"Red" training anysize

"Red" comes out and plays once every two weeks or so, depending on how she's feeling.
She still shouts going around, she still bites me and trys to jump up at me, think it may be time to put the jumps down to Mindy's height as she does miss judge a few, so rather than her hurting her self. She looks and feels well, no big lumps or bumps at the moment and long may that continue, her heart mumur hasn't got any worse and her HD in one hip isnt causing any concern either.
She still think she owns the lane outside the house and no one is allowed to pass without getting barked at when she's outside and she is still top dog. How can 13 years (nearly) pass so quickly?

Now where did that week go!?

Sennen resting in the sunshine day after her "Op" yes it's all been happening this week...

She ate a squeaker out of toy along with part of the fabric toy too....two weeks later it appeared after a stressful 24 hours.....So we now don't have any squeaker fabric toys out to play with until she is older.....

We then found a warty/lump thing on her front foot that grew in the week and was making her lame, so she had that removed and 3 stitches in it's place...keep her quiet was the orders hummmmm, those that have seen Sennen "On one" will know how hard that is going to be...she hated the stupid lampshade that she came home with (why cant they invent something less stressful for them, than that?)...so Ian's socks came in handy......anyway she is not bothered by the foot, and hasn't had to wear the socks during the day-yet!

They decided to send it of the lumps for tests, as whilst she was sleepy I managed to look at all her feet and found a further two on her back feet....

So that was my week.....
Mrs woo, enjoying today's blue skys and warmth...

Video Post's say so much more!...

Here's a few video's from over the weekend, the good, the bad handler and the really distracted!

Just shows how much work I have to do, that why I like videos, although when Ian wasn't there Mindy was a lot more focused, but she has to get used to that and I have to show her it's much more fun being with ME....Honest Mind'ars
I'm still struggling with setting her up, I have to have her with a halti on as she rather "excitable" in the queue and she seems to not focus when I first take it off, so this weeks homework is to go out down in the garden and do start lines, play and take off her halti, quick exercise, play and put halti back on, so this morning we did it three times, I used her lead as a tug toy............
But we did get it right twice over the wekend and Mindy won 1-3 agility and 2nd in 3-4 jumping (when Ian wasn't there!)

Red had a great time she coped really well, she had Anysize and two veteran classes and came home with 2 x 1sts and 2nd, here's one run that she came 2nd in with the spin after the tunnel, I was rather worried with the start as she had to turn really sharp into the tunnel and I had seen a lovely old lady hit the side so hard she fell over in the tunnel.......

Harry - I tried to be clever and do some different handling in places, so found out lots of what I need to work on, so we had 3 E's and then I played it safe in his last jumping class which we won....

Buzz - Well Buzz needs no introductions, he had a cracking E, and a 5 fs

I worked him down in the garden this week and he was amazing and we won the "Pit" Dog Agility championships! Bless him.

Here's his 5f run with Nick.

Chapter Two!

If you are not interested in agility I shouldn't’t bother reading this post!
It's an Agility overload!

Anyway Chapter 2

What a journey, we’ve all learnt such a lot along the way and hopefully improved “agility” wise!
Red’s career has been amazing and I wouldn’t have changed anything, the tears of joy and frustration had to happen for me to learn and grow!

So this is a post of random and I mean Random “RED agility” Remembering moments!
A few “tears” to start with, as that seems so fresh in my mind!

