Looking Back & Forward

What a year it has been. Dylan has had amazing results and I have had to pinch myself to believe that it is true. Not only did he make it into Grade 5 but he came second in the Agility Club's Anual Awards, meaning we were presented with some beautiful crystal. He also has 2 jumping wins at grade 5 under his belt and has 2 x 3rd places in agility and more placings besides. With results like this I am beginning to think that he possibly may go Grade 6 this season - now that really is scarey. We will have to work hard on trying to tighten up his turns and his dog walk also still leaves a lot to be desired; but I am hoping that with lots of chicken, sausage and general bribery we can improve it a bit.
Taz has had mixed results; oh I do so love this little dog. Even when things go terribly wrong for us in the ring I only have to look at him and I can't help but smile. Taz is one of those dogs that shows exactly how he is feeling. When he is on an agility course, you can see by the expression on his face that he is having a ball, and if he is happy then I am happy. The amount of people who have said to me as we leave the ring ' He really enjoyed that' just goes to show that it is plain to see.  He has won 2 classes this season, Grade 2 jumping and then a Grade 3 jumping class. He has been unlucky in the agility ring; twice having 1 pole down but the fastest time. Weaves are less of an issue now but sometimes we still have a problem, although with the new spacings I am hopeful this will help him. It would be wonderful to get him out of Grade 3, and at least now it is a possibility (no matter how small -a possibility)
The new season will soon be upon us and I look forward to it with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.  Grade 6 beckoning for Dylan - scarey, Grade 4 for Taz - exciting. Bring it on!

We've done it!!!

When talking about grades and which grade we would like to be, I always said I would like to be grade 5. Grade 6 and 7 seemed impossible but the dizzy heights of grade 5 seemed just right. Well we've done it, Dyl managed to win a Grade 4-5c agility class at the weekend which makes him the illusive Grade 5 dog that I always wanted. We have achieved my all time goal, so I'm going to have to set myself another one now. Grade 6!! Now that really is quite frightening. But having said that if he'd been in G5 this weekend he would have won into 6 so I must realise that it is not an impossibility. I will have to be careful; because to be honest I'm not sure that either of us are ready for it just yet.
It was rather a successful weekend for Dylan. He had four runs and was placed in every one. He managed to get 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nd. Astounding! I think this is the most successful weekend I have every had.
Taz was also very good. He had beautiful contacts and got all his weaves. He just knocked a pole or two in each of his runs but I was very pleased with him. He is an absolute pleasure to run. Even when he decides that his course is better than the one the judge has set, or he decides he can't stop to do the weaves; the look of sheer pleasure on his face is priceless. I love this little dog and we have great fun. You just never know what is going to happen in the ring.

And now for Grade 4

This weekend will be our first Grade 4 show and although it is a smaller show, I am feeling quite nervous about it again. Smaller shows mean you can't hide - mistakes are remembered. I shouldn't feel like this because Dylan is so ready. In the past few weeks he has had several more placings at grade 3 - with another win and a 3rd at agility and 2 wins and a 2nd in jumping. I know he is ready he is showing this with his results but am I ready? I am so worried that I will let him down.

We have had a small taste of the higher grades this past weekend at Wye Valley, where one of his agility classes was a 3-5 combined class. I managed to get him round and not too badly - just a bit messy on one part where I overhandled a pull through and then struggled to turn him out of it to take the next jump. We got round clear though and finished up being 7th which I was over the moon with. They placed to 28th position which means there was somewhere around 280 dogs in the class. We did a little better in the 1-7 combinded jumping, where despite almost stalling at a jump we managed a 3rd place. Once again a huge grin on my face.

This little dog just astounds me and I have been told by someone that we will go all the way - meaning we are likely to reach grade 7. I don't think so!!! Dylan is very capable of this giddy height but not me - I make far too many mistakes and I don't think my nerves would hold out either.

As for this weekend........our first G4, well panic has set in already. The running orders arrived and both dogs were still entered in G2! After a 'OMG they are in the wrong grade and I won't be able to run at all' moment I phoned the show secretary and all is now ok. I need to remember to stay calm and believe that my dog is there because he is capable of it. I must also realise that he hasn't got there on his own - we are a team (well sometimes) and that must surely mean that I am capable of it as well............doesn't it?

