Jem had a check up at SMART on Monday to see what their thoughts were about her going back to full height - the plan is to ease her in gently over the next two months and then put her up to full height and take her back to SMART one month later :D This fits perfectly with my current agility plan which is to just slowly build up the amount we are doing (for my sack as much as the dog's!!) - starting with just one obstacle at a time and only the odd large jump for Elliot (no higher than medium for Jem). I plan to be course ready for about April but depending on how revision for my finals goes I may not compete until July.
Already in two sessions both dogs contacts have improved massively - Jem would be ready to start doing the whole equipment again but Elliot is still getting very distracted by my movement - but we have plenty of time to work on that :)
The one grid work exercise I have done so far seemed to work really nicely with Elliot and was nicely making him stretch his back legs out and not tuck them up - fingers crossed that with the time I have to work on things he will keep this style of jumping. I did have some lovely videos of both of them jumping but have some how managed to delete them :(
As for the weaves - we are trying a little 2x2 to help with entrances and they both seem to have picked it up quickly which is good :)
I am also working much harder on making sure I warm them both up before and cool them both down after working as the last thing I want is for either of them to injure themselves!!!
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Back in the game :D
The time has finally come for me to have time along with a working ankle to be able to start agility training again!!! :D
I have found somewhere near me to hire equipment in an outdoor sand school so I can get my confidence back running again and do some weave and contact training before I return to the "scene of the crime" for lessons with Lel!!!
I had my first session there on Sunday and just did some tinkering really. Reminded them both that they are meant to stop on contacts, wait on the start line and drive on over jumps!!! Their contacts were slow but I am happy with that for now, I can work on speed. Jem only did medium jumps and will only do that until she has been back to SMART for a check up after having had so long off!!
I don't know when I shall next get to go as it depends on uni work etc but I plan on being more organised and going with a plan of what I am going to do, rather than just tinkering!!!
It feels so good to be back, and to realise the dogs havn't forgotten EVERYTHING they had been taught!!!
I have found somewhere near me to hire equipment in an outdoor sand school so I can get my confidence back running again and do some weave and contact training before I return to the "scene of the crime" for lessons with Lel!!!
I had my first session there on Sunday and just did some tinkering really. Reminded them both that they are meant to stop on contacts, wait on the start line and drive on over jumps!!! Their contacts were slow but I am happy with that for now, I can work on speed. Jem only did medium jumps and will only do that until she has been back to SMART for a check up after having had so long off!!
I don't know when I shall next get to go as it depends on uni work etc but I plan on being more organised and going with a plan of what I am going to do, rather than just tinkering!!!
It feels so good to be back, and to realise the dogs havn't forgotten EVERYTHING they had been taught!!!
Monday, 12 September 2011
Flyball catch up!!!
Everyone seems to be updating their blogs so thought I best get mine up to date too!!!
In July Elliot went to the Barkshire Bandits show with Nat and apparently behaved himself as the team came home with a really nice mug for 1st place :)
Our next competition was the Champs. Due to uni exams I was only able to go for one day and as Jem wont run for anyone else and extraset needed her I went on the Sat. The original plan was for Elliot to then stay with Nat and run with Rockets on the Sunday but in true Jemma style she decided to be ill the week before and so to be on the safe side we put Elliot on the extraset team sheet as back up!!! Jem ran OK in the morning, although not 100% (although on threatening to put Elliot in in her place she did pick up a bit!)!! In the afternoon however she was back to the naughty noisy Jemma that I am used to at flyball!!! The team was unlucky and some of the teams in the division ran much faster their seed times and they ended up finishing 5th (they still got a goody bag though :) )! It was great to be at the Champs but I wish I had been there on the Sunday to watch Div 1!! I am however determined to be there for the whole weekend next year!!!
Our final competition for this season was the Nuneaton Flyers competition at Becketts Farm. We had a really great weekend, with the four teams getting 3 x 1st and a 3rd!!! Jem ran really well, she ran forwards when I let her go and didn't dance around too much whilst waiting which meant I actually got some pretty decent starts!!! It seems I learn to handle my dogs at the champs as she started this good behaviour then and it was at the champs last year where I learnt to do change overs with Elliot!!! Elliot also ran really well, I took Nats advice (for once!!!) and was more relaxed whilst lining up and didn't make him stand straight if he didn't want to before I let him go and he was much better, making me have much better change overs :) For both of them I also laid my lead out where I had been letting go of them which made a big difference as I am useless at judging distances!!!
So, all in all a great flyball season and I look forward to doing more competitions next year, although I have a feeling Agility may fill up quite a few of my weekends!!
