Here are a few of Cedar's tricks. He didn't seem to remember what Crawl was, but other than that did a pretty good job. He loves to learn and understands clicker training the best of all my boys....
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Monday, January 21, 2019
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Almost Famous!
I know! I know! I've been MIA for ages now and for that I feel very guilty! This was too cool not to share! I posted a video to my YouTube channel a while back and it was picked up by Right This Minute for a short segment. Cedar's zoomies actually went on for way more loops of the kitchen, but in the interest of time and attention span, it was edited just a bit. Check it out....
Monday, February 19, 2018
It Snowed!
Just the other day we had a 75 degree day! It was warm and wonderful. Just so very pleasant to be outside if you ignored all the mud.
Then, on Saturday afternoon and early evening, this happened.....
And now tomorrow it will once again be in the 70's! YAY! Washington, DC area weather can be very fickle!
Cedar had a blast in the snow! He ran around trying to catch snowflakes and pouncing here and there. He kept himself well entertained all by himself.
I need to update you on all my Facebook photos from last week, so stay tuned.....
Then, on Saturday afternoon and early evening, this happened.....
And now tomorrow it will once again be in the 70's! YAY! Washington, DC area weather can be very fickle!
Cedar had a blast in the snow! He ran around trying to catch snowflakes and pouncing here and there. He kept himself well entertained all by himself.
I need to update you on all my Facebook photos from last week, so stay tuned.....
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Thursday, July 13, 2017
No Fear!
I see this doe almost every time I go out for a walk. She has no fear of me. Mainly, she is just curious. Even the dogs cause her to be curious. I am sure if Jimmy could just shut up for a moment, she would walk up and sniff noses.
Deer go by my fence all the time. It gives my dogs lots of exercise ;-)
Deer go by my fence all the time. It gives my dogs lots of exercise ;-)
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Saturday, April 8, 2017
The NAC Report: A Fantastic Weekend!
This year's AKC National Agility Championship (NAC) was held March 24th, 25th, and 26th at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. This was a wonderful venue and we had perfect weather!
This site had beautifully groomed dirt rings that were neither too deep of footing nor too hard.
Jimmy and I had a wonderful experience! If you are a long time reader, you may recall our last time attending this big event didn't go so well. I went into this NAC with much more confidence plus Jimmy is now running in the 8 inch class instead of 12. I did not need to worry about bar-knocking nearly as much.
We had five runs over the course of Friday through Sunday. An optional warm-up Standard run on Friday morning that was purely for practice and getting the dogs used to the footing. You could even take a toy in the ring! We had a bobble at # 2 to #3 but nothing to worry about. Here is the map:
And more importantly, the video:
Later in the day came the first "real" course, Premier Standard. While this course did not count toward the championship, you could actually earn a leg toward your title. Premier is a trickier version of the regular Standard with a shorter amount of time to get it done. Here's the map:
You can see it holds a few similarities to the warm-up run so those of us who ran the warm-up either had dogs who thought they knew where they were going and went off-course, or were primed for this version. Fortunately Jimmy was primed! We qualified and even came in 10th which is really good at a big event like this! The standard course time was 65 seconds and we did it in 43.51 seconds.
For whatever reason, the AKC awarded their prettiest ribbon for this run (not counting the BIG ribbons at the end of the weekend). Look how nice....
Once we had finished this run, the rest of the day could be devoted to visiting all the vendors. This show gets lots of them! I've always loved Paco Collars, and they had a booth! The temptation was too great so Jimmy came home with a new collar as "his" souvenir (yeah, right! That would be "my" souvenir)....
Saturday's runs were Standard and Jumpers. Have a look at the maps:
Standard was in the morning, and we cleared the first hurdle and had a successful dogwalk contact. Once I saw the video however, I think we were just lucky on that and the judge was generous. Next was the tricky box after the weave poles. That area was my biggest worry and while I don't think it felt smooth, we made it through cleanly! Over the Aframe and down the line of a triple then double jump. I hear a tick as Jimmy's toenail hit the triple and down goes the bar! SIGH! Watching the video, I think I got too far ahead, causing Jimmy to get off-stride. We were so close to the end. At this event a knocked bar deducts points but is not a full disqualification. So we ended our run with a good time but a score of 95. A slow dog with a perfect score of 100 would beat us.
My Standard video:
Jumpers came later in the day. An interesting course with lots of opportunity to either knock a bar or go off-course. Fortunately, Jimmy did neither! Yay! We had a clean run, finishing in 32.77 with a standard course time of 51 seconds.
My JWW video:
Sunday had an incredibly early start! We needed to be on site for a 6:15AM walk-thru of our Hybrid run! Yes, 6:15AM! Add to that the fact my hotel was a full 40 minutes away, plus parking, getting the boys settled in their crates, etc. Hybrid is a combo of Jumpers and Standard, but no dogwalk (yay!) and shorter standard course times to meet. Here is the map:
The concerning areas on this course were #3 through #7 and making sure the dogs didn't go to the weaves after #9, and #13 to the weaves as # 17 was a big distraction/off-course possiblity. Our only near-bobble was in that last section. I almost forgot to send Jimmy over #13! So close to missing that jump but we didn't. Whew! Nerves at a big event really mess with you! The standard course time was 53 seconds but Jimmy only needed 34.20 to finish up.