The biggest one being at Rugby Agility summer show having not long won into Novice, our first year competing, well now come to think about it, Supa dogs that year was only her third show, so that’s how young at agility we where, elementary to novice in 5 shows, same year as foot and mouth…….anyway back to the Rugby show, we had had 15 plus straight E’s before this show, Red was wild and I had trouble containing any of that sheer excitement!
Those where the days when Ian came to the shows and he would watch from the side lines, before Elaine suggested someone else held Red out of the queue, poor dog by the time both of us had reached the start line, we where both stressed, she screamed and launched at anyone that got too close, people or dogs, she would have not passed the queuing test, we learnt pretty quick, how to help this and Ian would often be seen standing away from the queue, waiting for me to wave at him, to return her! 10 years on she can queue if needed but I can also lie her down out of the queue and she will just stay in the down and watch.
….Anyway I lined her up for a jumping round, I was happy with the course, Ian had held her out of the queue and brought her to me and put her in a down, took off her lead and she was gone, she had never broken her wait up till then! Another E after the 2nd jump, she came back I put the lead on and we left the ring, I handed her to Ian and we walk back to the camper, as we where walking back into the camping area, there was a camper parked close to the edge of the field and I stood behind it and burst into tears, Ian took Red back to the camper, whilst I balled my eyes out with frustration in not knowing what to do, how to handle this manic high drive dog! Once I had stopped crying, I came out from behind the camper only to see this poor bloke sat in the driver seat, trying not to notice me behind his camper crying! I Haven’t a clue who he was to this day……
Elaine ran her in the next class, she managed a wait from her, Red always listened to Elaine and would instantly calm her antics down. Yes, I do think I let her get away with a lot, but after having Cass who you had to be so very soft with, who used to leave the ring at any chance she could get, when we look back at the videos of Cass, she really didn’t enjoy it at all and I wish to God that someone had the guts to come and tell me, but then maybe I wouldn’t be here now!........So how lucky for me to have a dog like Red for my second agility dog (although she was Ian’s to start with, he did all the training and club nights, but he handed her over, just before she started competing, actually it was Valentine’s day, best Valentine’s day I’ve ever had.)

We learnt over time, that doing 3 classes a day sent her over the edge in excitement. Elaine or Andy where often called in to run her third run! She loved running with Andy because he could run and she loved to chase him most of the time, although if Andy wasn’t quick enough to get her attention she was off down a tunnel somewhere, oh yes tunnel mad she was, we even did a course once that the tunnel was right over the other side of the ring but she had spotted it on the start line and did three jumps and veered off to do it on three occasions on the same course! Poor judge I got my monies worth on that run!

Then there was the time she had finished a course and Ian wasn’t ready to catch her at the end and the dog in the next ring was screaming it’s way round and Red caught sight of it, she off around the course with it…..…yes I said “sorry” and "no" I don’t remember who it was and no doubt it would have been this dogs winning round!

Elaine and I tried to do pairs with Red and Laddy ONCE, but we soon realized, it wasn’t to be, Laddy’s barking just sent her way over the edge, if we could have controlled their excitement, we would have a great pairing, it was just too much for both of them, so Leaping Leo of Valgray became Red’s pairs partner, we had great fun with those two Leo loved Reds excitement and Leo would often be seen bouncing up and down with sheer joy of doing a pairs run.

Ian and I did a pairs once with, Red and Buzz, now that was a hoot (“Hoot” love that name for a dog) Buzz had finished his round and Ian had caught him and I was off with Red at screaming pitch, which was just a little too much for Buzz and Ian was left standing in the box with a handful of scruff hair in his hand (in the days no collars where allowed) I managed to work them both all the way around to the weaves and got them both in the weaves Red in front Buzz behind, Red finished the weaves, buzz missed the last weave….I was laughing so much, Poor Ian was mortified, whether that was the last straw for Ian working his dog, I’m not sure, but I loved it……………Ha ha.
See, I will only do pairs with people I know don’t mind if it goes belly up, whether it be me or them, I just don’t take it seriously… So don’t ask me to do pairs with you unless you just want to have FUN!

Red wasn’t used much as a team dog, she would have had to have been the last dog, catching her was always a struggle! And the 3rd dog had to make sure they where facing the other way etc etc……

Young Bethany (Elaine and Andy’s daughter, 10 years old at the time) thought she would have ago at running Red in Junior class’s, boy where they both natural at it, they looked like they put in hours of work together, but it was really down to the fact Bethany was a natural dog handler and knew what to do even at 10 years old, mind you Beth had been running dogs for many years before Red came on the seen, she even ran Auntie Freda, when Freda was taller than she was. Red’s first run with Bethany, was a tricky course up at Holt farm (Golden Valley) she had a beautifully lie down wait and Bethany released her with an “okay”, but Red just stayed there, I started to laugh, Elaine was laughing, Red looked back at us and back at Bethany, Bethany repeated the Okay, by which time Red’s bum was in the air in anticipation of her release command, so I had to shout at Bethany to say it with a grown up voice, Bethany stuck her chin into her chest and said “OK” and they where off, so we had to train her release command so Red understood her and that was the start of their FUN junior career.

