Christmas Party Postponed

Due to the snowy conditions, we’re going to postpone the Christmas party planned for today until Sunday 2nd January – the week before normal lessons resume. The timings will be the same:

Beginners party at 11.00am
More experienced handlers at 12.00pm

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas meanwhile, and look forward to seeing you in 2011!

Gemma & Sue 

Saturday 18th December lessons - CANCELLED

We've had another impressive dusting of snow and more is forecast, so I'm making the decision to cancel tomorrow's lessons. With luck we might get away with the Christmas party on Sunday - watch this space for updates!

Today I'm grateful for my friend Lucie who was on hand for moral support this morning just when I needed her :-)

Ella & Tigger's Puppies

Today I'm grateful for Ella's puppies, they are such characters already! :)

Sad news - farewell George

It would seem that just as we are all delightedly welcoming Ella's youngsters into our agility family, we have the sorry task of ushering another member out. I heard the sad news today that we have lost George (Bichon Frisé) from our training community, put to sleep over last weekend. I shall never forget how he honed my rugby tackling skills and brought our ring at North Somerset to a standstill this year with the bag of sausages that he'd found and pinched from an unattended pocket! He was naughty, cheeky, clever and rather devious at times. But oh so lovable, and that wicked expression on his face shall be sorely missed by those that knew and loved him.

The naughty lad himself :)

Betty allowed me the privilege of running him in competition a couple of times and at training. I was a big fan of George, he reminded me of Toby (one of my first agility dogs) with his attitude and expressions. Like Toby, George always wanted to know what was in it for him before he did anything - he never wanted to be involved in anything he wasn't going to be paid for! It was a shame he wasn't able to find Betty & Allen sooner, as by the time they had him he'd developed some behaviours that were difficult to unravel and change. He couldn't have found anyone better though, and he had a wonderful home with them (even throughout some time off agility whilst Betty had surgery on her hip), enjoying agility even shortly before the end. I remember Betty exclaiming "He remembers what to do" when he stopped himself in his customary 2 feet on, 2 feet off position at the bottom of a contact. George always remembered something when there was food to be had out of doing it!

I hope that he finds himself a big, meaty bone to enjoy and guard at Rainbow Bridge - he'll no doubt be a handful to whichever angel is assigned to caring for him! You shall be missed young man, you shall be missed x

Today I'm grateful for having known George :)

Ella & Tigger's puppies

I am extremely proud to announce the arrival of some incredibly beautiful little puppies - not that I'm biased in any way you understand ;) 

The little darlings themselves, along with when they arrived in the world and how much they weighed

There are three recognised stages in the whelping process, so my bible "Book of the Bitch" explains! When the bitch is going through stage one she "will be restless, usually refusing food for as much as 18 - 24 hours, and she may vomit". Ella's first sign was the fact that she didn't initially want her tea on Thursday evening, although she did in the end. That was a bit weird only that she's been so hungry of late, she's been gobbling it down! She was very restless, panting a lot, and wasn't able to settle down. Plus she was following me around rather than just chilling out - the generally picture was one of unease.

Kai keeping her company, not really
understanding what all the fuss was about!

So I duly stayed downstairs with her to keep her company in case we were looking at the pups a day or two early. I don't think either of us slept much, she really wasn't very comfortable. On Friday morning she wasn't interested in her breakfast at all so we didn't push it and made plans for the dogs & children to be taken care of for the day. Even then I wasn't really expecting them all that soon.

Next thing I know there's a pool of liquid on the floor near her rear and I realised that her waters had broken! At this point she was on the duvet that I'd brought down to sleep with, and whilst I wanted her to be comfortable I was a bit worried that I couldn't see exactly what was going on where she was. So I asked her to move into the whelping box and she lay on her side, still looking pretty uncomfortable. We could then see her muscles moving in a contraction, and a small white bag like a water balloon appeared from her vulva. I could see a little bit of something that looked like it might be puppy related (!), but really wasn't sure - I was expecting a nose or a foot! This was at 8.35am so the vets weren't quite there to ask, but I left a message with the receptionist for Andy the vet to call back.

Meanwhile I made the decision that it really wasn't the "black, fluid filled bag" of water - this was likely a bag with a puppy in it, so I held her tummy just in front of her hind legs (as it had described in the book) to help her contractions focus on getting the 'bag' out. At the same time I tried to provide the "gentle traction" downwards to persuade the bag to come out, but it was all slippy and not very easy to grip at all! Whilst I was trying to do that it popped, so then I'm thinking "Eek, need to get puppy out now it hasn't got its protective bag round it", grabbed the little body and out the first little pup popped! The little bit of something that I'd seen in the bag had been a tail (feet first - breech birth), hence the difficulties in being born. Our first puppy - a gorgeous red & white boy! Since both parents have to be carriers of the red gene to produce red puppies (as the gene is recessive), I was delighted to find out she was a carrier :)

Welcome to the world baby boy!

After that I'd have to describe the process as something approaching shelling peas! I don't recall it being so easy when I was having my boys, that's for sure! 1st pup was born at 8.50am, then 2nd pup at 9.00am, 3rd pup at 9.20am, 4th pup at 9.40am, and 5th at 10.00am. Like clockwork, as I say Ella made it look remarkably easy - a couple of pushes and pop - puppy! At that point we thought we were pretty much set, but then my Ella has always known how to surprise me. After a little rest the 6th puppy arrived at 11.30am, then the 7th and final puppy at 11.50am.

The Borderspirit boys :)

Andy our vet was very helpful at the end of the phone, and just to be sure that we were all done I also had him pop out to check on Ella to make sure we shouldn't be waiting for anybody else! He had a feel but thought not, and she was also much more settled by then and her waistline (astonishingly!) was looking a lot more like its old self. I wish my tummy could bounce back like that! ;)

Ella has given me some incredible experiences already so far, taking me out of my nemesis of Grade 1 KC Agility and showing me that actually that was nothing, why not push for Grade 6 whilst we're about it. Our last show of this season was Prestbury Park where we had an amazing run to win G6 Agility, our first towards G7. That was a pretty cool day, but it pales into insignificance when compared to watching her give birth to her special litter of puppies.

My wonderful, irreplaceable girl with her precious puppies :)

We had the most amazing day welcoming Ella & Tigger's precious puppies into the world. I was in the privileged position of midwife throughout and I was so thrilled to be alongside her as she met each of her puppies, and touched that she was happy for me to handle them and be involved in the whole process. Our bond was pretty strong before, but I think it may have even shifted up a few more gears from there.

