Cookie

And here he is: Cookie Monster Gattaca

Mindy has met him before, not that she took any notice of him, Harry and Sennen wanted to play with him, but he had his "Show" head on.......

Mindy!

This short clip was taken Monday after Thames DTC where bless her, she couldn't do any seesaws in the ring. Auntie Elaine came up with a couple of ideas after seeing this video, of which one is practical, this seesaw is weighted by 4 weights, so this morning I took two off and ran her over it, she didn't run right to the end this time, so a result, that I was able to help her with her clicker and treats as a reward, and the second attempt was a lot better and by the 4th and final attempt was perfect, so I will do the same tomorrow and Friday take all of the weights off and see what happens......

It's looking like she will be in season shortly, as she is flirting with Buzz (the boss) and he with her! sooner than I liked, I really wanted her G7 to help sell the pups, but as I have a few people already starting to ask questions, I don't think I should worry about finding homes for them, they will all be powder puff's as "Cookie" is a puff too ....

So I had better get reading the "Book of the bitch" again!

and get my "birthing partner" sorted!...any volunteer's?
Starting to get scary and exciting all at once......

Before and After!

Well I took the plunge and got Mindy clipped, just a little bit, having spent a few days up with Elaine, the last straw was walking in all the fields and Mindy being covered in sticky balls, it took far too long to get them all out!

So this is the before photo





...and afterwards.


......yes I know they shouldn't be on the table, but small dogs just get to your soul and get away with murder!

Mindy really hates her photo taken...bless her

But I do wish it hadn't rained as hard as it did this morning on our walk, good job we have a dog blaster, all woofits dry and fluffy again and still smelling lovely, well two of them!

Thanks Val for clipping them both and letting me stuff treats into Mindy whilst she was being done.

...and More SNOW!

The video is a bit wobberly, so you may not want to watch it!
.....Snow time, even the Collies have "snowballs" this time around, here's a little tour of the top part of the garden, which was taken yesterday morning, we've had more snow since then, so it's deeper!

....and just a couple of Pictures of the "love birds" on the back of the sofa, these "puffs" love being up high!

Goal Setting!

hummmmm
.....Yes I'm a "Goal Setter" and a "List" writing person. See that's something else you now know about me!

Funny how when you write a "jobs to do list" the most important one gets left till last, even if it's at the top!
and you even do things that weren't on the list, to avoid doing that important one at the top.
....always makes me smile.....I always do "it" in the end!

Anyway, I set a Goal, for myself and Mindy to achieve before the end of 2009, I personally thought it was achievable and to be honest I thought we would have achieved it, way before we did......
We just weren't ready, "be patient Angela" (now where have I heard that before !???) and I can see that now, yes she was ready to get "ring" experience, but not ready to pull it all together in one round.
That's what I find so very exciting about agility, it's not just you out there competing, your a team with your buddy, it'll happen when it happens!
...I love the excitement of finding that bond between you and your dog, it's just so exciting and personally when I walk out to that start line without that fire in my belly ...I'll quit.

We had 5 events, mixture of match's, limits, UKA and one KC show from beginning of November to the end of 2009, with at least 3/4 runs at each, but hey we left it until the last two runs of the year...Yes you've guessed it, we not only got one but two clear rounds, on the same day!
My camera lady-Sue, managed to get her first one on Video..........
Yes I know it's was only one ring, so she had no distraction, but Hell's teeth ...IT WAS CLEAR



(so where did that saying come from? Hell's teeth...or did I just make it up?)

anyway:
Here's Harry, on the same course, apparently she was less than half a second behind him!

...and here's the last of the video's!

It's Harry "V" Harry in a jump off.

The timing failed after his first run, so Dave Hutchinson challenged me to run it "IHO" the faster/shorter way (although he didn't try it with his Ozzy-who was winning it!)......and as I had nothing to gain from not having ago, I gave it a go! hummmm

Although I can see the bit in the middle was a shorter route, I had to nag Harry to turn him round me and come through the gap, he just seemed to spend a lot of time stationary in the air, (or that is what it felt like) then of course I wasn't in the right position (IMO) for the next bit, I hate nagging my buddy...........