I remember Neil and Charlotte picking us up at our house at “far too early O’clock” in the morning! Taking Red, Buzz and I all the way down to Cornwall for a day show 3.5 hours each way, Charlotte and I slept most of it, waking up just in time, for us to get excited, I used to think I got excited but Charlotte could teach you all a thing about excitement, I thought she was going explode at one point, I realize now how hard that must have been driving us “Girlys” 7 hours, for us to run our dogs for a minute worth of agility with each of our dogs.
That was Buzz and mines first show (we got a clear, remember that and thinking what a great career we both had in front us, little did I know Buzz had other ideas!)
Can’t remember what Charlotte did with her two woofers that day but I remember her saying to me “I looked good” not quite like that, but I knew what she meant (well I had just lost 3.5 stones in weight and had bought some new agility gear) funny what things we remember from conversations with people…………

I really haven’t a clue why I telling you all this, I just felt the need! So what the heck your all family and friends RIGHT!.....May be I wont tell you everything though!!!

Tear alert-Well for me……
I can’t remember my Dad taking me to any horse shows when I was younger, Mum always did and I’m sure I never said THANK YOU enough, if at all. So thanks Mum, for getting up at silly O’clock and helping me get my horse ready, driving me there and home again……..actually I cant remember Dad coming to watch me at any of the shows, Did he come to any Mum? But I do remember a photo of Dad and Brother Adrian standing next to our horse box at a show, so maybe he did come along …….

Back to Red and Agility

Do you remember the agility show which started at 9 - 9.30, any more than 2 rings was huge and more than 5 was unheard off, thumb timing (stop watch) was the norm and elementary rounds where courses, that you could run all the way around with the dog on the left!

Do you remember your “best” runs?
with Red, there are so many, that I would be boring you all to death, it’s not necessary a clear round or a win, we had some stonking E’s.
I remember runs, where I couldn't’t have done any more, smooth and easy and they where the ones we won, those people that run dogs will know what I mean.
I remember runs where, I blew it for her, my handling was dreadful and she would be so frustrated at the end of it, she would turn in mid air over the finish jump and bite my arm! Still have the scars!
I remember lots of runs, where I saw her sailing over jumps and thinking, wow she looks beautiful against the dark sky line, oh bugger that’s the wrong jump! Ha ha.

We had a great run last week, at Aly’s, we had set up a big circle on any size height, she looked so beautiful and loved every minute, well 13 seconds actually and I think if Aly had spoken to me I’d burst into tears – AGAIN

Red was a real escape artist, I remember the time that we where at a prize giving, Gary Woodham was doing the presentation and we where waiting for Andy's presentation, he had just won an agility class with the lovely, Odd Todd of Valgray, (Lesley Olden was 2nd) taking him into Senior, when Gary said, who owns a red and white collie, Ian and I looked up to see Red wandering along the crowds looking for us, she had climbed out through the back of the motor home, in between the bikerike and the window, breaking the fly screen in the process!
Her second big escape was at Longleat, (God I so wanted one of those "Lions") Ian was looking after her and I went to walk the courses, when over the loud speaker came the announcement that there was a collie running through the rings and could every one check they had their dogs, she did find me, she managed to run through three rings and find me at the fourth one………
Bless her.

I remember Barrie James (I didn’t know that’s who it was, until Elaine told me, once you meet him, you'll never forget him) coming up to me after a “wild Red Run” and saying, “that was cracking, your going to be a cracking team” wow what a feeling! when someone says that to you. What a lovely thing to say to someone you don’t know, that one statement, has made me on numerous occasions go and say the same to someone else, whether they where clear or not, G1 or G7….…..

So thank you Barrie.

....and on that note, I'll stop!

...and here's the "Girl" her self, learning a new trick, "slam that door!"

Where did that go?........

Sorry this "post" has taken so long to write, I just didn't know how .....or want to write it!

Well 10 years on ......... Red has just done her last full height competition..........From this wee small pup we picked up at 7/8 weeks old, from a sheep farm at the end of the M42 Tamworth, who was destined to fly out to Spain to become a sheep dog, but they never sent the deposit! ....more fools them I'd say, as I truly believe what ever job Red would have done she would have been good at......Thank fully she choose agility with us......Well Ian really.

She was to be Ian's first agility dog and to join Cass and I plodding along in elementary, She was mad from the moment we bought her into our home, she tore down curtains, poo'd and pee'd everywhere, ripped up cushions, bedding, barking (I would now know, how to handle this kind of dog....I think!) ..........a very difficult dog to train, she had her own ideas, a dog that over the years has taught us such a lot about dogs, training and what fun life can be. She screamed at any dog gathering, lunged, snarled and snapped, everything she did she did at 100 mph....we hadn't a clue how to help her (she was only our second collie) after almost a year of various training classes, with various people, she was almost ready to start competing and then the bomb shell........ Ian decided he couldn't cope with her and didn't want to be stood in the middle of a ring with a judge watching him being bitten by her or worse still leaving the ring to charge across and out of the ring to chase another more exciting dog in the next ring! ....Yes she did that with me too! I still have the scares to prove it........on my arms mainly! We have improved!

