Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving and stuff

We went to Virginia Beach, to my sister's house, for Thanksgiving. We left Wednesday.  That morning while getting ready, I saw Miley's back foot slip out from under her.  She was just walking and I thought that was weird.  Then about an hour later, it happened again. I asked her if she was ok, she turned her head and looked up at me. Thats when I saw her eyes moving back and forth.  I went to reach down to grab her and she tried to get a way. She swayed and hit the wall. I picked her up.   Her eyes were still doing it. I showed my husband. Then my friend came over, she was watching the dogs while we were going out of town and I needed to tell her about feeding them and medication.   When I was done, Miley's eyes were still rapidly moving back and forth.  So I called the vet.  When I got her there, she had stopped. They kept her until 2pm and it didnt happen again. Who knows why it happened but it stopped on its own. So then I didnt want to leave her at home. What if she got sick again and my friend had to deal with taking her to the vet. And then I would want to come back home. So I took her with me. Then I felt bad about leaving Java, so I took her too. Im sure my sister was really happy about me bring two dogs to her house.  I mostly kept them locked in my room. But they got lots of long walks on the beach, multiple times a day. Which is more exercise than they would have gotten if they stayed home.  (Guiness went to my dad's house. Guiness is very territorial at my house and wouldnt let anyone one it without bitting them. At my parents house, he doesnt care who comes in and out). 

The weather was freaking cold at the beach. And windy too which made it feel worse.   Every time you went out , you had to put on several layers of clothes.

 I dont know how these surfers were handling the cold and wind. I know they have wets suits on but still, freaking cold.

 

 The dogs didnt care if was freaking cold and windy.

We did have a beautiful sunrise one morning.

For some reason my dogs like this cement block thing. They loved playing chase round and round and over the top.

Very windy again.

 The wind started eroding the beach. It didnt have the humps the first day we were there.

I think this is my favorite picture. I took it the last morning we were there.  It was very cloudy but just for a minute, the sun came out. And I took this shot.

I did do things with my family.  We did eat Thanksgiving together. My husband made the Turkey. They Friday night we had a big dinner with my family and my sister's husbands family.  It was nice, we all laughed a lot.  Saturday my sister's daughter was Bat Mitzvah.  I think Im caught up on church stuff. Three hours in a temple all in Hebrew should be worth something.  You weren't allowed to bring in cell phones. During the service, someone's phone kept ringing. I dont know why they didnt turn it off. But my daughter leaned over and said, "Jesus is calling". (sorry, I hope no one is offended by this. Everyone is allowed to have any religious beliefs they want). But it was funny.  Then that night was a party.  We all were dressed up and got family pictures.  There was a DJ and dance floor.  My son, who usually is very quite, dance his fool head off. LOL  Then they had a room set up for the adults if you needed to leave the party room. They put down the big screen and we watched the last 1/2 of the USC vs Clemson football game.   I think everyone had a good time.  Several nights of not going to be until midnight and my dogs always get up at 5am took its toll.   It was a rough drive home. I kept having to stop and trade drivers.  
So happy to be home. I think my dogs are happy too. I still have to figure out how to go to Savannah and get Guiness.  
This was the last week of Daisy Peels Precision Handling class. For some reason, she didnt review my last weeks video. I sent her a message but I havent heard from her. So I sent an email. I didnt do this weeks lesson. I figured if she did review last weeks, maybe I was to late or something.  Im not sure how I feel about on line classes.  I think there is a lot of good, it makes you practice things that are outside of what  you probably think to practice on your own.  But when I cant figure out how to do something, it takes a while to get feed back. Then because Im 40 minutes (36 miles) from the field, it hard to practice. And when I get there,  I need to work on other things too. So Im pretty sure I didnt prefect anything I was doing wrong. You can print out all her reviews of you homework and then work on it again. I did find out that I need to work more call to heel stuff  but Im not sure  exactly what. I know what call to heel is and the different  ones but adding them in and at speed so she gets it. How did I teach Miley this? She seems to read it. Ack.  Feeling over whelmed.
 Then someone asked me to be on their team at a USDAA trial in a couple of weeks.  Both their dogs are related to Java.  Now Im really nervous. They asked me, but I told them Im not good and are they sure they want me to be on their team. They said yes. So, I hope I do ok and dont let them down.
And I havent practice anything in a week. I feel it you dont keep working running dogwalks they fall apart. Easy to get back, but you have to practice. 

