Back from the first Barking Mad KC Agility show in Keysoe. Lovely venue (apart from long grass).

Lots of grade 3-5 agility runs for us to do - still as grade 3 at the moment. These are so much harder than anything we have done before. They are harder even than the grade 1-7 runs we do!!

For 2 days Dylan was faulting on the dog walk contact again, much to my frustration. It was difficult to stay positive actually. Even the jumping runs were proving hard as well. Anyway on Sunday I changed my own attitude and perception & decided this was all about learning and doing our best whatever happened .... so Dylan got all his contacts and was brilliant. We made other mistakes, but things that I am not certain how to do ... like a pull in between 2 fences, which is hard! The last run was a graded 1-7 jumping ... nice course, but you would need to be fast in Grade 3 to get a place as there are always lots of grade 3s. We got our first clear of the three days and won 2nd place!

So we have training tonight and I want to look at pull in's with my trainer to work out what I need to focus on to help Dylan get it right!

Pleasing weekend in the end, lots of learning to walk, plan, remember & run more difficult courses than we are used to, with lots of success on parts of courses!! A rosette to boot at the end!

Mixed weekend at The Agility Club Show ...

Saturday we had an agility run grades 3,4,5 - so a good course to see what things are like at grade 4. I am still running at Grade 3 until the end of August. Twisty course and we went the wrong way, but Dylan got his contacts!

Nice Jumping Graded 1, 2, 3, which we came second in out of rather bigger class size than I am normally used to ... 43 grade 3 dogs.

Then in the evening we had the Agility Club Starters Cup final which we qualified for at Packington Show. 19 medium dogs in our final. I was so nervous and Dylan was picking up on the excited atmosphere. 10 faults - dog walk and A frame. I have a video which I will link to here ...

Dylan's Starter Cup Final Run

Sunday we had 3 runs - 2 agility runs and a jumping run. Agility - all dog walk contacts have disappeared again ... so something to work on. Dylan's weaves are excellent and quick! Turns are good when I know where we are going and give him a verbal command (something else to work on!) , and in the Olympia Qualifier (which we were E-ed on) Dylan actually waiting on the start line whilst I walked past three jumps, so we could get the tunnel entry correctly ... I was gob smacked as he never waits on the line beyond me creeping past the first fence!! So well pleased with him there!

We did get a very fast time on our jumping against 96 dogs in the combined grade 1-3 ... beaten by less than a second by a young collie in grade 1, so a second place for us!!

A blue weekend all in all (3 blue rosettes - 2 for second places and one for being in the final!)

We went to training tonight and I am changing my approach to the dog walk .... the plan is to remain upright in my posture and only praise the touch that I want from Dylan. The first time he ran the dog walk he jumped off and I delivered no praise at all ... he didn't look very amused by that. We ran it again and this time he shortened his stride and ran off the end ... loads and loads of praise.

So now I want access to a dog walk or at least the end of one so I can practice what I want and praise as needed.

I am confident Dylan will get it as I have recently changed a simple roll command (hand signal) to a clockwise turn instead ... it took 2 weeks of only praising what I wanted and he got it. These poos are clever dogs!! Just the owners that need to understand the nature of training!!

Dylan is a star! Well you all know that anyway!

Adam's Agility at Catton Hall was fab - the weather helped of course. Luke finished school at lunch time Friday, we paced the van and off we went to Derbyshire! But I felt lousy - full of cold, a sore throat and really not wanting to have to think about everything not least an 11 year old wanting to take electronics which I wouldn't be able to charge up!

I had 4 runs each day, Sat, Sun, Mon & Wed (Tuesday was a day off - just as well as it was hot hot hot!!)

First run Sat was E'ed - a jumping run. Next two runs were agility and 10 faults for the dog walk (the same old same old & so frustrating!) & one other obstacle but he was quick. Next another jumping and we won! Our first Grade 3 win!

To add to the complication of being at the right ring at the right time I was also Ring Managing for the first time in the afternoon. It was easier than I thought and the judge was lovely. In fact this was the ring I had my win in ... I had left my run until last so I could concentrate on the ring managing job and Dylan just flew round a super course. Very happy girl & dog!!

Sunday saw the same start as Sat - jumping E-ed & then 2 agility runs - 5 faults on each (dog walk) - now I am getting even more frustrated as Dylan's times were great! Then we had another jumping round which was a super clear. A Combined grade 1-4 jumping and we were pipped for first by 0.2 sec!! so a second place!