So guys you tell me which you think was the better way? Maybe I just need more practise at these twister courses?

All "Puffed" out!

What a pretty picture!
.....room for any more??










We managed to film a couple of agility runs from the weekend, for you all to dissect!

Here's Buzz and Nick having FUN.....

They are getting closer....to that clear round.

The rest I will upload later in the week, so you don't all get overload!

...and for the "Dog Agility" Folks

Harry "v" Mindy in a jump off!
They're so much FUN, these "Small" dogs!

I Love em........

Have a great weekend everyone, the sun is out.............

And, Ian is going to let me on the mower! yippeeee

...See what happens when I go away!

Ian buys a sit on mower!

from EBay, thankfully we didn't have to go to far away to pick it up either only Devon!

It needed a bit of welding and a hammer in places and maybe a lick of paint later on, hopefully this should "Cut" down on my weekly mowing time of 3 hours to not long at all! We will see, but as yet Ian hasn't let me even sit on it! .......Boys and their toys!

I can't believe it's September already....where did that Summer go! ...it just mingled in with winter! It's was dark at 8.15 last night .......yes I know it was raining (fancy that!) but it was still dark.

Hopefully I will still be able to get my 7 o'clock lesson people in for another week or so.

Agility wise.

Buzz got a clear round with Aly at the weekend, wasn't smooth but hey they loved it and Aly said Buzz winked at her on the start line, before he broke his wait and was off up the course! Bless Him, I'm more relaxed watching them both now and am laughing along with them both.

Red, I'm still struggling to get our "spot on foot perfect agility partnership" back, I seem to spend the round worrying if she's okay and hoping she isn't going to hit a jump badly....It has made me think long and hard and I think I will be retiring her at the end of September to any size and veterans, I know she still can do the height and when I've seen video clips of her, she still looks good etc. I just don't want her to hurt herself, she has always been a dog that if she get her pacing wrong she will still take it, rather than put a pace in, what ever piece of equipment it is, we have had some really scary moments with tyres and spreads and even doing a loop in the tunnel and coming out with grazed eye brows where she's slid over in it and well the A frame, she has even miss judged that and hit it hard with her chin and cut her tongue!

Then at least I can still work her at home in a safer slower environment and go on long walks with her still fit and on four legs.........We will see.

Harry, well he just gets faster and stronger ever time I run him! He won a jumping class at the weekend 5-7, the medium dogs ran over the same course (higher jump heights of course) and he beat the winning collie's time!.....So I was told by two seconds, I did see her round and she did have a wider turn in one place than Harry, but we both had a long spread out run to the finish.

His agility run was still fast although I struggled to get him through a gap, so we had an "E"

I am now able to get him to play with me most of the time, before we go onto the start line and he get his treats when he has finished (outside of the ring off course!)

This time last year at the same show (a game fair, with lots of GP around, with straw seats and dogs in the ring etc.) he had left the ring to chat up the girls, so for him to stay in the ring with me was fantastic.

Mindy is ready for the ring experience now, I've entered her first KC show and a couple of other fun things, so now we wait and see when she will come into season! .....and whether she will compete this year at a KC show, otherwise it will be 2010 sometime.

Her only worrying issue, which we have been and will be continuing to work on is her "Chase" instinct! yes anything from butterfly's, flys, birds, sheep and cows (if she could) dog's doing agility! poo bags flying across in front of her etc.

So at the moment her exercising is on the long line or extendable until her recall is 100% in those environments....could take a long time, but I think people won't appreciate a small blonde thing hurtling towards them at warp speed whilst they are doing a winning round!