Eye dx

Look, Miley's eyes are open.   I got the this small park just as the sun was coming over the trees.  So the light was coming over before the full sun was over the top of the trees.  So, she could keep her eyes open.
I took Miley to her appointment this week with the Vet Ophthalmologist.  It was big bucks, Ack!!!   Anyway, they tested her tear production because dogs can have dry eye and can cause scaring on corneas but Miley's was normal. She had normal eye pressures and then they stained her cornea's for ulcers or scratches. All normal.  Then the eye doctor came in and looked at her eyes.  She said Miley has Sheltie Dystrophy.  (Ive never heard of this).  Its a genetic disease that they think is autoimmune. They get inflammation in the corneas which then causes scaring on the corneas. She said both eyes have equal amount of scaring.  She said the scaring is like little dimples, like the dimples on a golf ball.  She didnt think it was effecting her vision yet.   So the plan is to control the inflammation so there is no  more scaring.  She was started on Cyclosporin eye medication twice a day. She will be seen in one month to see if the medication is working.  If not, there is another medication they can try.  Most likely she will need to stay on the medication the rest of her life but hopefully on a  decrease dose. Like once every 3 days or so.

I bought a new wide angle lens.  Its nice for a group shot of the dogs. It will really help with family pictures. I know Ive said this before but the pictures are beautiful on my computer and then loose that quality when loaded to FB or blogger.

Im still taking Daisy Peels on line handling class.  This week  we did terrible. I think Java must not understand call the heel over the jump with speed.  Miley had no problem coming in over the jump before the tunnel. Java just wasnt reading it.



I think by the end I was saying cuss words.  Not good. I had to  listen to my videos I sent Daisy to make sure I wasnt sending any with bad words on it.   I think to get Java over the jump, I finally said forcefully, "Home here right now".  LOL, that work.   But the idea is to use handling skills to do the course not verbals. LOL

Its been hard video taping sequences with my ipad since Apple did that upgrade to ipads.  It brought the camera in closer so now my wide angle lens was wide enough to take video of sequencing.   Ive been searching the Internet and finally found what I needed.  I had bought some 37mm lenses (thats the thread end) , which is what would work with my ipad holder. The problem was the plastic piece that holds the lens wouldnt accept all lens.  Sometime the lens would hit the corner of the main plastic holder, so the lens couldnt thread.  But then I found this.

The one on the left is the new one. It has a metal thread ring already it in.   So I could just pop out the old plastic slide and put the new one it. It was only 12 dollars, I think, and well worth it.  Makes it so much easier to change lenses. And they are in there very tight so they won fall out.

Then they were also selling an extra wide angle lens, only for video not taking pictures with you ipad. Works great.

 

In case you are interested I got it from HDhat.com   The also sell these plastic cases that are convertible so you can use it with your phone too.  But I already the the older model and I dont really use my phone to video much. But its a neat concept. 

Someone asked me a question, so Im going to post some more information.  Your ipad fits into that plastic case. See below.  You can slide the lens into position when you need it, and slide down when you dont need it. The whole unit sits on top of your tripod.

This ipad holder by Makayama,  it didnt get great reviews on amazon but I havent had any problems with it and really like it. There is one down fall, your on/off button is hard to get to. So when I want to turn it off, I have to slide the lens out of the way to reach it. Not that big of deal, but that was one thing people posted they didnt like.   The whole unit sits on my tripod. My tripod is old. Over 20 years. We bought it when we had one of those big video cameras you use to have to put on your shoulder.  So its sturdy. Its made by Albinar 9900 video.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Weekend trial

Now you know I had to buy this picture.  When you go three years with your dog not getting on the table, you really enjoy every minute of this.

I went to an indoor trial on Friday and Saturday. I drove up early Friday. I went early so I wouldnt hit morning traffic.  So I worked the first class and it was freezing in there. Its always cold and I had those cloths on pictured above but I was still freezing.   Shivering!   The next day I was ready and would a thermal shirt underneath a sweatshirt. It wasnt as cold and now I was sweating. LOL,  that figures.

Here was the standard course.  Miley did great and Qed. She took 3rd place. Whoohoo!! Sorry I dont have any video. The usual people who are at trials werent here.   Then it was Java's turn.  I knew this was harder for her because of the running a-frame into the weaves. The judge had pulled the weaves back closer to the aframe because people complained about the being to close to the ring gating.  So  Java missed her weave entry but the rest of the run was beautiful. Her running dogwalk couldnt have been nicer.   Even the judge said, "beautiful run" when I finished.  Yay me!!  Someone did get it on video but he told me it didnt know if he would be able to figure out how to get it off his camera.  So I dont know if I will get it but it doesnt matter.  It felt great!