So the first Borderspirit litter has arrived! So far it would seem that we have been blessed with strong, healthy little puppies that appear to be thriving with the love and attention their wonderful mother is bestowing on them. The agility community has embraced and rejoiced at their entrance into the world, in the way that any family does. New friendships have been forged between those involved, with links that will no doubt remain in place for a lifetime. Many good homes have been found for these precious little ones, and preparations for their homecomings are being lovingly planned. Life is good :)

Today I am grateful that not only do we have some amazing puppies, but most importantly, their extraordinary mother is thriving and well. Whilst the pups will be fabulous, their mother is one of a kind and I couldn't be without her :)

Kennel Club Good Citizen Listed Status!

I was delighted to get home and find a pack from the Kennel Club  in my post box welcoming me to their Good Citizen dog training scheme! Whilst we've been making plans for this for a while, I was anxiously awaiting official confirmation to join the scheme - and now it's here! We have a smart certificate (with an admittedly mis-spelt name!) to prove it :)

Interest in the classes has already been keen without any advertising - can't wait to get started now! Just the little thing of Ella giving birth at the weekend and her puppies around the house for the next 8 weeks to go... ;)

Towards the end of the pregnancy

We're coming towards the end of Ella's pregnancy and her waistline has long since disappeared! Since day 40 of her gestation she's been wormed daily with liquid wormer that has seen me adding a little wet food to disguise the taste - that seems to have gone down well ;)

We also had to start feeding her 3 meals a day not long after that as the poor girl seems to be forever hungry. However now she can't eat a lot in one go and she's really good at regulating herself so she doesn't make herself so full that she's sick.

The whelping box has been up for a couple of weeks now and at the beginning of this week we picked up a head pad for the puppies from the wholesalers. Ella has been sleeping in her box at night to give her respite from the naughty sheltie puppy she currently mothers, as I remember how precious sleep was from my own pregnancy! She seems more comfortable than I was, perhaps because of all the great treatment she receives from the SMART clinic. She had her last visit before the puppies on Monday where Lowri gave her some acupuncture, but no treadmill for the expectant mother. Lowri commented on how strong her stomach muscles must be because they're doing a great job of keeping all those puppies in there - her tummy is like a drum now!

My beautiful girl :)

Last weekend we met another prospective puppy owner who made the journey from Cheltenham down to see Tigger in Honiton, before seeing us in Yatton on their way back.  It was great to see such effort made, makes you realise people are really serious about finding  'the one'! Definitely another forever home found for one of these precious puppies, and some new good friends made too :)

On Tuesday we popped in for our first appointment at the new vets we've registered with, Watkins & Tasker. We loved being clients of Sue Yeo, but as her out of hours care has been transferred to a surgery over 45 minutes away from us, we knew it wouldn't be sensible for Ella if she needed any help with labour. The appointments were for Kai & Tinker (one of our cats) and were just for routine vaccinations, but it was good to have been in and seen the surgery. If we need any help now it'll only be 5 or 15 minutes away and that's much better for my peace of mind :)

On a less practical note we found ourselves wandering around Comet yesterday for Mike's birthday present of a new camera - okay so I might enjoy using it too ;) His old camera was bought for his trip to Hawaii in his days as a single, carefree man many moons ago - it's showing signs of wear and tear now, and it needed replacing so we had a reliable way of recording the puppies lives as newborns and as they grow :)

So at Thursday now and could be expecting the arrival of these puppies from Saturday onwards. We're pretty confident about the date as Ella was blood tested during her season so we know exactly when she ovulated. But then of course Mother Nature could always throw us a curved ball, so we're watching Ella closely just to be sure! We're really lucky to have many people offering to help with whelping advice, child care, dog care (for Kai & Diva), and lots of wonderful good wishes. It brings home to me how much the agility community is a family and how we're all excitedly awaiting these puppies as new members to it.

So today we're doing our normal thing of taking my Grandma to the Post Office/ shopping/ lunch extravaganza - another exhausting day, but it's lovely to see the children spending time with their Great-grandmother. This evening will have to be devoted to getting everything together for Daybreak's tax return so that the decks are clear for the weekend. There's nothing like working to a deadline for getting things done ;)

Today I'm grateful for husband who has supported me this week by taking some time off work to ease the load. Don't know what I'd do without him :)

Article by Sue Kinchin for all you BC lovers out there

What is Your Border Collie NOT Good At?

