USDAA trial and stuff

Stephanie made  me this beautiful picture for Christmas. This is my favorite picture of Java.
Here it is again with the photo.

This weekend I went to an USDAA trial with Miley and Java.  We didnt do to well. 
Miley got the gamble in PIII gamblers but left the teeter to early so we didnt get the points. Lots of teeters called this weekend.


Java was in starters gamblers. She didnt take the tire, she went under it.  The jumped off the side of the teeter, that was weird.  The gamble was chute to a jump and she got tangled (not a bad tangle)  in the chute and when she got out, she came running to me, so she missed the jump.

Java had a nice starters jumpers run but I pushed her off a jump. I was worried about rear crossing but I decided no time like the present to try them out.




Miley had a beautiful jumpers PII run and we qed. Of course I didnt get that run on tape. Figures huh.
I think I finished running around 6pm. I went to the hotel. It was very quite at the hotel. I didnt hear any doors closing all night and my dogs didnt bark once the whole time we were there.  For some reason I really just wanted to go home. Im not sure why. I must have fallen asleep around 8:30 and woke up in the middle of the night with the TV on and the lights still on.  The next morning I wasnt feeling to good. Just my usual aching self. I didnt think to much about it. 
Sunday I ran Java first in gamblers. She didnt get her dogwalk either time but he gave her the first one.  I tried the weaves, she had only done 12 weaves for the first time on Thursday so I rewarded her anyway even though she didnt finish them. It was weird, I really thought she got them the first time, it wasnt until I watched the video and saw that she didnt finished the last pole. I dont think my brain was working to well on Sunday.  So Java got the gamble but we didnt have enough points to Q. But its ok, I just wanted to keep her happy and running.

Miley gamblers PIII run I really just wanted to work contacts. So thats what I did. We didnt get the gamble. I had walked it to take some steps back when she was in the tunnel so I could push into her to get her out to that jump.But for some reason didnt do that when I ran.   But I was able to fix a self released a-frame.




Grand Prix Miley was doing awesome. I was worried about the weave pole entry. I just took to many steps forward and it cued that jump instead of going to the weaves. Then she stressed because I stopped. Ugh! All I had to do was a front cross and she would have never known anything was wrong.  Oops.  In a side note. Java's litter mate won Grand prix . It started making me feel I shouldnt have bought a puppy from that same litter. I know you cant compare dogs or handlers but its hard not to feel bad about yourself when you can even run a jumpers course.

This was my last run of the day. I waited a long time for this run. When I was warming Java up, I took her outside to the under cover barn area. It had been raining all day and  it was dry under there. I passed these people with their dogs. The one dog came up to Java but wasnt running or lunging, I think it just wanted to play. But Java reacted badly. She barked and growled. She sounds like she wants to kill you when she does that. Most shelties have this high pitched bark but not Java. Her's is deep and growly. I got her back quickly and put her in a sit. We warmed up and went back in. Then someone standing above us in the seating and crating area was filming with an ipad and the person next to her was playing tug with her dog and they were on a wooden platform.  The wooden platform was making a thumping noise.Java went crazy barking. I got her back and walk further down practicing sits, downs and heeling.  Then a border collie passed us and again, Java barked and growled. Ugh. I dont think that dog did anything. The lady was nice and said her dog could have been staring because he does that. But I didnt notice it.  So now Im really freaked out. I think Java just didnt get out  and run enough at the trial because of the rain. I usually walk my dogs alot and let them play but with all the rain, that just didnt happen.(She ran the first run around 9am and then didnt run again until 5pm) I didnt tug with her before going in the ring. She was fine in the ring and when we left the ring.
Jumpers run: I front crossed after 4 but when I did this she wasnt committed to  # 3 and I pulled her off so I had to re-send her. Then I front crossed after 8. That #8 jump was over to the left  a little more than the course map shows. I felt like I had to front cross there because you needed a front cross after 12. Anyone who didnt  front cross after 12, there dog went by jump 13. That jump was just to far to the side for them to even see it. So I didnt support #10 enough and pulled her off. Then she back jumped it.   When I left the ring  I was already feeling bad. I didnt have anyone to tape my run because everyone I knew  either left or they were running. So I cant see what happened. I felt like I pulled her off those jumps. I asked someone who was working the ring and I know, she felt I should have not front crossed after 8, that I should have stayed on the other side and I set a bad line for my dog. This made a huge impact on me.  I felt terrible about myself all the way home. If I cant even walk a starters jumpers course correctly after all this time, I should just quit agility.In fact this post was going to say, "I quit" and nothing else. Im not doing agility anymore and Im not teaching any more classes for the club. Im just so tired of trying and looking like crap out there.  The drive home was long, dark and rainy.  By the time I got home I was so achy and miserable I just went to bed. But I couldnt sleep because my body hurt to much and I finally got up and took some medication. I woke up this moring feeling even more miserable. I dont know if it was some type of virus or what. I know there were sick people at the trial and a few people I know  when home early because they were sick.   Im feeling better tonight so hopefully its  going away.

