We have been in a lull lately, not really doing much besides our usual everyday stuff. Work seems to be consuming all my time and I hate it. Not to mention, today is the second time in 2 weeks I have some kind of stomach bug. So I took off work but all I get to do is sit here and recover.
Luckily, for me, for the next couple weeks I get to do something with the pups. Our training facility is offering the AKC Community Canine test and since Riley and Grace both have their CGC, I would like to do this with them. The only catch is, it is a long while in between classes/test, so I am attempting to practice in class and take the test with both dogs together.
This past Saturday was our first practice class. It was a bit of a juggle at first, figuring out how I was going to practice with both. First, I tried switching them back and forth, one in the kennel, then switch. But that was too much of a hassle. Second, I had my friend, who works there, who was watching the class, hold one dog while I worked, and she could practice with the one she had. But she eventually had to go answer the phone.
What ended up working the best, was me working both Riley and Grace at the same time. I do it at home all the time. I guess I thought class would be different, I don't know. Grace knows the drill, we practice most of what the test requires weekly, in and out of class, and she tends to be more of a quite personality (most the time haha). Riley, is the more of the squirmy, social butterfly type, so it take a bit more work with him. He can do it all, it just take a bit more reminding.
I think our first class went really well and I look forward to the others!
We have two more practice classes then the test. I have no doubt Grace will pass and Riley I have high hopes for, with practice.
We did it and survived! Our first agility show was a blast! And not only did Riley and I have a ton of fun, we even earned some Q's! Going into the show, my only real expectation was to not have Riley run zoomies around the course. Which at some points I could tell he was fighting them off!
Day 1 was nerve wracking and COLD! Which didn't help with my shivering! I got there in plenty of time and got Riley measured, then my friends talked me through some of the finer points. The first course of the day for me was, Novice A JWW. I walked through the course over and over, and was having trouble figuring out how to get to the weaves, which was a really tight right turn. I got my game plan and went to get Riley and in literally no time I was up, my knees were shaking (and not from the cold) and I walked to the start line.
I decided to do a big lead out, as I had planned to do a front-cross at jump 3, but I was nervous and you can see in the video, I all of a sudden go, "oh yea! move!". The first sequence was good, but then Riley caught a whiff of Daddy in the stands and decided to go say hi! I called him back and had a good second sequence, then came the weaves. We tried our 3 times and just couldn't get it, so the judges called for us to move on. The 3rd sequence was awesome (you can kinda see him fighting the zoomies here). We NQ'ed but I was so stinking happy! We ran our first course and didn't look like idiots!
Our second run of the day was Standards, and I felt much better, I wasn't as nervous and had the first run jitters out of the way. My only hope here was that he would hit his contact and again, not run out of the ring. And just in case Riley decided to say hi to Dad again, I had hubby video from the elevated booth above the arena. Riley did AWESOME, he even got the weaves! We had a few little blips, but we earned our first Q and even a first place!!!!
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Day 2 was so much better! Riley and I both figured out what we were doing and both were a lot more confident! Again, our first run of the day was JWW, and wasn't as nervous as the previous day, but still nervous. When they started I was suppose to be dog #7, but there were a few absent and a couple who were late. There was one 24" dog and then they called me to the line since I was there! Yikes! I got Riley lined up and waited for the jump height to be change, and off we went! We had a couple refusals, Riley doesn't seem to like/understand rear-crosses yet, so I got some spins, but other then that we had a wonderful run! With our first JWW Q and a 1st place!!!
Next was Novice STD. Over the course of the weekend, with each run, Riley was more and more focused and that was no different for this course. This was our best run of the weekend, earning us our 2nd STD Q and another 1st place!
This weekend, Riley and I earned 3 Q's and three 1st places! We had so much fun and learned a lot! Thank you, to all of you who gave me words of encouragement and support!
Our first trial was a blast and I could not have asked for more from my
awesome dog, Riley! I am so proud of him! I can't wait for the next trial!
End of day 1 after earning his first STD Q and 1st place!
Riley earned 2 Novice STD Q's and a Novice JWW Q!
Also, in earning our first Q, we earned our club crate sign and shirt!
Okay guys, this Saturday and Sunday can way too quick! Ready or not, this weekend is Riley's agility debut, and I am so nervous! I thought I had my nerves under control, but the more I think about it, the more I think," Oh shit! We are really doing this!". I know the nerves never really go away, but still.... I don't like them. I think the only thing really keeping me from going into total panic mode, is the fact that I will have my husband and my whole group of agility friends there to help me.
I signed up for Novice Standard and Novice JWW both days, and I am pretty confident in our ability to run the courses, IF I can keep him focused, if I got, that then I think we may have something. I am not expecting to Q, but if we do, awesome, all I am hoping for is a somewhat collected run. I am going to make sure I get there plenty early, so I have time to set up, get Riley measured and most importantly, calm down.