Understanding the collie brain... When Lee Windeatt first started training his Border collie Shy, he fell for the myth that agility dogs had to be hyped up around the agility ring to be competitive. So he followed everyone else and hyped her up. He's now  have learnt his lesson and attempts to do the opposite. When he came across the following article by Sue Kinchin, he was so impressed with the sentiment behind it that he asked the author if he could share in with other agility folk in order to give them a better understanding of their collie. Although we write 'collie brain,' we are sure the underlying principles apply to most breeds to some extent. If you have a Border Collie, you have a very special dog - a dog that is intelligent, sensitive, eager to please and very quick to learn. Sounds like the perfect pet? Yes, with our help they can make wonderful pets, but we need to remember that when we take one of these very special and complex dogs into our homes we have a responsibility to try to understand all the factors that make a Border Collie what it is. The more we can understand our Border Collies the less likely it is that we, and our collie, will encounter serious problems. Border Collies have been bred for generations in a very specific and restricted environment for a very specific task and, as a breed, are relative new-comers to life as pets. Some cope very  well and others struggle. It is our duty to try to understand these beautiful, clever creatures and to help them to cope. We can easily find books that tell us what Border Collies have been bred for. We will be warned about their sensitivity to movement and tendency to chase things and about the fact that they need to have their brains occupied, but what we are not generally asked to think about are those characteristics that are not necessary in a working sheepdog, but which make life easier for a pet dog. Anyone who has owned Border Collies will be aware that they are generally cautious dogs. Without intensive and sensitive socialisation as puppies, they are often wary of people, intolerant of unfamiliar dogs and anxious about anything new or changing. Even with intensive socialisation, some retain these characteristics. Border Collies are prone to being affected by a single bad experience and have poor 'bounce back' when something goes wrong for them. They are very sensitive to reprimands, but equally crave guidance and instruction. Because they are very sensitive to movement, any fast movement that they cannot control can be very disturbing to them. No wonder so many Border Collies hate traffic. Remember though, it is this sensitivity and intelligence that we find so appealing. So why are they like this? Why can life upset them so easily? To understand our collies fully, we need not only to consider what they have been bred for, but also what they have not been bred for. do not interfere with this task are likely to be ignored. Over the generations your Collie has NOT been bred to:- Cope with noise Collies need to have very acute hearing to hear and interpret a shepherd's signals at a great distance, but sheep farms are generally quiet places and their sensitive hearing does not cause them problems. Urban and domestic life bombards our dogs with noise and this can cause them extreme stress. Be aware of this and if necessary protect your dog from excessive noise. Speak quietly to your Collie, he doesn't need you to shout at him.   Cope with change Sheep farms tend to be relatively unchanging places, there are sheep, the shepherd and his family, the barn where the dog sleeps and an odd tractor or car. Sheep dogs don't generally need to cope with change. Every time our urban collie leaves home the street outside will probably have changed (new vehicles, new people, rubbish skips etc.). Just going out for a walk, even if the dog looks forward to his walk, can generate stress and we need to be aware of this and help him to cope.   Cope with the presence of strangers/visitors or groups of people Sheep farms tend to be isolated places. It is not necessary to be at ease with people to be a good working sheep dog. In a pet home our dogs are surrounded by many strange people in the street and visitors to the home. If you get your Collie as a puppy make sure he is sensitively socialised to people at an early age. If he is older respect the fact that he may find meeting strange people stressful. Cope with the presence of strange dogs Apart from the familiar dogs with similar characteristics that live on the farm with them, working sheepdogs are unlikely to need to mix with other dogs. As pet owners we expect them to meet a lot of strange dogs, many with appalling “dog manners”, and often with our dog on lead so that it does not have the option of running away. Even if your collie does not react aggressively in these situations he could well be very stressed. Many sheepdogs will never leave their farms so traditionally they haven't really needed  to get on with other dogs or unfamiliar people. Sociability and resilience are not characteristics that have historically been important in the development of the Border Collie. Although your dog may not be directly from working stock, it will still have many of the characteristics inherited from generations of working sheep dogs and equally he may not have inherited those characteristics that would make life in a pet home easier for him. Shepherds are the experts with Border Collies and we can learn a lot from them. Yes, we've all heard of harsh and callous shepherds, but many value their dogs very highly, not just as working dogs but also as members of their family. Watch a sheepdog working It is referring back to the shepherd for guidance all the time. His impulses to chase and control movement are under very tight control. The shepherd is guiding the dog and the dog is exhibiting self-control. Ideally, this is how we want our collie to be with us. If he is checking in with us to find out what to do next, not only is he under control and less likely to get himself into trouble, but he is also getting reassurance from us. He doesn't have to worry. We will tell him what to do in any situation. Encourage your dog to look to you for guidance. It shouldn't be too hard. It's in his genes! Watch the shepherd, too You just don't see excitable shepherds. An excitable shepherd would mean an excited dog and scattered sheep! Be a calm owner. Think about this if you are considering Agility or Flyball with your Collie. A good working sheep dog is fast and has lightning reflexes, but is not in a state of over-excitement. Teach your dog calmly what you want him to do. If he understands and is enjoying what he is doing, he will do his best. After all he has been bred from generations of dogs selected for their willingness to work as a team with their handler. There is no need for your dog to be roused to a hysterical state for it to perform well, and it is bad for its mental and physical health to be in such a state. If your dog shows signs of stress or gets over-excited ask yourself if this is really the best activity for him. A final thought When a working sheepdog is not working alongside the shepherd he is shut away in a quiet, non-stimulating  place to rest and recover and to keep him out of mischief! Importantly, adrenalin levels that have probably been quite high while he is working now have a chance to return to normal. Your sensitive, alert pet Collie is being bombarded with information from his environment all the time. Make sure he has plenty of opportunity to rest in a secure, non-stimulating place where he can relax. Think Border Collies, think working sheepdogs... maximise their strengths, understand and respect their weaknesses. Author credit... Sue Kinchin has owned and trained a variety of dogs including BOrder Collies for over 30 years. She's had adolescent rescue collies and also collie pups from the age of eight weeks. At the moment, she owns two Border Collies - 12 year old Mist and 7 year old Glen, both from working stock. As a keen hill walker in the past, she has always had an interest in working collies and a particular interest in how they fare in pet homes. Currently Sue instructs at pet dog training classes and she does one-to-one training and behaviour consultations. Recently she started holding Border Collie evenings for owners of pet collies who need advice on collie ownership and activities to keep their collies occupied, but calm. Sue is a member of the APDT 00922. For more information, email: suekinchin@btinternet.com Photos with kind permission of Andy Nickless: The Working Sheepdog Web site You can see more wonderful images of Border Collie Sheepdogs - Off Duty on Andy's DVD. Available from Agility Warehouse First published: 07/11/10

Unexpected rewards

For those of you that know me I think you'd describe my relationship with my dogs and their training a bit of a passion. They do take up rather a significant amount of my time and income, but I certainly wouldn't want it any other way. Teaching for a living seemed a natural progression to this love affair as I want the people I teach to be enthused to enjoy their dogs to the full, as sadly we don't get to keep them nearly so long as we would like.

My dogs have led me to meet many people, a few who've gifted me with some important information on my dog training journey, and many others who've come to join me as friends in the bigger journey of my life. Today I was reminded of just how lucky I am to be doing the job I do.

I met Sally Comport and Max a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sometime ago now on one of our beginner agility classes. By her own admission Max's real problem was his recall and she hoped agility would strengthen their bond and improve his recall in the process. What we find on our current agility classes is how many people are led to agility in a similar way to Sally & Max, that even those who have  successfully attended classes in community halls haven't found a formula that works in the distractions of everyday life. Our training field offers many real life distractions such as rabbit poo, other dogs smells, wildlife scents, to name but a few. 

I'm so glad Sally found her way to our classes, not least because of how helpful she found the instruction in building on her relationship with Max. For the last few weeks I've been enjoying her company on our daily walks as Sally still finds it difficult to trust Max not to take fright at something and take off into the distance. Happily Max takes a lot of confidence from being with my dogs and looks happy and relaxed when out with us, and as such Sally's been enjoying watching him run around off lead. Sometimes just a bit of moral support can go a long way, and really that's all I've thought of our walks as being.

So imagine my surprise and delight to be presented with a rather large gift at the end of our walk this afternoon, with a lovely message on a card to go with it! From someone who started as a client, but quickly turned into a friend - the unexpected rewards in life are part of what makes it all so interesting and enjoyable. Thank you Sally & Max! :-)

Today I am grateful for the friendships which enrich my life :-)

Goals, preparations & puppy plans!

It's been a whirlwind of a weekend! On Saturday I attended the Kennel Club's first Sports Coaching for Agility Handlers seminar. All the speakers were very good, but Natasha Wise in particular was fantastic! She gave a great presentation on the 'Practical Application of Sports Science' a subject which she studied at university and has obviously successfully used the lessons - twice Medium World Champion with her lovely merle collie Dizzy. I learnt a great deal from her talk and I'm very excited about incorporating some of her suggestions into the training plans for my own dogs and that of the dogs that I teach. 

Last season I really felt like I let Ella down a lot by not being mentally prepared for our runs, to the point where I would sometimes have to just stop and wait a moment before remembering where I was supposed to be going! My training plan for the winter incorporates both mental training, but also some fitness for me - the New Year will see me in the hands of a local personal trainer, working off those pounds - eek!

