Monday, July 08, 2013

Scorching fever!

Oh Boy! It's hot and sticky! I know almost everyone of you like this weather but I honestly hate it! I have to hide myself indoor most of the day. If I have to get out there to do a job, I basically crawl slower than a snail :(

Shelties hate it too because they can't understand why their mummy is so lazy and does not want to do anything exciting like she usually do. Mai puppy Sonic keeps growling at me, he wanted to go out so badly. I have to put a cool coat on him and ask him to take himself for a walk :) He is an outdoor dog. He probably is the only one that loves this space. He could spend 24/7 just sitting on the Ridge watching the animals go by ... funny little boy but I love him dearly! No matter what he does, he always bring smile to my face. 

We went to Wellingborough on Saturday. I don't fancy camping in this heat, so I have to drag myself to the show in the morning. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy agility and I am still competitive but in different manners now :) Unfortunately, the heat beat me! I was over heated before 10am. I lost my concentration and I don't know if I really have a Hay Fever or what? Everytime when I get outdoor, my eyes were itching, I can't stop rubbing my eyes and then I started sneezing continuously! Poor Sing gone mad as he can't find a tissue box to bring it to me! He can get very upset if he thinks he can't do his job properly. Bless his old heart! I can never have another dog like him! If I were outdoor most day, I get sore throat and headache. I really think is that Hay Fever on top of a Cold? 

So, Wellingborough did't go well for me. Sonic was too gobby to start with. I was trying out my ketscher turn with him but failed miserably! The problem with Sonic at the moment, if he has his gobby head on, there's no way we can run a clear round but how to stop him being gobby, I am working hard on it. I am not that terribly bother by it, he is still a baby and he actually enjoy agility very much and I rather him be the happy self. Even in the heat, he ran his heart out, although gobby but his enthusiastic and speed remain. I think I just have to wait for him to "grow out" of it. I am in no hurry to climb the grade and I quite enjoy being at the lower grade, we sometimes get to run a flowey course :)

So, I ran all three of Sonic's classes on Saturday and decided not to run Sizzle. It's just too hot for him. It was 23c by 10am! We messed up the two combined Agility class BIG time. Oops! He was lucky to have a clear in the combined 4-7 Jumping and placed :) I thought he will get a refusal at the jump before the cloth tunnel. 

Combined 3-5 Agility:


Combined 4-7 Jumping:


Combined 1-7 Medium ABC:


I decided not to go on Sunday, the forecast was hotter than Saturday, I thought it's no point going if I can't put myself together in one piece :) We spent all day sitting under the gazebo, soak our feet in the paddling pool (it was supposed to be the duck pond!), we managed to get Seren and Spie to jump in the water with us, Sipzie decided she will run a mile. Silly girl! I gave the boys a full bath, so they can get dry naturally. I prefer them to dry naturally if I can but the weather has been not great in the last two years so they have to blow dry everytime, so yesterday, they rather enjoying their bath :) I guess they hate blow dry :)

My handsome old boy drying up in the heat after his bath :)

 Mai boy Sonic sunbathing to dry up :)


wet puppy Seren. She is all legs at the moment. She is such a lovely puppy, she has a fabulous temperament, always happy and bouncy and a fast learner too :)

 Spie has come out of her shell, she is gaining her confident and is settling in very well in the pack. 

even the cat gone a bit crazy in this heat :)

crazy puppy, the ball is bigger than her lol

Hmm ... triple trouble :)


The weekend before last, we went to Landsdown on Saturday and GT UKA on Sunday. I took Sizzle and Sonic with me while Colin stayed to watch the others. Sizzle was in the Crufts Team with Little Bitz, sadly, we came 2nd again, so no Crufts for us :( We have one last chance to try to qualify this year, that is next week at Rugby Champ Show. Sizzle was naughty on the see-saw that cost us a 5 :( I thought we have fix the problem but every now and then, his naughty see-saw came back :)


Small Crufts Team:


Sonic didn't do any good either, he was rather gobby (again!) on his first class, which is the G4-7 Jumping. He did some lovely sequence but my handling and his gobbiness put together didn't work, hahaha ...

I've only managed to have this run on the video as Colin is not with me, so it's hard to get people to video you :( I am not sure if we get place in this run. I thought I got marked a 5 on jump #3 as I being a stupid handler, I walked totally a different way to I ran here. I watched other handlers ran it and for some reason I went in and copied them :( Oops! Obviously didn't work for me! I think someone told me I ran clear but I forgot to go and check it out :(


At long last, I got to see my little "Scampi" TYE. Tye is Sing x Sunny puppy that went to a fantastic home in Cornwall with young Chloe. They adore each other. I am so happy that Tye is making Chloe very happy. This pairs is doing very well, Tye only just old enough to compete around Easter time and is now winning his way up and qualified with Chloe for Crufts 2014. We wish this little pairs the very best of luck!

I've managed to captured some handsome photos of little Tye @ Landsdown :)

a big leap to Cornwall :)
 


Little Rae who is half sister to Tye; or little niece to Tye, whichever way you like it :) was also at Landsdown.



Rae with daddy Sonic and half brother Tye :)

 Bless her! The ball is bigger than her :)

 handsome Tye, wheee ...


The two boys and I lodge in at ibis on Saturday night; we went to GT on Sunday. Sizzle did a superb Gamblers, he was very fast, back to his usual self (I was far behind him 3 jumps!) I chose the hard gambler and we did that perfectly and guess what? We were out of time by nearly 4 seconds! Honestly, I can't believe it! You know your dog, eventhough we weren't very close to the gambling line but I recon we can do the gambler in 8-10 seconds maximum. The Gambling time for Champ is 12 seconds. If the score sheet is 1-2 seconds out of time, I will not be surprised but 4 seconds! Hmm ... Well, that's the only run I have done with Sizzle and I was very happy how we ran although the result wasn't what I expect!

I entered Sonic in Novice Agility (CSJ Grand Prix), Novice Jumping and Novice Gambler. Sadly, he got blown off the DW in the Gamblers. This is not the first time he got blown off (he got blown off twice and ran straight up without hesitation) but he was a bit reluctant to go back up again :( My fear was he's injured as he was checked by Sally the day before at Landsdown and he was given PERFECT by my physio, so I was very worried! Tace, our Team England's physio was on site, so she has a quick check on him and said he was a bit tight on the left shoulder (where he felt off) and tight on the abdomen area. I have been rested him since and with arnica. 

Thank God, Gamblers was his last class. He didn't do well in the Jumping, he was too busy barking again, hahaha ... but I was very happy that he won the CSJ Grand Prix and qualified for the Semi Final in December. WooHoo! His time was the 3rd fastest in all height and all levels. I am really happy! That gives me something to looking forward to. 

No video but this photo is courtesy of UK Agility. 





2 comments:

Diana said...

Agility isn't fun when it's so hot. I hope Sonic is feeling better. I would freak out if my dog was blown off the dogwalk. I hope you are starting to feel better too.

Vonnie said...

I don't do the heat either :( Some lovely runs, such a shame in the Teams. Great pics of the dogs :)