The Hybrid run:
This site had beautifully groomed dirt rings that were neither too deep of footing nor too hard.
Jimmy and I had a wonderful experience! If you are a long time reader, you may recall our last time attending this big event didn't go so well. I went into this NAC with much more confidence plus Jimmy is now running in the 8 inch class instead of 12. I did not need to worry about bar-knocking nearly as much.
We had five runs over the course of Friday through Sunday. An optional warm-up Standard run on Friday morning that was purely for practice and getting the dogs used to the footing. You could even take a toy in the ring! We had a bobble at # 2 to #3 but nothing to worry about. Here is the map:
And more importantly, the video:
Later in the day came the first "real" course, Premier Standard. While this course did not count toward the championship, you could actually earn a leg toward your title. Premier is a trickier version of the regular Standard with a shorter amount of time to get it done. Here's the map:
You can see it holds a few similarities to the warm-up run so those of us who ran the warm-up either had dogs who thought they knew where they were going and went off-course, or were primed for this version. Fortunately Jimmy was primed! We qualified and even came in 10th which is really good at a big event like this! The standard course time was 65 seconds and we did it in 43.51 seconds.
Here's the run:
 |
| Photo by Great Dane Photos |
For whatever reason, the AKC awarded their prettiest ribbon for this run (not counting the BIG ribbons at the end of the weekend). Look how nice....
Once we had finished this run, the rest of the day could be devoted to visiting all the vendors. This show gets lots of them! I've always loved Paco Collars, and they had a booth! The temptation was too great so Jimmy came home with a new collar as "his" souvenir (yeah, right! That would be "my" souvenir)....
Saturday's runs were Standard and Jumpers. Have a look at the maps:
Standard was in the morning, and we cleared the first hurdle and had a successful dogwalk contact. Once I saw the video however, I think we were just lucky on that and the judge was generous. Next was the tricky box after the weave poles. That area was my biggest worry and while I don't think it felt smooth, we made it through cleanly! Over the Aframe and down the line of a triple then double jump. I hear a tick as Jimmy's toenail hit the triple and down goes the bar! SIGH! Watching the video, I think I got too far ahead, causing Jimmy to get off-stride. We were so close to the end. At this event a knocked bar deducts points but is not a full disqualification. So we ended our run with a good time but a score of 95. A slow dog with a perfect score of 100 would beat us.
 |
| Photo by Great Dane Photos |
Jumpers came later in the day. An interesting course with lots of opportunity to either knock a bar or go off-course. Fortunately, Jimmy did neither! Yay! We had a clean run, finishing in 32.77 with a standard course time of 51 seconds.
My JWW video:
 |
| Photo by Great Dane Photos |
Sunday had an incredibly early start! We needed to be on site for a 6:15AM walk-thru of our Hybrid run! Yes, 6:15AM! Add to that the fact my hotel was a full 40 minutes away, plus parking, getting the boys settled in their crates, etc. Hybrid is a combo of Jumpers and Standard, but no dogwalk (yay!) and shorter standard course times to meet. Here is the map:
The concerning areas on this course were #3 through #7 and making sure the dogs didn't go to the weaves after #9, and #13 to the weaves as # 17 was a big distraction/off-course possiblity. Our only near-bobble was in that last section. I almost forgot to send Jimmy over #13! So close to missing that jump but we didn't. Whew! Nerves at a big event really mess with you! The standard course time was 53 seconds but Jimmy only needed 34.20 to finish up.
The Hybrid run:
 |
| Photo by Great Dane Photos |
So, after all those runs where did it leave us? We fully qualified in our Jumpers and Hybrid run and had just a knocked bar in Standard. Our times were pretty speedy in all the runs. So we ended with a score of 295 instead of a perfect 300. In the Preferred class there were 52 eight inch teams, and we finished in the #20 spot. Not too bad all things considered. If it hadn't been for the knocked bar, our times were good enough that we would have been #7!
I had tons of fun at this event! I spent time with good friends, enjoyed the challenge of the courses, and was glad that even old man Wilson could come along for the ride!
When the event was over and I headed back to the hotel for the last time, I will confess to feeling a bit bittersweet. This will definitely be Jimmy's very last Nat'l Championship. He turns 10 next month and I have no plans to push him for another qualification. Plus, next year the NAC is back in Reno, NV, way too far away. His career will be winding down in 2017 with less trials and training. We do have one more big event planned at the end of April/beginning of May. We will head to Ohio for the Cardigan National Specialty and an agility trial of JUST Cardis! I haven't gone to that annual event in several years so this will be FUN!
Friday, March 10, 2017
The Weekend Report: Better Late than Never!
Here it is Friday, and I I have yet to post about an agility trial we went to this past weekend. Looking at my stats, I know these are the least popular of my blog posts, but really I do them for my record keeping. As Jimmy's career winds down, I don't want to leave an incomplete story.
This one was out at the beloved farm in Reva, Va. Here on the East Coast, at least in Virginia, we have had an incredibly warm and snow-less winter. Late February and early March have been in the 60's! So what happens when I have an agility trial in an unheated barn? The coldest air of the year moves in! LOL! Both mornings started in the low 20's and made it only as far as the 40's. But it was still sunny and gorgeous. The dogs all loved it and the humans just had to wear long underwear.
