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!!

 

 

Trial happenings.

Went to an outdoor trial this weekend.  It was at a horse farm where  I took this picture.  When I see this picture it reminds me of Jerry Van Dyke and this lip sync thing he did on "Yes Dear".  I located it on youtube. Its very funny if you havent seen it.



It was hot as heck on Friday. Even though the trial  was undercover. You would just be sitting there and sweat was just pouring out of your body. Never mind after you ran your dog. I was thinking of leaving in the middle of the day and going back to the hotel because I was so miserable.  I finally went in my car and turned on the A/C for an hour. That made me feel so much better.   The lady sitting next to me at the trial told me she felt like she was going to pass out. I let her use my dog fans (Ryobi fans) to cool off. Then a storm came through and the wind blew which felt great. The only bad thing was the dogs with thunder phobia's had a hard  time. Some  had to leave the ring because they just couldnt cope.   Friday we had some good runs, Saturday not so good. Ill talk more about it tomorrow.
I did win a couple of things at the raffle.

Funny, the things I only put one ticket in I won. A t-shirt and a basket. The basket had a leash, picture above, and chocolate in it too.  I gave the leash to a friend who likes skull stuff. The raffle stuff I put lots of tickets in, I didnt win. That figures. LOL They were raffling off a teeter and I put a lot of tickets in that one (I have a friend who wants a teeter). But I didnt win that. Oh well.
Ill talk more about the trial tomorrow.

AKC trial

I went to an AKC trial this weekend. I only entered one day to save money.  I drove the 3 hours up on Saturday morning. It was an indoor trial but around the trial site was a mud pit. Its been raining a lot. You couldnt park behind the building because it was so muddy you would get stuck. They had a tractor available if you got stuck.
Anyway after driving 3 hours I was alrady tired. Man I feel old. LOL  First up was Java's opens jww run. But right before I was suppose to run , I was to walk Miley's Excellent standard run. I only walked in 1 1/2 times. I want to concentrate on Java's run.  My goal was not to pull her off jumps.

 

 

I wasnt far enough pass #7 to push to 8. Then she popped the last pole. I couldnt decided if I should make her weave again or keep going so then she missed that jump after the weaves.

Next up Miley's standard run. She took off to early and landed on the #3 jump, then didnt stop on the teeter, than going to the table her head exploded. She didnt even try to get on. She ran around the ring, and I left the ring with her. Im not posting the video. Not that expected her to be perfect but I wasnt expecting this. Ugh.

 

 

Java had an ok run. She jumped on and off the table but got right back on. Inside I was freaking out. But I think it could be a result of last weekend when she held on to the table at all cost. It wasnt rubberized and she burned her pad. So Im sure she was thinking, "Im not doing that crap again".  Then we got the wrong tunnel entrance. I didnt see one dog get it but I didnt watch everyone so Im sure someone must have gotten it. Very nice dogwalk and she got the weaves all on her own. But I wasnt where I wanted to be and you could see I didnt know what to do for a few seconds.

 

 

 

Then Mileys Excellent JWW run.

 

This started out so nice.  Then I was worried about  being to far ahead ( which would cause her to take off early and drop a bar) and slowed down around #10. Then She didnt know where to go and went off course. Ugh, not a good plan on my part.

 

 

Next up T2B.

She dropped a bar and then I blocked the jump after the a-frame so she went around it. (Ugh!) But otherwise very nice run.  When she came down the aframe all this drool was coming out of her mouth. Silly dog.



Last they were offering a new class to try. It was free to enter. I dont know what this new class is all about. They called it Excellent jumpers C.

I put both my dogs in thinking I could work on Java's weave pole problem. I think I just made it worse. Three times she popped the poles and ran into the tunnel. Ugh. Then Miley's run was going good until she ran into the tunnel after the weave too. LOL, I guess some more things to work on.  I left at 6pm and drove the 3 hours home. I was beat when I got home. I didnt even take anything out of the car except for the dogs.

 

I woke up today and felt terrible. I did try to work Java's weaves this even and now she is popping even worse. Oh goodie. LOL

 

I did find out  I won a raffle. They had several things offered to make money for world team something. So I bought a few tickets. I won something with a dog bowel, leash , toys and a few other things in the package. Someone is going to give it to me the next time I see them. So at least I got something out of the weekend.

2nd day of trial

I wasnt sure I was going to post the video of Miley at the 2nd day of the trial. But after watching it several times there are some really good things happening with Miley and I. So I decided to post it anyway.
First up was ISC standard.  A freaking hard course and I thought to myself, "why am I running this, its over my head".  But I walked it and ran what I walked.  I slipped at 5. Then my cross was late after the dogwalk. I was planning to FC and then rear to the weaves. But I think she thought I was doing a "backee upee" ( where you step back and bring your dog around the jump). So I messed that up.  My front cross after the weaves was  late and I held her to long going to the tunnel.  I really wanted to make sure she did the teeter correctly which then put me behind. Then she didnt stop on the aframe so I marked it.  I know it was kinda a mess but I just kep going. I heard Loretta in my head, "keep going no matter what happens".

In T2B we were have a beautiful fun. She stopped on the first a-frame and it was beautiful. I praised her.  Then the second a-frame and she jumped it. Ugh!!  Then Im not sure if what happen afterwards was my fault but she stressed and ran around the ring. We left.  This part of the video makes me feel bad. Im not mad at Miley, I just want her to understand she cant act like this. But how do I convey this without seeming so disappointed.  At this point Im not surprised at jumping contacts or running around the ring. But we cant complete a course if she dose these things. Ugh. Im not sure what the right thing is.

Last up was jww. We had an awesome run going and she missed the weave pole entry and went in a the 2nd pole. I was just going to keep going but then she popped out like she knew that wasnt right so we restarted. We had a great ending. I should have RC on the flat  after 18 but I just didnt think quick enough.



Last up was Java.  She ran the day before in novice FAST. It wasnt a very good run. I stepped to the line and my heart was pounding in my chest. Ugh, I hate when that happens. So I messed up a lot. The video wont load to youtube. LOL  So this day I ran novice jww.  It was weird. I felt like I just didnt know how to run this dog. I thought , "what am I doing here". I wasnt sure  if I should  just run with her or front cross things or rear cross.  We started to run and I felt like I sent her and could make the front cross, but darn she was there before I could finish the cross. Ugh. So I cut her off a couple of times but otherwise a very nice run. My dog was happy and running.  Someone came up after me and said, "you had the best dog out there". Yay Java!!