End of Summer

OK not exactly but this weekend WAS the end of the Agility Nuts Summer League for 2011 and, sadly, the last show that will be held at the gorgeous Park Land Stables in Ruddington :-(

Kiros, as always, ran beautifully winning every class that he went clear in and finishing the season as runner up in the Veteran League. He even managed to win the pairs with his pal Kizzy.

So onto Reno's performance!! 

No video's this time.  It's a shame as there were a couple of runs I'd have liked to have seen.

On the whole I think that we have improved since last Nuts but there are still some incredibly frustrating occurrences.

Saturday

Elementary Agility - Judge: Andrew Green - Started Jump/weaves so I took his Ball into the ring in the hope that Reno would attempt the weaves..............he didn't :-(

Elementary Tunnel Torment - Judge: Ann Miller

Although Ann judged this course I actually designed it and knew I'd struggle to keep Reno out of the tunnels.  I wasn't wrong but after I'd extracted him from them I ran 9-end beautifully!!

Elementary Jumping - Judge: Ann Miller

Ann designed this course and from the moment I saw it I couldn't wait to run it.  I knew Reno would do well in it and secretly hoped he'd go into the weaves.  He gave them a try but chose to go and look for his toy instead.  I managed to get him back and after another failed entry he completed them successfully so just 10f.

Elementary Gamblers - Judge: Pen Sensky - Although this was scheduled as an Agility class Pen had set the obstacles in a way that you could choose to do jumps and tunnels only.  This meant that I could amass a good amount of points for us by just sending Reno from tunnel to tunnel taking in the jumps in between.  We didn't attempt the Gamble as it had an A-frame in it but still managed 7th place in this class :-)

Sunday

Elementary Jumping - Judge: Di Polkey - Great start.  Even better finish with Reno working the handling section brilliantly.  Shame he wouldn't complete the 12 weaves in the middle of the course!!

Elementary Power and Tunnels - Judge: Paul Sensky - I can't believe what Reno did on this course.  The Power section started with the weaves so I took him up to them, held his collar and told him "poles" - he still chose to run past them and go into a tunnel!!!  After that he then did all of the contacts with a perfect stop at the end of each of them.  The tunnel section just blew his brain but he enjoyed it.

Elementary Agility - Judge: Jackie Boyd - In the same ring as the mornings Power and Tunnels so I foolishly expected the same behaviour on the contacts.  Obviously Reno can only stop on each contact once in a day.

Elementary Helter Skelter - Judge: Di Polkey - Saving the best till last!!  Lovely clear finishing in 3rd place (so I've been told the top 3 were separated by a very small margin)

The other course that I designed for Saturday was Starters + Tunnel Torment

Only a few more shows entered now - Chatsworth, Agility Nuts KC and Dog Vegas - so depending on the course may not run anymore Agility and just concentrate on Jumping and getting the weaves.

I've booked on a training session with Alistair Bray next Saturday.  To be quite honest I have no idea who he is or how he handles but thought a days training with new dogs in a different venue would do Reno a lot of good.  Wish me luck!!

Dress Rehearsal

Reno and I have decided that this year is just a "Dress Rehearsal" for next year!

2012 is going to be our year so watch out for great things :-)

So the rehearsal continued at the WDSDS Show yesterday.  Just Reno and Kiros competing as Ann has decided to give Harley a break. 

What a nice little show and contrastingly different to the KCI.  The only downside to it was the number of Dogs that left their rings to chase Dogs in the next ring (thankfully on only one occasion resulting in an attack).  Talk on the Forum has suggested that this type of behavior was on the increase but this was the first time I've actually witnessed it. 

Not sure why this show was so affected?  The rings were well spaced.  Maybe the show was frequented by less experienced handlers?  Maybe it was the Small and Large Dogs competing close to each other? (3 of the Dogs running out of the ring were Small) or maybe it's just that at bigger shows it's just less obvious?

Either way you had to feel sorry for the poor Lady that ran just before me in the 1-3 Jumping.  Her Dog was attacked by a Collie that flew in from no-where whilst she was setting it up at the start line and then, after she had composed herself, a Jack Russell ran at her Dog from that next ring whilst she was running the course!

