Wordless Wednesday

"I gotta get me one of these"

Volunteers and Weave poles

So here is my 2 cents on volunteering at trials.   If people dont volunteer, the trial cant run.  If you want to go to trials and run your dog, you have to volunteer.   Ive never been to a trial where the 20 inch dog class took 4 hours, like Steve stated on his blog.  I would hate to work that class.  I have worked a 20 inch class that lasted 2 hours.  They gave us double coupons for working.  That was nice. Have I worked every trail I have been to?  No. Why, usually I wait until I get there and fill in as needed.  But they never called for workers needed.  Or when I got over there, someone else wanted to do it.  It didnt have anything to do with the "thanks" or rewards offered.  I dont find working stressful.  I like being ring crew, to get an up close view of things.  Leash runner is easy and anyone can do it.  But you have to be careful. Some people fling their leash and Ive seen someone almost get hit in the face with a leash. It definitely made me more aware of where I drop my leash when Im at the line.  At our trials we offer worker coupons for working.  It can be very busy and I think most people in charge of the coupons, try really hard to give out the coupons and thanks.  But if I didnt get my coupon, I would go ask for it. I wouldnt sit there mad that I didnt get it.  I think people working trials, work very very hard to do the right thing.  At our trials we also give out worker gift bags for people who go over the top to work.  We usually give out about 15 worker bags on a weekend. They have dogs treats, human treats, poop bags, first aid kits ect... in them.  

Here is my week three weave pole challenge.  I did it last week. I dont know why I cant catch up. It was 95 degrees out, so we are kinda slow. LOL

Trial update and parks

We went to a trial in Sanford NC this weekend.  I only entered Friday and Saturday.  On Thursday I met up with someone I went to high school with.  I hadnt seen her in almost 30 years. We met at Raven Rock park.  Very cool park. I got there early so Miley and I could hike.  A beautiful park but steep.  I wanted to go to the big rock area.  The lady told me it was 100 steps down. I thought she was kidding. I guess not.  It was a hill all the way down until you got to the steps.

When you get down to the bottom there are these huge rocks. I couldnt get them in the picture. There just wasnt enough room to step back and take a picture.

It was cloudy and in the woods so hard to get good shots.  Plus the ground color is so light against the dark rock.

It was a very cool looking place and I just couldnt get the shots to show it.  Then it started thundering.  I didnt want to be stuck down there with lightening.  And it was a hike back up to the car.  I guess my legs werent ready for this because the next morning my calfs are so tight and sore.  Walking up steps is a killer , good thing there were only a few.
My high school friend  met me later that evening and we had a good time.

The trial is at a small site.  The building where the courses are set up smells so musty. The building was hit when they had those tornadoes a few months ago. It ripped off the wall of the building. Maybe it had water damage that caused the  musty smell.  The new rubber contacts were great. 

This was a nice run. I made a few mistakes. Im not sure why she didnt read the RC at the triple. Weird.  Great table. She got right on and I didnt ask for a sit, but she sat.



Next up was jumpers.

The opening was similar. So I decided to be to the right of the triple since she didnt read the RC earlier that day.  It didnt help. She still turned the wrong way. Very weird.  The only thing I can think of is she was sure the course was the other way. Why would we jump that way when the course goes the other way. LOL . Im going to have to work on that. Plus I saw her head check me several times going down that first line so I new I was in trouble. So after that mistake I just went for broke.  I felt like I ran as fast as I could. Then you see the tape and I dont look fast at all. LOL My crosses look so much better, at least to me.

So still no Q's but this jumpers run was the most fun Ive had running in a long time. WhooHoo!

The next morning JWW was first.  The course was so similar again. Crap, this lady is trying to kill me. Same tunnel opening with the weaves on that same side. This time it was a double into the weaves in the opposite corner.  I had myself defeated before I even entered the ring and it showed. Ugh!  My dog missed two jumps in the run and I didnt even see it.  What the heck. Why did I handle the course like that. Thats not fair to my dog. She is running her heart out and I didnt put in the correct effort. 

