Catch up....

Ok, I am totally useless and did sort of forget about my blog until the otherday.. oops! Last time I wrote anything on here, we had just got back from Norfolk show, where Ploddy Roddy had just gone Grade 6, clever dog. I sort of classed Norfolk as my last proper show of the year, where I had decided I needed to give the dogs a little bit of time off then get back into training. Think I gave the dogs two weeks off, then will give them three weeks at Christmas. I really don’t like the idea of giving six- eight weeks off, because then when you bring the dogs back, unless you are sensible like Lee Windeatt, you bring them back to training week one and expect them to do everything they were doing six weeks ago before you put them on rest, you also expect them to be just as fit. I think if I did this, I would forget like most. Also I heard three people say at North Downs show at the weekend “This is my first show back from their winter rest, they came back two days ago” what!!??!! So they have done no fitness work or training and are going to do four runs… hmm… interesting… not very smart huh! Anyway back to what I was saying… after Norfolk and the dogs rest. I couldn’t get myself back into training, I don’t have Lee to train with anymore (well not often anyway) because ive moved back to Wiltshire, I had sort of got myself in a routine which didn’t involve training, it was a lot colder all of a sudden and basically I just couldn’t be bothered. I had so much to work on with young Rods, I had no idea where to start. However luckily, I got my self back together and begin at the beginning, made myself a little list of what I needed to practice, and it seems to be going ok so far :D!

At the end of Oct I went and stayed with Garry Lee (not like that) for a few days. On the Thurs I traveled up via the Stokoes and did a bit of training with them, Rodney ended up being ill, so we had to cut training short ! While up at Garrys we had a great time, well I did anyway. For my birthday present (I was 21) Garry paid for me to get my tattoo done :D I got a mustang (galloping horse) on my right inner upper ankle tehe, I still like it 3 weeks on which is a bonus. I don’t think I’ll be having any more done, think that got my rebellious bit out of me. On Sunday the 1st we went to Broxburn show, which was ten mins down the road from Garry. This was Rodneys first grade 6’s. Grade 6 agility had two dog walks, two aframes and no see-saws, soon as I saw the course, I thought wayhay here comes our first win to grade 7. Once again as soon as I thought I was going to win, it all went Pete Tong. Rod had a pole, so I sort of gave up, changed the course slightly and left the ring. Sarah Stokoe however won it with her young dog, fantastic round, she only needs one more win for 7 . Then we had 6/7 combined jumping, nice course, however I got Rod E’d, I had to pull him across the face of a jump, however I didn’t tut! Once again though he ran well. Grade 6 jumping left, was a totally stupid course, it literally was just jump turn jump turn, think I used 12 steadys and did 7 front crosses, because I wasn’t committed due to it being a crap course, Rod got worried and ran really slow. However luckily due to being up in Scotland we still finished 2nd, 0.5 I think, behind the winner. Everyone thinks winning in Scotland is really easy, ok it is easier than winning down here, however I do think most southerners forget there are good dogs up north too. I think by going by general speed the dogs are faster up north, however there handling and turns are no where near as good as a lot of people down here. Basically to sum it up, after everything I have heard, I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed myself. That’s lucky I enjoyed myself, because Lucy Clifton and I are going back up there for Woodside next month, hope she doesn’t read this post, because I haven’t mentioned the shows in Scotland, just said it was up north… la la la!!

So North Downs, four runs, no clear rounds tut! However Rods was running so much faster who cares. Below are the runs, once again kindly videoed by Lucy Clifton. In the first agility below, you can see I get E’d because my handling off of the dog walk, Rod goes straight into the wrong end of the tunnel. If there is anything I can do off of contacts it is wrong end tunnels. So the next day I go training up the field, I decide this needs to be set up, I was expecting perfection like usual, however, it wasn’t at all, first two times he went into the wrong end (the end I didn’t want him to go into) :O I was so happy, you may ask why. I was so happy due to the fact, if I cant do something in the ring, I also love it when I cant do it in training because atleast then I can work on it. If its just something you cant do in the ring, but its always perfect in training it is soooo much harder to sort out. So of course we are going to be working on this. I have now introduced my “here” command whilst he is on the contact and not as he is leaving, due to the fact he has speed up and hopefully will keep speeding up, leaving the “here” until he is leaving the contact is too late. Have done this once is training so far, just on a plank and it seems to be working very well, so fingers crossed.










Also a huge well done to Lucy and Pie for winning grade 6 agility, lovely run. Two wins down, two to go !

I almost forgot about poor little Phoebe. Broxburn, I think we did an extra jump in every run, however for once she ran well. Then at North downs, she had one clear round, which we trained and came 4th in, the other two rounds, she wanst too bad, however E’s! I am starting to have a little more faith in her. Paul Oldfield mentioned how he needs a medium ticket… so…. If naughty little Phoebe will run with him…. Hahahha watch this space lol!!
Here is Phoebes clear round…



Well im off to Spain on Friday for a nice long weekend with a couple of friends. Have two weekends off, then Rugby and Woodside. Will hopefully not forget about my blog again, if I can remember how to upload videos, I will take some of Rods in training next weekend and put on here.

xoxo