A good way to end the season!

I was worrying sick all last week about Sizzle being unwell. The same old story again, upset tummy, he looked very fed up, tired and miserable since last Thursday. He gone off food for more than 48 hours. I have taken him to see the vet for more blood test and fecal test but results came back NORMAL. I also spoken to many people to find out how I could treat him, then came this Sizzle saver Rosie vet. Rosie is not a vet but she has dogs for years and she is very experienced with lots of thing, dogs related of course. Rosie asked me to try him on panacur, believe it or not, almost immediately (two hours later) after the panacur, Sizzle suddenly bounced back like he has never been ill before! He was begging for food and chasing the puppies again! WooHoo.

On Saturday night, he look well enough to do agility so I thought I can go to Suffolk 5 Rivers with him? We were up 4am (crazy!) on Sunday morning to go to Suffolk 5 Rivers. It took us 2.5 hours to drive there. This is his first Kennel Club Open Show debut, so I will go and enjoy myself. Never! I was like a nerves bag. If you could recall back in August when Sizzle misjudge the jump and jump into the wooden pole and got a mouthful of blood at the KC Festival? We have some problem since, he will either go under the jump (which he prefers) or go around the jump, especially when the jump is set in the corner (like a pinwheel or a jump on the left or right after the contact); also he becomes more aware and go slow and steady now. I guess he is worried that he will jump into the pole again. We didn't do much of training since, I thought I will give him a break to recover/forget about the accident but NOPE, sheltie nevers forget anything! On Thursday, I took him to our weekly club training, he still went under the jumps and he isn't as keen as he was before. So, when we arrived at the show yesterday morning, I was still debating if I should run him or how to run him.

He has the first class in the morning, the Graded 1-3 Agility. I walked the course many times and the more I walk, the worrier I get. He has the running contacts, there is a sharp turn right jump after the A Frame, I don't really want to start it that way, I was hoping there is a jump straight forward after every contacts for a baby dog. Sizzle handled himself nicely, eventhough he looked hesitated on the upplank (A Frame and DW), otherwise he covers the ground very well. To be honest, when I ran him, I didn't think he was fast, I know he can be so much faster (and smoother) than that, I was so nervous and I wasn't sure what I was doing when I am in the ring with him. I probably watch him like a hawk! Isn't that terrible?

When I finished the last jump with him, I felt a big relief! I don't care we went clear or not, I've just done it. I played with him (reward) for a little while before I can calm myself down. Some of my agility friends were telling me it was a good round and some even kind enough to go and check our time for me. Yes, he went into the lead! And stays there! I wanted to shout out loud! My GOD! Our first show and we have won it. It wasn't a small class, I can tell you. 133 dogs but 80+ dogs in Grade 3, so he has beaten all the other 80+ dogs!

Actually that was a bad thing though, all morning I got so emotional, so many people coming up to congrats me (how nice!). I nearly miss walking his jumping course. It was a nice jumping course with a little difficult weave entry. When I was walking the course, I meant to be in front of the jump before the weave to guide him but when we ran it, I was behind the jump. I must have forgotten what I was supposed to do so he went into 2nd pole. Other than my stupid mistake, he did the jumping beautifully, especially the bit after the cloth tunnel, the gap between the jump was tight and he turned really well. I am so please with him!

Later in the Helter Skelter class, it was purely my laziness. It was a big course, a long way round and up and down the hill. It was very hot and I cannot handle the heat. I got so tired and lost my mind. I wish I didn't run him as I might have put him off. He is one good little boy, I enjoyed running him and queing in the small class is so different to the medium. All new experienced!

The photographer took this photo of Sizzle doing his weave, he looks like a spider to me! I always think he is a double strider but not until I saw this picture and watch the video again and again. It looks like he started with double striding and got faster and doing single striding. I have not seen a small dog doing single stridiging before.

Other than Sizzle going from Grade 3 to Grade 4 this weekend at Suffolk 5 Rivers; Saturn also surprised me by going Grade 6. Our first class was the Jumping, we've got eliminated in that class, he was hyper and not listen again and doing his own course! When we did our agility round, he was calmer (a bit too calm), I determined to get him to do his contacts by pointing at the bottom each time he was on it, so I know we went clear when we finished. I never even think about getting a place in that class as I feel we were slow, so I didn't go to check his time. We went straight to Helter Skelter from the Agility, he went clear in that, then we went for a good walk and forget all about checking his time.

As we were about to set home, I heard me and his name being called for presentation. I thought it could be the Helter Skelter class but it turned out to be he WON the Grade 5 Agility and that take him up to join the big boys in Grade 6! WooHoo! I feel good, really good!

I know I have a long list of winter projects for the boys!

I did ran Sing but he wasn't himself. He wasn't up to the challenge this weekend, then I saw him taking his paw up. I guess he needed a longer rest. The physio is still on holiday, maybe I should change to another one rather than waiting for her to come back.