Her first show was in the year of the foot and mouth - 2001, was meant to be in the March but it was the end of May...can't remember where it was Tumbridge wells may be, something like that (up country) but funny enough I remember the round she got a clear in starters/novice jumping and came 15th out of 200 dogs! her second show was supadogs where she won me out of Elementary by coming second in starters agility, her fifth show she won Starters agility at Golden cap with Sally Jones judging (end of June - ish)

Picture: Starter agility win. Do you recognise anyone else in the background?

She then won her first ever run in an intermediate class, agility with Graham Partridge judging........then there was a blur of wins until she reached Advanced at the grand age of 3! ...She qualified and competed at Olympia in 2004, in the days when it was only senior dogs and you got possible two/three days up there, we where lucky enough to do the pairs and power and speed, as well as the main event, Red qualified I think twice or was it three times for Crufts, but only competed once....... due to lameness.
What a journey.......She took us to many champ finals, our highest place being a third....that was those days when you didn't even get a Rosette/trophy unless you won the class, so we have only our memories........
..........and at 10 + she's still as mad as she was in her younger days, she has calmed down enough now to play with her mates near (ish) the ring, which is lovely to see, her boyfriend list is getting longer, her first love was and is MoJo, Janet and I always laugh when we watch her trying to get him to even acknowledge that she's on this planet! She loves to chase the squirrels in the woods and any ones cat that dare ventures into our garden, she loves to roll on our freshly made bed! her favourite toy is her watering can, which she made her own many many years ago! She now loves to come up on the sofa for a cuddle.

Yes she can still do the height and yes she can still beat some of the youngsters out there, yes she did get a place at the weekend too, on a great course of Mark Laker's (I had seen who was there and decided to hold her "A" frame and Dog walk contacts) she didn't put a foot wrong, I wish Ian had been there to video it, it would have been a lovely run to re-watch. I was glad no one stopped me on the way back to the van after her last run, the tears.........but seeing her suffering in the evenings after an agility day, I feel I need to look after her as she wont look after herself, she has always been one that would rather crash a jump than put in an extra stride etc. I'm sure some of you will wonder, why I don't continue with her until I see her not coping ......I don't ever want to see her struggle or measure a jump, so watch out anysize here she comes.

So it's veteran's and anysize for her next year.......an end of an era.

What a 10 year journey we've had together....Thank you Red. I love you.

She will continue herding the leaves and fluff around the garden! guarding all the fledglings that fall from their nests, she will carry on listening for the mice in the grass. She will still be able to do bits of agility at home on flowy courses, in safe surroundings on medium and small heights. Knowing Red she will want to join in with the others, learning some new tricks over the winter too.........

.......Oh gosh, I had better go and sort her out, she has just chucked all the toys out of the toy box and is running around, with Buzz in tow trying to get the sheep out of her mouth...........no chance Buzz! Chuckle, chuckle.

Wow that went so very fast! Enjoy every moment with them guys, it's over far too soon............

.....Tamsin has a go!

........I remember the first time I ran a small dog a beautiful "Sheltie" called Pearl, I think really underneath it all she started my love affair with the breed, she was "full of it" what ever "It" was, she was fast and noisy. I will always be thank full to Dave for letting me run her (at club)

Which got me thinking that everyone should have the opportunity to run both small/big dogs you can learn such a lot from both sides......... Honest!

So I challenged Tamsin (who runs a very fast small terror! called Albert) to run Red in a jumping class, I picked a nice 6/7 class and this is the end result, they both did well I think, I couldn't quiet see what went on in the box, but I think they may have collided! Red did test Tamsin in not waiting at the start, but Tamsin hasn't got a good wait with Albert either and Red knew she didn't mean it! But they both came out the ring smiling.

More Pictures!

We caught Red in action this week! She is a naughty dog, she loves to roll on the bed - I really should just shut the door and stop them from going in there, Ian doesn't seem to mind, as he took the picture!!








...and how could you resit these two, cuddled up together on the sofa aaahhhh!