miserable the rest of the weeekend....
oh well

nerves

I am nervous already....I have been pretty good about holidng off the nerves fora long time but there is still two days to go until the weekend and here I am- feeling nervous.....
It will be Wicca's first trial- she is more than ready and I have done a lot of trialing with other dogs but you still get those nerves I guess....Wicca's best thing is her contacts- she is very solid on them. Her start line isn't 1005 so we will be wroking on that this weekend and she is great at distance work so hopefully we will have a few good gambles...I don't expect and Q's this weekend from her- It is her very first trial and we are just getting to know each other and work as a team but I do expect her to listen to me and of course have a ton of fun!
It is an outdoor trial so Kate should do great- she loves outdoors and always does better than indoors.
We haven't been practicing a ton- but we have been working on pole entries and some discrimination stuff so hopefully we can run happy and maybe get a few Q's!
Well Wish us luck!!!

-amanda