Reno's 3!!!

I'm so late in posting this but Reno and his fellow Kronik Kids celebrated their 3rd birthday on Monday.

It's hard to imagine he is that old as he really hasn't grown up yet.  But then looking at his Daddy I'm not sure he ever will!!

Not really much to report on the blog to be honest.  We have done a bit of training but it hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped as Reno has been quite naughty.  I think he's been getting too much attention :-)

Last weekend we had a lovely time down in Dorset so I thought I'd just post a few photo's of Doggies having fun.

Not sure what Kiros is saying to Reno and Ollie in this one?!!

Winter Nuts (and Training!)

Reno and I have improved so much over the last few weeks.  The training session with Anthony Clarke, together with Jo Rhodes Winter Training Plan, has contributed a lot to that improvement.

I am very guilty of analysing the style of trainers whose training I attend (perhaps that's the teacher in me always looking for new idea's!).  I'm not sure if Ant is a trained educator or if his style is completely natural, either way it is very effective.

If you were asked to literally answer the question, "What did I learn during the session?" you probably would answer "Nothing!".  

Ant is very much a "Facilitator".  He sets up exercises that he knows that everyone on the course has the knowledge and skill to negotiate (even if they don't think they do!!).  Then gives the participants the encouragement and confidence to succeed.

Part of the first sequence involved sending the dogs from a pipe tunnel, through the gap between two jumps and over the back of the jump on the left.  Almost without exception we all ran it the first time shouting strange commands to our dogs with them looking one way or the other and eventually making their own mind up what obstacle to take!!

Ant assured us that if we had trained our dog properly we could just run in a straight line with our arm out and they wouldn't take either of the obstacles to the side..........What a revelation!!  In fact I got so excited that it worked the first time I forgot to turn Reno after the jump and he just kept going onto another jump in the distance :-)

There were many more Eureka moments during the session but I won't bore you with them all.

I've also found a bit of time to do a bit of training with Reno on his weaves.  I'm just working on simple exercises with 4, then 6 and now onto 12 poles with the emphasis on getting it right.  This seems to be paying off as he is now getting his weaves quite consistently a NADTC.

I'm very aware that I seem to base my "training" posts around one off sessions that I've had with trainers and forget to mention the hard work that Jo Rhodes is putting into Reno and my development so I plan to rectify that now.

Jo has devised a plan to address the areas that Reno (and the other young dogs in our class) need to work on so we can all start next year's season with confidence.  We have just completed the first 5 weeks of that plan and ended up running a FCI World qualifying course.  The only thing I didn't attempt with Reno was the weave entry.  Apart from that (and breaking another weave pole!!) he ran beautifully.

Last Sunday was the first Agility Nuts of the Winter Series.

I judged the Agility in the morning so used Reno to test my Elementary course before it was walked.  I was really pleased with the course and, had I been judging Reno, he would of had 10f.  He knocked the pole 4 and had a run by at the dog walk but got his weave entry!!

I was a little disappointed to not have any clears in the Large class.

Elementary Agility

Starters Agility

Novice + Agility

I had to alter my Veterans course as First Contact supplied their rubber equipment.  Lovely though they are, we couldn't lower the A-Frame so it had to be left out.

So how did my boy's run?

Ann ran Kiros in the Agility and I had to mark one of his dog walk contacts!!  He had a pole down in the Up and Under Jumping but won the Jumping Class and the Power and Speed.

Reno:-

Elementary Jumping - Judge:- Zoe Dalby - Great wait and lovely start but I miss handled the jump before the weaves causing a refusal and then a missed weave entry.

Up and Under Jumping - Judge:- Pat Bishop - Lovely clear and 2nd place.  What a good boy :-) Just beaten by Vegas - the super fast Visla!

Why have a Malinois?

I haven't updated my blog for ages and was planning a big update last weekend but, somehow, it didn't feel appropriate after finding out that Conor and Katie had tragically lost Megan.

It's fair to say that every Dog is specially to their owners but I truly believe that Agility gives us a closer bond with our friends. In turn, every dog that we have to pleasure to spend time with enriches not just our lives but that of those around us.

My first encounter with Ronny's litter was in December 2008. The Pups were just 6 weeks old, the first time I'd met a litter that young, and I was there to pick Reno from the bunch. A task that I thought would be completely impossible!!

I took along a few toys for the baby's to play with and although they all loved playing with them (Megan was particularly keen on the tuggie) it was obvious which pup was Reno as he kept coming back to me for a cuddle. 

Even at this young age it was obvious that Megan knew who was boss by falling asleep on top of Reno.

The next time Reno met up with his litter mates was April 2009.  Ann and I had ventured down to a show at Newbury and we met Conor and Katie for the first time.  The pups had great fun playing with each other and Katie captured it all on camera.

Just before their 1st Birthday Katie and I booked Reno and Megan on a training day with Lucy Osborne.  This proved to be a great start to their Agility training and, of course, gave them another opportunity to bond with each other. 

Megan obviously understood Reno's favorite game - "I'm going to steel your toy and you're going to chase me for it"!!

Although we've met up again at several different shows regrettably this is the most recent photo that I have of the Pup's together.

Playing with Kiros and Harley. 

You can see how Reno got his idea for his game, can't you? :-)

At times like this it is very easy to dwell on regrets - Why didn't we make more time for the pups to play together? - particularly at Nut's Show?  Why did Reno take the pole in the Team Dash costing us a qualifying place?!! - but I'd rather remember the joy that Reno and Megan shared.

When I first started competing in Agility I envied my friends that had "breeds" for being part of a group of like minded people that could share their successes.

I knew that getting a Malinois would allow me to be part of a group like that but I didn't realise that getting a "Kronik Kid" would bring an even closer sense of belonging and closer friends - So................

Go Ronny, get that last win into Grade 7 and some Champ tickets to go with it!

Zippy, prove to everyone that you're a "chip off the old block".  We can't wait to cheer you on in Champ and at Olympia!

Speedy,  keep working on tightening those turns and you'll be soring through the grade's in no time!

Kody, teach your Mum and Dad everything that you know so they can help give Heidi the confidence to show her real potential!

And............

Reno, just have fun baby.  I love you so much!! xx