I think Dawn likes her ! We've just had our second lesson with Dawn, I took both the "smalls" and picked Mum up on the way (she's my video mam) cant show you any of the videos as Mum has to learn how to down load them yet! So you may get to see them one day!

we Learnt a lot and came away with lots to work on over the winter months.

Handsome Harry Goes 7!

Poor Harry doesn't look impressed with standing on the bonnet......but it had to be done, as that was the lest muddy place to have his photo taken with his "Door stops!"

We've been to this show for 8 years now and the last two have been really really wet! ....so will we go next year.....off course!
Especially if Titan is there again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0kajow-G-0

We treat Pembroke as a week's holiday (so we have three days of the show and then a rest either side of that!) the weather was great to begin with, lots of beach walks and lying around chilling, answering the Chocoholic quizzes etc. until Wednesday, when it started to rain! the rings weren't as badly affected as last year, but they where in places still very wet.
In between the rings, the mud was like soup, so you can imagine what state the dogs where in by the end of Thursday.

Nick and Aly ran Buzzy over the week, he does enjoy it! a little bit worrying though, as it looks like they are getting closer to that clear round! Aly also ran Red in one jumping class as I didn't have time to walk it and as she had walked it with Nick, it seemed the most logical answer, Red was naughty and broke her wait, which resulted in a dropped pole, but hey they both came out of the ring smiling!
Red and I had some cracking clear rounds, but as the classes where so small they only placed to 1st and sometimes 2nd, so we just came away with lovely memories........She not as fast as these youngsters.

Harry had a fab week, he worked well, I was able to leave him on a few occasions to do the weaves etc, he came away with 2 x 1st and 2 x 2nds and a clear round in the pairs, but my poor pairs partner was having "a Moment". Our best run of the weekend was on the last day in an 1-7 combined agility class, it was a well thought out course considering the conditions and the puddles lying around the course, I ended up doing two blind turns rather than front crosses, so I could avoid the worst of the ground condition and keep moving forward, but I still slipped as Harry was charging up the "A" frame and as I must of "squealed" with the shock of slipping I frightened Harry and he spun around on the top of the A frame, by which time I had regained my feet and ran forward, which helped Harry come down, but I must have dropped my arm to my side and pulled him towards me rather than send him in the tunnel, so as we where still moving I kept going and finished the course, but it was a great round. (apart from that!!)
So now he is Grade 7.


Anyway we have been home almost a day and the washing machine and dryer haven't stopped!
We have to get the caravan cleaned out as we have visitors staying in it in September, otherwise I would have taken my time! we walked the dogs on the beach this morning which washed away all of their "Welsh" mud!
So we are almost Clean and dry.
Except it's raining here now and the grass is far too long and needs cutting ready for lessons next week........ Oh well.

PS. For those friends and family that haven't a clue, what I'm talking about (Harry going G 7) don't worry, it just means he is a fab agility dog and can now compete at championship level if I so wish too! .....but we all know he is a fab chap, doing agility or not.

Weaving Mindy!

Here is an update video, of Mindy weaving yesterday when the sun was shining - unlike today!

Now we just have to put everything together, contacts, weaving and jumping, easy really! HA ha

That's Dog training and I love it..................

...Another Birthday in April!

Mindy's first day, mad I know, but she came camping with us! Ian seemed to get all the cuddles.



Happy Birthday Mindy
1 today

Showing Harry!

...No not that kind of showing, we all know he is the best looking boy around and doesn't need a ribbon to show us!

I've been trying to help Harry turn tighter and show him it can be fun being near me!
I did such a lot of "go-on" work when he was younger, that now I'm struggling to turn him, it's a bit like turning the QE2! So after watching lots of people teaching their dogs to turn and talking to friends, I thought I would give it a go and try some of exercises.

I have been a little afraid, as I didn't know whether he actually couldn't turn tight, after his injury, or it hurts to turn tight, or whether it was a remembered hurt etc.??