Despite the extra hour today, I've still rushed around like a headless chicken a bit. Lovely walk this morning with friends along the River Yeo in Congresbury close to where we live and then off to Diva's training session in Bristol for 11.30am. I love that little dog her attitude and spirit are great to work with and she's really enjoying her training sessions - whether for the social side or the agility I couldn't tell you ;-)

Finally, this afternoon I sat down and worked out a specific plan for the next few months - for those of you that aren't a member of our Facebook group you may not be aware that my lovely Ella is pregnant and due in just 3 short weeks time! Her waistline is starting to disappear and she seems a little hungrier than normal, but apart from that it's hard to tell - she's still racing around with Diva out on a walk at the moment :)

I have been dreaming about a litter from Ella for so long now, I can hardly believe that we will soon have puppies in the house! She was mated to a fantastic boy, Harrjak Tigger (or Tigs to his friends ;-)) with an equally wonderful temperament and disposition. I'm sure they're going to make some fabulous puppies who will go onto make their new owners very happy.

In addition to that I'm also knee deep in plans for some new training classes - my friend Suzy Field is rounding up her Mutt Manners Kennel Club Good Citizen classes at Christmas and I will be taking them on in the New Year under the Daybreak banner. They take place in St John's Hall on Hillside Road in Clevedon on Tuesday evenings between 6pm - 9pm. Whilst we'll be following the KCGC curriculum, as usual we'll have our own exciting flavour to add to the classes - more details to follow shortly! :-)

Today I am grateful for the many wonderful opportunities and avenues that sparkle brightly in front of me - I am truly blessed :-)

Diva training with friends :-)

Finding the time

Spare time isn't something that I'm particularly blessed with. My life is pretty busy, filled with lots of wonderful people and animals, and for the most part I'm happy and content. One might wonder how I fit it all in and it's a very good question indeed! Being a wife and mother, owner to 3 dogs, 2 cats and a rabbit - there's no question that all of those roles demand time and thought. I guess really it's a question of perspective.

My Grandmother has never really understood why people keep pets. If I've heard the phrase "They're such a tie" once, I've heard it a thousand times! Quite honestly I've never really considered that my dogs hinder my life in anyway. I suppose because of all the wonderful people and things they've opened my eyes to I consider them life enhancers of the highest quality :-)

My thoughts today are about how perspective can make things positive or negative depending on the outlook you choose to take. I say 'choose' very purposefully, because I believe that we should be very pro-active in the path our lives take throughout this world. Of course it's not always easy to be positive, especially when life's daily demands take their toll - as the mother of a teething youngster I speak from experience! But little things can offer comfort and cheer if only we let them. 

I'm heading out to train baby Diva very shortly, and intend to let her comfort and cheer me up as much as she'd like - it's her speciality, and I rather suspect part of God's plan. I firmly believe these pets of ours are more than just pets - angels with furry faces perhaps? ;-)

Today I'm grateful for my family and friends, who make my own personal journey through life, utterly worth living :-)

Out of little acorns..

Diva is one whole year old today - no longer a puppy, a proper big girl now. Not so you'd notice, she bounds around like life is one big adventure - actually I kind of hope she never grows out of that :-)

 

Having her 1st birthday means she's now eligible to train at a KC registered club such as Severnside DAC, so we joined the class which Sue James is currently taking on a Thursday evening. Now Diva doesn't know very much about agility yet, but what she does she quite likes - opportunities for reward are always good things in her book :-)

Now Ella had done a fair bit of agility training by the time she was 12 months old, because at that point I had a wee bit more time on my hands. The boys have pretty much absorbed any of that, so Diva's had little patchy bits here and there. She knows how to wait in position until released, about going through rigid and flat tunnels, that going up and down on the see-saw is fun because you get fed a lot (always a good things for Diva!), doing something with a target on the end of a contact (mostly paws unfortunately, oops!) earns treats, and she's done some jumps in a straight line. Actually maybe that's rather a lot when you look at it like that, but I can assure you we're only talking about 3-4 hours training time overall.

So I was wondering to myself if joining this class was a good idea on the way there tonight. The other people in the class have been training for longer and their dogs are doing much more. But whilst I don't have a dog that really knows the names of equipment or many agility based cues, I put my faith in the fact that I have her focus and attention. I figured at least she wouldn't abandon me, even if she didn't manage to do much of what Sue set us.

Well, my dogs never cease to amaze me. Her startline was as impressive as her collie sister, perhaps more so because of her babyhood. When I figured out what I needed to do to explain what I wanted (starting again is hard!) she was a willing and accurate partner. Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of work to do, but she's just such a fun little dog to play agility with! Her attitude is full on and she concentrates with the intensity of a far older dog. The only difference is you can see her tire more quickly and that reminds you of her youth. 

What she has taught me in her young life is that attitude and focus counts for a lot. Technical knowledge and skills are straightforward to teach when you're working from a strong foundation. A good relationship can move you towards any goal - agility, obedience, trials etc. Out of little acorns...

Today I'm grateful for Diva :-)

Hockey!

This is a short post before I head off to my first hockey match in I don't know how long! Yes that's right, I said 'hockey' not agility! Ella came into season just over 3 weeks ago, so I've had no agility partner to play with :(

However it's not all bad, hopefully we have a new adventure awaiting us - puppies! We've been planning to have a litter from Ella all along, but with me having children of my own the timing hasn't been quite right. Now she's 4 1/2 (where does the time go?!) though and we don't want her to be any older her first litter, so having carefully selected a stud dog we've gone for it! The boy in question is Harrjak Tigger (Tigs to his friends), a handsome black and white dog who carries the red gene. Watch this space! :)

The happy couple :)

Today I'm grateful for my husband for giving me time to myself this morning to get bits and pieces together.

Tonight's training - CANCELLED

After discussions with  Sue this morning about how her evening classes went last night, we’ve decided to cancel my classes this evening and start weekend training from 25th/26th September. Unfortunately we can’t do this weekend as I have a wedding to attend down in Devon.

Apologies for the short notice, but wanted to be sure of what the weather was doing before cancelling for definite – as it is I hope you’ll all be quite relieved! :)

Prestbury Park 4th September 2010

I can honestly say I didn't expect much from competing today. My poor little Callum started a temperature yesterday and didn't sleep very well at all. Despite Mike being a wonderful husband and getting up to care for him, it was still a restless night as his cries cut straight through his mother's sleep. When the morning came I wondered aloud what God's plan for me was - I'm feeling under such pressure in all areas of my life, and sleep deprivation doesn't help! Mike convinced me that he'd manage, and sort out a doctor's appointment etc. So feeling very dubious about it all, I set off for the show which is up near Cirencester.

