Yesterday I took Patsy to a Fun Agility Day at "The Patch". Shona has been handling Patsy recently, so I haven't done a competition round since last October.
Anyway there were two lovely courses created for the Agility Grade 1-3 classes, and much to my delight we managed to finish the second round without collecting an elimination along the way.
At the end of the day, I was even more delighted to get a prize - a FIRST prize, as apparently we won!
Our first first!!
Then another surprise back home. My eldest daughter came round and cooked a delicious dinner for us all for Mother's Day. A lovely end to a great day out with friends.
(Shhhh - don't mention how few were actually in the class!! ;) )
I started channel weaves with Finn a couple of weeks ago, and used a ball to encourage him to run through. I also had an assistant run with him on the lead, so that diversions out of the channel could be quickly corrected.
Then for practicing alone, I set him in a "Wait" at the entrance to the weaves and called him through. It didn't take long for him to pick the idea up. Finally I added a jump at each end, with the idea that they help line him up for the channel weaves and also give him a target straight ahead afterwards.
This video shows how he can now run a small loop of jumps with channel weaves included:
Next I hope to angle the entry and exit jumps, and move them out a bit, before finally being able (hopefully) to send him to the weaves on their own. Only after all this will I start to pull the poles inwards.... or at least that is my current idea!
I suspect this is his smug "I'm a clever boy!" face. LOL
There were so many from Castlereagh DDTC staying in the hotel on Saturday night that we had tables pushed together...
.... and our little Patsy coped remarkably well with all the bustle of Crufts....
... and hotel rooms.
Clare and Taz were delighted to pick up a 5th place in YKC Obedience.
(Both are rather photogenic don't you think....)
My excitement for the week was the acquisition of a new set of wheels, with tractor tyres that will hopefully take me through the fields and trees at home.... (Kindly delivered to the hotel carpark by Horizon Mobility.)
And in Crufts next day I managed to meet up with a couple of other wheelers. Victoria and Pauline both do agility using wheels. It was good say Hi face to face after our various online FB chats.
Part way through Sunday, Patsy got a bit over heated, so Tim and I took her for a walk outside. Beautiful day, and surprisingly nice grounds at the NEC!
Then it was all excitement as the girls got their T-shirts on ready for the YKC Team event.
I couldn't get any decent photos of the action, but this one shows just how well Patsy was listening at the start. Only 5 faults for one error on the weaves. So a good round.
At the prize giving all the teams were brought in. And I just happened to snap the winning team. I just love the variety of dogs in this team. :D
Our team came 5th! Well done Clare, Illona, Shona, Katie and Jenny and the dogs too!
Yay to my wee Patsy! (Here sporting a trendy wet blanket to cool her down!)
Then back to the car to re-pack every thing around my new wheels.
And we hit the road for home.
PS Next morning - we learned that Lucy and Molly had in fact WON the "Friends for Life" competition...
BIG Congratulations to Lucy and Molly. What a lovely end to the week!
And an amazing sunrise as we left the ferry at early o'clock.
A detour to collect a hire scooter. (Horizon Aztec... possible purchase)
Early start on Thursday morning. Shona (yellow) and Clare (white) are competing with Patsy and Taz. Rebecca and Amy are their able YKC assistants.
All lights and a very crowded ring for the YKC Agility competition.
Wee Taz did well, but found the artificial grass disconcerting.
Taz on the see-saw.
I was worried Patsy would just freeze, but she scampered round and went really well, flying through tunnels, over obstacles and all was going well.... until she forgot how to do the weave poles....
A flying finish at the end - so not bad for a wee dog that's never seen the limelight before!
Team event still to come on Sunday. Meanwhile Tim and I toured the halls to find the Malamute benches and found Peri chilling between classes.
After we left, Peri's home-bred bitch Poison won Best Bitch, and also collected Reserve Best of Breed.
Crufts 2013 was the first time I'd ever used a wheelchair. So this year, 2014, Crufts is a kind of anniversary for me. One year on wheels!