I'm not going to do a blow by blow description of what went on. Suffice it to say, Jimmy had a very good weekend, earning the blue ribbon in three out of four runs. In our only NQ (non-qualifying) run Jimmy knocked a bar after a tunnel. That is usually an indication that I got too far ahead and his stride was out of whack trying to catch up.
The judge this weekend was one I don't remember showing to before. His courses where pleasantly challenging and very good practice for our upcoming trip the the Championship.
Here are three of the maps, one went missing.....
And I have one video......
So I have one more trial this weekend before the NAC. I chose just one day, Sunday. And guess what?! It is supposed to snow that day! Enough to mess with the roads! LOL!
This one was out at the beloved farm in Reva, Va. Here on the East Coast, at least in Virginia, we have had an incredibly warm and snow-less winter. Late February and early March have been in the 60's! So what happens when I have an agility trial in an unheated barn? The coldest air of the year moves in! LOL! Both mornings started in the low 20's and made it only as far as the 40's. But it was still sunny and gorgeous. The dogs all loved it and the humans just had to wear long underwear.
I'm not going to do a blow by blow description of what went on. Suffice it to say, Jimmy had a very good weekend, earning the blue ribbon in three out of four runs. In our only NQ (non-qualifying) run Jimmy knocked a bar after a tunnel. That is usually an indication that I got too far ahead and his stride was out of whack trying to catch up.
The judge this weekend was one I don't remember showing to before. His courses where pleasantly challenging and very good practice for our upcoming trip the the Championship.
Here are three of the maps, one went missing.....
And I have one video......
So I have one more trial this weekend before the NAC. I chose just one day, Sunday. And guess what?! It is supposed to snow that day! Enough to mess with the roads! LOL!
Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
QQ#20:
Masters JWW legs: 55...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15 MJPS Title
Masters STD legs: 48...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 14(out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 1538
Masters JWW legs: 55...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15 MJPS Title
Masters STD legs: 48...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 14(out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 1538
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Silly Saturday - Jimmy Finds a Frisbee
I think we could all use a laugh these days. It truly is the best medicine. Jimmy is more than happy to provide it! Here he is "playing" with a frisbee we found on the beach.
He's just not normal!!!
Friday, December 9, 2016
If You See Something, SAY Something!
My highly efficient Homeland Security agents hard at work! I feel so safe!
Monday, June 27, 2016
The Weekend Report: Jimmy Was on Fire!
This weekend was another agility trial given by the Potomac Valley Golden Retrieve Club. Jimmy definitely had his game on, as we qualified in all four runs with all 1st places! That hasn't happened since last October. We had great judges who designed fun, fast courses.
I had both my Standard runs caught on camera.
This is Saturday's:
And, for Sunday, first the map. This was a very challenging course with many places to lose your dog to an off-course obstacle. It was closely spaced and was especially hard for the bigger dogs with their longer strides. The two worst spots were Jump #11 to Table #12, and the Weave Poles #14 to Jump #15 which was actually a backside.
Here's Jimmy doing a great job on a tough course:
I had both my Standard runs caught on camera.
This is Saturday's:
And, for Sunday, first the map. This was a very challenging course with many places to lose your dog to an off-course obstacle. It was closely spaced and was especially hard for the bigger dogs with their longer strides. The two worst spots were Jump #11 to Table #12, and the Weave Poles #14 to Jump #15 which was actually a backside.
Here's Jimmy doing a great job on a tough course:
AKC Nationals 2017: Perry, GA
Double-Q's: 9 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 524 (out of 550 needed)
Double-Q's: 9 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 524 (out of 550 needed)
Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
QQ#20:
Masters JWW legs: 42...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 39...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 6 (out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need, so I'm not even going to track them!)
Masters JWW legs: 42...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 39...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 6 (out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need, so I'm not even going to track them!)
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Chewy.com: Another Puzzle Review!
This month I chose to review another Outward Hound food puzzle as my item from Chewy.com .
I reviewed a different one back in January that was much too easy for my guys. This Doggy Blocks puzzle was much more of a challenge for both of them. It wasn't so much that they didn't know how to get to the food, but that as they drooled and dripped all over the yellow blocks, it became too slippery to grip. This was especially true for Jimmy who has an underbite making his grip even less effective. The yellow blocks had very smooth top edges so there was no way to hold on once the block was lifted. You can see in the video where even I had a hard time getting a grip! It really needed a little rim for their teeth to catch on. Jimmy got very frustrated and just asked me to help. Wilson did manage to remove a couple blocks but then didn't want to try to spin the bottom layer to reveal more treats. He just started trying to peel the plastic layer back and actually got his tooth caught. He had full intentions of pulling the toy apart. Here is a picture of some damage he did in just one bite....
Here's Jimmy's video. I let the camera roll for quite a while since Jimmy was struggling with it....
Wilson's video is pretty long as well.....
As with any plastic food toy, I would never give my dogs this and then walk away. It was way too easy for Wilson to damage the plastic as well as getting his tooth caught. I do not believe this would be a good puzzle for a strong dog who would try to pull it apart with his teeth. It is probably best for a more gentle dog. All in all, I would say this is a challenging puzzle that should provide good mental stimulation under proper supervision. It is very important to keep an eye on your dog when playing with items like this!
