In the Ring.

Well we did it. We went in the obedience ring. And I was so proud of K, we got better as the weekend went on which I was thrilled with. I'm excited to get back in the ring, I wish we could try again next weekend!!

Friday we started with Open. I wasn't overly nervous, but I was intimidated. I was quiet in the run with k, not my usual goofy self with him. I was told not to overdo the play in transitions between exersizes. But after watching some of the golden retriever handlers I knew I could do way mire and actually have FUN and get more physical with him. His routine was pretty good, not the best ever, but not horrible. He was distraced over the broad jump and pretty much realzied he was on it as he was on the first plank, then he jumped over the last two. I had him set up too close after watching what the other handlers did. His out of sight stays were good, he barked 5 times in the sits and 3 times in the downs. The judge took off 5 marks. If he would have done the broad jump correctly and with full marks he would have had a 192.

Rally in the afternoon went well our first time in Advanced B. It was refreshing to talk to him in the ring. He finished tied for 3rd out of 14 dogs.

I drove here and bak each day, 8 hours of driving over the 2 days, but let me tell you it was nce to sleep in my bed and have a whole night to chill.

Saturday we started with Open again and I tried a new experiment. Do the same routine I do for agility DUH - bark, play and be fast getting to the ring! I got him to bark outside the ring and move around lots and play, play, play! Our routine was much better. He got perfect marks in 4 exersizes!! His drop on recall was spot on, then he saw something in the floor took 2 steps and layed back down. So we got a big fat zero. His out of sight stays were much better only 2 barks in the sits and 1 bark in the down. It wa awesome the judge told hum to be quiet, I think it helped!!!! Again if he would have got full marks on the drop on recall, he would ended with a 193.

We had another Rally run in the afternoon, again same strategy - bark, quick getting the ring while playing and he had a nice run. He got a 99 and placed 2nd of 14 for his second Q.

I'm thrilled with my boy and couldn't be happier. I enjoyed hanging with friends and watching their dogs too!, we are NOT our most comfortable in the obedience ring, but i think with some more experience we will get better.. I'm so excited to get back in the ring this summer. I think we can do it!

facing my fear.

"Decide that you want it

more than you are afraid of it."

~ Bill Cosby

I am putting K in the ring for the first time for Open Obedience this weekend, not a big deal to some people I am sure, but for me, it is NOT the place I am most comfortable, but who wants to go through life and never challenge yourself? He is also debuting in Advanced Rally.

We've been training hard and hopefully if I can keep my nerves in check we will do OK. Kaleb is so sensitive to my emotions, more than any of my other dogs, so as long as I can stay calm, confident and not panic we should be OK, otherwise he will get anxious and panic too - which is not pretty.

I have a little list of tips and reminders that I will try to remember...

1. Have fun

2. Smile

3. Be a tree (i tend to move my body too much)

4. Be confident for Kaleb

5. It's just another training day

6. Don't move until the Judge tells you too

7. Breathe

8. Line my self up in the middle of the high jump, not kaleb

9. Connect with him during the transitions

10. Bring my dumbell

11. Don't pet him in the long sits and downs (i did that in his CD and lost 2 points!)

12. Exhale

... any other helpful hints would be appreciated, I can use all the help I can get!

... and Just because she is cute ... it's Gyppie :)

gone to the dogs.

I travelled my fourth weekend in a row to Calgary ... why don't I live there I ask myself? Then I drive on Deerfoot in Monday morning Rush Hour traffic, then it all comes back to me.

Saturday Amanda organized an Obed/rally fun match here in town, I just stayed for the Obedience part. K is entered in Open for the first time in a couple weeks (GULP), and the more ring experience the better - for me more than him! I am happy to report he was great! He scored a 194.5, barked 3 times in his out of sight stays and was overall a very good boy. I just need to remember to keep my body a little less animated on recalls etc. Jane was amazing in Novice, retirement has been good to her, she placed 1st and scored a 197.5, won a super cool toy and Gyppie scored a 193 for 4th place. I'm feeling more confident about getting in the ring now. We've done 3 full run throughs in 2 weeks, and each time is better. Here's hoping we can keep it together in 2 weeks from now. I've got a list of reminders like I use in Agility, and hopefully that will help me keep my cool.

Sunday I heading up to Calgary with Gyppie for Terry Simon's seminar, it ran in a Trial format with feedback after each run. We ran 3 Challenge courses and 1 Mas. Jumpers. Gyp ran great, but was really tired by the end of the day. I pushed myself and was happy with most of my handling, lots of crazy discrimination, and lots of tough handling to be had (lots of cool things to set up again). The funniest thing was her 20/20 on the Table, she jumps up right into position ... um perhaps we should train that differently? She was the only dog in the seminar to Q in the second and third Challenge classes we ran - I don't run for the Qs, I let the cards fall as they may, and they fell good on those 2 runs. She always gives me 110%, and I was happy I was able to to do the same for her this weekend. My knee was pretty sore in the morning, but by the afternoon, it didn't feel to bad, I'm getting more used to my brace each time I run in it.