I had many hours until my next run. So I went to the park and took pictures. I had my camera setting wrong. Apparently my brain wasnt working that day.

Then back to the trial.  There were no course maps left. So I took a picture off the wall.

I had a new attitude.   I needed to be ahead of her coming out of the tunnel. So this time I lead out to the other side of the tunnel.  I decided no matter what, I was going to make sure I noticed if she did or didnt take a jump. 

I dont know why she jumped off the table.  But going thur the weaves like that, was an off course. They consider that as, "doing the weave poles" even though she didnt weave.  Its not the judges fault, just what the akc says. Weird. So if your dog jumps over the tunnel when running, thats considered taking the tunnel? Or going under the aframe is taking the aframe?  Anyway, I didnt call her. There was something in her body language that I could tell she was ok and not stressed.   I could just feel it. Weird, I know. She turned around and got back on the table.  I was so impressed with her. I hope she knew it.  We finished the course.  Again not a perfect run but still fun. 
I have a ton of pictures for another park I went to.  I didnt take my computer  to the trial, big mistake. Next time I will. It has taken my all day to just load video and edit my pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

Weave pole challenge Week 2

We did the weave pole challenge on Saturday. I wanted to be able to use 12 weave poles.  I dont think I had my jump angled enough compared to Kathys jump.  You can see we had trouble.  I missed one of the rear crosses.  Then we had a distraction and failed that so I left it in the video.  We also failed once when I pushed passed her, she pulled out and didnt finish the weaves.  Then repeat of that one doesnt look like I pushed as hard. At the time I felt like I did but watching the video, it doesnt look like it.

Hotter then heck

Well its now summer.  When its so hot outside you feel like you cant breath. Yuk!  I walked the dog and practice a little agility with Miley this morning. We just worked all the contacts. Then I took the dogs out on the boat for swimming.  We were all done by 12noon.  Thank goodness because now you really cant tolerated going outside. I think it was 101 by 1:30. 


"I hate swimming! I dont know why I need to do it"

"Can we pleeease do something else?"

"In commmming!"

"Yea, Im good"

"I got it, I got it"

"This is more like it, yea!"

Class and the Heat

Because I dont think Ive spent enough time on the road, I decided to go take a lesson with Meagan.  At least its only an hour and a half drive.  Heck, that felt like nothing.   Anyway, we worked on me.  LOL Here was the course we used.

My biggest problem was 12-14.  I RC after she took #11.   Then I tried to do a call to heel over the #13 jump, to my left side and send her over #14.  She just kept blasting out of the tunnel over the jump and going behind me. She didnt collect at all. This is a big problem from her and why we go off course after tunnels.  Im really going to have to work on this.  Im not sure why she is doing that.  She must not understand her job.  Anyway we back chained it starting with sitting her at the end of the tunnel and just coming over the jump with me at a stand still.  Then with me taking a step and then a few steps toward #14. Then we added putting her thur the tunnel. She was really getting it.  But something for me to work on.  Then 20 -21 I had her wrap to the right and then sent her into the tunnel.  It worked after I did it correctly.   But then Meagan had me RC #20 so the dog turned to the left. Wow, it worked like a charm. I thought she would go off course over that #2 jump, but nope. She turned tight and go the tunnel entrance. And you didnt have to worry about her grabbing the wrong tunnel entrance.

Then I stayed for the snooker class.  We had a successful class.  Ive been to Meagans snooker class and was unable to complete any course. Not because of her course but because of me and Miley.  But this time we were close the first time we ran the course. I picked an easy plan.  But the next time I picked a harder plan with  trying to get more points.  When I was setting up for me next run, another student said I needed to challenge myself more.  I did pick a harder plan but we didnt do to well.   Miley and I have really struggled in snooker so picking a harder plan doesnt really help me. I want to be successful and once we start becoming successful , I start worrying about getting lots of points. Im challenged enough, LOL   This was the last snooker course we ran.