Now for the customary disclaimer: Chewy.com is not in any way responsible for the content of this review. I was given the product at no cost in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are mine and based on how I saw my dogs interact with the toy.
I do want to thank Chewy.com for allowing me to participate in this fun review program! Additionally, I would like to give a pat on the back to their shipping department. One night after dinner, I was washing the dog bowls. I use big, heavy ceramic bowls and one of them slipped from my hand as I was sudsing it. We have granite counters and the bowl banged the granite that was around the sink. Of course, it did not survive a blow like that! We have a particular design on our bowls, a matching set for the boys and also their water bowl. So I wanted to get the exact same bowl again.Googling it, it came up on Chewy.com with the best price so I placed my order. Check out this amazing customer service...Ordered at 7:05 PM and shipped at 10:15 PM! Pretty darn impressive!
I reviewed a different one back in January that was much too easy for my guys. This Doggy Blocks puzzle was much more of a challenge for both of them. It wasn't so much that they didn't know how to get to the food, but that as they drooled and dripped all over the yellow blocks, it became too slippery to grip. This was especially true for Jimmy who has an underbite making his grip even less effective. The yellow blocks had very smooth top edges so there was no way to hold on once the block was lifted. You can see in the video where even I had a hard time getting a grip! It really needed a little rim for their teeth to catch on. Jimmy got very frustrated and just asked me to help. Wilson did manage to remove a couple blocks but then didn't want to try to spin the bottom layer to reveal more treats. He just started trying to peel the plastic layer back and actually got his tooth caught. He had full intentions of pulling the toy apart. Here is a picture of some damage he did in just one bite....
Here's Jimmy's video. I let the camera roll for quite a while since Jimmy was struggling with it....
Wilson's video is pretty long as well.....
As with any plastic food toy, I would never give my dogs this and then walk away. It was way too easy for Wilson to damage the plastic as well as getting his tooth caught. I do not believe this would be a good puzzle for a strong dog who would try to pull it apart with his teeth. It is probably best for a more gentle dog. All in all, I would say this is a challenging puzzle that should provide good mental stimulation under proper supervision. It is very important to keep an eye on your dog when playing with items like this!
Now for the customary disclaimer: Chewy.com is not in any way responsible for the content of this review. I was given the product at no cost in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are mine and based on how I saw my dogs interact with the toy.
I do want to thank Chewy.com for allowing me to participate in this fun review program! Additionally, I would like to give a pat on the back to their shipping department. One night after dinner, I was washing the dog bowls. I use big, heavy ceramic bowls and one of them slipped from my hand as I was sudsing it. We have granite counters and the bowl banged the granite that was around the sink. Of course, it did not survive a blow like that! We have a particular design on our bowls, a matching set for the boys and also their water bowl. So I wanted to get the exact same bowl again.Googling it, it came up on Chewy.com with the best price so I placed my order. Check out this amazing customer service...Ordered at 7:05 PM and shipped at 10:15 PM! Pretty darn impressive!
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| Click to enlarge so it is easier to read. |
The Weekend Report: Better Late than Never!
Here it is Thursday already and I haven't even posted Jimmy's videos and results from last weekend's agility trial given by the Weimaraner Club. Of course with Monday having been Wilson's thirteeth birthday, he was the one that earned the blogging rights for that day!
We had a very successful weekend, qualifying in three out of our four runs. All of our "Q's"" were first place, and our one unsuccessful run had only a small mistake (captured on video!).
The videos are from Saturday and the first one is our Standard run. I'll let you find the mistake.....
And here is Jumpers for a nice blue ribbon (and canned dog food for Jimmy's post-run reward!)
We had a very successful weekend, qualifying in three out of our four runs. All of our "Q's"" were first place, and our one unsuccessful run had only a small mistake (captured on video!).
The videos are from Saturday and the first one is our Standard run. I'll let you find the mistake.....
And here is Jumpers for a nice blue ribbon (and canned dog food for Jimmy's post-run reward!)
Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
QQ#20:
Masters JWW legs: 40...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 36...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 3 (out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need, so I'm not even going to track them!)
Masters JWW legs: 40...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 36...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 3 (out of 20 needed)
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need, so I'm not even going to track them!)
Sunday, May 1, 2016
The Weekend Report: A Premiere Double-Q!
It was a very rainy weekend here in the mid-Atlantic region, so there was no better way to spend it than at an (indoor!) agility trial. Jimmy qualified in five of his six runs, with four 1st places and a 2nd place. He qualified in BOTH of his Premiere runs. Fortunately we had another dog running against us this time, so the runs even counted for his Top 25% requirement!
I have lots of video to share. I won't give a long, boring description of each run. I'll let the video do the talking!
First, only the Premiere maps this time....Jumpers was particularly challenging, but alas it is not on video.
Here is Saturday's Standard Premiere run:
We had a nice run in the regular Standard as well. It has a lot of similarities to Premiere...
Our Jumpers run was going so nicely until right near the end. Jimmy ticked the second to last jump bar and down it went. Oops!
Sunday started with the Jumpers Premiere followed by this Standard run.....
