The good, the bad and the GD it!!

Went to a USDAA trial last weekend.  It was outside but under cover. They said it was cool under the cover even when it was hot outside. Well, not so much. You would just sit there and sweat when doing nothing , let alone run your dogs.   I got there early before 7am to make sure I got a crating spot. Someone , the night before, said crating would be tight.  When I got there, they were still building the course. They were calling for help, so I helped out.  I wasnt entered in the first class and was planning on helping out in that class after looking at the worker schedule the night before.  So after helping build, I went to grab course maps. No course maps left for PII/advance classes or the Master Challenge jumpers. Oops, that will teach me not to grabbed them first thing.  Good thing about phones and ipads. I just asked around and took pictures of the maps.

First up was Gamblers. I didnt enter Miley only Java.  There was a  brick wall jump that looked like this.

My dogs have never seen this jump before. I was worried it would be a problem. If I only knew what the problem would really be this weekend.  So this jump wasnt a problem.

 

I really wanted to practice the dogwalk but was worried about hitting one of the jumps in the gamble. Instead I practice other things like the  long chute, smaller tire and the brick wall.   First time around  Java did the far tunnel, over the double and to the teeter. She did the teeter. Then the brick wall, into the tunnel over the jump and to the teeter. This time she jumped off the teeter sideways. I thought I rushed her since the buzzer to start the gamble had rung.  She got the gamble, tons of points and Qed.

Next up standard.

She missed the dogwalk contact and jumped off the side of the teeter.   USDAA has a new rule for starters. If you dog doesnt tip the teeter and they jump off, they can get back on. You get three tries.  But it tipped slightly so I didnt think I should put her back on. Other wise nice run. Not sure what to do about the dogwalk. She keeps jumping it at shows. Ugh.

Miley , PII standard. She dropped one bar.  But very nice run.

Next up was Snooker. Miley was first.

 

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The blue numbers were what I ran before the closing.   Miley was awesome. No wide turns, she stayed close and ran perfect. Except she dropped the first bar in the #7 close. But she had just enough points to Q. Whoohoo Miley!!

 

Next up was Java.

I changed my plan right before I went in the ring. I ran the one I wrote above with the blue numbers. Sorry, I numbered it wrong. She went  #1 to #3 and then its right.She was perfect until we started the close.  She back jumped the number 2 when I tired to have her wrap it. So tweet!!

 

So I was feeling pretty good. Next up was Master Challenge jumpers. I took a picture of someone's course map. When I looked at it, I thought why the heck did I enter Miley in this. This is way to hard for us. Ack!!

 

 

Everything looks spread out with plenty of room between jumps but it wasnt. Jump #6 was right there when they took #4. Lots of dogs took that jump, even really good handlers. That number 12 (brick wall) was right there when they came out of the tunnel. Lots of dogs took that one too.  I thought, I need to talk to her alot in the course.  Tell her tight coming out of the tunnels and  call her "close" when going between jumps. When Im nervous or around a group of people I tend to be really quiet. My friend told me , last weekend, I need to talk to Miley more when running.  So we started,  I blind crossed between #2 and #3. Front crossed after  #5 and after #6.   Then RC 13.  She was nice and tight all the way through the course.  And we stayed on course. Then she went wide around the broad jump. Ugh, so my fault. The broad jump was pulled in toward the tunnel more so then it looks on the map and  it wasnt a direct line from 14. I just didnt see it when I walked the course. I was worried about all the other stuff.   But holy crap, this was the best run ever!!!  She stay with me in Snooker and now this. Greatest  agility day ever!!!

 

Last up was Steeplechase. I only ran Java and pulled Miley. I didnt want to end on a bad note with Miley.

 

Java popped out of the weaves early and when I brought her back, she back weaved. So we were off course. But otherwise very nice run.

 

I dont have much on video tape. At least not the good runs.

 

Saturday was cooler. Thank goodness!! 

Jumpers was first.

 

I got lucky on this run. There could have been an off course in the beginning of the run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up was Miley.

 

Miley dropped a bar and then went off course.  I  kept going but then got lost. I stopped and Miley stressed. She ran around and around, I left the ring. I shouldnt have stopped. Ugh!!!

 

Next pairs. I only entered Java.

 

I was paired with a very nice lady. She had a big black aussie. The circle side looked easier than the square said. She asked if I would mind running the squares. I told her no problem.  When it was time to run, I walked in the ring first and then she came in. She had to walk behind me and Java freaked out and barked and growled at her dog. Ugh. I had to grab her by the  scruff. (After the judge had told us not to grab our dogs because the general public may not understand this. I really thought she might whistle me out, but she didnt)  Once they were pass us, Java was fine. Even when that dog ran first  and went behind us at the finish, Java was ok.  In this run, Java wouldnt get on the teeter. I tried 3 times. Nope, she wasnt doing it. Otherwise perfect run. So we didnt Q because of us. Ugh. Now Im starting to freak out about the teeter.

 

Next up was standard. While waiting for our standard run, I took her out to this kid play set, put her on the slide, lifted it and lower it, gave her treats for staying on. Had her get into 2o2o,C/T.  I went over to the teeter they were raffling off. I shaped her around it. Look at it, C/T.  Nose touch it, C/T.  Paw it, C/T. Then all of a sudden,she jumped on and slammed into a 2o2o. I highly rewarded and left because I was worried about getting in trouble for training on site.

 

We did our standard run, nope she didnt get on the teeter. I tried twice and  the second time she went half way up, I said "good girl", then she jumped off the side. Ack!!  Now Im freaking out. Its all I can think about.  She then runs the dogwalk and jumps off the side of the down ramp. At one point, I think after the table, the judge says to me, "she missed her dogwalk contact".  I wasnt in a good mood by this point and Im freaking out. It was everything I had not to look at her and say, "Ya think???".  But I kept my mouth shut. ( the judge was very nice, I wasnt in a good place).

Next was Miley's standard run and I just couldnt get over Java not getting on the teeter. What if this becomes a three year long thing like Miley's table. Im going to have a nervous breakdown.

So Miley didnt get the best of me in the ring. She dropped one or two bars and broke the tire.  She did get the  teeter after the table. She was looking at the tunnel and I kept thinking she was going to take the tunnel no matter what. ( the tunnel sure looked a lot closer than it does on this map)

 

We  went home after that. I only had one more run with Miley and I think she was done. So I pulled her from that run.

 

The teeter thing has me upset to say the least.  I did notice that the 4 dogs who ran before me in standard on Saturday, all bailed off the teeter.   Plus I heard two (separate ) other people talking and saying the same thing as me when I was packing up and leaving. They were saying, I dont understand this, my dog has always gotten on the teeter and is bailing all weekend. Im not sure what was going on. The teeter is a double sided teeter, one side for AKC and one side for USDAA. But she has been on the teeter before.  So Im officially FREAKED OUT!!