 I dont know if you can really see this very well.  The red jumps are marked with a little "R".  Then my path was written in blue pen.  And we did it.   We had some trouble at the weave poles. I dont think Miley has ever seen weave poles spaced like that. But we did do it.  Whoohoo for us!!

Its very, very hot out.  We walked to dogs at 8:30 this morning and I was sweating thur my shirt.  Disgusting. I kept thinking it had to be 95 degrees outside. But when we got back to the car, which was parked in the shade, it was only 83.  It felt like 183.  Several times the dogs both just stopped and didnt want to go any further.  So between the heat and all the tick I found on us today. I dont think we will be going back to the really hilly park for a while. Will just have to stick with the snake park.  Here are some pictures from the pass week.  A couple from the week before.  I was so impressed with my dogs, they were going thur the water on their own at the river.  Miley stayed right with me. Guiness ketp running on the the land. Which is scary because I worry that there are snakes in all that grass. So I kept call him out of there. We didnt see any snakes just a crayfish.  The mist coming off the river is in the evening. I think the air is so warm and the river is so cool , it forms a mist.  Kinda cool looking.

Weave pole challenge

I finally have my video reading to Kathy's weave pole challenge.  Kathy's blog  I think I did the challenge on Tuesday but just didnt have time to edit the video.  Then I couldnt remember how to use  my editing software.  So this morning I just edited it on my camera and then loaded onto the software to link them together.  So no fancy words but Im sure you can figure it out. LOL  On the challenge I couldnt seem to run pass Miley.  I think if it had been 12 poles I could have.  I also didnt stand completely still when doing the  send to the weaves and you werent suppose to move. I was worried about not giving any motion my confuse my dog. Because no motion she turn her into me and I did want her just blasting off and not listening. Kathy and I talked about it and its ok stand still. But I just wanted to give a little forward motion cue.



Next up is a video in response to Rickys "speak" video.Ricky's blog I usually turn the volume off on my computer because Miley goes crazy when she hears agility and dogs barking.  But Ricky's video , you needed the sounds.  Well, here was Miley watching the video.


I picked Stephanie up form college orientation. She had a great time and is very excited.  So thats good. She has to take Spanish and has already found a tutor.  We spent way to much money in the bookstore. The only negative thing that happened was one of her room mates. Who wont be her room mate next year, it was just for orientation.  Stephanie has really bad acne.  We tried actuane but her pancreatic enzymes increased by 3 times the normal level so she had to stop taking it.  You dont want to get diabetes trying to clear up your face.  We have tried everything and nothing has helped.  Right now she is getting dermabrasion once a week and using some more creams. Will see if that helps.  Anyway , Stephanie was in the bathroom washing her face and so was her room mate.  Stephanie said, "wow, you have really nice skin".  Do you know what that uppity girl said to her?  "Thats because I wash my face".  In that tone  that says, you dont wash your face.  Ugh!!  When I told my husband  , he said, "Ive punched people for less than that".   Poor Stephanie.  I asked her what she said, and she said nothing.  I told her not to let people talk to her that way.  Ugh, snotty girl.

A class far, far away

Im going to a small one ring AKC trial next weekend.  I thought if I went to a small  trial it might decrease Miley's stress.  She seemed to do better at those kind of trials.  The bad part is the building is small. You cant sit around the ring with your dog because there is no room.  No real room to even watch people run either.  The dogs are crated in another area.  The good part is , its air conditioned.  Then I got the idea to take a class at the building. That way Miley would have been there before and maybe feel more comfortable.  The class started at 8:45.  It was 4 hours from my house.  So that meant I had to wake up at 3am.  I tried to do this last week and over slept. I never heard the alarm and woke up to the dogs barking at 6am.  So I tried again this week.  I set 3 alarms.   I did wake up.  But after driving 39 minutes, I thought "I cant do this".     But I did do it.  I made it there by 8am.  I felt like crap.  LOL.    The first class was kinda weird. Every dog was slow.  I didnt enjoy the first class and Im not sure why.  Maybe it just felt like it wasnt fun or people werent having fun.  This is just my take on things and it could have all been my feelings and nothing else.  Maybe my nerves making me feel that way.