And finally Sunday's Jumpers run. All the bars stayed up this time. This was a very tricky course, nearly a hard as the Premiere version....
We also earned 77 points over the course of the weekend. A nice tally toward our National Championship requirement for next year! Plus Premiere counted as a Double'Q as you don't need to get them on the same day like you do with the regular STD/JWW. We made some real progress on our NAC requirements! Yay!
I almost forgot! Adding this as an update.....Since this was the first trial after Jimmy's PACH last weekend, I brought the traditional cake as well as my PACH bar for friends to sign....
I have lots of video to share. I won't give a long, boring description of each run. I'll let the video do the talking!
First, only the Premiere maps this time....Jumpers was particularly challenging, but alas it is not on video.
Here is Saturday's Standard Premiere run:
We had a nice run in the regular Standard as well. It has a lot of similarities to Premiere...
Our Jumpers run was going so nicely until right near the end. Jimmy ticked the second to last jump bar and down it went. Oops!
Sunday started with the Jumpers Premiere followed by this Standard run.....
And finally Sunday's Jumpers run. All the bars stayed up this time. This was a very tricky course, nearly a hard as the Premiere version....
We also earned 77 points over the course of the weekend. A nice tally toward our National Championship requirement for next year! Plus Premiere counted as a Double'Q as you don't need to get them on the same day like you do with the regular STD/JWW. We made some real progress on our NAC requirements! Yay!
I almost forgot! Adding this as an update.....Since this was the first trial after Jimmy's PACH last weekend, I brought the traditional cake as well as my PACH bar for friends to sign....
Tracking Jimmy's PACH 2 progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
Very 1st Double-Q: Sunday 5/1/2016
QQ#20:
Masters JWW legs: 37...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 34...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 1 !!!
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need!)
AKC Nationals 2017: Perry, GA
Double-Q's: 4 (out of 7 needed)
Masters JWW legs: 37...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 34...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 1 !!!
PACH Points: 792 (We are starting with all the points we need!)
AKC Nationals 2017: Perry, GA
Double-Q's: 4 (out of 7 needed)
Premiere QQ's: 1Points: 270 (out of 550 needed)
Premiere legs:
STD: 1 Top25: 1 (out of 25 legs needed, yikes!)
JWW: 2 Top25: 1 (out of 25 legs needed)
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
The Weekend Report: Back on Track!
This weekend report holds so much news it is hitting the stands a couple days several days late! This trial was held by the Capital Dog Training Club.
The best news of the weekend is that Jimmy seemed like his normal speedy self and after a full weekend of agility didn't seem sore or gimpy. No bars went down this weekend so he seems to be jumping just fine! Yay!
The first news segment is that this weekend Jimmy and I tried the new Premiere class AKC recently started offering. It is much more challenging than the normal Masters level classes, with faster speeds expected, harder weave entries, back-side jumps, just generally all around more challenging for both the dog and the handler. I tried both the Standard and the Jumpers versions and of course I video'd the one I did not qualify in, go figure. It was definitely handler errors that did us in and you can really see the moment when I got disgusted with myself. LOL! It was still very fun and I truly wasn't worried about qualifying. This particular game leads to yet another big title but the requirements are steep enough I don't planning on earning it. We will just dabble....
Here are the maps so you can see the challenges.....
Our Standard run went south after the weave poles. I lagged back too far and couldn't get in a side change soon enough, so I then couldn't get Jimmy to the backside of jump # 8, which then messed up #9. This was the one tough area and we didn't make it through. Oh, well, the rest was great. Here's the video....it's noisy so turn down your speakers first!
Our next run was Standard. This run was similar to the Premiere version with a few differences. Jimmy stuck to his dogwalk contact like a good boy and we went on to finish successfully! First place and 29 more points toward our tiny 2017 AKC Nationals pot.
Jumpers came next and although it really wasn't too difficult, I didn't support one of the last jumps well enough and Jimmy skipped it. I was annoyed with myself! When I got out of the ring, I learned Jimmy had actually popped out of the weaves too early, so I was off the hook! LOL!
Maps:
And finally came the Premiere Jumpers run. It had some tricky spots and those had Jimmy barking at me in frustration. He couldn't believe I knew where I was going! But he was a good by and jerked his way through the odd twists and turns. I got lazy and didn't ask anyone to video us. Of course that guarantees a Q. Oops! Jimmy was the only dog in his height class so we got the blue ribbon by default. There were not a lot of Q's across all the heights, so Jim did a very good job!
After Premiere JWW was over, the club offered a very special class for the "veterans". Our older dogs were given a chance to go back in the ring and play. Although it was open to dogs 7 and older, I think everyone who entered had a dog in their teens or very close. There wasn't a dry eye in the place as the old partners took one more turn around the ring, albeit a short run. I think the oldest dog was 15 and there was even a Pembroke Corgi in a cart (the bars were removed from the jumps). That one really had everyone choked up! Of course, I entered Wilson! Despite his recent practice, he was so excited he ran right past the first three jumps. He had a blast and really thought it was the real thing. He wanted a treat at the end!
I have video!
