Photos from Agility Trial

Here are some of the professional photos from the Nov. 11-12-13 Agility trial.  Thank-you to VW Perry Photography for these!

He doesn't leave much room to spare! He did clear this without knocking the bar

A-Frame contact sequence. 

 I wish he wouldn't hit the floor so hard!

So much momentum his back feet come up! But they come back down and he sticks it!

Broad Jump

He gets on the table with spring in his jump so he doesn't go sliding off the other side (usually)

He loves weaves! 

New title!

Dazzle and Sarah

Dazzle adds another title to his list!  The day started with the Standard course that he and Sarah did perfectly!  Of course, I totally flubbed the video.  I was told yesterday that the short leash we were using so that Sarah could ball it up in her hand was not long enough.  We were using it to try to keep it out of his mouth at the start.  If he was able to grab the leash, he would proceed to play tug and not let it go.  But the AKC rep did say I could hand the leash runner a different leash after Dazzle got started.  So I was concentrating on that job and not the video work.  When I realized I was missing the run, I accidently hit the power button instead of the record button!  By the time the camera was ready to record again, I only got the last three obstacles.  Oh well! 

His Jumper With Weaves run was a whole nuther matter!  He got frustrated at the start and then skipped jump 3.  Sarah got him back to it, but then he crashed jump 4 (the double), then after jump 5 he went off course to jump another jump (and took that one out) instead of turning to jump 6.  And that's when he got pulled. 

Other than class on Thursday and practice runs on Friday, I'll be putting my focus on Obedience in prep for the December trial. But it will be interesting to see what effect, if any, pulling him off the course has. My guess is that it will make him more careful, but we'll see!

  

No Q's today :-(

Today was a bit shorter day.  Our runs were scheduled for 3:45p and 5:40.  The trial was only slightly behind schedule, but we arrived in plenty of time. 

Dazzle was kind of rushed getting into the ring for standard though because the dog ahead of us crashed the tire at the 2nd jump on the course and that ended his run sooner than expected (thankfully he wasn't hurt). 

It only took a very brief time to get it repaired, but that wait on the start line plus seeing his leash get picked up off the ground frustrated him a bit and in his excited, non-thinking state he tried to leap the first jump instead of adding a stride in front of it.  He didn't make it and took out that jump- NQ. 

But the rest of his run was really nice! :-)  I didn't get video because I realised I didn't have the video camera about the time I was handing Sarah the leash to get him in the ring. 

His JWW course was VERY nice!  He was under control, thinking and being careful about the bars.  However, he got just a hair too fast on the final line and... you can see.  We missed the Q by literally a 1/2"!! 
VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6WGXrYhdXo

Hopefully, tomorrow he will be able to Q for at least one of the titles, preferably both! :-)

Here is the view from his crate area:

Over 300 dogs entered in the trial!  Thankfully they were not all in the building at the same time :-)

2 Q's!

Happy Veteran's Day!  11-11-11

Dazzle and I headed out early to arrive at the show in time to get set-up and ready for the 9:15 run.  The day started with the F.A.S.T. course.  Dazzle did really well!  He was calm and listening and only had a minor problem with the last jump (that can be jumped either direction).  He needed 50 points to Qualify and they ended up with 73 and beat the buzzer! 
VIDEO: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygDw0PxTMik
Our next run wasn't scheduled till around 5:30 pm, so with 8 hours to wait, we headed home!  We got back about an hour before the run and I helped with the Open level course runnning score sheets.  Then it was time for our Jumpers With Weaves (JWW) run.  The first 3 jumps were almost in a straight line and Dazzle got up a bit of momentum.  Sarah was trying to catch up as he shot past jump 4 instead of turning.  As a result, he jumped it the wrong direction earning the NQ.  But he kept ALL the bars up (even the akwardly jumped one) and the rest of the run was really nice, so I'm happy with how they did.
VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQj92ZulD4g

The last run was around 7pm and was a Standard course.  Dazzle was a bit tired, but he didn't get cranky and was able to remain calm and focused.  I'm sure coming home instead of spending 8 hours in his crate had a LOT to do with it! He had a really nice run for 100 points and again ended up with first place! 
VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNScqb0k7q8

I think we have found the key to his success!  Keep him really calm before the start and during the warm-up and have a small enough leash that Sarah can ball it up in her hand so he can't get it and play tug at the start line :-)  Keeping him calm helps reduce his frustration too. 

So the tally so far is:

FAST - 2Q (need 1 more)
Stand - 2Q (need 1 more)
JWW - 1Q (need 2 more)

We have 2 more runs in JWW and Standard this weekend.  Will have to wait till the next show for the next FAST Q.