Next up was JWW.  I messed up both of these runs.  Miley, I did an off arm cue to keep her out of the first tunnel entrance. I think she thought I was giving her an opposite tunnel entrance cue and went to the tunnel entrance. She didnt go in and stopped but then came to the back side of the jump and I had to bring her around. So we got a refusal. But she didnt stress. This was huge!!  Especially after that UKI trial. 

 

Java, I dont know what the heck happened. She broker her start line so I had to run it with all rears. Which to my surprise worked   until after the weave poles.  I tried to FC between 13-14 and she didnt read it at all and went way off course. (pink maker Java).  Not a good way to end our day. 

I decided to drive the 2 hours home since I was done at 1pm.  My legs were killing me. I wasnt aggressive with my medication and I was in so much pain on the way home I almost pulled off the road. But really what was that going to do.   So I just pushed on, it finally  started to get better so I could think about other things than pain. The next day I did a much better job managing my medication so that didnt happen again. 

 

Day 2.

I had already decided when I found out they were running a CERF clinic at this trial to get Miley's eyes check. Not for breeding but just for my own state of mind. I just felt like something wasnt right.  I got the feeling my vet saw something in her eyes but wasnt sure and didnt want to tell me.  Her squinting has been better but I still felt like something was wrong. I had her eyes check at age 2 and they were ok.  (This was a big trial with agility, confirmation and obedience at the same time. So there were health clinic going on)  When I went to look at pictures that were taken there were multiple pictures of Miley taking off way to early. Im not really sure how she kept up all the bars she did.

 

 

Here is Miley taking the triple. She took off early and  she is trying hard not to hit the bars by keeping tucked.

 

 In contrast, here is Java taking the same jump.

 

 

First up today was standard. Java was first

 

Lots of off course possibilities on this course.   Probably the beginning was the toughest and the end of the dogwalk if you have a running DW.   Java I did a lateral send and then front crossed between 3-4. Well I supported number 2  for two long, instead of trusting my dog, so I was way late and cued that number 10 tunnel. Ugh!!  She missed the weave entry, my fault. Then, ugh, I started cuing the turn off the dogwalk way early.  And I thought I needed to layer the tunnel to get that 17 jump. LOL, nope, she turned and again took the number 10 tunnel. LOl Oh well.

I did a better job with Miley. I front crossed between 2-3. Nice run,   except for a dropped bar.




There was a little bit of a wait between Java and Miley's JWW run. Java was the 51 st dog to run. So I asked my husband to go take Miley and get the CERF check done.   I ran Java. Nice run but I got stuck in my front cross for just a second but I think Java thought I stopped and pulled out of the weaves.  (I should have said "go on" but I didnt think if it until it was to late).



Java was near the end of the 16 inch dogs and Miley was the 6 th dog in on the 12. I called my husband and told her to bring her back. He said there were still a bunch of dogs in front of her in line at the CERF clinic.  So he brings here back and tells me that her eyes are dilated for the eye check. Crap, I forgot they did that. He said they just did it and it will take a little while to work.  I took her to the practice jump and she seemed ok. I figured if she dropped the first few bars I would pull her.  But she did great. Except for one dropped bar. I heard her click it and waited. Then as she hits the weaves, I heard the bar drop. Crap.  But nice run.



After the run my husband took her back to the CERF clinic. I got there just at they were coming out of the room. The  opthamologist said Miley has scar tissue on but corneas, left more than right. That she has inflammation in her left eye. She needs to be seen by an opthamologist and she could have an auto immune diease.   She said they could give her eye drops and it would help. So hopefully I can get her into someone this week and see what is going on.   I hope its controllable and she wont go blind.   No great news at the end of the day but its not like I didnt suspect something was going on.

Cool picture of Java!

Odds and Ends

Not a lot to talk about.  Lets see.  Took Guiness to the vet for his yearly check up. I told them he has  been eating dirt. They said sometimes it can mean liver problems or he's anemic. They drew blood to check.

The rescue dog went to a new foster home last week.  Miley was very happy. She isnt to touchy feely but the next morning she came and laid on top of me for about 30 minutes while I was sitting on the couch.  Thats huge for Miley. Usually she will lay next to me on the couch but if  I pet her, she leaves. Silly dog.

Set this course, AKC judge Dale Mahoney excellent jumpers,  up last night for our co-op class. It was freezing out. My toes were so numb, not fun. Then both dogs went off course. Ugh!

This was Java. She didnt read my turn at all and went straight.

 

Here is what Miley did. I really feel like I left early enough to get the turn at 7 but nope, she went straight.

 

I really felt like I should have been able to run the course. Now Im thinking maybe I should give up. Its not my dogs, its me. I missing some piece in the training and I dont know what it is.  And Im going to a trial this weekend. Hmmm. Oh, well. All I can do is try.