My sat-nav has been playing up for a little while, but really earnt its self retirement today by taking me to the middle of the Gloucestershire countryside, but no-where near the venue. At this point I'm thinking that this might be a sign to head home! However my wonderful instructor Martin Tait is also very good with directions, and he re-directed me to the venue. So we arrive a little late, a little flustered, but there! Missed walking my first course which left me a little wayward in the middle of it, but Ella worked well and was really listening to the somewhat garbled and late directions she was receiving ;-)

Fortunately that was just a Helter Skelter, so I treated that as a warm up and soon headed to the G6 Agility ring to walk that course. Much more straight forward than most of the ones we've seen this season, and bar an obstacle discrimination of tunnel/A-frame, I was feeling pretty confident about getting round.

On my way to get her for the run, I got thinking about what God's plan for me might include. My sons immediately sprung to mind, and I started to think about what they might be learning from watching their mother compete like I do. I realised that I would want them to learn that putting themselves out there to compete is an exciting and worthwhile thing to do. I would like them to know that even if they don't get it right first time, every mistake they make is an opportunity for them to develop and get better. Most of all, I hope they would know that all I ever expect from them is their best, and that their best will always be just fine by me. That made me remember that my parents and those that love me, only want the same for me.

So I entered the ring in a good frame of mind. You'll see from the video clip that Ella has been allowed to get very barky as we enter a ring, something which I'm trying not to let bother me. I'm not mad keen on barking, I find it very distracting and annoying! I console myself with the fact that when she's asked for her startline position she immediately quits barking, and the work switch clicks into place.

Ella demonstrating her cool poise on the startline :)

As I look back at her I'm always blown away by her focus and self-control, and I thank the heavens for such an amazing agility partner. Not everyone gets an Ella in their lifetime, and I still question how she ever made it into mine. The answer to that is in the series of events after Kai's accident and she's another important thing I have to thank him for, he's another truly amazing dog. I don't know how anyone could put together a case for their dog of a lifetime - each that has come into my life could argue a strong case for being the special one! Diva is already shaping my life, pushing me to become a better trainer, to explore new methods to better help her learn, and just generally being a bit of a lovebug :)

Today had some really good bits, and some mistakes to allow for more improvement :) My favourite has to be winning the G6 Agility class, and having Sue there to celebrate with. Must convince her to enter some more agility shows next year! Anyway, I'll leave you with some video clips from the day. I'm off for a glass of champagne to celebrate... ;)

Today I'm grateful for Ella :)

UKA Staverton, 29th August 2010

Good day today - I remembered two courses, and Ella very obligingly completed them correctly and nice and fast. 1st place in Standard Novice Agility & Jumping :-)

Today I'm grateful for the help and advice I received in searching for Ella's perfect stud dog :-)

UKA Staverton, Saturday 28th August 2010

KC International Festival, August 2010

Today I'm grateful for my husband, who is such an important and constant source of support in my life. Couldn't do any of it without him :-)

Chippenham Agility show, 8th August 2010

Today I am grateful for Ella, who is on a mission to prove all my pre-conceptions and doubts wrong :-)

Continuing Professional Education

As a dog trainer I think it is really important to keep up-to-date with the latest information and research surrounding our beloved pets. I really do believe in the saying "Learning will set us free", and being a bit of a bookworm certainly helps me with this!

The code of practice from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers requires its members to keep their education current from year to year, something that I was more than willing to agree to. It also gives me a time framework to help me focus on getting it done. That's something which is particularly helpful in my busy life - sometimes with two small boys it's hard to know where the weeks go!

Gemma Osmond, MAPDT 01069

So having investigated some possibilities I have signed up for two courses - a correspondence course from 'Alpha Education' (Accredited education courses in canine behaviour and training), and an e-course with 'Say Yes! Dog Training' (Susan Garrett). I'm very excited that they both start tomorrow, and that I have received my 'Alpha Education' course in the post for me to look over this evening :-)


The correspondence course is 'Think Dog! Certificate - An Intermediate Award in Canine Behaviour & Training' and covers 5 units over 6 months. I expect it will be a challenge to find the time for it, but I'm determined to manage it as I'm so fascinated by the subject. To give you an idea, the reading list included such titles as 'Dominance - Fact or Fiction' by Barry Eaton, and 'Reaching the Animal Mind' by Karen Pryor. So much of the TV dog training links back to early research done with wolves, and of course our dogs have come a long way since domestication. It really doesn't make sense to compare them - I'm going to really enjoy learning more! :-)



The e-course is 'The 5 minute formula for a Brilliant Recall' and runs over the 31 days of August. This is a new formula of teaching using the internet and I really like the idea that people are going to be following the course from pretty much all over the world! The recall cue should be such a fundamental, non-negotiable one, but I know from my own classes that not all dogs understand it as such. I shall be using the course to improve my own Kai's recall, which has steadily declined since his accident over 4 years ago. Not that he won't come back - it's just it tends to be on his time, rather than mine ;-)


In the last few weeks I haven't been enjoying competing as much as I have done in the past, where the self-imposed pressure to get it right is getting to me. So this weekend is going to be agility free (unless I cave and head up to UKA Nationals on Sunday ;-)), with the focus on learning more about the dogs I love to share my life with. They are my best teachers :-)

Today I am grateful for my thirst for knowledge, which has already brought me to this exciting point in my life, and that I know holds the keys to even more great discoveries in the future :-)

Goodbye little Zen

This is a particularly sad post for me, as my friend Wendy Rutter (neé Page) has recently lost her collie Zen to suspected cancer. Whilst she wasn't a young dog, it still feels too soon for her to have gone.

Above: Desmo, Meg & Zen

I met Zen for the first time, many, many moons ago at the veterinary centre where I was working. She was an adult dog at that point who had been through several homes before finding Wendy and her family. I didn't know Wendy well at that point, but anyone could see that this woman only dealt in forever homes. I seem to remember we used to see Zen for a skin condition that was particularly bad on her tummy. But she was always happy to roll over and show it off, such was her gentle and loving nature. It was astonishing that her previous owners hadn't realised just what a treasure she was, as she wouldn't have hurt a fly. A sensitive soul, I recall that the skin condition gradually sorted itself out. It was almost like her nerves were causing the problem, and when she realised she was safe and sound with the Rutters, it gradually eased up.

But it was when Zen had an accident in the boot of Wendy's Landrover that I began to get to know them both better. She had caught her foot in one of the rings in the Landrover as she jumped out and snapped the bones - a terrible thing to have to happen to a young dog. Not cheap for Wendy either! Surgery in the first instance and then a whole heap of aftercare to tend to the wound that wouldn't close over afterwards. With another dog Wendy might have had to consider the option of putting her to sleep, but not Zen. She was always pleased to see us, perhaps a little over-excited (she'd always wee at the sight of me!), and happy to roll over and extend her leg for treatment. A wonderful patient, who led me to making one of my best friends. I shall never forget her for that alone.

