Wye Valley

Just back from the most stunning weekend at Wye Valley's show - it's just the most beautiful venue! We've been blessed with sunshine, and after burning at last week's UKA show I'm pleased and proud to say I remembered the suntan lotion and I'm not my normal shade of red after a weekend in the sunshine!

No exciting winning news I'm afraid - Saturday felt a little like a warm up and Ella grew faster with each round. This morning she was a little on the bonkers side and as well as our usual niggles with the weaves, was self-releasing on contacts - almost unheard of!! Silly girl didn't want tea on Saturday night or breakfast Sunday morning, so I think she was running on nerves. I have some tricks up my sleeve to persuade her to eat for the next one - some wet food mixed into her normal ration will probably do the trick. The plus side of her lack of reserve was her speed which although bordering on out of control (!) showed me just what the rest of the season might hold. Fingers crossed anyway!

So just two clear rounds in the jumping today, and slow because of me making her 'Down' in front of the weaves. Working on a training plan which I can fit in around the boys, but should be able to come up with something.

Today I'm grateful for my wonderful if slightly mad (!) agility partner Ella, my fellow Severnside club mates for a fun alfresco dinner on Saturday night together, and my family for coming away to support me in my agility dreams.

UKA Phoenix, Langford

What a lovely day we all had at UKA Phoenix today! The weather was impressively hot - so much so that I have the burnt arms to prove it :-( Never mind, Ella's impressive and 1st placed steeplechase round will comfort me I expect :-) She's really flying and I'm loving every moment. Today I walked courses with belief in myself and my dog and she fully deserved her red ribbon. The weaves let us down in the jumping - me pulling off too soon, must work on it! Then the last class of agility she stopped beautifully on the a-frame & dog walk, but couldn't quite hold herself onto the see-saw - she did try very hard bless her! But of course I had to pop her back onto the end to maintain the criteria I've set her, and after that we left the ring at the judges request.

Several people raised their eyebrows at me blowing the round like that, but I definitely did the right thing. Yes she only missed it by a whisker, and yes she had tried very hard to stop. But she hadn't and if I hadn't corrected it I would have been making a grey area for her, and she trusts me to let her know if she's done a good job or not. I liken it to Martin Tait - he wouldn't tell me I'd handled well just because I'd tried very hard. So when he does offer praise I know I've jolly well earnt it! Correcting me doesn't make me flat or disheartened (well not always!), it makes me try harder because Martin believes in my ability to do better. So I may have missed out on a placing, but my dog is still crystal clear about what I expect from her and she believes in me - just like I do her.

Too often in dog training people want shortcuts and quick fixes. In the short term they might get you where you want to be - in competition for example, but what of the long term damage to your training? Broken startlines in competition begin because handlers accept less than they demand in training. Missed contacts in competition begin because handlers don't correct their dogs for even the slightest deviation from their desired behaviour. Running under single pole competition jumps begin because handlers didn't train with the jumps their dogs would face at a show. That's all well and good if handlers take responsibility for their dogs less than perfect competition performances, but we've all seen dogs berated for 'messing about' and 'playing silly buggers'. And those are the nicer comments!

So I hope that if there's just one thing I can impress upon handlers that train with Sue and I at Daybreak - take responsibility for your own training. Be clear in your own mind about what it is you are training for and do your dog the courtesy of sticking to it so as not to confuse them. Once you know you've proofed your kit then the next thing you have to accept is that if poles come down or your dog takes the wrong course - your handling is responsible. Your dog didn't walk the course - you did. There are lots of different handling systems out there and I'm pretty confident they'll all work if applied correctly. If you mess up, don't beat your dog or yourself up - there'll be other days. Most importantly praise that dog of yours for stepping out with you and giving you the best performance it could with the training you've given it. If there's something a bit lacking, perhaps motivation for the job - come up with a training plan to address it. Remember "nobody fails, they just give up too early" :-)

Today I'm grateful for my 4 great agility partners - Lucy (clear round), Toby (committed but let down by me), Kai (delighted to work for me) & Ella, my wonderful husband who stayed at home with our children so I could have a day off, and the lovely smiles I received from those darling babies when I got home. Not to mention the great friends who I spent the day with, and their wonderful dogs. What a great day!

Testing!

Great progress

I was delighted to learn today that Melinda & Spike won out of Grade 2 by winning the Agility at Blackdown this weekend just gone. She's worried they won't be competitive at Grade 3, but I don't think she needs to be - we just need to find the motivation button on him so that he always works at top speed for her. Plus, Brendan & Bunny getting placed 3rd in the Grade 5 Agility & Jumping at the same show - they're so close to winning I've decided to put a bottle of champagne in the fridge in preparation :-))

The competition class at Daybreak is working really well for everyone and I'm so pleased with the way peoples handling is improving. Martin Tait's joining us again this Sunday and then again next Tuesday for our usual session - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone shows him how well they've been progressing!

Great day!

This is going to be short - it's been a really long day! Severnside held yet another successful Spring show within the North Somerset show in Wraxall today. Lots of members were placed and their names announced over the tannoy, notably Lel & Hattie - winning Grade 2 Agility in their first Grade 2 class! Well done them, it's a great partnership and it's no surprise that they've done so well already this season. Plus some great work from Sara & Blaze, who went clear in Grade 1 jumping and was only just out of the placings. Definitely a dog to watch in the future.

What is a very pleasant surprise to me is that I'm able to post the news that Ella & I won Grade 1 Agility today, which means we are now a Grade 2 partnership after only our first Kennel Club show of the year! I'm thrilled, not least because all I really wanted or expected out of today was to nail those dratted weaves. She did just that, in the 3 classes with the dreaded obstacle - and I'm sure could have given me another 1st place in the jumping had I not turned too quickly and made her clip a pole down. I would have been satisfied with that, but am delighted with what I got.

Today I am grateful for Ella's win, the support of my husband and mum, my beautiful children and some great friends.