Everyone was willing her to go clear on the re-run but unfortunately her Dog ran past the last jump :-(

Anyway......on to Reno's performance!!

Check out the Start line on all of the runs......they are for real with no editing.  What a difference a week makes?

Graded 3-5 Agility - Judge: Sue Leech - "It's all about the Contacts"!!  Jump, weave start that Reno seems to struggle with and this was no exception.  The pull through didn't work either but we know we have to practice this.  Two really great contacts so I decided to quit and praise.  The A-frame was especially good as Reno found a leaf at the bottom that he thought had to be targeted.

Combined 1-3 Jumping - Judge: Patrick Bray - Really interesting course with off set jumps that could be handled in several different ways.  It's fair to say that we had an excellent start and finish but it was a shame about the bit in the middle.  I really thought he was going to weave in this run but he lost confidence at the last second.

ABC Agility - Judge: Doc Docherty - Naughty See-Saw so repositioned and left the ring.  Probably for the best as we wouldn't have been able to do the bit after the A-Frame!!

Combined 1-5 Jumping - Judge: Anne-Marie Hill - Good start but Reno showed exactly what his problem is with the weaves.  If he gets the entry he struggles to keep going.  I'm hoping that this will improve when he realises that all the weaves he meets will have the same (larger) gaps. The end of the course was completely my fault as, for a fraction of a second, I couldn't work out what jump I was supposed to turn at!!

Kiros ran a lovely Veteran Jumping (unfortunately not on film).  Didn't manage a placing but had a great time.

Agility Nuts is next weekend.  Once more Ann and I are sharing Judging - This time Tunnel Torment Jumping and Jumping on Saturday leaving us Sunday to concentrate on our own Dogs.

My plan for this show was to take Reno's toy into the ring to train the weaves and contacts.  Not sure what to do now as we've had quite a bit of success recently without the toy and I don't want it to be another thing that I have to phase out?

Scunthorpe

My plan from now on is to record on my blog how Reno and I ran in on each course to provide me with something to look back upon and track our progress.  Hope it's not to boring for you...my avid followers!!! :-)

I have to say that this weekend was our most promising to date.  There are positives to be taken from every run. So here goes.............

Saturday 6th August 2011 (Not videoed as I forgot to take my camera to the ring!)

Graded 1-3 Jumping - Judge:  Emma Rouse - I loved this course, really unusual but flowing.  Reno got his weave entry but came out at about the 3rd pole so 5f. I put him back in and he competed all 12 brilliantly then just a refusal further on in the course when I didn't commit him to a jump before back crossing.  10f in total - Not Eliminated!!

Combined 1-3 Jumping - Judge: Bob Sharpe - It was obvious that this was going to be a good course with elements that suited Reno and our way of handling.  The start was tricky for us - two jumps straight into 6 weaves but with two tempting tunnels on either side.  I wasn't surprised when Reno chose a tunnel over the weaves - E!  I got him back on track but called him to early for a turn resulting in him landing in a heap before the jump and the "Three in a row" towards the end of the course didn't work. Reno and I seem to be struggling with this handling manoeuvre at the moment.

The heavens opened at lunch time so we decided not to do the Agility runs as I was going to use them for training.  Luckily there was a practice ring at this show so I was able to do some contact work there.

Sunday 7th August 2011

The first run on the movie is Kiros's Anysize jumping.  As you can see he had an amazing time but knocked the 1st pole.  Only Kiros could knock poles at that height:-)

CSJ C3-5 Agility - Judge: Gary Murphy - This is the only clip that I've included our entire "start line" on to save you getting very bored.  Unfortunately every one this weekend was similar.  After discussing this on our journey home Ann and I have come to the conclusion that I haven't been consistent enough with my "Sit" command and Reno doesn't actually know that it means bottom on the ground until I say "GO".  Homework required!! 

Despite the lack of "Sit" I was very please with this run.  Two lovely contacts and nice weaves.  I decided to quit while we were ahead and leave the ring so we could have a good game of tuggy and lots of sausage:-)

G3-5 Jumping - Judge: Michelle Guerin - Good start but Reno got a whiff of his toy and chose to find it rather then weaving.  My handling went a bit to pot after I brought him back but again his weaves were good.  I must learn when I 'm not going to be fast enough to put in a front cross.