When will it end..........all too soon I expect

I can't quite believe what is happening at the moment. We have just had our first grade 3 show and I must admit to being quite nervous about it. When I watch Pat with her 2 dogs and Dan with Magic I find it hard to think that Dyl is anywhere near as good as they are but he continues to prove me wrong. He only went and won the agility putting us into grade 4 - and he did it at his first grade 3 show!!! I know I said that I wasn't going to stay in grade 3 (as I was quite prepared to move up on points if necessary) but I didn't think it would be this brief. This is of course the icing on the cake but there is more which is leaving me gobsmacked!!! Taz is improving no end. He is not knocking so many poles and weaves are now sometimes a possibility for him. In fact this weekend I stuck him in the weaves and went off in the opposite direction. His weaves were perfection and totally independant, I am really enjoying him again. Perhaps there is a slight possiblity that even he may progress to the next grade one day, but do you know what? I don't really care, I am having such fun with him and that's all that really matters.
This weekend: great dogs, great company, great result - what more could I ask for - THANK YOU xxxxx

Good View from Up Here

I am on cloud nine and will probably stay here for sometime. Don't really care what happens over the next few days as I am going to milk this for all it's worth. What are you milking? you might be thinking...........well I have just had the most amazing agility weekend. Dylan won the Omnipro starters cup qualifier, which also moves us up into grade 3. Even though the final is when I should be holiday, Peter has agreed (well actually suggested) that I move my flight back a day and compete.
Not only did Dylan win the agility but he also won the jumping and came 2nd in the agility on Sunday. But that is not all, the icing on the cake was when Taz won the grade 2 jumping on Sunday. Over the weekend he has weaved on several occasions and kept most of the poles up!!! When he was called in 1st place I could hardly believe it and it was really hard not to cry. I must admit that when walking back to the caravan and being congratulated by some of my friends; the tears of joy did come!
I know it's me Tazzie and that I put too much pressure on you, I will try harder next time to relax and what will be will be.
Thank you to my two wonderful dogs for making my weekend complete.

Good News!

We have found another training venue and it is so much better than the last one. It is a lovely big barn without posts in the middle!!!! We have also been given the OK to use the school outside as well. At this point I would like to say that I have been very grateful to use the smaller barn with the posts over the past years, even though I used to moan about the poles I always then followed up with 'but at least we have somewhere to train - which is better than nowhere' We are going to our new venue from next Monday - so very exciting times.

On the show front; I have competed in 2 limit shows over the last 2 weekends and things are looking good for the coming open season - or are the dogs just lulling me into a false sense of security? (probably). Out of 6 classes (over the 2 weeks) Dylan has won 3 and come 2nd in another. He would have won another class if he'd had a decent handler. Oooops! As for Taz, well he remains, shall we say, a challenge but what fun! No more competitions until 20th March which is the day after my niece's hen party so I don't expect to do much there - if I even manage to get there at all.

Another day in my life.......

I have just checked the statistics on my blog and I have had more visitors from the USA than my own country. I can't believe anyone actually reads this rubbish though. I ramble on and on about my dogs and very little else. It doesn't make for good entertainment. I would love to make it more 'readable' but am unsure what to talk about - quite frankly my life really is 'that' boring!

I have just returned from Exeter with my husband after looking for dining room furniture. OMG we can't agree what to have. I am quite happy to wait until we find something that we both like but he has gone off in a sulk and is hardly talking. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife! Men!!

Back to the usual subject -Dogs! We are going to lose our agility training venue at the end of the year (They are re-developing). I'm not sure where we will go - the hunt is on but it is not very easy to find somewhere that is suitable. From my own point of view it's not the end of the world; because I can still go training at Feniton on Saturday and with Sally on Tuesday and also practice in my field but it would be such a huge shame to lose agility from our club, so we must therefore keep searching. Fingers, legs, arms in fact everything crossed in the hope that we can find somewhere.