Grease Monkeys

This is what happens when your dogs get around the gate that surrounds the grill.

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We found some more snakes under the tunnels. One last week, that my husband moved to the woods a few houses away. Then another one yesterday. I threw the bucket over it and called my husband. We think they are copperheads. So this one my husband killed. He chopped its head off. Who knew snakes can still bite after
their heads are chopped off. The snake was still moving around without its head. Yuk!

Day #3 of the trial

So I came home last night and was happy it was mostly over. I still have to complete the reports for the AKC within 7 days and finish out the finances. But the hard stuff done. The funny thing is, its almost time for me to fill out the application for the Spring trial.
I probably shouldn't have looked at my videos last night. I knew what happened at the trial but it didn't seem that bad in my head. Then when I watched the video, I felt like crying. It looked terrible. No wonder those ladies were looking at me like that. They probably thought I didn't know what I was doing. Lol. So last night I was pretty much over everything. I was quitting agility. I'm obviously a terrible trainer with my dog running circles around me. What was I thinking that I could do this. I couldn't read any one's blog. I was having a big pity party for myself. I didn't want to read everyones great news. Pathetic, I know. But today is a new day. I'm feeling better, although the tapes didn't get any better.

Our first run was Open JWW. I rear crossed the pinwheel into the weaves and sent my dog off course. I should have front crossed. Then when Miley realized she was wrong, she started circling. I was able, finally , to get her back and we finished nicely.
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Then there was Open Standard. I really had high hopes. We started out so nicely that I thought for sure she would get on the table. But no, she didn't. A few circles then she finally gets on. I made a mistake and made her drop a bar. I cant remember what I did, but I do remember it was my fault. Then the weaves. I decided to try and correct the weaves which I haven't been doing. I really felt like she needed to do them and not just go by. So, not a great run. More stuff to work on. Lots of people gave me advice to fix my table problem. Meagan is very nice. She always says nice things about your runs and then waits for you to bring up the bad stuff. You know, she tried to tell me this circling stuff would come back to bite me, but I didn't listen. I'm not sure why, I guess I didn't believe her. Lol . Maybe I should have just driven down 77 and just thrown my money out the window ( you know , since I didn't listen to what she said. ) I'm tired of learning lessons.

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Trial day #2

Well I could tell you that my dog and I ran awesome today but that would be a big fat lie. Im not sure where my mind was today. It wasn't on course. Poor Miley. She probably wanted to trade me in for a new model. One that knows how to run the course. Lol Everything having to do with the trial went well, so Im not sure why I was having trouble. Also today was 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. First I had Open Standard. You took the chute and then had to come out into a 180, and loop around over the jump you first took. Well I had planned to rear cross after the chute and then front cross and pull her around. I had poor timing and pushed her off the jump and then I couldnt figure out how to get back on course. Miley took the cue to start circling. Ugh! Of course the table was next. It felt like forever ( 15 seconds) to get her to come to me, I had her sit. Then I sent her to the table. Probably risky but it worked. She got on the table sat and then I put her in a down. WhooHoo! She got on the table. The rest of the run was nice. I cant believe the judge didn't whistle me off the course. I kept waiting for the whistle but it never came. And we didn't run out of time. Its just to funny, when you are out there and your dog is running around you, it feels like forever.

Next was our Open jumpers run. I did a two jump lead out to the tunnel. Released my dog and I never cued the tunnel. SO my poor dog came right to my side. I'm standing there thinking , "what is my dog doing right here". Duh! So I finally get my brain sorta back and she gets in the weaves and finishes the course beautifully. Really, she ran the course kinda by herself. Someone said to me, that was great distance you had on your dog. ( uh, that's cause her owner didn't know if her dog was running the course right and just let her run and then the owners brain engaged and figured out the dog was right.)

Last was our Open Fast run. Not much to tell there. I messed that up to. I didn't plan the course right. Not much to tell. I was just glad we were done for the day. I have to say, I think Miley was done too. I had her massaged twice today because the massage lady thought she was tight in her thighs. When I went to get Miley after her last run to do the second massage. She was sound asleep in the crate. Didnt even open her eyes when I was at the crate.

So that was that. I hope I do better tomorrow.

GCOC, Friday

Well, it was hot as heck. I think it got up to 92 degrees and the humidity was a killer. Just sitting there can make you sweat. The poor judges, but they never complained. Today was my first time as Agility Trial Chairman. Ugh!!! It kinda started out rough. The electrical hook ups for the RV's weren't right. So no one had power last night. Some people wanted to leave. We finally got that all fixed. Then the person who had the wicket for measuring the dogs was late and then there was an accident , so she became later. Measuring was suppose to be from 7:45 to 8:15. The wicket didn't get there until 8:15. Needless to say, people were mad. Then the weld under the teeter broke. Luckily the guy who made it was at the trial because he brought us a new a-frame. So he did a temporary fix. Then the large leg for the table was missing. My husband drove up to the field and found it in the shed. We had to rig up something for the first class of the day. I hope tomorrow goes smoother.

Now for my runs. First was Novice Fast. She did well except didn't do the weaves. Everything else was great and she got 70 points, "Q"ed and took 1st place. Now we move to the abyss of Open Fast.

