agility news update ... Sipzie and a bit of Sonic

I was having two minds whether to go to JDA this week or not, the main reason was Colin is at work and I will be camping on my own with young Sonic. I am not sure how well he will cope with camping at a big dog show; I am also worried that if I go and run the dogs, he will be left in the puppy pen for quite a long time as you never know how long you will be out there for, walking the course and queue to run ... then, I have some supportive friends especially auntie Sally encourage me to go because I plan to concentrate on Sipzie this week and being casual with Sizzle; the other reason that pushing me to go is baby Brooke.

It is weird that we have an agility show during the week. We left home on bank holiday Monday, the traffic was brilliant, not many cars on the road and we got there leisurely in two hours. Luckily Colin came with me so he can help me setting up the caravan, awning and garden. Shamed that he has to go home in the evening as he has to go to work during the week. Thank goodness all the big boys behaving themselves perfectly, I don't have to worry a bit. Sipzie can be a bit of pain, she is too clingy or could be a separation anxiety? Each time I left her in the garden and pop to the toilet just across the road, I can feel a cold wet nose touching my skin, there she is! When I look back to my caravan, Sing, Seagull, Saturn and Sizzle were all lying down by the door looking at me and baby Sonic was in the pen jumping up and down! 

My agility journey didn't start well at this show. Sizzle was down with his usual tummy problem on Monday night but he was looking ok on Tuesday, so I thought I will try to run him. What a mistake. He ran clear in a good Combined 6-7 course but he wasn't himself, so he is on the rest for the week. That gave me the opportunity to concentrate on Little Miss Sipzie. She has four classes each day, a Combined 3-5 Jumping; a Combined 3-5 Agility; a Grade 3,4,5 Agility and a Combined 1-3 Helter Skelter (Steeplecase).

She didn't started off well either on the first day (Tuesday). Her speed was inconsistent and we made a lot of mistakes, mainly refusal to some jumps. She is very clingy when she run. She likes to glue to me. If I run fast, she wants to chase me and when she gets excited and started barking, she will lost all her concentration and wanted to bite my arm. At the Helter Skelter course, we have 5 straight jumps home, I tried to let her go ahead and run slowly behind but encourage with my verbal "go go go ..." but when she sees I am not with her, she stop and turn around to catch up with me! Oh dear! We need to work hard on that!

On 2nd day (Wednesday), she was much better because we found auntie Rhoda to hold her while I was in the queue. She was so desperate to get back to me, so when we were on the start line, she was anxious to GO. Our first run was Combined 3-5 Jumping. We both started off well but got a little hip-cup on the box that cost us time but I am so pleased with her that she got 2nd in that class, only less than half a second behind the winner. In the Graded Agility class, she was on fire, she wanted to go and she flew around the course but missed her Dog Walk contact. I was extremely pleased with her attitude, she was very happy and work well. I do not mind the missing DW, I know I can fix it. Eventhough she missed her DW, she was 8 seconds faster than the winner! It is good to know she has the speed to do it. Then later in the Comb 3-5 Agility, she was once again on fire, she flew around the course but I pulled her too early over a jump that she came in to me. That is very good, I now have to learn the right timing for her. Again, she has the fastest time! Then, in the Helter Skelter, we were very unlucky, she was fast but a bit too fast that when she shot out of the pipe tunnel, she ran out of the ring instead of taking the jump! I have to laugh so hard that I nearly forgot to continue!

Yesterday (Thursday) was the last day, we started off with Combined 3-5 Jumping. I was determined to nail the course but maybe I was over confidence, Sipzie pop out 10th pole! Mmmm ... oh well but her time is still the fastest. Then, we were in the Steeplechase class, she ran really well but dropped the 2nd last bar! Dam! Again, fastest time! Just before lunch, we did the Combined 3-5 Agility. To be honest at that time, I just wish for a clear round, so me being me, try to handle her to every obstacle and when we did the last jump, the judge claps! WooHoo! First agility clear round! I was so happy! But my happiness didn't last very long. Sipzie won that class by 3 seconds! Why am I not happy when my dog won the class? Because I know Sipzie and me need some times to adjust ourselves to be a better Team. I want to stay in Grade 3 with her this season to build a strong working relationship. I knew she has the speed but we hardly get a clear round and there are so many things that we need to work on. I do not want her to climb the grade fast. I have learned from my lesson with Sizzle and I want a strong foundation before I reach the dizzy Advanced grades! Sadly, it happened at her 3rd show! Our last class was the Graded Agility, I thought since she won the Combined Agility, she must well try to win this one, it makes no difference now but dam! Everything was going so well until I got her excited again, she flew down the DW barking at me and didn't look ahead because she was busy trying to get my arm and she missed the weave! Grrrrrr ... now, to whine her up or not?

Her win of the Combined 3-5 Agility would have put her in the Final today but we decided not to do that. I am dying to go home and I am glad we are home.

 here is Little Miss Sipzie with her two rosettes and trophies from JDA

Sonic was a good boy at the show. He was very well behaved and little craziness. You know all puppies like to do FRAP (frenetic random activity period), he will definitely has two FRAPs a day, he will run and run and run around the caravan, underneath the caravan ... and by the end of our camping period, he has learned a new trick. He will run and run and run ... then bounce onto our garden fencing (it is a strong durable good fencing), he will do it from wall to wall or should I say fence to fence. Because the fence is rubber/plastic so each time he bounced onto it and it bounced him back. I have to laugh so hard and each time I forgot to take my video camera out!

He doesn't mind the mad Collies and crazy Terriers barking around us and from time to time, he joined in. I took him out early in the morning and late at night to walk with the boys on the hill and he was brilliant. One evening, there were shooting going in the wood, he wasn't worried at all or not even noticed it. He got to meet some big dogs and he is getting braver each day. 

Oh, I think he loves all shelties, apart from playing with uncle Sizzle and uncle Seagull, he loves to harassing Wendy's Ella. Ella is a big sheltie, she is bigger than Saturn but everytime Sonic sees Ella, he will boing boing boing to get her to play with him. It was funny to watch!

Sipzie still won't accept him, he tried so hard to get her play but all she wants is to bite him! Mmmm ...

I am slowly re-introduce clicker to him, we've done a little clicker training this week while I am not running Sipzie. I even got him to stand on a box to get ready for the "elephant" trick. He has done well so far, and today, I decided to have my first move on the elephant trick ... here is the little video and at the end of it is a little video of him and Sizzle playing while we were camping.