Jumpers was an interesting run, circling around the weaves and coming back to them near the end. My moves got a bit off cue on #8 to #9 and Jimmy saved my butt! Yay! He kept moving and didn't back jump #9. We made it through the rest successfully and there we had it! Double-Q # 19!!!! Every trial from here on will be an attempt at Jimmy's big PACH title. This is similar to his MACH but achieved at one jump height lower. So now I'll have ring nerves even worse than usual!
So we had success on four out of six runs, 3 blue ribbons, one red ribbon and a beautiful Veteran's ribbon for Wilson. Plus lots of good friends to visit with. All in all, a pretty great weekend!
And, yes, this huge post ate up any chances of a Wordless Wednesday post. There's just never enough time it seems.
Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 34...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 31...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 19 !!!
PACH Points: 1492
AKC Nationals 2017: Perry, GA
Double-Q's: 2 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 131 (out of 550 needed)
The best news of the weekend is that Jimmy seemed like his normal speedy self and after a full weekend of agility didn't seem sore or gimpy. No bars went down this weekend so he seems to be jumping just fine! Yay!
The first news segment is that this weekend Jimmy and I tried the new Premiere class AKC recently started offering. It is much more challenging than the normal Masters level classes, with faster speeds expected, harder weave entries, back-side jumps, just generally all around more challenging for both the dog and the handler. I tried both the Standard and the Jumpers versions and of course I video'd the one I did not qualify in, go figure. It was definitely handler errors that did us in and you can really see the moment when I got disgusted with myself. LOL! It was still very fun and I truly wasn't worried about qualifying. This particular game leads to yet another big title but the requirements are steep enough I don't planning on earning it. We will just dabble....
Here are the maps so you can see the challenges.....
Our Standard run went south after the weave poles. I lagged back too far and couldn't get in a side change soon enough, so I then couldn't get Jimmy to the backside of jump # 8, which then messed up #9. This was the one tough area and we didn't make it through. Oh, well, the rest was great. Here's the video....it's noisy so turn down your speakers first!
Our next run was Standard. This run was similar to the Premiere version with a few differences. Jimmy stuck to his dogwalk contact like a good boy and we went on to finish successfully! First place and 29 more points toward our tiny 2017 AKC Nationals pot.
Jumpers came next and although it really wasn't too difficult, I didn't support one of the last jumps well enough and Jimmy skipped it. I was annoyed with myself! When I got out of the ring, I learned Jimmy had actually popped out of the weaves too early, so I was off the hook! LOL!
Maps:
And finally came the Premiere Jumpers run. It had some tricky spots and those had Jimmy barking at me in frustration. He couldn't believe I knew where I was going! But he was a good by and jerked his way through the odd twists and turns. I got lazy and didn't ask anyone to video us. Of course that guarantees a Q. Oops! Jimmy was the only dog in his height class so we got the blue ribbon by default. There were not a lot of Q's across all the heights, so Jim did a very good job!
After Premiere JWW was over, the club offered a very special class for the "veterans". Our older dogs were given a chance to go back in the ring and play. Although it was open to dogs 7 and older, I think everyone who entered had a dog in their teens or very close. There wasn't a dry eye in the place as the old partners took one more turn around the ring, albeit a short run. I think the oldest dog was 15 and there was even a Pembroke Corgi in a cart (the bars were removed from the jumps). That one really had everyone choked up! Of course, I entered Wilson! Despite his recent practice, he was so excited he ran right past the first three jumps. He had a blast and really thought it was the real thing. He wanted a treat at the end!
I have video!
He got a very pretty ribbon for his efforts......
I made him model it when he got home.....He wasn't thrilled. LOL!
Sunday had a couple of challenging Standard and Jumpers courses (I did not sign up for the Premiere ones on Sunday, too much money for all those entry fees!)
Maps:
Standard was first, and for us the biggest challenge was the dogwalk through #3-#6. I needed Jimmy to stick his dogwalk contact, not take #4 before #3 and get going toward #6 correctly.
I've got video! (Thanks Chris!) Jimmy did a nice fast job and earned a 2nd place ribbon.
Jumpers was an interesting run, circling around the weaves and coming back to them near the end. My moves got a bit off cue on #8 to #9 and Jimmy saved my butt! Yay! He kept moving and didn't back jump #9. We made it through the rest successfully and there we had it! Double-Q # 19!!!! Every trial from here on will be an attempt at Jimmy's big PACH title. This is similar to his MACH but achieved at one jump height lower. So now I'll have ring nerves even worse than usual!
So we had success on four out of six runs, 3 blue ribbons, one red ribbon and a beautiful Veteran's ribbon for Wilson. Plus lots of good friends to visit with. All in all, a pretty great weekend!
And, yes, this huge post ate up any chances of a Wordless Wednesday post. There's just never enough time it seems.
Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 34...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 31...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 19 !!!
PACH Points: 1492
AKC Nationals 2017: Perry, GA
Double-Q's: 2 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 131 (out of 550 needed)
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Watch Wilson on Wordless Wednesday
I can't go completely wordless with this one.....This was Wilson, filling in for Jimmy, at our weekly class last Tuesday. He doesn't do agility on a regular basis anymore, but he sure nailed this short course. He might not be as speedy as Jim but he was still having a lot of fun! Not too shabby for being on the cusp of thirteen!
Monday, February 15, 2016
Jimmy Jumps for Agility!
