Agility news

All Sing's puppies are doing so well since the season begin ... apart from Tye, Fly and Savannah (Sunny's puppies) who are just old enough to compete last month; the older girls Tig & Skye (Samber's pups) were also winning in their classes; a younger Samber pup Brooke has also won her Jumping by great margin at Easter. WooHoo! I am a very proud breeder, I love watching the pups growing up, progressing, the most of all, they are all in a lovely home where they are truly spoilt. 

I have not compete much since back from Spain. I am a bit flat out at the moment, don't know why. There are too many shows out there at the moment and I just don't know how to plan and which one to go to. We are in different location now, the shows I used to go to seems a bit "out of the way" for a day trip, by the time I decided I will probably camp, but the camping is full :(

I enjoy my new lifestyle, the shelties love the outdoor space we have. They love being a farm dog :), we have plenty of animals to look after, I feel like staying in the Farm  instead of camping at the dog show. But, having said that, I've booked up my very first camping trip this year to Newbury Showground. I am doing GT UKA and Vyne. I am quite excited about it. 

Sipzie is in season, this week is the "mating time" but she is not going to breed from this time. It is rather tricky to take her camping, so she is staying :(

Sizzle is not very well at the moment, I don't know why, that really worried me. Last Saturday we went to UKA K9 at Littleport, I entered 2 classes for him (Champ Agility and Champ Power & Speed) but when I walked the Champ Steeplechase, I thought I rather like it and so I went to enter him as well. When I got him out to the ring, he was looking very flat, no energy whatsoever. I wasn't sure what's wrong with him, I thought he was "crazy" about Sipzie which he did. Although Sipzie is separated from the boys but they boys get to see her. Sing & Sonic are stud dog but they are the two easiest boys to handle. Saturn whine a little bit but also no problem. Sizzle is the worst. He would not eat, would not want to go for a walk or play. All he wants to do is to "guard" where Sipzie is. If Sipzie is in a crate, then he will glue himself to her crate. If Sipzie is in a different room, he will glue himself to the door or puppy gate. He is truly a miserable dog at the moment. Anyway, I thought I will run Saturn instead to see if I can get him excited. 

Saturn, Bless him, haven't done anything for 2 years, he was so happy to be able to run again. He won the class too, such a good honest boy. He really is my comfort slipper. If you look at the video, I am actually a lazy handler and I am so proud that Saturn knows me so well. He knew just exactly what I want from him eventhough he hasn't been trained or competed for 2 years. This is what I call a great relationship/partnership. 

Saturn in Champ Steeplehcase, you can hear Sizzle barking in the background:

The thing that really worried me was just before we entered the ring, Sizzle threw out all the treats I gave him. I chopped up some cocktail sausages very finely (so just a taste really); this happened in Spain as well, so I hope he is not associated with a bad agility experience. In Spain, when he threw up the first time, he didn't run too badly but not his usual speed. This is the same at this Champ Agility round. He ran but not his speed :(

Sizzle in Champ Agility: 

Although he looked better running in the Champ Power & Speed, his contacts were ok but he seems to struggle the weave poles a bit. He didn't look like he is weaving comfortably, that makes me think if he twitch his back again? Thank God I book to see physio at GT. Hope that will sort him out. 

Sizzle in Champ Power & Speed:

What throw me out again was last night at training, the sequence was Jump-DW-Tunnel-Weave ..., he started off jump-dw, from DW into the tunnel, he was so slow, he was basically WALK into the tunnel and would not want to weave. I scoop him up and he was all shaken! I was worried sick, really sick. I wish I know what is wrong with my poor boy. He's going to see the vet this evening!

I didn't do very well with Sonic either at the UKA K9. We just can't have a clear round! He is very good with contacts and weave but he tends to get refusal on jump and tunnel. I know he is not a tunnel dog like all the dogs love. I have spent a lot of time rewarding the tunnel just recently (when the weather is dry!). I determined to qualify him for the Beginners Steeplechase. We still have not qualify because he keeps refusing the tunnels! I have been practice the jump-tunnel-jump sequence. When I saw the course, I knew straightaway we will not be able to tackle it. We have to do the tunnel-tunnel 4 times! They are 4 straight tunnels, I can't beat him to get there, he's fast :)

crazy Sonic in Beginners Steeplechase:

In the Beginners Power & Speed, we didn't get to do the Speed part as he missed the weave entry. I've tried to send him into the weave entry from A Frame, but his flat entry is still not great, more homework! I am so happy with his running DW though :)

In the Beginners Jumping, it was disaster. I tried to do a "ketschker turn" at jump #3. As you can see, we have not been practicing for a while :(, after that I went off course a bit.  

Beginners Agility was our last class, so I thought I will go NFC, so I can reward him at the end. Surely, he refused a jump and pop out of the weave LOL. Sonic is a hardwork but I love my hardwork dog. He makes me work harder too!

I am hoping to have a lot of fun with him this weekend!