Once this was all finally sorted, Zen did do some agility, but you always got the impression that she was doing it to make Wendy happy. She loved her family and would have done anything for them, but agility just wasn't very motivating for her. Perhaps if we'd known then what we know now we could have increased her drive for it. As it was another rescue called Kaz entered Wendy's life with more than enough drive for the both of them, so Zen was happily retired!

Above: Kaz in action

The sad thing about sharing our lives with dogs is that they will never be around for as long as we would like them to. We're never going to willingly give them up to Rainbow bridge, because they make our lives whole. The are a important piece in the puzzle of our lives, and each is unique, each special in a way that none were before, or will be again. I'm sure Wendy has many reasons for why Zen was special for her. I'm sure Zen taught her many lessons that she wouldn't have learnt from any other dog. And I'm very sure that Wendy misses her badly at this point, so close to having lost her.
My memories of Zen? A sweet, loving, loyal and affectionate little girl. Shy and reserved, except with those people she knew well and loved. I was proud and privileged to be one of those people, and I shall never forget the honour of being one of her friends. Most of all, I am grateful for her for leading me to meet Wendy and her influence on my life, as my friend and agility 'mum'. Each of our dogs leads us on a special journey - what a joy to be part of hers. Have fun at the bridge special girl, look forward to seeing you there one day xx

Today I am grateful for my dogs, past and present. They influence my life in so many ways, and have led me to meet some amazing people.

Diamond Dog show, 10th-11th July 2010

Another hot weekend - can't get over the beautiful weather we've been having, although I'd be happier if the temperature came down a bit. Although I'm burn free which is an achievement in itself!

This was the first show Diamond Dog Agility club had run, and it seemed to go relatively smoothly. Unfortunately the ground looked like it had recently been cut for hay or silage, and what with the recent heatwave, it was pretty prickly and spiky underfoot. Didn't suit all dogs, but didn't much phase Ella much except for a couple of slips where she couldn't get purchase on the ground after a turn. Fortunately we have Smart Clinic tomorrow, so I will just have her checked in case she's done anything to make her sore.

A weekend of good and bad bits - Saturday was always going to be a challenge as Mike was away for a stag do and I had the boys at the show on my own. They were lovely and not much trouble at all, but very difficult to switch from Mummy to agility handler. As a result I had Martin Tait run her in one of her agility rounds - she works quite well for him, but unfortunately picked up an E as he sent her over the wrong course. Our last run of the day was a nice straightforward agility round so I took her back for it - great run up to the last but one obstacle. You've guessed it - 12 weave poles! I have been running at them as I believe I do in training, but she missed her entrance so 5 faults on an otherwise lovely run.

Today has been better - started well with a tricky jumping course, but just sent her the wrong way a few jumps from the end. Great work though, some really tight turns. Her agility was going nicely too, but picked up 5 for missing weave entrance, and then as she'd done that I put her back over the see-saw which she came off. Actually in retrospect I'm not sure she didn't just slide off, but no matter, doesn't hurt to be sure! Our final jumping class started speedily, but sadly ended so too - off course for an E, and then I was sliding about in my trainers on the ground so wasn't able to drive her properly. After an argumentative few barks, I decided it was too hot to argue and we left the ring for her tuggy - will be investing in a better pair of running shoes before next weekend!

So another weekend of 'almost' runs - am I a glutton for punishment you may ask?! But in the scheme of things, we are moving in the right direction, our teamwork is better and our attitude is moving from 'Can we?' to 'Can do'. This time last year we were working Grade 2 style courses - a big leap from the twists and turns of an average Grade 6-7 course. Whilst I believed we would hit the ground running, in retrospect there was always going to be a settling in period. As Hazel Tait pointed out to me last weekend, when you start a new job you don't expect to know everything there is to know about it, and the same could be said for each new grade you move into.

Here are my plus points from the weekend:

1. Great contacts, I mean fabulous, class winning contacts :-)
2. Tight turns with poles remaining where they're supposed to ;-)
3. A startline that is a secure as it makes me feel as I lead out - something which I wouldn't want to be walking into a G6-7 ring without
4. Ella - her attitude, her belief in me and the way she saves her best work for me, despite being Martin's teacher's pet :-D

Today I am grateful for Gill & Aussie's first clear round, which gave them 2nd place in the Small 1-3 Jumping. Glad the advice helped Gill! :-)

Relationships with our dogs

Those of you that know me, know I make no secret of the fact that I'm a fan of Canadian dog trainer Susan Garrett. I was delighted to meet her and the rest of the Canadian agility team during their visit for the World Agility Championships, and as well as being a fabulous dog trainer, she's pretty cool as a person too :-)

Now I'm a regular follower of her blog, and would recommend all the people I teach follow it too. The woman is a mine of dog training information, and it's all based on sound scientific principles which make dog training fun from both ends of the lead. Better understanding from your dog, makes training more enjoyable for you - think what it does for them!

Recently she's been exploring the link between the strength of our dogs' recalls and the depth of our relationship with them. Susan's quote from her Facebook status that started it all off was this:

"There is nothing more important that teaching your dog a reliable recall, nothing . . . it is the foundation of all brilliance and it reflects the relationship you have with your dog."

I have been avidly following this, as I am fascinated as a trainer, when I come across perfectly nice people who have difficulty getting their dogs to complete this fundamental behaviour. Now I know, perhaps better than most people, the sadness that can ensue when you don't have a brilliant recall. My first collie dog Kai saw more value in chasing a cat into the road, in front of a car than listening to me, and as a result I almost lost my precious boy. Somewhat unconsciously I have trained amazing recalls with the two girls that followed him, or perhaps they are just naturally brilliant dogs? I refuse to believe he isn't every bit as wonderful as them, and I seek the answer in the science that Susan champions.

I believe that the good dog trainers in this world, those whose dogs are consistently impressive in everything they've been trained to do, are like that as a result of their handlers consistent approach to every facet of their lives. Great agility dogs aren't just fabulous at agility - they're excellent pets too, and I don't believe that you can have one without the other. They aren't perfect, because they aren't robots, but they're reliable and constant because they live within the boundaries that they've been reinforced for observing.

For anyone out there having difficulties with your recall, please do visit Susan's blog for further information on this somewhat emotive topic. And I think a key thing to remember is that you won't be alone in your problem, there are lots of owners out there with wayward dogs! It isn't something you should be ashamed or embarrassed to confess to. If I can help in anyway, then get in touch - I love seeing the bond between handler and dog develop. It's one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching :-)

For those of you that aren't familiar with her, check out her website and blog:

http://www.clickerdogs.com/

http://susangarrettdogagility.com/

Today I am grateful for the training bond which is in constant development with my Shetland Sheepdog youngster Diva. There's nothing like adoring eyes like hers shining in your direction :-)

Tuffley Agility show, 3rd-4th July 2010

Another hot weekend, but I'm glad to report it didn't reach the baking temperatures of Lansdown. However I did manage to burn my lips again on the Sunday - the cooler temperatures, caught me off guard - grr!