I'm still none the wiser, having done the exercises, although I know he can turn tighter at slower speeds and when I'm in his face, but when he gets a bit of speed up and distance, he then goes back to struggling to turn, he seems to be drawn by the other equipment around him, anyway after doing these exercises and others, he doesn't seem to be any sorer on that shoulder, so maybe I just have to stop "babying" him, Yes I know, he is very spoilt and I'm sure I will be told this on Thursday when I have my first private lesson in nearly 2 years! I will tell you all about it when I get back, but here is a clue - it's someone very well known and I have had to save up all my pennies to go and I'm really excited although very, very nervous too.

But I think guys, if you had seen how poorly he was with his shoulder, when he was first diagnosed-you softies out there, would be saying the same? I THINK.

Harry is one of the guys, you would roll over for!

Anyway here is the video of us playing together.

She's a LADY!

....Mindy - The Blonde one - started her first season yesterday!

She's all grown up now, well almost, she is 11 months today.

Bless.

"Go On" Mindy !

Just a short video of Mindy who's rapidly heading for her 1st Birthday!

We have three toys she loves, her tuggy, a tennis ball, and a holey latticey ball thingy! really though when we go training we take all three for Harry, as he goes off toys quite quickly, so it depends on what he is doing to what toy is the higher value for him, as for Mindy, well she is just a "give me the darn toy" dog! Bless.

New Trick "Bang"

It was raining and snowing today - so we played inside games !!!

This is Harry's second session of "Bang" - He loves this one as he gets to lie down and eat treats, that's his favourite pass time!
I did start to video Mindy doing it, she gets very impatient and flings her legs around, looking more like a dieing fly! but the batteries went dead on the camera, so you will have to wait for that one.

Ian's Home and I haven't cooked tea!

...So It's a quick one!





Here is the finished Small dog table.
Just in case your interested!






I got a bit carried away and decided to make a wobble board too, I made Mindy a cardboard one as a pup, using a cardboard box and a baked bean tin! but as I had some wood left over, I thought I'd make a bigger one, I couldn't work out what to use underneath it to make it wobble, so used an old blue ball!
It's sitting on Ian's wood chopping thingy, as I've been painting it! but you can see the bomber ball screwed to the underside.













...and Thanks to Nancy, for the idea, I can now train my seesaw on my own with Mindy.
She is coming along nicely.

Handstand Harry!

I was given a challenge to teach him this! and here are the results so far! next to teach him - up the wall, then a free one - maybe!

I have so much to write about that I don't know where to start! So I'll think about it for a while and report back.

..Got to post these two pics....

Mindy's foot balls!
Ha ha












Harry's couldn't be left out of the photo shoot, here are his Foot Balls.

Might I add, I washed them off with warm water and towel'd them down and put the hairdryer on them too - just in case you thought I'd leave them wandering around the house, all cold and wet, No Chance!

...All thawed out

So now we have to deal with wet muddy dogs every day, washing down, drying and the “Smalls” groomed every day - roll on the summer.

What have we been up to?

Well we managed to pick up some flooring for the kitchen at the famous Trago’s store, they have 3 days of sales each week in January, it wasn’t what I really wanted, but it will do until we manage to get around to doing the kitchen up, which I expect won’t be until the roof is re-done (flat one), which won’t be until the sun room and utility are done – some time this year – Maybe!

Out side, Ian is still trying to water tight the sheds – doors are on two of them now and he has started to move into his workshop, so I get the garden shed back.
We have planted half the plants we had bought with our Christmas money, and have just bought, 3-4 foot high Scotspine, Red oaks and wild cherries and then for the fruit side we have bought a couple of apple trees, a pear tree and plum – I like this buying game!
Hopefully we will be going to get a trailer full of horse manure in the next few weeks – when the trailer is empty of ballast (stuff you mix with sand and cement to make concrete)

Agility Training wise, what have I been up too…..