I need a plan for the dog walk! I woke up Monday thinking I will run to the front of the dog walk and face him - that'll slow him down!! Or I'll try crossing behind him, which we had done once in training and that would be different so might get him thinking differently!

Monday ... started really badly. 2 jumping runs both rubbish! Perhaps I didn't want this badly enough! Time to go in the practice ring because I really wanted a rosette today and that wasn't going to happen with a 5 fault dog walk! Even in the practice ring it wasn't working. Then a nice person (the judge from Sat) said I was rewarding Dylan for missing the contact and I was bending forward making Dylan go faster and so jumping off! She used a riding analogy in that leaning forward makes you go faster and sitting back slows you down. I need to stay upright and not lean! I tried another minute in the practice ring, and made sure I didn't reward the failures. He didn't really get it & I was was out of puff & coughing!

So onto the real agility run CG1-4. As I walked the ring thinking about what to do I realised that I often face the A frame contact (& Dylan gets that) so this facing thing might work & would keep me more upright. The Dog walk was at he beginning & I decided I would cross behind Dylan & see what happened - nothing to lose really! Well it worked and the rest of the run was good too - A clear round - so happy & to top it all we got 2nd!!

Next agility run, same ring but now the dog walk is at the end (this is often worse as Dylan wants to rush home for a finish!). I knew I would have to run fast to beat him to the end, but I was determined to try! It was tunnel, dog walk, so I should have time! He ran well up to the tunnel, through that - perfect - I legged it up the side of the dog walk and then faced Dylan as he belted down - all the way way down to the bottom (yeh!), I turned and sent him over the last jump! 28.786 sec for an agility run - that was quick! YES we won! CG1-3 -

Grade 4 comes in 25 days from the win, so we still have plenty of shows to practice the new dog walk technique & think of what to do when I can't out run him!!

Tuesday - day off - We went to Cannock Chase for a walk!

Wednesday - let's practice the new technique - it worked well in both agility runs, but I messed up some jumping combinations, but was happy. The first run was a complicated jumping CG1-4, with a start where Dylan jumped a fence and then had to be lead away from the one directly in front across the front of a tunnel, missing the next jump and onto the one after that ... Dylan was superb! We ran the fastest time and was only faulted because there was 7 weaves (an odd number is unusual and I had to poke Dylan back through the last weave) ... we came second after the only clear which was still out of the 38 second time limit. We did it in 34.017 - usually jumping runs are quicker, but this was very spread out & complicated!

So Dylan is a star!

and a superdog (thanks to Sian Mapp for this photo)

.... This is the beginning for the summer fun! I have lots of shows booked, lots with camping (so this weather had better improve or else ...)

The diary looks as follows:

21-25th July: Adam's Agility at Catton Hall, Derbyshire
28/29th July: The Agility Club Show at Ardingly West Sussex (we are in a final on Saturday)
3-5th Aug: local to us show at Keysoe, Beds
10-12th Aug: Kennel Club International Show in Northants (anyone can come and watch this)
14-19th Aug: Dogs In Need show in Ipswich (travelling straight from the KC Int one)
24-27th Aug: Ely & District Summer Show in Littleport, Ely, Cambs
30 Aug-1 Sept: Letchworth Show at Shuttleworth College

Probably need to start thinking about what to do after that!!

We went to Wellingborough eventually today ... after a false start because in my brain I was going tomorrow!! Missed 3 of our 5 runs, but managed to get there with family support for a grade 1-7 steeplechase ... lovely flowing course with one quick turn and back to the tunnel. Dylan listened to everything I asked and we went clear with a time of 21.192 - which seems quick but not quick enough for a place, so a nice clear round rosette in bright green and red!

Second run was agility ... Crufts ABC qualifier grades 1-7. Just hoping for a clear round, but my brain wasn't working again ... I am blaming very humid weather!! Anyway, not unhappy with our run ... good contact on A frame, Dylan did everything I asked on the jumps and tunnels, but dog walk contact was jumped over, but I had the wit to put him back on to remind him!! Great weave entry from the tunnel, so generally pleased.

Pleased that Dylan's back seems okay now, but I will try to get him a massage anyway!

Nothing next week as we are away celebrating our wedding anniversary, so next show is Adam's Agility from 21st to 24th July ... camping so let's hope for good weather!