In July Elliot went to the Barkshire Bandits show with Nat and apparently behaved himself as the team came home with a really nice mug for 1st place :)
Our next competition was the Champs. Due to uni exams I was only able to go for one day and as Jem wont run for anyone else and extraset needed her I went on the Sat. The original plan was for Elliot to then stay with Nat and run with Rockets on the Sunday but in true Jemma style she decided to be ill the week before and so to be on the safe side we put Elliot on the extraset team sheet as back up!!! Jem ran OK in the morning, although not 100% (although on threatening to put Elliot in in her place she did pick up a bit!)!! In the afternoon however she was back to the naughty noisy Jemma that I am used to at flyball!!! The team was unlucky and some of the teams in the division ran much faster their seed times and they ended up finishing 5th (they still got a goody bag though :) )! It was great to be at the Champs but I wish I had been there on the Sunday to watch Div 1!! I am however determined to be there for the whole weekend next year!!!
Our final competition for this season was the Nuneaton Flyers competition at Becketts Farm. We had a really great weekend, with the four teams getting 3 x 1st and a 3rd!!! Jem ran really well, she ran forwards when I let her go and didn't dance around too much whilst waiting which meant I actually got some pretty decent starts!!! It seems I learn to handle my dogs at the champs as she started this good behaviour then and it was at the champs last year where I learnt to do change overs with Elliot!!! Elliot also ran really well, I took Nats advice (for once!!!) and was more relaxed whilst lining up and didn't make him stand straight if he didn't want to before I let him go and he was much better, making me have much better change overs :) For both of them I also laid my lead out where I had been letting go of them which made a big difference as I am useless at judging distances!!!
So, all in all a great flyball season and I look forward to doing more competitions next year, although I have a feeling Agility may fill up quite a few of my weekends!!
Friday, 22 July 2011
Kilnsea Event Field
We had our usual Rocket and Extraset teams in this weekend, the last chance to run these combinations of dogs to get times for the Champs!! The weather was horrid but the few bright spells meant racing wasn't cancelled :) Both teams were in Div 2 (I know, Extraset, in Div 2!!! - crazy stuff!!!), Rockets 2nd seed and Extraset 6th.
Rockets ran really well and really gelled, they managed two new best times, 17.98 with Elliot in and Diefer out and then in the next race a 17.93 without Elliot - just got to hope we can keep it up for the Champs!! They managed to win all their races until the last one which was close, and we took to five legs, sadly on the last leg Elliot manged to take off into the first jump meaning he was very off balance for the rest of his run!! This put them into 2nd place :) Elliot wasn't running his best this
weekend, he was taking off ridiculously early for the first jump and jumping them all quite high (I was letting him go from a foot further forward though, whether this had an effect or not I don't know, and
whether this was due to him running slower or merlin running faster I also don't know?). He was also being really annoying in the line up - he seems to get worse each week!! His tuggy was OK this week though, I only had to really persuade him to play on a few occasions!! It will be interesting to
see how he runs this weekend as Nat is running him-see if he is just naughty for me!!!
We all thought Extraset were going to have it tough but as per usual for this team, they had luck on their side and only lost two of their races, one of which was against Rockets! They finished 3rd with a best time of 19.01 (had Rockets won their last race they would have been 1st and Extraset 2nd) :) Jem managed a best time of 4.38 which makes me a very happy mummy :) She did however do quite a few 4.7s because she seemed to have to run at least twice for almost every leg due to my rubbish starts and numerous lights and the other teams not doing much better either!!!
All in all a good weekends racing for all teams, with Missiles coming 3rd in their division and Ballistics winning Div 1!
Rockets ran really well and really gelled, they managed two new best times, 17.98 with Elliot in and Diefer out and then in the next race a 17.93 without Elliot - just got to hope we can keep it up for the Champs!! They managed to win all their races until the last one which was close, and we took to five legs, sadly on the last leg Elliot manged to take off into the first jump meaning he was very off balance for the rest of his run!! This put them into 2nd place :) Elliot wasn't running his best this
weekend, he was taking off ridiculously early for the first jump and jumping them all quite high (I was letting him go from a foot further forward though, whether this had an effect or not I don't know, and
whether this was due to him running slower or merlin running faster I also don't know?). He was also being really annoying in the line up - he seems to get worse each week!! His tuggy was OK this week though, I only had to really persuade him to play on a few occasions!! It will be interesting to
see how he runs this weekend as Nat is running him-see if he is just naughty for me!!!
We all thought Extraset were going to have it tough but as per usual for this team, they had luck on their side and only lost two of their races, one of which was against Rockets! They finished 3rd with a best time of 19.01 (had Rockets won their last race they would have been 1st and Extraset 2nd) :) Jem managed a best time of 4.38 which makes me a very happy mummy :) She did however do quite a few 4.7s because she seemed to have to run at least twice for almost every leg due to my rubbish starts and numerous lights and the other teams not doing much better either!!!
All in all a good weekends racing for all teams, with Missiles coming 3rd in their division and Ballistics winning Div 1!
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Barbury Castle
Well, this certainly was an eventful weekend!! As it was Nat's birthday and not too far away we decided to take the caravan - after attempting to leave numerous times (very long story) we arrived at about half 9 Friday night. The venue was lovely, a lovely big camping field and massive exercise area, it was just such a shame the ring was 1.25miles from it!!!
