Agility full weekend

Now that the weather has improved I have had time for lots of Agility training with the boys. (unfortunately I didn't take my camera to any of it so you'll have to make do with this lovely photo of Kiros taken by Alan Score at our last show!!)

Friday night was Reno's 1st proper class at NADTC and it was very busy! Jackie set up four jumping exercises and split us into pairs.  Reno was paired with Queenie.  Both dogs found each other very excitng so it wasn't hard for us to keep their enthusiasm going.  By the end of the session they were both front and rear crossing beautifully.

I took Kiros to the Bob Sharpe training session at NADTC on Saturday.  I love the way Bob trains as he always knows how to get some real drive out of the Dogs and he handles in a similar way to me.  It was lovely to see Kiros shooting across the course picking up tunnels and generally behaving like a pup!!  Needless to say he was shattered by Sunday so I decided to give him a day of rest and only take Ronnie and Reno to Paul and Pen's Paddock.

With Pen's help I worked Reno in the weaves and over the A-frame.  We've managed to get him down to a 3" channel with a lovely style beginning to develop.  He tends to "pop out" a bit when I use a toy as reward but if I use food he's not so motivated.  Something to work on!!

I have to say that so far I'm very impressed with the target training of contacts.  Only Reno's second introduction to the A-frame and he just took himself over then firmly planted his nose on the target!!  He found it difficult to stop when he got over confident and tried to go to fast but immediately corrected himself by jumping back on and planting his nose again. What a good boy!!

Last night we did some "Puppy Circuit Training" at Jo's working on balance and lots of fun play.  He loved it and is now a very sleepy Puppy!!

Happy New Year!!!!

Ok!  Better late then never!!!

We spent a lovely Xmas and New Year with my Family down in Dorset.  The dogs all had a great time playing with each other non stop every day.

I even had some time, with Wanda's help to do some serious weave practice with Reno.  I bought a set of 12 stick in the ground weaves and set them up in a channel.  Keeping it fast and fun, by the end of the holiday he was going through the full set with a channel of about 4" and finding the entry.  Unfortunately we haven't been able to practice them since!

 

Reno started his new class with Jo Rhodes when we came home and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He is very focused on his toy  -  ok probably a little too focused!  My homework is to improve his release command.  Although we are going back to basics in this class and the one we started at NADTC last Friday I feel that it is really going to benefit us.

The weather has been interesting in Nottingham, as I guess it has everywhere else.  It started snowing last Monday and then snowed on and off until Thurday.  Then, as it has been so cold the snow hung about over the weekend. 

I've really struggled to keep lessons going as I'm so limited to the area's I can take people to.  On the plus side I've had lots of nice doggie time. 

I have to confess to not being very confident with 3 Dogs on leads with frozen pavements so have been walking them separately and then playing with them in the garden.

Luckily they had a chance for a play in the snow together when I took them swimming on Friday.

Sunday was Agility Nuts show that went ahead despite the weather.  Acutually the roads weren't that bad and we had a nice early finish.

I judged Snakes and Ladders.  Thank you to everyone for their kind comments about the course.  Glad you all enjoyed it.  I'm not sure when I will next be judging a Nuts (Paul hasn't asked/told :) me yet) but I'm already looking forward to it.

The weather has been really strange today.  When Ade and I went out to the Cars we thought that they were wet but it turned out that they were covered with a really thick layer of ice and the road was completely covered with black ice - even where it had been gritted.

It is now sleeting very heavily on top of the ice.  I don't even want to know how slippery it is!!  I'm hoping I can get out to my pupils for their lessons this evening!!