 

We had an agility show and go this weekend. Man did it last a long time. I got there before 9am and finally left at 3pm.  And they werent even done.

 

Im behind and my dog doesnt know where to go.

It was cloudy most of the day. Then the sun came out in the late afternoon and we were all looking for shade.  I set the course. I dont think the people liked my standard course. It was from the UKI trial I was just at. Not the hard courses, just the one from the regular titling classes.

Not much else to talk about. My dogs some how got fleas. So time to go clean some more. Ugh.  I dont know how this happened. Frontline didnt work this month. Bummer.

UKI trial (post 2)

So now to explain this.  Yes we took third at the Speedstakes Novice/beginner class.We got to stand on the podium and get our picture taken but...... Remember how I told you Friday we E'd in Speedstakes? Ugh.  The next day the course was at least more challenging and I had two plans. One if she held her start line and one of she broke.

She did break her start line again (I had trouble with both dogs in this ring. To weird)  But since I was prepared, we Q and took 1st place.  But.... there were only three 16 inch dogs. So because we Ed the first day, we still stayed in 3rd place. Not as great an accomplishment at probably people thought.  But I didnt have the heart to tell people on facebook. And someone else posted the picture.  I didnt even know we were on the podium until someone else told me. It felt kinda weird , you know , since there were only 3 dogs. But I guess if I had Ed both runs were wouldnt have made it at all.  Java's sister, who is tiny compared to Java even though they are from the same litter, also took third for the Championship/Senior dogs. Except there were a lot more then 3 dogs competing.

I pulled Miley from her speedstakes run because we had already Ed the day before and she was just acting so crazy in the ring that day.

This was Master heat jumping. Holy crap is all I have to say.  It doesnt look tough but that chute to the weaves was tough, tough , tough. No 12 inch dogs had  a clean run.

It was chute to the far end of the weaves. A lot of dogs jumped sideways through the broad jump.  I dont remember what happened with Miley except she was crazy and we didnt do well. But then again, neither did a lot of people. LOL It was a really hard course.  Lots of dogs did  1 and 2 and then took 16 instead of the chute. Even when it looked like the handler cued it correctly and so enough.

This was UKI nationals championship  round 2 which Miley some how made it to.  This was a nice run but we got a refusal at jump six when I tried to save it because she went wide. I thought we had it but nope, refusal. Otherwise very nice. I dont know why we look so slow. Maybe I need realize Iam slow. Lol



So then Master Heat Agility was up. My friend asked me  why I wasnt walking it. I told her after that jumpers course, that stuff just to hard for Miley and me. Miley is already acting crazy, she doesnt need the stress. But my friend said it was much easier and I should walk it. And she was right.

She broke and ran around the first jump before I even stepped away from her. Ack!!  She went around once and then when she came back around we took off together. Not sure if we got a refusal for that , I never looked. We did drop a bar. 

 

 

Saturdays weather was crazy. First raining, then windy, then sunny, then storming. But Sunday it was nice again. Thats when the above pictures were taken.

Sunday Miley had a beautiful perfect titling agility run. But look how close the broad jump is to the end of the dogwalk. Ack!. I didnt think it would be a problem for a stopped contact but a running DW?

 

It was about 7 feet from the end of the DW.  This didnt seem safe. I kept debating what to do about Java's run. What if she didnt read the turn and crashed into the broad jump. This broad jump was all metal.

 

Then the next ring, Biathlon jumping, Miley was crazy again.  Im not sure what the heck was wrong with her.  She hasnt acted this crazy at a trial in a long time. The first night at the hotel, she didnt sleep all night. 

 

 

Java's biathlon jumpers run wasnt great either. I messed up. 6-8. She backed jumped 7 and then took 8 from the wrong direction.

I decided to run Java even with the broad jump right after the DW.  She was flying at the beginning of the course. She flew into the tunnel, I say bank off the side and thought I better hall but to get to the number 5 jump so I could cue the turn. Well, she must have seen me take off and came back out of the tunnel. I was looking for her  to come out the correct end and then she did and I couldnt find her for a second. Too funny when I finally realized what happened.




I really messed up after the chute. Lazy is the only thing I can think off. But the dogwalk to the tunnel didnt seem to be a problem at all.  We went home after this. I was beat. I did learn a lot watching other people.   Very cool things going on with handling and I give up to easily and dont just try to get there no matter what. I have to try harder.  I set up these problem spots this week and she got them all, so obviously Im not putting into it at a trial like I should be. I will be working on that.