Riley's First AKC Agility Show!

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!

Ready or Not

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.

Dare I say, Fall is here.

It seems that Fall may be upon us here in Texas, the temperatures have been around the mid 70's, upper 60's for a few days now and look to be here to stay... for now. Knowing me, I probably just jinked it and it will be back in the 90s tomorrow. For now, we are loving this cooler weather, I have the doors and windows open and the pups are enjoying sun bathing.

As much as I like living in the Southern US, I can't help but envy the people of the other blogs I follow, that are well into their Fall or even have hints of Winter knocking at the door. I miss having seasons, I miss the changing of the leaves and even snow. Yes, I said it, I miss snow! Now I know some of you more northern bloggers may be saying "Here! Take some! Take it all!" and wouldn't mind if it snowed now and again here in Houston. Although, I don't think most of Houston would agree with me there! I just sometimes feel, that when it gets cold enough, there should be some snow. At least it would give a good reason for it being so wet and cold sometimes!

So, until winter hits here and I wait for that elusive snow, we will enjoy the nice Fall weather we have. Since, if this year follows the years past, Fall will not stick around for ever long, just long enough to tease us and then off it goes. I can only hope that the temperatures will stick around, at least until Riley and my first agility trial! Our debut is in about 3 weeks! October 27th and 28th!

Lazy Day

Wordless Wednesday

My girly girl

Agility Show'n'Go

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!!

Riley's Weave Poles

As promised, here is a short video of Riley's weave poles. They aren't 100%, but I think most the times he misses, it is because of me. I am still super nervous for the upcoming show, but I will take anything he gives me short of running zoomies around the ring!

Drum roll please!

DOOO DOO DO DOOOO! (that is suppose to be trumpets or something)! It's official! I entered Riley in his first agility event! His debut will be October 27th and 28th. I will be a nervous wreck for the next month. I will get all that I can out of my next few classes and there will also be a show-n-go this Friday, that I plan on attending.

I feel like Riley and I have finally made it. It has taken us a long time, but we are here. The weaves were our hardest obstacle, but we finally conquered them! (I will post a video soon of his weaves). Now, I can say that we will be trialing. I would get upset sometimes when friends would ask, "why aren't you trialing?", but in reality it was good for me. Having friends that have those expectations kept me going on mine, and I am so glad they do.

At this show there will be a lot of people from my club will be at and one of my best friends (Red's mom) will be there as well. I will be submerged into the agility world and will have a lot of friends there to guide me.

So, from now and on I will have more to post about! Good news for y'all!

Beach Vacation

Every year, us and a group of friends rent a beach house for a long weekend. It is a vacation for us and as well as for Riley and Grace, they enjoy the beach and the company. It is a time for me to be basically brain dead for a while, and the way work had been going, I NEEDED the vacation. For the doggies, we made it a vacation as well, they got treats, ate at outdoor restaurants, and were allowed on the furniture.

Riley likes the beach enough. He mostly enjoys the sand, the walks and the people, not so much the water. Well, he doesn't not like the water, I think it is the waves he doesn't like, and I don't blame him. But, he will tolerate it if I ask him to come in the water for a bit. After his quick dip in the ocean he will run as fast as he can to shore and roll in the sand, as if to get all the dreaded ocean off him! I'd say he is a sand dog, not an ocean dog. In the pictures below, Riley shows what he thinks of the ocean!

Last year was Grace's first year to go to the beach. It was an extremely stimulating and over exciting trip, and she was kinda a crazy dog the whole time. This year was much better, she was excited but much better behaved. She really enjoyed playing in the ocean, plus she got to sport her new poke-a-dot lifejacke!

It was a wonderful vacation and I know Riley and Grace enjoyed themselves as well. Below are some more pictures taken by my friend.

Major ZOOMIE Alert!

Finally got the ball!

Last visit to the beach, before the drive home.

Our group

Not a whole lot has been going on, dog wise. I've been busy working and keeping up the house/yard while hubby is gone, in Malaysia. It seems like if I'm not working, I am mowing grass/yard work, and when I'm not working or mowing grass, I am cleaning, and if I'm not doing one of those, I am sleeping! 

But, there is light at the end of this tunnel I happen to be in, #1 hubby should be home in a couple weeks! #2 is that in a couple weeks, me, the dogs, some friends and maybe the hubby (if he gets back in time) will be relaxing at a beach house! It has been a tradition so far, that every year we try to all get together for a long weekend at a beach house, so far we've done it 3 of the 4yrs we've started it. So in a couple weeks you can expect an increase in pictures and *gasp* blog post!

On a side note, on facebook, I am in a photography group and we have weekly challenges and you can interpret the challenge how ever you like. It is a point and shoot group, and the focus of the group it to only use point and shoots and no editing. Some times this is REALLY hard for me! But the group has pushed me to really work with what I got and play with my surroundings and overall I know it will help me become a better photographer. This week the word was intimacy (keeping it clean), so here are some of the pictures I took for this weeks challenge; all taken with my point and shoot, set on filmgrain setting. (first one is the one I used for the challenge).

The dogs thought it was super fun to have mom on the ground! My face was fair game for licks!

Wordless Wednesday

Riley had the beginnings of a hot-spot, so had to sport socks for a day, which he did very well! After 2 days of applying which hazel and an oatmeal bath, it looks 98% better. Hot spot avoided!

Blog face-life?

Hummm, I have been feeling the need for a blog face-life and noticed Blogger has these new templates. I don't know if I like it yet, but I am going to try and play with some coding and see what I can come up with. So, I apologize for the constant changes soon to come.

And because a post isn't complete without a picture, here's Grace tugging with her sheep.

Wordless Wednesday

Reliant AKC Dog Show Weekend

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 :)

Great weekend all around!