The red/white ribbon in the center is the "Double Q" ribbon :-)

Chicken? No, thanks

I made chicken soup and set aside some of the chicken for the dogs.  But I have such a weird dog!  How many dogs do you know that pick out the real meat from their bowl and then set it aside because they DON'T want to eat it? 

April Dock Diving photos

I was looking through some photos I posted to Facebook and saw a few I took at an April dock diving event near Indianapolis.  It reminded me that I hadn't gotten the photos taken by a woman there.  I contacted the club and found out the photos were posted online!  Here are a few of my favorites:

He makes a big splash!

Happy dog

Focus!

Almost got it!

Such effort!

View of the cabin and the dock.  The dogs were jumping off at the end with the slide

Close up of the patio area and dog catch area

Hopeful attendees waiting on the raffle drawing- nope, I didn't win

Dam where Dazzle played with a few other dogs before we were advised that the dogs weren't allowed to be off-leash there.

Compeditors waiting their turns

Delinqent posts

I have been remiss in keeping Dazzle's blog updated.  Now that he has a Facebook page (or more like, now that *I* have a facebook page) I have been puting the quick updates there.  You can see his page and "like" him as your favorite athelete if you'd like :-)
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dazzle/168699929853175

I also like to have photos accompany the posts here and I just haven't taken many lately.  Enough of the excuses and onto the updates!

Since the previous post,  I have competed in a Glock Shooting Sports Federation (GSSF) competition and won the highest scoring female plaque!  Also got a gun bag. I felt like I was having an off day so I was really surprized to have won!  I guess the other women were having more of an off day than me :-)



 We have been taking an Agility class based on the "Alphabet Drills" book.  It's giving Dazzle more opportunity to work with the young woman I have running him in Agility.  They are doing really well together and Dazzle loves working with her.

Dazzle did great at the packed 1500 vendor gun show we went to near the end of October.  His favorite vendors were the Jerky vendor that gave me some samples for him and the taxidermy booth, but that vendor wasn't as keen on Dazzle sampling his wares :-)  I didn't let Dazzle reach any of them, but he really wanted to!  He stood there and stared at them for nearly a minute. I think he was waiting for something to move :-)

We went to Toledo for a Denise Fenzi seminar and it was just as excellent as the first one I attended.  The first one was problem solving for obedience competition and this one was "Building Drive and Motivation" for all dog sports. I LOVE her seminars and her creativity.  She is a positive, no compulsion dog trainer and is a really nice and knowledgeable person as well.  As before, I took a LOT of notes and Dazzle seemed to enjoy the working spot.  Sorry, no photos :-( I didn't think there would be enough light for my little point and shoot to take decent photos.

Halloween was uneventful for us as we don't get any trick or treaters here.  So it was just another night here.

On the 2nd of November I went to Posidog in Columbus and had a really great training session. Did some work on Dazzle's release of favorite objects on cue, stand for exam and heeling with attention.  Wish Posidog was closer!

On Sunday afternoon, I was building some jumps in the basement for obedience competition practice and Dazzle was running up and down the concrete steps.  I didn't think much of it because he does that quite often.  But he apparently over did it and bruised his feet.  By evening, he didn't want to walk and when he needed to (to go outside to potty) he was trying to walk without his feet touching the ground.  It would have been comical if it wasn't so painful to watch. 

I spent some time on the floor with him on his back (feet elevated) while I held an ice pack on his feet.  I wasn't sure if it would do anything, but by this morning, he was walking MUCH better!  I had some errands to run that didn't involve much walking so I took him with me, but it was clear his feet were still sensitive so I skipped a few places and had him wait in the van while I went in to get dinner. 

I have been restricting him to the office with me, an x-pen area near the kitchen or on-leash for walks outside to potty so he can only walk.  And he is sleeping in his crate again to prevent any running or trotting in the morning excitement (or late night cat chasing).

So far, I think it's helping a great deal and he's dealing with the restrictions surprizingly well.  I haven't gotten him any pain meds because his feet don't seem to bother him if he stays off them (my goal) so he is self-regulating.  We'll see how long that lasts. 

If he's sound (fingers crossed), we have entered a 3-day Agility trial this weekend.  I'm hoping his recovery continues to be as fast and dramatic as the difference between last night and today.  Why do injuries always happen right before trials? 

On Sunday, Dazzle decided his Kong bone would be better as TWO toys.

As you can see, he got about half way through in two other places before making it all the way through this solid rubber bone. I guess there's a reason they are known as Maligators!

So that gets this blog up to date again.  I'll post more after the trial that he will hopefully be recovered for (and not too "cranked up" to think from the restricted activity this week). Hopefully I can post about some new titles!