"Friends for Life"
"Friends for Life" is the competition run by the Kennel Club, to highlight outstanding relationships between dog and human. Yet everywhere these amazing relationships abound, I know because my own dogs have helped me cope with the life changes that my health has flung at me.
So the five stories told by the Friends for Life finalists at Crufts are just the tip of the iceberg, and in celebrating the stories of these five, I think this initiative also inspires and encourages a great many other people. All are winners in my view.
Yet, I also have a favourite in the running.... and here's why:
I recently "met" Lucy Watts online as I stumbled onto the FB page she keeps called Molly, Dog with a Blog .
I made a few comments on her page, and noticed she was starting to train Molly towards doing agility competition. And we got chatting. I thought we could compare notes about training tactics, as my Finn is also a puppy.
Then I realised that Lucy and Molly were actually finalists in the Friends for Life competition at Crufts. That gave me quite a buzz, not least because I thought it might be fun to meet up at Crufts itself.
Now if you haven't visited Molly's blog - which is entirely written from the puppy's point of view - then it really is worth a browse. Not only are there commentaries, photos and videos on Molly's training, but there are also some lovely insights into how a dog can just give so much.
The relationship that Lucy and Molly have is infectious. If you are like me, you will spend much longer on the blog than you had first intended! Lucy and Molly also feature in the video produced for the Friends for Life final - Worth watching:
The number to vote for Lucy and Molly (given also at the end of the video) is
0844 646 0202
I've watched all the videos, and I am amazed by each of the wonderful stories told. Really all of these dogs and their owners are winners, no matter who gets the final glorious moment.
However, something about Lucy and her relationship with Molly has touched my heart, and so these two have got my vote. Perhaps they'll get your vote too.
Good Luck to Lucy and Molly - I look forward to meeting you at the big show! xx
As Patsy gets woollier, she runs slower, and today, she came in over-heated and panting.
Well, it will be warmer at Crufts! So it's time for the scissors!
I thought this time I should take a few photos, so a white sheet was draped over the sofa... without it Patsy becomes invisible against the dark brown background!
I got an apron on, and set to work... this is a 40 second time-lapse run of the haircut in progress.
And the end result - I'll probably need to tidy her face up, but I'll do that in another session. Patsy rarely gets a full haircut all in one go.
Might need a little coat on tonight... as that's a load of fluff removed.
This year at Crufts should be exciting, as there is so much going on and so many friends to catch up with...
Shona has qualified with little Patsy to compete in the YKC Agility Dog of the Year on Thursday. They will also be joining 4 others on the Cuchulain Girls Team from N.Ireland for the YKC Team Agility event on Sunday.
My good friend Peri Burnside is also travelling from N.Ireland with her Malamutes. Peri has enjoyed considerable success in recent years breeding and showing these amazing dogs, and I am looking forward to seeing them in action in the show ring at last.
I am also hoping to meet up with two amazing young ladies who, like me, use wheels to handle their dogs. I've chatted with both online, and am really looking forward to writing about their relationships with their dogs and also to meeting them at Crufts.
I watched Victoria Prince compete in the YKC Obedience ring last year, while waiting for the Agility to start. At the time my mobility had become a problem, and Victoria was the first handler I'd ever seen live in action, handling a dog using wheels! It certainly got me thinking, and on returning from Crufts I took a deep breath and bought a mobility scooter. Doing so opened up my world again, and so I owe Victoria (and a few other notable FB friends) a big vote of thanks for giving me the courage to try.
More recently I have been chatting with Lucy Watts on FB and as I was inspired by the work she is doing with her puppy Molly. Molly is in training to be an assistance dog, and Lucy is also training her towards agility competitions. In fact Molly even has her very own dog blog over on Face Book. Check it out here: Molly, dog with a Blog.
So there should be lots happening during the Crufts week for me. I can't wait.
(And now to REST and store up some stamina for the week! xx )
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