Another weekend of good and bad bits. The good bits centred around my handling improving and everything then being much smoother. The bad bits were, you guessed it, weave related. Bloomin' things! ;-)

The Saturday was marred by 2 out of 3 sets of weaves being wrong, and try as I might, it does dent my confidence about her ability. However I picked it up for Sunday and decided that I might as well run her like I believed she could, and she rewarded my faith by turning her success rate around to 2 out of 3 sets completed correctly! We also managed a clear round in the CSJ Senior Jumping, which although messy and frantic (solely on my part!), did make me feel quite uplifted. The drought has ended, albeit briefly! :-)

Today I'm grateful for my trainer Martin Tait's continued confidence and belief in Ella and I, and for his positive message from our training session on Monday night. We're aiming to do you proud at Diamond this weekend sir! :-)

Lansdown Agility show, 26th-27th June 2010

My overriding memory of Lansdown 2010 will be the intense heat, like nothing we've ever experienced there before! You'll see from the picture below that the grass is looking very pale and bleached out, and it was more or less the same around the rings.

No exciting places had, but there were glimpses of the teamwork Ella and I are capable of in some of our runs. We're not completely right yet, but we're getting there! I'm not overly disappointed, only that we were very busy all weekend helping on the rings, and it doesn't leave a lot of time for our dogs. Another pizza party on the Saturday evening (which is becoming something of a tradition!) was a lovely way to unwind and recharge for the Sunday.

Unfortunately after the lovely weekend, Monday didn't start well, as I had a 'Speed Awareness' workshop to attend. It almost sounds like it could have been something exciting and agility related doesn't it?! Sadly not, it was as a result of speeding home from a show at Newbury. Regrettably the car ran out of petrol on the way to the workshop which meant I missed it, (£60) and then on re-booking (£30) for the afternoon, arrived 2 minutes late. They only accept people who are on time - so a very expensive day all in all :-(

Still, today I am grateful for my husband who took charge of the children at home all weekend whilst I was off gallivanting in Bath.

Excuses, excuses!

It's been a while since I posted, so I thought I'd pop a quick update of how things have been going recently. It's been a busy few weeks since SWAT show, which was the weekend we received an offer on our house. It led to negotiations on a house that we had our eye on, but didn't come to anything unfortunately. Wye Valley came at the end of that week and it showed - I was completely out of sorts and Ella doesn't appreciate my mind being elsewhere! The trouble with not getting that house was that it left us (me mainly!) in a bit of a panic about what to do, as our buyers wanted to get going quite quickly.

The following week saw many viewings, but none positive. They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do don't they?? I'd have to agree! When Lel & Hattie wanted to go to UKA Sands to work on their contacts, I felt I'd enjoy it more than going all the way to Thames show at Newbury showground by myself. We had a lovely day, and Ella and I won the Beginner Standard Agility and the Senior Standard Steeplechase - moving us up to Novice Performance, which had been rather elusive up to that point!

I missed running some of the great courses at Thames, but I think overall that I made the right decision. Wye Valley show had shown me that it's important to be in the right head space when attempting challenging G6/7 courses. So I was keen to be at Golden Valley this weekend, not least because Top Barn in Holt Heath is such a nice venue. Unfortunately this week has been fraught with our children playing musical beds from 4am in the morning, and further developments on the house front. Having found a nice local house with a great size garden and made a successful offer, when we actually looked at it down on paper we found it wasn't a great deal bigger than our current house.

After 10 house viewings, we've decided we've probably got quite a good handle on what our budget can stretch to and it's not going to get us much, if anything better than what we have already. So on Friday we decided to take our house off the market and let our buyers down, and withdraw our offer on the only house we had liked. Felt quite emotional as it didn't feel good to have to let these people down, but have to do what's right for us.

Set off for Golden Valley, a bit tired, but pleased we'd finally made a decision about what to do. We're going to have plans drawn up to extend over our converted garage, to make the space we want where we are now. Shame our little Callum didn't share our relief (teething pains) - not only did he not want to go off to sleep in the caravan on Friday evening, he also decided to get us all up at 4am-ish on Saturday morning. Parenting - not for the faint-hearted! :-)

Feeling very fuzzy, our first couple of rounds of the day didn't go quite to plan. Made silly errors in the Jumping, then Ella missed a weave entry in the Agility. Tired and very miserable, I decided I'd prefer to go home and try and get a good nights sleep. I am blessed with the most amazing parents who said they'd have our little cherubs overnight, so I did our last Agility run of the day with a bit more enthusiasm than I'd started the day with. Ella went beautifully, I just didn't react as quickly as I need to in order to give her adequate steering. But I was much happier with how we'd done, and I feel like we definitely deserve our spot in the G6 classes.

Today I went along to UKA Aldon to support Lel & Hattie in their contact proofing quest, and still wasn't really on top form. Managed to steer Elle round a Novice Agility for a 3rd place, but she could tell I wasn't really fully able, which messed up our other rounds. I'm also a little concerned with her weave entries again, but we have Smart Clinic tomorrow so she'll be checked over then which will put my mind at rest.

Wow, this was supposed to be a quick update - what would the long version be like, I ask myself?! Anyway, I think that gets me up-to-date, and with luck and a fair wind, I should be a bit more competitive in time for Lansdown weekend next week. As it's our joint club show with Clifton Agility Club its not traditionally a particularly successful weekend for me in terms of competing, but perhaps this is the year to end the drought?! :-)

Today I am grateful for my Ella, who would rather have me work her in a bad mood, than not have me work her at all. I don't deserve such a partner, but I hope I gave her some small reason to today. I went into the agility ring with Susan Garrett's words echoing around my head "When I look at my dogs, I see only greatness" - that's my girl :-)

SWAT show, 29th-30th May 2010

Well I managed to fulfill two of the aims I set myself from last weekends experience at UKA Phoenix - I duly put a curfew on the husband and managed an early night, and made myself have Weetabix for breakfast both Saturday and Sunday morning. Need to work on the third goal of being focused on the show - admittedly house sale and then need for house hunting are pretty good reasons for being distracted!