Once again, this is something I posted to FaceBook first, but for those of you who might have missed it......
The big Westminster Kennel Club show kicks off with an agility trial. This year Fox Sports network televised the whole competition. Jimmy had A LOT to say to those dogs about how they should be doing it! He watched the whole trial and was exhausted by the time it was over!
Be sure to turn down your speakers first!
Wilson has absolutely no idea what TV is and has never focused on the screen. That's too bad because I am sure I could have gotten a Wordless Wednesday out of it....Wild Wilson Watched Westmintster! But alas, it's not to be!
The big Westminster Kennel Club show kicks off with an agility trial. This year Fox Sports network televised the whole competition. Jimmy had A LOT to say to those dogs about how they should be doing it! He watched the whole trial and was exhausted by the time it was over!
Be sure to turn down your speakers first!
Wilson has absolutely no idea what TV is and has never focused on the screen. That's too bad because I am sure I could have gotten a Wordless Wednesday out of it....Wild Wilson Watched Westmintster! But alas, it's not to be!
Monday, February 1, 2016
The Weekend Report: QQ#18 !!!
This weekend Jimmy and I went to an agility trial given by the Oriole Dog Training Club. After all the snow we have had, and being cooped up indoors for days, I didn't know what to expect from Jimmy. I kind of figured he would be a wild monkey. He surprised me by being nicely focused and accurate! What a good boy!
We had a couple of fairly technical courses that had lots of opportunities for mistakes, plus the building had support poles we had to avoid. The floor padding was blue which makes a different feel as well.
The Standard run came first. As always, I pretty much cross my fingers and hope Jimmy will get his dogwalk contact. This one had an off-course tunnel near by to add to the challenge. I got lucky and he did it right! We were through the hardest part! The rest was mainly run fast and get past one of the ceiling poles that was right next to a jump. We ended cleanly, yay! Jimmy earned second place for this run, being beaten by over a second by his Pemmie "girlfriend" that he trains with a lot.
And I actually got video this time! (Thanks Darlene!)....
And then our Jumpers run.....mainly a tricky weave entry and a couple of off-course possibilities....And, yes, more video:
So there we had it, a double-Q to start off the season! Woohoo! This was #18 so just two more to go until we earn our PACH.
Here are the maps for those that like that sort of thing.....
I had also signed up for a new game the AKC has recently added called Premier. It's a harder, more challenging course in either Jumpers or Standard format. I was looking forward to trying it, but the day was moving along so slowly I would have needed to wait another couple of hours to run. I had a long drive home and just didn't have it in me to wait. But here's the map:
We've also started over qualifying for another Nat'l Agility Championship, so this was my first of 7 double-Qs we will need.
Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 32...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 29...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 18
PACH Points: 1375
AKC Nationals 2017: Location TBD
Double-Q's: 1 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 44 (out of 550 needed)
We had a couple of fairly technical courses that had lots of opportunities for mistakes, plus the building had support poles we had to avoid. The floor padding was blue which makes a different feel as well.
The Standard run came first. As always, I pretty much cross my fingers and hope Jimmy will get his dogwalk contact. This one had an off-course tunnel near by to add to the challenge. I got lucky and he did it right! We were through the hardest part! The rest was mainly run fast and get past one of the ceiling poles that was right next to a jump. We ended cleanly, yay! Jimmy earned second place for this run, being beaten by over a second by his Pemmie "girlfriend" that he trains with a lot.
And I actually got video this time! (Thanks Darlene!)....
And then our Jumpers run.....mainly a tricky weave entry and a couple of off-course possibilities....And, yes, more video:
So there we had it, a double-Q to start off the season! Woohoo! This was #18 so just two more to go until we earn our PACH.
Here are the maps for those that like that sort of thing.....
I had also signed up for a new game the AKC has recently added called Premier. It's a harder, more challenging course in either Jumpers or Standard format. I was looking forward to trying it, but the day was moving along so slowly I would have needed to wait another couple of hours to run. I had a long drive home and just didn't have it in me to wait. But here's the map:
We've also started over qualifying for another Nat'l Agility Championship, so this was my first of 7 double-Qs we will need.
Tracking Jimmy's PACH progress:
Very 1st Double-Q: Saturday 06/21/2014
Masters JWW legs: 32...MJP Title 01/25/15 MJPB 10/11/15
Masters STD legs: 29...MXP Title!10/24/14 MXPB 10/11/15
Double Q's: 18
PACH Points: 1375
AKC Nationals 2017: Location TBD
Double-Q's: 1 (out of 7 needed)
Points: 44 (out of 550 needed)
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
My "State of the Blog Address"
Here at the start of a new year, as well as when the annual Pet Bloggers Challenge is ongoing, and even the Presidential State of the Union, it seems fitting to see where things are here on A Tail of Two Cardis.
You've probably noticed things seem a bit slow. There was a time I could be counted on to post several times a week. That winnowed down to just a couple, and now I am thrilled if I can still come up with Wilson's Wordless Wednesday! I'm not really sure why. If you recall, back in late July, I was laid off from my job. While that seems like it should have given me endless time to blog, I learned I didn't want to squander my new freedom in front of my PC! When not job hunting, I wanted to be outside, enjoying daylight, getting exercise (it was so wonderful not to sit all day, everyday!), and even doing long neglected household chores. While I still lugged my camera everywhere I went, I didn't use it very often. I think the very best part of these last six months has been all the extra time I could spend with the dogs. Wilson will soon be 13 and while that's not super old for a corgi, I do see the signs of old age. One thing's for sure, the dogs and I definitely got in better shape!