This course map, it's from the second class I stayed for.  But we used the same course for the first class.  Do you see the #21, that was actually the #1 jump for this class. I just couldnt get the CRCD to let me use a second set of numbers for a different course.   So the first sequence was #21,then #3,4,5 and #6.   Remember when I said every dog was slow.  Well Miley ran slow.  So slow that the instructor wanted me to send her thur the chute again to see if I could speed her up.  OMG.  Running slow was contagious.  Can you imagine Miley running slow? What the heck?  But she got right on the table.  The table was up against the ring gating and where all the people were sitting and big dogs.  She didn't have any problems, except running the sequence slow.  I still cant get over that.  We did some more things in this class. Everyone seemed to be able to run all the sequences.  The first time I ran the whole course (which was just kinda a big loop), she self released on all the contacts and I didnt correct her. Im not sure why. I guess I was nervous.  So the next time, I corrected the a-frame. It took 3 times to get her to do a 2o/2o.  Ugh.  The dogwalk and the teeter she got.  The dogwalk was very bouncy and noisy but it didnt seem to bother Miley.  The lady who owns the place told me that she bought all new rubberized contacts, she just hasnt gotten them out yet.   She will have them out next week.  So Miley will be on different equipment for the trial.  Thats ok, I just wanted her in the building and working.

After the first class, a different instructor came to teach the next class. I asked if I could stay for that class and she  said I could.  This class was much more to my liking. Im really not sure what the difference was. The instructor really worked with each person to help fix the problems.  Miley was running much faster and I had and off course tunnel entrance for #20. She took the wrong end of the tunnel. I tried to run that line from #17 -20 with me on the left side of the dog.  I got to far behind and thats why we got the wrong tunnel entrance.   The instructor had me just post turn at #17, so I was on the right side of the dog.  As she  got ready to take the broad jump, call her name. I used a off arm cue and pull her then sent her to the correct tunnel entrance.  So once again, I didnt have the correct plan to run the course. Ugh.  The other thing that happened was coming out of the tunnel of # 14 to go to #15, she went off course. Well she missed the jump. She was wide.  I had to really call her to get her to come to me.  Calling Miley doesnt really work when she is running like that.  She needs to see me and see my motion to go the correct way.  And I keep standing there and calling her name. It doesnt work.  I need to remember that. IT DOESNT WORK.  She needs motion. (This is my observation not what the instructor said). So a good class and I really liked the instructor. 

By the time I got home I was exhausted.  I could barely function.  On Thursday Stephanie was scheduled to go to freshman orientation for college.  At 9pm  Wednesday night, she got a message from her friend , that was going to orientation with her, that she wasnt going.  Now Stephanie had no one to ride with.  So I had to take her.  It wasnt that I didnt want to take her but I wasnt prepared. I probably wouldnt have gone to the agility class if I knew I was doing that.  But I got up at 5am Thursday and we left by 6am.  It was a nice drive and Stephanie and I got to talk a lot. So that was nice.  Stephanie was very nervous when I left her and wasnt very pleasant.  LOL  I did some shopping, well window shopping at the outlet mall for a while. I tried to text her to make sure she was ok before I left.  She was and now is having a great time. I will head back tomorrow to pick her up.  So 20  hours of driving in 3 days. Yuk!

I took the dogs to the park today and they both went thur the river on their own. WhooHoo!!!  I have pictures but Im to tired to wait for them to post.  Ill try and post them tomrrow.  I also did the weave pole challenge from Kathys blog, but I need to edit the video so you dont have to see all the in between stuff. 