There also was this lady sitting down in front of me at the trial. Im not sure why she had 3 chairs because she was the only person there with her stuff all weekend. She had her crates and two chairs on one level, the next level  up she had another reclining chair. Then the next level was me and my dogs. Well in her reclining chair she had two containers of treats,a bag of McDonalds food, with the bag open, and a McDonalds sandwich with the wrapper open sitting on the chair out of the bag. My dogs, I guess just arent trainned well enough because they just kept trying to get the food. I said something to her and she just said, "yea my dogs keep trying to get the food too". But she didnt move it. Ugh. So finally about 3/4 through the day, I couldnt take it anymore.  I picked it up and moved it down to her other chairs and table to get it away from my dogs.  When my friend above me left I moved my stuff up a level. Just to put more space between me and her. I was getting ready to leave and wanted to look at the photographer's pictures before I left. I can here my dogs barking and going crazy. I finally go over there. She is sitting in her reclining chair and has her dog on the level above her chair , so close to my dogs. What the heck was wrong with this lady. How much space does she need. So I got my dogs out to go put them in the car and her dog sniffs my shoes, extra shoes (bogs) for the rain, that were sitting out. Java went crazy again. Ugh!! It wasnt a good way to end things. 

Wordless Wednesday

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!!

Wonderful weekend

We went to a trial this weekend. I wasnt sure I was going to make it. I took a 1/2 on Friday at work but it was freaking crazy. The nurse coming to cover me was late and all these kids just just kept coming. I was so stressed out by the time I finally left I couldnt get  my head together. I finally left  after 3 pm and had to turn around and go back home because I forgot dog food and someone, Miley, was stinking up the car. So I went home and washed Miley and got the dog food.  We finally got on our way. Lots of traffic but we made it safely.  
The hotel we stayed at was full and it was a 6 story hotel. There was a confirmation show going on close by too but not our our site.  So lots and lots of dogs every where. 
I signed Miley up to run ICS and when I saw the course, it looked tough.

Everyone else turned their dog to the inside of 2 , which was faster, but I felt like I need the couple of seconds extra to get down pass the tunnel to make a front cross.


My dog was freaking awesome.  This was my best run with Miley ever.   I felt like I saw every take off and landing. Usually Im just running to hang on.  I know she doesnt look that fast but she was only 2 seconds behind 1st place.   Most of her turns were tight too.

Next up was Excellent jumpers.

I just couldnt figure out how I wanted to run 5-10.   Most people FC after 5 or they post turned 6. I planned to serp 5-6 and then rc 7 and then front after 9.   After watching everyone, I just decided to go with my plan and see what happens. It worked. 50 excellent JWW runs and we finally got a second Q.

Awesome run. But then the timer, scribe and judge all went to the middle of the ring and started talking. I thought , Oh crap. I guess something happened to the timer. It started before  Miley took the first jump. She said I could rerun but I told her I was good.  They said they would take 2 seconds off my time because they think thats how much time went by before we started. Heck , they could have added 2 seconds to my time and I would have been ok with that. LOL

Standard was next.

Nice run but she jumped on and off the table. When she did that I said, "no" much harder then I meant to. I thought I would here "tweet" but I didnt.  I worked on the teeter the last two weeks but I guess I have more work to do.
Sorry I dont have time to finish this. More later.

Christmas party and stuff

This week has been crazy at work. Flu is here and all coming to my office. Kids have been getting off the bus and walking straight into my office with a fever of 102.  Im not sure why parents are sending their kids to school sick but if they keep this up we'll never get it out of the school. In the first three days of school this week Ive seen 189 kids, not including medications. That's a lot.  I  had the principal do a "phone blast" where everyone at school is called with a recorded message. It talked about flu being at school and that your child's temperature has to be under 100 degrees without medication for 24 hours to come back to school. So yesterday no one got off the bus and came to my office sick. Hopefully things are getting better.
Last night was my clubs Christmas party. It was very nice. It was in a club house for a community. The house was old and charming. Lots of people came and lots of people I didnt know.  There was a gift exchange.  You brought a gift, it could be anything, that cost 10.00.  I think some people spent more than ten dollars. It was hard to find something for ten dollars.  I brought a ball jar that was fill with the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies.  Im sure you have seen them , they have all the layers in the jar and you just have to add a couple of items, to make the cookies. Its was cute. This gift exchange was where you could pick a gift or steal someone else.  They limited the steals to once since so many people where there. When people started opening gifts, I got worried I had the worse gift there.  This one lady got a slipper stocking that was stuffed with a big toy tiger, a soft ball, and several dog treats. I stole this gift. So she had to go pick another. She picked this small box with this really neat flower on top. She opened it and it was a lump of coal. Ugh! I stole this lady's gift and now she got coal. ( I later found out the coal was a piece of chocolate).  I left terrible. And this lady is new to the club, this was her first meeting. Yea, I know how to make friends , dont I??? So I gave her the dog treats( a big cookie type bone and a bully stick) that were in my gift. She didnt want to take it but I told her my dogs wont eat that stuff so she would take it.  Why would someone give a lump of coal?  Well clearly I didnt have the worse gift. LOL
This weekend Im off to a AKC trial.  Java will run for the first time. She is entered in novice FAST on Saturday and novice jumpers on Sunday.  Im nervous and excited.  I havent really proofed her startline. I may have to sling shot her at the start line. Will see.  She has really started to put things together recently. I ran her in a class on Wednesday and she did the masters course.( course is from Clean Run Source book)

My only problem was getting her to send to #13 so I could run down the line to get in a front cross between 15 and 16. But man she had no problem with the treadle at the end.  Do you know how long Ive been working on threadles with Miley and sometimes she still doesnt get it. Java nailed it several times. How exciting.

I use to be able to run

I was looking back through videos and came across this one. It was 2 1/2 years ago. Look, I use to be able to run. And not get stuck in my front crosses. What happened to me. I thought I would get better at this.

Silent Sunday