The “Reds” have had a two month rest from training, each year they get a month off from agility, although I do carry on walking them, but what with the weather, me having been poorly and Ian needing a hand with his projects, one month led into two, anyway they all had the all clear from Emma the chiropractor, they needed tweaking and have had 2 days on lead exercise(they still managed to get muddy!) so now they will have a couple of days free running, then I will be able to start them back on small/medium height and see how we go, Buzz may go to club on Wednesday with Harry, as Harry can’t make the whole 1 hour 45 mins training, he gets bored, Mindy had been coming too, to socialise, she had been really good, she is able to play with her tuggy do a few sit stays and retrieve her toys, whilst the other dogs are working around her, until last night when there where a lot of “High drive dogs” and she felt they should shut up! I can understand that, it was hard to hear your self think let alone shout commands to your dog, Buzz will no doubt add to the noise over the next following weeks.

Harry ended up having two weeks off from agility. I wasn’t going to give him any this year, as he started back at training two weeks before he competed last April, I felt a winter indoor training would help with his confidence and my ground has been so wet that I could only use the dog walk on low height and the weaves, I had been able to move them around the garden to dry areas to train on – both these pieces of equipment are his poorest, so that was the plan, train his contacts (speed) and weaves speed also.

Mindy is coming along, she works harder than Harry; she wants those rewards and works hard to find out what I want from her.
We are doing lots of straight lines between wings- rewards being: Ian at the end with her tuggy or me leaving her in a wait going two jumps down the line, releasing her and throwing her toy towards the end of the line of jumps, I have also left her “Pringles” lid or tile or mouse mat at the end of the jumps for her to target and get a treat when I’ve caught up!
We have been running in circles with her on the outside and inside, sending her around wings/bollards, backs (lefts) and right, she now runs the lowered dog walk to her target, I have slightly changed what I was asking her to do which was to run the plank go into the down half on plank at end and nose touch the target, but found as the plank was raised that she looked more uncomfortable, I think because of the angle between the plank and the floor and that she is a lot smaller than Harry, whether I will go back to this, as now I’m expecting her just to do 2o 2o and touch the target, she get very impatient and try’s to get away with foot touch’s, so I have to watch her.
Weaves, I am teaching her three uprights and treat/toy method, which we have used on Buzz, Harry and now Mindy, Red was taught channel (once a week at club method) and she really can’t weave that well, Buzz as long as he know that’s what I’ve asked will get 99%, Harry, it didn’t work so well with him, but we where living in our two berth caravan at the time, so the basics weren’t as good, as with Buzz, as he isn’t as confidant as Buzz or Red and doesn’t have the speed, Lisa suggested “V” weaves and wow that certainly helped him, so far! we have them slightly angled and he whizzes through them. what I’m getting at, is you have to choose a method that suits you and your dog, I don’t know enough about the 2 x 2 method although I’m hearing a lot of good reports, as long as you put in the correct amount of work and reward correctly, so maybe I will give this ago with the next dog!
I will carry on with uprights and “v” for the time being, and look forward to watching others and their new dogs coming out, having been taught 2 x 2.

The trick they are all learning this week is “are you shy” the “smalls” have learnt it very quickly, Red has to do it, with a hand touch (so basically she is just crossing her front legs) but hey she is learning something new, although she would rather we where outside jumping! Buzz, I’ve been really bad and not taught him, he gets so frustrated and barks at me too much, but now I’m feeling mean having written it down, so I promise I have a go!!

I have tried to video it, but kept getting me in the shot, so you will just have to wait and in the mean time here is Mindy doing her “walking the plank bit” (she was about 6-7 moths here) and “V” weaves, this week 8.5 months, I won’t be moving them anymore than that, until she is older.

Mindy has been introduced to most of the agility equipment, tyres, tunnels - I wanted her to have new experiences in a safe enviroment, before we venture out into different places. The only one she won't have seen is the A frame as mine won't lower enough for young dogs, so she will have fun using the lowered ADW.
I think doing the full height one too early is wrong and I have learnt from experience with Harry's injury, you can do more harm than good.