Saturday was a quiet day for us in terms of racing, just the missiles in division 7 who did well and came 4th. Nat and I went for a wander round the show with Asher and Jem which, after deciding to walk there (we didn't realise quite HOW far it was!!), turned about to be a 2 and a half hour wander!!! We then had a lovely 4hr nap in the afternoon to make up for our lack of sleep Fri night and our expected lack of sleep Sat night!! Elliot & Laika then had a nice walk round the point to point course before we cooked tea - the second eventful thing for our weekend - our caravan nearly set on fire, someone came to chat to us when there was a loud bang and apparently flames coming out our water heater!! After turning off our gas Carol & Mark kindly lent us their cooker for us to finish cooking our tea before we headed out to celebrate Nat's birthday :)
Sunday was manic, with three teams in three of the four divisions! With the ring so far away from the caravan we didn't manage to get back at all during the day but luckily we had taken money so could buy lunch at the show! The ground was running really slow and consequently none of the dogs ran their best. Extraset managed a best time of 19.09 and won division 3 - I was naughty in the afternoon and didn't move Jem far enough away from the rings to stop her barking between races and so she was noticeably slower in the second race. Apart from that she ran really well, although probably spent very little time looking where she was going!!! Rockets only managed a best time of 18.33 and finished 2nd - they had won all their races until the last one, but so had that team, it was brilliant close racing and we took it to five legs, loosing the last leg on 0.08s!!! Elliot was being a prat for some reason and really would not stand still so my changeovers were quite late as I couldn't judge what he was going to do, or even look at where Merlin was as he was being such a fidget!! I did realise on one of the races that some of the confusion may have been that when Carol calls Merlin she calls "merleeeeee" which of course sounds very much like "eeeeeeee" and when she didn't call Merlin till I had released Elliot he stood stock still. As this wasn't a very practical solution I then ended up just having to lift Elliot over into position and only put him down just before I let him go - worked OK but it is not something I want to have to do all the time!! I tried him coming back to a second ball and it didn't seem to make much difference to his time, he was maybe a fraction quicker to start with but he soon decided not to spit the first ball for the second and so just kept getting hit on the head with it!! I have therefore decided to go back to the tug, work with what I have got for now and then work better on improving it over the winter.
I shall leave you to read Nat's blog for how Asher got on in his first run back after his injury (when she gets round to writing it!:p) but will say that Ballistics managed another new best time of 16.63 :)
Saturday was a quiet day for us in terms of racing, just the missiles in division 7 who did well and came 4th. Nat and I went for a wander round the show with Asher and Jem which, after deciding to walk there (we didn't realise quite HOW far it was!!), turned about to be a 2 and a half hour wander!!! We then had a lovely 4hr nap in the afternoon to make up for our lack of sleep Fri night and our expected lack of sleep Sat night!! Elliot & Laika then had a nice walk round the point to point course before we cooked tea - the second eventful thing for our weekend - our caravan nearly set on fire, someone came to chat to us when there was a loud bang and apparently flames coming out our water heater!! After turning off our gas Carol & Mark kindly lent us their cooker for us to finish cooking our tea before we headed out to celebrate Nat's birthday :)
Sunday was manic, with three teams in three of the four divisions! With the ring so far away from the caravan we didn't manage to get back at all during the day but luckily we had taken money so could buy lunch at the show! The ground was running really slow and consequently none of the dogs ran their best. Extraset managed a best time of 19.09 and won division 3 - I was naughty in the afternoon and didn't move Jem far enough away from the rings to stop her barking between races and so she was noticeably slower in the second race. Apart from that she ran really well, although probably spent very little time looking where she was going!!! Rockets only managed a best time of 18.33 and finished 2nd - they had won all their races until the last one, but so had that team, it was brilliant close racing and we took it to five legs, loosing the last leg on 0.08s!!! Elliot was being a prat for some reason and really would not stand still so my changeovers were quite late as I couldn't judge what he was going to do, or even look at where Merlin was as he was being such a fidget!! I did realise on one of the races that some of the confusion may have been that when Carol calls Merlin she calls "merleeeeee" which of course sounds very much like "eeeeeeee" and when she didn't call Merlin till I had released Elliot he stood stock still. As this wasn't a very practical solution I then ended up just having to lift Elliot over into position and only put him down just before I let him go - worked OK but it is not something I want to have to do all the time!! I tried him coming back to a second ball and it didn't seem to make much difference to his time, he was maybe a fraction quicker to start with but he soon decided not to spit the first ball for the second and so just kept getting hit on the head with it!! I have therefore decided to go back to the tug, work with what I have got for now and then work better on improving it over the winter.
I shall leave you to read Nat's blog for how Asher got on in his first run back after his injury (when she gets round to writing it!:p) but will say that Ballistics managed another new best time of 16.63 :)
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