The newest ones are on the far top left - lilac one and green one

Back from the show today. Really pleased with Dylan

All contacts were perfect.
The Graded agility run he missed the weave entry because I needed to help him more ... but otherwise a good run (5 faults)

Jumping CG1-4 (ie all medium grade 1,2,3,4) - Clear round not the neatest but happy with the run ... 4th place out of 93 dogs in total

The best result today was an agility run again all other ABC (anything but collie) medium dogs (CG1-7) which was a Crufts Qualifier. Fab clear round despite me being a bit worried about it as it wasn't straight forward ... I decided to make it as simple as possible.
We were the only Grade 3 dog placed (9th) - places up to 15 - the rest were grade 6 & 7 dogs!! Yahoo! There were 110 dogs down to run!

So I'm very happy & Dylan will get extra for dinner!!

So we went to Chipping Norton show - our first Grade 3 show.
A lovely sunny day and quite a short one for us too as we didn't get there until 9am and left before 2pm!!

Anyway 3 runs
- a clear jumping round against all other medium dogs, ie those graded from 1 (starting grade for novices) to 7 (expert handlers and dogs!). We got a 7th place: so that was great.

- 5 faults on the agility run ... Dylan jumped off the dog walk - our current failing atm. My fault this time as I wasn't up with him, but otherwise a nice round

- elimination from the other jumping ... completely my fault as I forgot how to turn for a "pull in" ie over one jump pull in between that and the next jump and then over the next jump. Jumps are side by side facing you. It took my brain 3 attempts before I remembered what to do and then Dylan did it perfectly!! Ah well I haven't had that before in a ring but have done it in training. Will know better next time!

Next competition is Sunday at Axstane at the Orsett Show Ground in Essex. I have 3 courses to run - Jumping Combine Grade (CG) 1-4 (ie all grade 1, 2, 3, 4 dogs in medium) - 93 dogs, Agility Graded 1,2,3 (ie each grade only competes with itself, but grades 1,2,3 all compete on the same course - 66 dogs in total and 37 in grade 3, and finally a Crufts Qualifier ABC CG1-7 - so competing again all medium dogs, but ABC means Anything But Collies - there are 110 dogs in that one.

I had 2 days at Shuttleworth College this week at the RVA KC show. Yesterday was not good as Dylan seemed to have no energy and neither did I! Note to self: Don't book a day of agility after driving back from a family camping weekend in Dorset!! Anyway after a good night's sleep and normal food rations the second day has proved brilliant ...

We are working on the dog walk contact in training and it is noticeable that Dylan has to shorten his stride as he comes to the end to make sure he doesn't jump off. I had practised running with him and then shortening my stride and getting him to do the same and then stopping .... on the flat of course but just before his run! In the ring both time I tried the same thing as we came to the end of the dog walk and hey presto Dylan ran all the way down! Result!

So after a couple of 5 faults in the first agility (A frame contact apparently) and then the Steeplechase (all jumps and tunnels in a flowing course) - knocked a fence down!, we had 2 more runs in the afternoon. Jumping was first and it was just beginning to rain. Nice course with twists and turns - Dylan was fab, helping me out and we won that comfortably with 2 seconds to spare! Next was the agility graded into 1 and 2. We are running at grade 2 until the weekend when we will be grade 3 due to agility win a month beforehand! It was really wet now ....

On the starting line waiting for the scribe to say ok ... I wanted Dylan to wait as the second jump was a wall (he hadn't done a wall before) but wait wasn't an option .... over the jump, wall & jump and then he was going to run past the weaves to the tunnel ... I called his name and he stopped dead, looked and then I sent him to the weaves and the tunnel ... a quick (not easy in the wet muddiness!) turn to jump and seesaw then round right on 3 jumps to the A frame ... good contact and round right again to 3 jumps and another then left to another jump and the dog walk .... running fast to keep up and got to the end of the dog walk stamped to shorten my stride and watched Dylan to the same looking at me ... what next ... go on I said pointed forward to the last jump and then slipped & fell ... still commanding Dylan to go on ... he briefly looked at me as if to say are you okay and then jumped the last jump as I rolled past it!! --- mudd up my legs and bum!! But a clear round and despite having to call him back for the weave entry 2 seconds faster than the next clear ... result - 1st place!

So at the weekend we have Chipping Norton - our first grade 3 show ... wish us luck ...