I stayed overnight at Jan and Dave's Sunday night, and Gyp fit right in with their shelties :)

Gyppie had an appointment with Dr.Devall this morning so it saves another trip to Calgary if I can do it all at once. Dr. Devall took about an hour with us and did some adjustments on Gyp, some laser on her lower lumbar area as well as some acupuncture. Gyp just loves her and follows her around the room begging for more cookies. I wanted to take her in to checked out after a hard day of running - so I know what I am dealing with. And yesterday's courses were more than she would run in a single days training or at a Trial in one day. She was a little sore in her lower lumbar, and her inner thigh area - just tired muscles - well so are mine, her neck was loosy-goosy and her shoulders felt good too. After Treatment she re-checked her and things seem to have loosened up, so that is good! I have some chinese herbs that combined with her other supplements should help with fast recovery times after heavy exercise. I think I might take them for myself too LOL I am fascinated with the kind of preventative treatments we can do with our dogs to keep them in top shape. She goes back next month and hopefully her and I will be in tip-top shape come regionals. I see my massage therapist tomorrow and my MRI is Thursday this week, I'm anxious, nervous and excited to get a (hopefully) final diagnosis on my knee and area issues.

Now back to regular scheduled reality ...

Healing and Heeling

Here is Gyppie heeling from last weekends Rally Fun Match, she scored a 98.

It has been 3 weeks since the "knee incident" and let me tell you this has not been easy, this past week being the worst as I have had to come to some brutal realizations: probably not running in yet another Agility seminar this weekend (well I'll do as much as I can), I pulled from an Agility Trial I was REALLY looking forward too, another week of not walking my dogs, I could go on, but it is too depressing. I am an active person: Gym 3-4 times a week, running and walking with the dogs, training with dogs, and it has all been turned upside down. A major part of my life involves running ... more so than I thought it did!!

But on a good note I've been able to train more Obedience because it is all I can do really, well that and feel sorry for myself and mope. We've worked on some proofing in Agility and I can play agility from a distance, but I much prefer to handle and run my dogs, it's what I do, the distance work gets boring, and my guys are pretty good at it anyway, considering that is all we have done for 3 weeks, there is only so much you can work on.

We had another Fun Match this weekend, and the practice is REALLY paying of. Gyp scored 194 in Novice, and a 194 last weekend!!!! She is confident and attentive and most of all she has fun, her sweet smiling face and wagging tail say it all.

K scored a 196.5 in Novice - a warm up for Open. I was confident in the ring this weekend, and once again it showed in K's performance, I had to intervene at the high jump again, as his gawking caused him to almost miss it so we got a bog fat "0'. Though we didn't get a passing score because of it, his marks were great, at would have been a 195 if he had perfect marks on his high jump. He barked a couple times in each out of sight stay. I'll take it, it is progress. My ring etiquette is getting better, I really need real ring experience, like these past 2 weekend matches. I'm a even talking about putting him the ring this spring .... exciting and scary :P

Where's the caviar?

What a great way to spend a Sunday.

SAWHDA hosted Obedience/Rally Fun Mach today, and Jane would like everyone to know that she's still got it at almost 11 years young. She won 2 High in Classes ... a 197 in Novice Obedience (hence the PINK Champagne prize!!!) and a 99 in Advanced Rally ... Jane just loves Obedience, she is happiest doing anything with me (well, for the cookies that I have). It was great to get her out in the ring today. I just loved every second of it. I hope to finsih her Rally Level II title with APDT this year, there is only 2 or 3 trials in Alberta a year which sucks.

Gyp did great for her first time with a 193.5 in Novice Obedience, and in Novice Rally with a 98. I entered her in Advanced just for fun, and wow she was great! She scored an 88 Advanced Rally (10 points off for handler error, i moved my feet calling her to front - duh). Her heeling and attention was really good, amazing what practicing does ...

K-man did great too, he was pumped in Open Obedience, I was so pleased with his effort and heeling and attention. We NQ'd though (gawking on the way back over the high jump - and missed it LOL), his stays were good - only a couple barks in each (it is improvement), his score would have been 190. He also earned a 96 in Advanced Rally. I am more confident with him the ring now, and I was not nervous at all today, and it showed, as he was happy ... he was maybe a little too high - he was vibrating almost the whole time ... but I'll take it!

It was a great day to spend with friends and hangout in between runs, and thanks to SAWHDA for the awesome prizes and well organized event!

- - - - -

We have lots to work on ... I have been stepping into my dogs on halts, without even realizing it most of the time, I got some good hints to help with MY handling this way.

With K, I STILL need to work distractions intensely in all situations, so Gawky McGee pays attention to me and not the adoring crowd ... especially over the high jump - where he will gawk and forget what he is doing - missing the jump on the way back!! At this point, it is our weakest exercise in Open.

I also REALLY REALLY need to brush up on ring etiquette and rules, more practice ... more practice ...

thanks to Maureen for the great pics!!!