The weather on Saturday was a bit miserable and I couldn't really get going on the surface as it was a bit hard from all the lovely sunshine we've been having. It demonstrated that I need to get a whole lot fitter to keep up with my extremely fit agility partner, who was running beautifully. As usual she provided the highs of the weekend - best bit of the whole weekend for me was only one mistake in a set of weaving poles, over 7 classes, and even then it was at the end of a set of 9 so my responsibility to be practicing these things. The lows surrounded my handling which never much got out of 1st gear, which is tricky when you're running around with the equivalent of a top spec Ferrari :-)

Sunday provided us with our first clear round, and the sunshine came out to celebrate it with us which was good. A 13th place in G1-7 Combined Jumping, with plenty of room for improvement - on my part that is, Ella was pretty good :-) What I did find encouraging though, was the mistakes we made are easily rectified (if you call me getting fit easily rectified!), and didn't surround problems with Ella completing the equipment correctly. I've done that part of the job pretty well, she understands her criteria on contacts and is getting there with the weaves. I watched a lot of dogs this weekend who don't, and it's understandably a source of frustration for their handlers.

So this coming weekend is Wye Valley and I'm really looking forward to it as it's such a lovely venue, with the pretty village of Monmouth just walking distance away. Plus the Pizza Express is great for dinner on Saturday night, which has become something of a tradition :-)

Today I am grateful for the Smart Clinic, without which I wouldn't have such a fit and healthy dog to compete with.

http://www.smartvetwales.co.uk/

UKA Phoenix, Saturday 22nd May 2010

Lovely hot summers day today, almost too hot really although I've escaped my customary sunburn with judicious application of factor 30 suntan lotion throughout the day. I was scrime for Wendy Page who had her first judging appointment today, who set some great steeplechase courses. The beginner one at the end of the day was admittedly quite tricky, but what I found quite frustrating was how handlers kept making the same mistakes, instead of learning from the people that went before them. I guess it's particularly hard if you're fairly new to the sport, to change how you're going to run a course after you've walked it a certain way. However I would urge people to be brave and try different things out if you can see a something hasn't been working - you may be very pleased you did!

Our ring party was great fun, and comprised several of us Severnside members - Brendan Sweeney, Betty & Allen Symonds, Sarah Norman, Caz Hore-Ruthven and Helen Sharp (and partner Phil and sister Rachel). The only downside of today was the heat of the afternoon, and some people's disregard for the fact that we were sweating out in the heat in order that they could run their dogs! It's very rude not to be ready to run when you've been stood around watching the class in progress, if it makes people who have given up their time to run a ring, wait around for you. We all have dogs in our cars that need attending to and homes we'd like to get home to at the end of the day - it would be nice if delays could be avoided by people being a bit more thoughtful! Anyway, rant over, for the most part we had fun and that's what I shall remember from the day.

I saw several handlers who I've trained around the rings competing today, and was pleased by their progress reports. Best of all, Helen Sharp and Hattie won all 3 classes they were entered into - Toy Senior Jumping & Agility, and Toy Novice Steeplechase. Particularly amusing was Helen's comment at the start of the day, that the hot weather wouldn't suit Hattie. I had just 3 words for her - 'Self fulfilling prophesy'. She obviously took it on board :-)
Unfortunately it wasn't a particularly successful day in terms of trophies for Ella and I. Our first run in the Agility was going very nicely - until I pulled her off a jump, durrh! Still, I take a some great positives - she made her weaves and I was able to cross behind them, and her contacts looked pretty speedy too. Then the jumping, going beautifully until the end of a set of 12 weaves, which Ella decided the last two didn't require completion :-) Lastly the Steeplechase, where we had a bit of a misunderstanding about what our 'Out' cue is supposed to mean :-)



My aims before our next show, which is SWAT next weekend, are the following:

1. Get to bed before 12am the night before - put a curfew on the husband!
2. Eat breakfast - who knows what great handling decisions I might make with food inside me :-)
3. Be focused on the show and not the other things that are going on in my life at the moment - they can rest on the back burner whilst Ella and I play 'gility (as my Aussie friends call it!)

Today I am grateful for the blessing of such a good dog, who makes it fun even when it's not all going quite to plan :-)

IFCS World Agility Championships - an amazing week!

Last week was an incredible week for Sue and I. We were fortunate enough to play host to the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand teams in their lead up to the World Agility Championships, at the Hand Equestrian Centre in Clevedon. In fact we also had a short visit from Marilyn Adams and Tia from our British squad too, so last week we saw a lot of impressive agility at our humble training field! :-)

On Monday Sue and I welcomed the Australian team to our training venue for their first visit as they started the process of getting to know their borrowed British dogs. They deserve not only credit for arriving at a World Championship without their own dogs, but also for the way they applied themselves to getting to know their host dogs and their abilities as dog trainers. Not all the dogs were very welcoming at first, but the guys kept at it and used nothing but motivational techniques to win them round. By the time Friday came around it was hard to tell that they hadn't been working together for years, much less just one week! Aside from watching some inspiring dog training, we both feel that we have made some very great friends in the team, so a trip to Oz may be in the offing at some point - who knows! :-)

Tuesday afternoon saw the Canadian team warming up, leaving us both with some good ideas and some jump training of Susan Salo's to follow up. It was great to see them working with their own dogs, again full of motivation, but with dogs who really hung on their every word. Of course the lady I had been hanging out to meet was there - Susan Garrett with her two Border Collies Encore & Feature. They were delightfully naughty, but as driven and biddable as I've witnessed from her DVD's and YouTube clips. Really great dogs, and of course Feature is Ella's half-sister too. Tuesday evening had us along with Helen Sharp, having dinner with the team at Banwell Castle which was a great night, due in part to Nina the Canadian assistant manager plying me with wine all evening!

On Friday we were part of a ring party with Severnside Dog Agility Club, which was not only great fun, but also earnt us tickets for Saturday's agility action. That plus the generosity of our new Aussie friends giving us a 'Groom Australia' pass, meant that I was able to save my pennies for dog toy shopping - something that you'll notice I indulged in heavily when you next see my training bag :-)

There are many, many memorable moments from the week leading up to the World Champs and I am glad and grateful for every single one. I will be a better dog handler as a result of what I witnessed, not just the celebrations of a clear round, but also the reactions from handlers when it didn't go to plan. I am pleased to say I only noticed one dog being berated for an 'if only' round, the rest were praised and apologised to for mistakes that their handlers had made. Because when it comes down to it, any mistakes made on course are the fault of the handler. Indeed, missed contacts, missed weave entries etc. are all only down to the training the dog has received.

I have not always been proud of my conduct in the ring. Whilst I have never hit my dog for poor performance, I have been known to lose my temper before now when hormonal and tired. My frustration is usually at myself, but my teammate has borne the brunt of it. I am glad I have seen such good examples to aspire to and follow, and intend that people will want to use me as their good example in time to come.

Last week and today, I am grateful for the dogs in my life. I'm also extremely grateful Ella didn't get packed into any of the suitcases that left the country on Monday as numerous people who met her had threatened to do! :-) Even whilst she's a bit hormonal at present, she's still my top dog - as she's demonstrating below, supervising proceedings at the training field last week :-)