Saturday, December 21, 2013

Dogwalk frustration

Java's dogwalk hits have been messed up the last two trials. I have no idea what happened.  When I go to the field they look good.  Even with me falling behind.   Then I bought a used dogwalk from someone local. (That was an ordeal getting it.  I had to drive thur a  muddy dirt drive. First down the hill and then back up.  Oh my, at the bottom of the hill a big mud bit full of water. What if I got stuck?  I went fast, in my sons van, and hope momentum would keep me going. It worked.  For some reason I thought the dogwalk would fit in the van. It stuck out just a little. My son didn't have any tie downs in his van. Ugh. So back home we went. Thur the mud. I got my van and drove back.  I prayed I wouldn't get stuck. We didn't. We loaded up the dogwalk and tied down the back hatch. One more time thur the mud pit. We made it!!. My son's and my car were pretty muddy
My car was worse, mud all splattered up the sides. I had already washed it when I took this picture)

So the new, to me , dogwalk is fiberglass and aluminum. It seems slippery  but maybe that's because we are use to rubber. It flexes more than she is use to. So I put wooden supports  under the ramps. Anyway, she is having trouble hitting the contact. Ack!!!   Maybe that's why she is missing on dogwalks at different places. Depending on  how they feel to her??  Im ready to give up on the running dogwalk.

The video is of her yesterday on the field dogwalk  and then next clip of her on the new dogwalk at home.





I set this course up yesterday. 



We didn't get the beginning on the first try but the second.   And she did get some tight turns in there.  We didn't make it to the end but some how got the crazy  #14 to #15.



 Life is crazy.  My husband broke his foot last weekend running a trial race. Its really swollen so they couldn't cast it.  He is not allowed to put weight on it.  I rented him a knee scooter and that's been very helpful.  I highly recommend that if you should find yourself in need of it.
Then my son fell down the stairs yesterday and Im pretty sure he broke his toe.  Its bruised and swollen and his foot is swollen too.   And Miley was limping when we got to  the field. I think there is something stuck between her toes. I tried to get it out but couldn't.  I couldn't get an appointment for today. I have to wait until Monday to get someone to look at it.

5 comments:

Sara said...

Shelties are so sensitive to anything different. AT our agility class, Chewy will refuse to do the weave poles if ANYTHING is on the base. Which means my teacher spends a good two minutes brushing all the dirt off it for him. SO embarrassing. If Java is anything like Chewy, I bet it is the different dogwalks that are messing her up.

Chris and Ricky said...

Love your new DW! Running contacts are tough but Java will get it!

What about trying to soak Miley's paw in Epsom salts?

OBay Shelties said...

are the dogwalks the same length?

Diana said...

Yea the dogwalks are the same length. The akc dogwalks have a bigger contact zone, 42 inches. The USDAA contact is 36 inches. . The dogwalk at the field is AKC contact zone, so I think that's why her hits are high on USDAA zones. I should have been marking deeper hits.

Kathy Mocharnuk said...

humm, odd about the dog walk......so sorry about your husband and the foot, but I see on FB today he is in a boot, hope it heals soon.