Working Out the Kinks

Today was our first outdoor trial of the season and we used it to make sure we got all the craziness that seems to come with going outside for the first time worked out before Regionals in two weeks.

As usual Kathryn but on a great trial and overall I was really happy with our performance. Peso's contacts were very good and he actually nailed most of his weave entries. I tried some more advanced handling stuff then I might have used in the past and he responded well. The weather was a force to be reckoned with though with overcast and showers on Saturday and the tornado from the Wizard of Oz on Sunday. My face is still red and raw from the wind hitting it all day. In the end we came away with a Snooker, Jumper and 2 Steeplechase Qs, which means we only need one more snooker Q for our ATChC.

Phoenix got to play in Starter Gamble and Advanced Jumpers. I tried a contact for the first time at a trial with her in the gamble and she gave me a beautiful 2on2off on the dogwalk the first time with nosetouches and all - unfortunately the second time over she stopped just off it...hmmmm how quickly things degrade! We did get the Q but I'm thinking maybe I should avoid gambles for a little while as teaching the red girl to run away from me into a tunnel at mach speed while I'm standing still may not be the best thing to be practicing right now. I thought Phoenix rocked the Jumpers which was really hard, we had two little mistakes and both were mine - not supporting her enough. I need to remember Phoenix is NOT Peso and I need to give her a little more help in the ring.

Today I am grateful to have such an amazing place to play so close to home. Thanks Kathryn for another great trial - see you Tuesday :)

A Wake Up Call

Last week Phoenix and I went to a class with 5 other high drive bordercollies. This was a needed eye opener for me on how much farther I still have to go in working focus with Phoenix. She started out great, able to hold her down while the other dogs worked and still responding quickly to cues. By the end of the class I had to walk her off as she was totally back into staring mode...staring at the other dogs, staring at the equipment, staring at the corner, I think you get the idea basically looking anywhere but at me LOL

So solution is to go back to the head halter so that I can get control of her head in these situations and just work on her getting to do simple behaviours around the excitement of other border collies working. This little girl loves to test my ability to stay patient yet enthusiastic and to maintain criteria.

On Sunday I stopped by K9 Klubhouse's trial to cheer on some friends and students. It's a big reminder of how far I've come when I watch our students trial their dogs for the first time. I remember being just as nervous and stressed out as they are but thankfully I have learned to control that and now I'm generally pretty relaxed when I enter the ring with my canine partners. The best advice I got was from Kathy Keats who said that if you are feeling nervous or worried to find a nearby tree, put your hand on the trunk and just transfer all your stress and nervousness to the tree. She said it will always be there later if you feel you want to pick it up again. There was obviously a more detailed explanation but you get the idea. Anyway this totally works for me and I love it.

Today I am thankful for all the trees in the world and that they are okay with me leaving all my worries with them for awhile...ok truth be told I rarely go back and pick them up :)

It's a bird...it's a plane...no wait it's just Phoenix

Well this weekend did not go at all as planned but was still lots of fun. We we're supposed to head out to the Morningstar agility trial in Kingston on Friday but luckily I checked my email before we left and found out the dome actually came down Thursday night during a storm!!! So no 4 snooker runs for Peso but hopefully will be rescheduled soon.

So instead of getting to play agility all weekend I was put to work on various projects including staining the wood at the front of the house. Summer porch looked nice on the paint chip but VERY blue in real life - we'll see what the second coat looks like. Anything will be better than the dreary dark brown that was there before.

Sunday we headed to Spot On to help Kathryn clean the place up a bit but mostly to put her two agility rings to good use. Apparently I'm an idiot though as I didn't wear a hat or sunscreen and now look like a very ripe tomato. Below is a pic Shona took of Phoenix doing her best Superman impression.

We also took some group shots of Shona, Linda and my dogs. After getting Chase to stop running around with a toy hoping for someone to, well, chase him (always watch what you name your dog it will bite you in the ass everytime) we managed to get some cute pics.

Today I am grateful some unforseen force interveened and caused me to check my email at 5am Friday morning before heading out on the road to Kingston. I am also grateful for Shona's really cool camera and her expertise in using it.