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Now Open JWW. She keeps looking like she is going to break her stay but she didn't. We had a great run except the weaves poles. Its funny, the run felt better than it looks on video. Im going to be in Open the rest of my life.

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Open Standard. What can I say, weave pole problems and she jumped off the table again. Do you see pattern here? LoL Also, she runs right in front of me to take the wrong tunnel entrance.
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So this evening we worked on the table. Ive been trying to make her fail on the table so I could correct it. But she just wouldn't do it no matter what I did. So I had an idea. I hope you don't think I'm a bad person for doing this but I put the ferrets in a small crate and put them just pass the table. I did a couple of obstacle and sent her to the table. She jumped on and then off. I told her "no" and brought her back and put her on the table and then praised her and released her to the ferret crate. ( she couldn't get to the ferrets, she could just sniff them). We ran it again and she got on the table but when I changed the sequence she would then jump on and then off the table again. I told her "no" and brought her back and made her sit on the table. She eventually got it. She had a few, almost off the table but she caught herself. So tomorrow when she jumps on and off the table, I'm going to tell her "no" and bring her back to the table. I'm not sure if I will get whistle off or not. Will see.

My wild , crazy dog

Im going to try to post a link some pictures taken of Miley at the trial. http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=1FMG003F050043&po=43

After you get to the link , hit the right arrow to scroll through the pictures. I like the first one, the one after she gets off the teeter and her tail is flying high and the one when she is jumping on the table.

Ok here are Saturdays runs

Here is our jumpers run from Saturday. She went in at the second weave pole and if you watch she actually has to turn to take the wrong tunnel entrance.


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Now the crazy Open Standard run. She breaks her startline before Im even to where I want to be and I had my back to her. Then I get her back and we are good until the table. Its hard to see, but Im at the far left of the screen when the video starts.


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And to show how excited Miley can get. Here is what she does when we are getting ready to see the ferrets.

BRAC trial , day two

Went back to the hotel last night. It was pouring down rain. Yuk! Miley and I were so tired that we fell asleep at 8pm. My daughter called me a couple of times. Once was to ask if I could make her jeans in to Capri's when I get home. I told her not to call again because I was sleeping. "What, its only 8 o'clock!", "I know, I'm just really tired". Miley didn't bark once all night and I had the TV turned off all night too. Probably no one went outside because it was pouring down rain all night long. Then it was still pouring this morning. I went to the trial site early again. Miley wouldn't use the bathroom because it was pouring down rain and she would just stand there like it was torture. I took her up to that barn area and let her go in there. I figured all the other stock animals must go in there, what's the difference.




So my plan was to run the first run of the day , which was Jumpers. If she acts crazy, then we are going home after that. No reason to wait 4 hours to have a crazy run. But she surprised me and ran nicely. Although still a little slow for her. She usually runs a 145 yd run in about 23 sec and these courses have been 120 yards and she getting the same course time. But at least she wasn't crazy. She wanted to break her start line and kept acting like she was going to break but didn't. The only problems where she went in on the 2nd weave pole and dropped a bar. The bar drop, she took off to early.

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Open Standard:

We stayed around for our second run. I took her up to that barn area 3 times to play ball. The last time was right before our run. They had already started running Open Standard. I really wanted her to burn off some energy before getting in the ring. Plus it had been raining so much that you couldn't really walk your dog around the area. I decided to run the course with a big lead out. I know she broke her start line yesterday but I wasn't paying attention and that was probably part of the problem. I couldn't decided what to do. If I tried to do a post turn after the first two jumps , I really thought she would take the a-frame or at least go really wide. I know that the a-frame looks really far away from the jumps but when you were out there is didnt seem that way. Plus if she cant hold her start line, then I shouldn't be out there. Here was a chance to practice. Plus when watching the other dogs run, the ones that ran with their dogs and then rear crossed at #4, they either pulled their dog off the jump or their dog dropped the bar on the triple. So what did I have to lose. I did the lead out. You will see I look very unsure of her start line. But she held it and off we went. She read the lead out with the turn and did the triple without dropping the bar. And into the weaves. Perfect weaves. WhooHoo! Then the tunnel, would she take the correct tunnel entrance? Yes she does. I'm getting excited now. Most of our trouble spots are behind us now. Now the big one, the table. She gets on the teeter and then hits the table. And........ off the table. Crap! She does a huge victory lap around the ring , starts coming my way, and I send her into the chute. Over the dogwalk and she holds her contact. A couple of jumps to the a-frame, beautiful. Then the last few jumps and we are done. Beautiful run except the !#&@$! table. Guess were Miley had dinner tonight?. Yep, on the table outside .

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So we are done until next Friday, when our trial begins. At least I can sleep at home. I hope it doesn't rain next weekend. Everything we had was covered in red mud. Even Miley's face was red. So she had a bath tonight. I cant imagine washing 3 or 4 dogs. Thank god I don't have to do that. Right now I'm washing all the stuff I brought with us. Everything is red. I hope it comes clean.

Doesnt she look happy to be in her crate?