Guiness is much happier too.  I had taken him off the theophylline a couple of weeks ago when he was vomiting. When I took him to the vet that week, there was a different vet working. He said he only works Thurday.  He didnt believe that theophylline could have increase Guiness activity. So I wasnt giving it. But he was just dragging on the walks. Walking behind the whole time. Not playing at all. No running in the yard. So I put him back on it.  Wow, what a difference.  Even my husband said, "wow, Guiness has a lot of spring in his step tonight".  I told him about  putting Guiness back on the theophylline.  He said if he notice, and he doesnt notice anything (his words, not mine) it must help.

"Can I jump to the other side?"

Wordless Wednesday

Misty Morning.

Class and snakes.

I had two lessons with Meagan this week.  Its funny. I set stuff up and we have no problem running it. Then I go see Meagan and it takes me multiple times to get it right.  But I guess if I could do it, then I wouldnt need to go see her.
Both days we did stuff from Clean Run exercise articles posted on the web site . Kathy Keats March 2011.

I had Meagan video this one because of the off arm cue to turn the dog.  I think I  first tried just rear crossing everything but that didnt work. It was just to tight.

I need to work on cuing early so she knows ahead of time where she is going. I need to send her over a jump and trust her to do it, and then I need to get to my next position.  Send her and go. But also remember to work every jump.

I went to class on Thursday too. Well , two classes. The first one was novice. I was able to do those courses without a problem.  Good thing or I would just have to give up. LOL
In the Masters class we work some more on the same Kathy Keats set up just numbered differently.

 I ran this differently than everyone else. Of course my way didnt work. LOL  I think thats why I cant stay on course. I cant seem to see the correct way to run the sequence.  I  front crossed between 3 and 4.  Then ran to the left of my dog for #4-#6.  I felt like this gave her a direct line to number 6. But what happened was as I fell behind her , she curled in a slight bit after number 5. That caused her to miss number 6.  So when I ran on the right side of the 3-6, when she curled in after 5, because I was behind, it was ok.  That actually set her up nice for #6.  I need to work a little on sending her down a line of  angled jumps. So when I get behind, and I say "go on" she will drive to the next jump.

I had the same problem here on 5-8.  I got behind as she drove down the line and she wouldnt take the  #8 jump.    I had to really push an say "go on". 

I was beat as I drove home. The good thing was , I stopped at Chick Fil a. They now have ketcup that you can dunk in.  A little plastic tray. It worked great while driving.  Love it. But I hit traffic 3 times. They were working on the road.  I know they cant work on the road during the day but really. When its 10:30 at night, its soooo frustrating sitting and waiting.  I do remember sitting in traffic in D.C at 12:30 am , after getting off evening shift at the hospital. And just wanting to go home. Nope, just sitting going crazy.

Miley is doing much better at going to the park. Today so only lagged behind 3 times.  And she left the car area without a problem. So thats good. Look, she is crossing the river by herself.

The river is down a little . So I thought I would go to this huge rock and take some pictures.

I wanted both dogs to get to the top of the rock. 

 

But Miley wouldnt go to the top with just a verbal command.  I couldnt get around the rock because the water was deep there. The only thing to do was to climb up the rock a little to show her what I wanted.  When I got up on the rock and looked over the other side. This is what I saw.

So no pictures on the big rock.  These people came over toward me to go on the island, then out to the other side. I couldnt decide if I should tell them about the snake. I didnt tell them. No sense freaking them out.  They werent going toward the snake.

We left that area.

Of course Guiness needs to dry off. I mean he just gets soaked going thur the water. NOT!

Then  I tortured them by making the walk several times thur the larger river crossing.

I had them do this several times.  One for exercise.  The water had a pretty good  current going, not dangerous.  And two,  to cool them off. Its pretty hot out now and it was 3pm in the afternoon.  So even though Miley doesnt look happy, I think she was ok with it.  There were rewarded a lot.

And then right when we where leaving the park path  there was this.

This one was tiny.  Maybe  6inches long.  I cant believe I didnt step on it.