I didn't really want to run through the questions asked by the Pet Bloggers Challenge. I don't write this blog for the purpose of teaching about dogs or promoting dog related products. I do love writing my monthly Chewy.com review as it is a good challenge to come up with something fresh and hopefully interesting. They really do seem to be a great company so I am happy to help spread the word. The only true reason I blog is so I will have this long history of my day-to-day life with my dogs. Those memories can slip away so easily. With this blog I will be able to look back and remember specific days and special moments. In the agility world, we frequently remind ourselves to enjoy each and every time you step to the line with your dog. Love the moment, no matter how the run turns out, because you never know when it will be your very last run. That's what my blog is really all about....enjoying the moments, those silly little blocks of time when your dog does something to make you laugh, or licks your tears away on a bad day. I absolutely adore getting comments and knowing other people enjoy my blog (Thank you so much!), but in all honesty this blog is for me.
I have no concrete goals for 2016. I hope I can keep rolling forward, posting when I can. I don't want to stress over whether I have a post or not. It will just happen when it happens. I truly hope you all will keep visiting. I love all my invisible friends! When I started blogging I never would have guessed there was a friendship side to all of this, but certainly there is!
Enough blathering on, you don't come here for that.....This is what you come here for!!!!
There's a reason Cardigan Corgis are called clowns. With no prodding from me, Jimmy put on a show today! Enjoy!
You've probably noticed things seem a bit slow. There was a time I could be counted on to post several times a week. That winnowed down to just a couple, and now I am thrilled if I can still come up with Wilson's Wordless Wednesday! I'm not really sure why. If you recall, back in late July, I was laid off from my job. While that seems like it should have given me endless time to blog, I learned I didn't want to squander my new freedom in front of my PC! When not job hunting, I wanted to be outside, enjoying daylight, getting exercise (it was so wonderful not to sit all day, everyday!), and even doing long neglected household chores. While I still lugged my camera everywhere I went, I didn't use it very often. I think the very best part of these last six months has been all the extra time I could spend with the dogs. Wilson will soon be 13 and while that's not super old for a corgi, I do see the signs of old age. One thing's for sure, the dogs and I definitely got in better shape!
I didn't really want to run through the questions asked by the Pet Bloggers Challenge. I don't write this blog for the purpose of teaching about dogs or promoting dog related products. I do love writing my monthly Chewy.com review as it is a good challenge to come up with something fresh and hopefully interesting. They really do seem to be a great company so I am happy to help spread the word. The only true reason I blog is so I will have this long history of my day-to-day life with my dogs. Those memories can slip away so easily. With this blog I will be able to look back and remember specific days and special moments. In the agility world, we frequently remind ourselves to enjoy each and every time you step to the line with your dog. Love the moment, no matter how the run turns out, because you never know when it will be your very last run. That's what my blog is really all about....enjoying the moments, those silly little blocks of time when your dog does something to make you laugh, or licks your tears away on a bad day. I absolutely adore getting comments and knowing other people enjoy my blog (Thank you so much!), but in all honesty this blog is for me.
I have no concrete goals for 2016. I hope I can keep rolling forward, posting when I can. I don't want to stress over whether I have a post or not. It will just happen when it happens. I truly hope you all will keep visiting. I love all my invisible friends! When I started blogging I never would have guessed there was a friendship side to all of this, but certainly there is!
Enough blathering on, you don't come here for that.....This is what you come here for!!!!
There's a reason Cardigan Corgis are called clowns. With no prodding from me, Jimmy put on a show today! Enjoy!
Friday, October 2, 2015
Bored Boys! Bored Boys!
We've been in a period of soggy, wet weather. We definitely needed rain, but now it is a bit of overkill. Jimmy and Wilson don't enjoy walking in the rain despite their Welsh origins, and neither do I. Plus, the backyard is now a mud pit and off limits, so there is no energy being burnt on keeping the yard squirrel-free.
I looked at the the boys sitting on the bed sulking and sighing, and thought, poor bored boys, bored boys.....which triggered this song (click and listen, it will open in a new window) in my mind......
Now that you have the tune in your head, here are my lyrics to this music........
I looked at the the boys sitting on the bed sulking and sighing, and thought, poor bored boys, bored boys.....which triggered this song (click and listen, it will open in a new window) in my mind......
Now that you have the tune in your head, here are my lyrics to this music........
Bored Boys, Bored Boys!
Whatcha gonna do
When you're bored and blue
Bored Boys, Bored Boys!
Whatcha gonna do
When no one plays with you
Bored Boys, Bored Boys!
Whatcha gonna do
Maybe if you're lucky
Someone will feed you two
Bored Boys, Bored Boys!
Whatcha gonna do?!
Whatcha gonna do?!
Nothing......Sigh
Our whole weekend looks wet and dreary. I think we will be singing this song all weekend!
Have a great weekend, Everyone!
Rain or shine!
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