Besides being busy with worrying about our first trial, work, and life, the other reason I haven't posted in a little while is because, we bought a NEW CAR! Well, certified pre-owned, but basically a new spankin car! Now I have a proper dog car! I LOVE it! And we got it just in time for our first trial. Going from my little Corrolla to the Pilot takes some getting use to, I just have to remember I now have a bigger kuboos, although the back-up camera helps a lot!
This will most likely be my last post until after the weekend, and come next week I should have a few pictures and videos to share! So until then I leave you with some cheesy, posed, fall pictures of Riley and Grace.
I was so excited when I found out there was a agility show and go before our first real event. The only places Riley has ever done agility, was in our backyard and our club, so this was going to be a good test for him. He behaved very nice in the new place, he stood with me while I signed up and sat quietly in his create while I walked the course and waited for our turn.
Our first run, looked promising, but then he got to sniffing around the tunnel. Once I got him through, we had another good sequence, until the weaves. At first, I just don't think he saw them, and then he started focusing on the table. My much more experienced friends on the side lines helped me out as said to go the other direction, and waa-la! he did them! But, because we spent so much time at the weaves, we ran out of time on the course and had to end early.
My friends, and husband, were very positive, helped me keep my chin up, and gave me some pointers for the second run, which was the same course.
Our second run was much better. No sniffing, but he still wasn't going all the way down on the contacts and had trouble in the weaves, BUT he didn't focus on the table! And we got to finish the course! So, overall it was a very good evening and gave me an idea of what we need to work on.
Here is the Standard course they set up, the novice course were the dark circles. After walking the course and talking with my friends, at 4 and 5, I decided that going to the close end of the tunnel was going to be too hard for a green dog like Riley, so I decided to go to the far side, and besides the sniffing it worked out really well.
Here are our runs. The first part is pretty bad, but we had some good sequences. I also think my nerves had a lot to do with it, but overall I am happy with Riley's performance! Now we got the real thing at the end of the month!!
This past weekend was the Reliant AKC dog show. It was at this same show a year ago, that I entered Grace in her very first rally event, so it was fun to back a year later. Leading up to this show, we already had one leg towards Graces RA title, and needed to Q both days to earn it. What I was most looking forward to this event, was all the friends that I knew would be there. I had Obedience friends, Agility friends and rescue friends all there! Plus, I made a few more!
Day 1: Saturday was the most difficult day for me. It started off with not being able to find the right lot to park in. Finally after driving to 3 different lots and asking a half a dozen attendants, I found it! After unloading and getting Grace settled, I checked in and watched the Excellence people finish up their runs. I didn't want to stray too far, as my small Advanced group was next, and I didn't know if the judge was going to start early (they were ahead of schedule) or at the arranged time.
Right around then one of my Agility friends came to find me and was nice enough to record our run for me. The course we did that day, was one of the hardest I have ever done, and I think my nerves got the best of me and Grace.
It wasn't our best run by far, but we did earn a Q and 4th place, with a score of 73.... Like I said, not our best. Grace did everything I asked, but was just lagging a lot, and I think most of it had to do with my nerves and uncertainty. When I look back at the video, it looks better then it felt! When I was in the ring, it felt like she was 10 feet behind me! We had trouble at 2 stations. The "Off set figure 8 w/ distractions". Grace was quite weary of the bowls LOL! But we worked though it. The other station was #16 "Leave dog, 2 steps, call to heel, forward". The station everyone in my group "failed". After taking our 2 steps, we all stopped, called dog and continued. We weren't suppose to stop after the 2 steps. So a rookie mistake and I now know for next time.
Leg #2 and a 4th place!
One tired pup on the way home.
Day 2: Sunday was a much better day! Score wise and my for my nervousness. I got there and just chilled, I didn't do much warming up, per the suggestion of one of my Obedience friends. I just played and added a few finishes and stuff in there. Our run felt so much better, far from perfect, but much better. We earned our last leg towards her title with a score of 93! and a 1st place! Grace even got the zoomies afterwards and eagerly played with the toy she earned, which is pretty rare for her.
RA title and a 1st place!
Grace and I! Photo thanks to my friends 3yr old son :)
Introducing Chloe Grace RA CGC!!!
There were more titles earned by all my friends! Obedience and Agility alike! My friend, Courtney, over at Amstaffs in the Garden, and her dog Charlie earned their CD title! and had a pretty good debut in Utility with her old girl Violet. My agility friend and her dog Red (you've seen him here on my blog many of times) earned their MXJ title! What a great weekend!
The other highlight of the weekend was hanging out with Graces' rescue group and running into the the vet that treated her during her time as a foster dog! We were literally leaving, walking to the car, when we ran into a lady pottying her 3 English Setters and asked if this was Chloe Grace. It was really fun talking to her and hearing her stories. Shortly later an another lady comes up and says there were about to take a picture of all the working English Setters and wanted to know it I would like to join them! I said SURE! I hope to contact the vet and get a copy of the picture :)
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