G3-5 Jumping - Judge: Jackie Smith - Another lovely course but probably my worst handling of the weekend.  The only excuse I can offer was that I obviously gave up trying after I pushed Reno into the jump wing, rather then through the gap between the jumps, at the beginning.

Adams Derby - Judge: Bob Scott - Great 2o2o contacts in the "Power" section.  It's a shame they are so slow but I think I'd rather enforce the stop then work on the speed (that I know he is capable of) later.

I hadn't intended to do the "Speed" section.  To be honest I wasn't optimistic about getting through the "Power" but as we did I thought we may as well give it a go.  This was the hardest course of the weekend and although we got E'd I was pleased with how Reno attacked it.  Especially his weave entry even if he wasn't able to stay in them.

Reno was a little distracted at the top end of the course both in the "Power" and the "Speed" sections.  You can't see it on the movie but there was bag at the far end of the ring that must have had some smelly food in it!

Ann tried a few runs with Harley and, although he set of well on some of them, he allowed himself to become distracted after the first few obstacles.  He's such a strange boy as he always comes out of the ring wagging his tail like he's had the time of his life.  Anyone know a good Doggie Psychiatrist?!!

Next Saturday we are off to WBSDS Show.  We've never been to this one before, generally choosing the KCI Festival but as neither of us currently have a Dog that is competitive we thought we'd give something else a go.  Hopefully far less walking :-)

Holidays!!

I'm really not good at having Holidays. 

I was planning to take a full week off work starting with Empingham Show but managed to sneak in a couple of hours last Monday :-) before we headed down to Dorset on Tuesday.  The joy of being you own Boss!!

Empingham Show was very enjoyable.  I'm not sure why but I've always struggled to look forward to this show in the past (Maybe it's because I normally enter too many in July?) but this year it was almost perfect. Nice and relaxed.

All of the Grade 3 courses were well thought out and flowing.

This is Saturday's Grade 3 Jumping (our 1st run).  With Paul and Quincy showing us how it should have been done :-

Please excuse the strange banner across the beginning.  I've got a new camera that saves video's in a format the Movie Maker doesn't accept so I used this programme as it was free.  I didn't realise it would do this!!

Again our weekend of competing was encouraging and disappointing all in one!!

Reno wasn't reading my cue's very well on some occasions and then on others my cue's were way to late.

Both of his jumping courses on Saturday used green weaves that I felt were very difficult for him to see.  He ran passed this set but in his other jumping on Saturday he just missed the entry, going in at the second pole.

I was pleased with his Agility on Saturday as he stopped on the Dog Walk contact.  I'm trying to stop him going wrong in the ring so had planned to work him to the end of the first contact, praise him then leave the ring.

Paul was judging two of my courses on Sunday.  I worked on his ring all day and helped him set up both courses.  They were lovely and I was so looking forward to running both of them :-)

Optimistically I planned to do two contacts in the Agility - as the first one was the See-saw I felt sure he would stop on it.  Unfortunately he didn't so I held it down for him to correct himself, praised him then left the ring!

I can't believe I made such a hash of Paul's Jumping.  My timing was so far out but on a positive note Reno followed my handling perfectly - even going round two jumps because I didn't signal a change of direction.

It really doesn't surprise me that he'd totally lost confidence in me by the time we ran his last jumping with Reno more or less doing his own thing which included a perfect weave entry and completing a set of 12 weaves................yeahhhh!!

We did manage one clear round though................Pay on the Day Helter Skelter!!

The weather was glorious for our few day's in Dorset and the Boys made the most of it playing for hours on end in the Garden with their Friends.

Ollie still manages to get the better of Reno even though he's half his height.

Although he sometimes has to rely on Kiros to hold Reno down!!

It was a perfect opportunity to build Kiros's exercise back up gradually and (for once in his life!) he seemed quite sensible, not overdoing it.

On Ade's advice I've bought him a Bio-flow collar.  Ade has one of the bracelets and firmly believes that it keeps his aches and pains at bay.  We'll see how Kiros gets on with his.  Anything to help keep him comfortable.

Just had to finish with this photo.  Even though Reno is starting to show signs that he is growing up he couldn't resist sneaking onto the work top.  Bless him :-)