Triune weekend Part 2

Well, I have to say this has been the best NQ weekend I have ever had. Had an NQ in both standard and jumpers on sunday. Very happy with the standard run though. Had an awesome dog walk contact, got the pull to the opposite end of the tunnel, and he got his tough weave pole entrance. I also did a very fun blind cross off of the a-frame which was a great challenge accomplished! I did have one very sloppy front cross that brought the bar down but very happy with the run overall! I really like it when I can keep the mindset of screw the Q, feel good about the handling and the run. Like i said before the only Q I got this weekend was a crappy run! I feel way better about two of my NQ runs!

Tony did good this weekend but harley is still not running very well. I think Tony has realized that he needs to practice more which is good. I can tell him something 100 times and it doesn't sink it but if he figures it out on his own, it has way more value! Hmmm, kind of like dogs, if you lure and shape and help them figure something out versus them figuring it out on their own, it doesn't stick as well. Harley also stresses so tony has to be creative on warming him up yet keeping his brain focused and not putting too much stress on him. I could tell when they were warming up for standard that he was stressing as I could see across the arena that he had his nose on the ground and was sniffing and eating dirt and not paying tony any attention. Tony does not use treats to warm harley up which i disagree with but Harley is now only his show dog and not mine so I am keeping any comments to myself. I did suggest to tony instead of pulling on him with the leash which stresses him, to have him touch his hand with his nose or do a specific behavior. Harley ended up totally stressed to the max and jumping off of the teeter. Tony forgot that he couldn't re-attempt the contact once the dog had four paws on it so he had to be whistled off. He was really upset and of course all of us women where throwing suggestions to him when all he wanted to do was stew by himself. Managed to get them all to leave him alone long enough that the could blow off some steam and calm down. They did have a much better jumpers run so I am glad that harley bounced back. I did see tony warming harley up for jumpers and he was using touch to get him to get his nose off of the ground. Not sure why harley is still so mental but am thinking this is the way it is always going to be:( Just hoping tony can overcome and not get discouraged and quit.

My jumpers run was not good and had poor handling that caused miller to run around not one but two jumps. I didn't support a jump on a nice long distance arc that i needed him to take so I could get a front cross in so he came in and took the next jump. Once I watched the video, I saw that my hand dropped and he just followed it. The second jump was my fault again but I wasn't really handling well so it was my fault. Hate ending the weekend on a bad note but miller got lots of cookies for at least following what I told him to do! Other than one run with a blown dog walk contact and one run with popped weaves, he had great contacts and great weaves so am very proud of the miller man! Here's to no more safe runs!!!!!

Here are my two favorite runs of the weekend. Tony's jumpers run on saturday and my standard run on sunday!

Triune weekend Part 1

Drinking, unwinding and blogging. What a weird weekend for me. I have been for the most part very happy about my runs this weekend yet not alot of q's and the one course I did Q on, I didn't like the run! SO WEIRD. I was really worried because I had let miller get away with some really crappy dog walks at USDAA regionals, all in the name of speed. When ever I really push Miller, he jumps the dog walk contact and he needs to get over this. I need to be able to push him at times and he has to keep his head. I really love USDAA because there is no such thing as safe runs so I am trying to keep that thought while I run AKC. The first run we had on friday was standard and I decided to try and really push him for all I could. Well, we got through some really tough stuff and I was really running for the dog walk contact and he baled. I had just gotten a very tough weave pole entry that was way off-set and the judge had a tunnel that was very close to the dog walk. I think had I layered the tunnel, he probably would not have baled but I think because I was pushing so hard and I was so close to the bottom that he reverted to old behaviors. I did continue to run, which I shouldn't have but human nature took over and I just wanted to finish the course. Many people commented that our time was really awesome, I have no clue what it was but I do know we were running really hard. In jumpers, I had a pretty good run going and had to go deeper into a pocket that I had anticipated which put me out of position for a crucial front cross. When i realized that i couldn't get there, I had no plan b other than run like hell and push the line. It worked, wasn't pretty but he was 12 seconds under course time which is very awesome for a 10 year old dog! He was 5th or 6th in placing which doesn't matter. I was not happy with not getting my cross in but I think that if I had tried to get it in, I would have been late and caused a bar to come down.

Saturday came way too early, but Tony was entered Saturday so at least I had someone to drive with. He was running behind as usual but we had separate walk throughs and it was small to tall so didn't have to be there really early. I ran first in standard and had a great dog walk. He drove to the bottom and popped down into position and I released him quickly but then it all fell apart. He was weaving and for what ever reason skipped two poles. I decided to start him over as he has been doing stuff like this lately and it might be a rule soon and then my plan was blown. We had a jump and then a sharp turn to the a-frame and I was going to do a front cross but again was out of position, sent him over the off course jump and around the a-frame. I picked him up at the table which was the next obstacle, caught my breath and my brain and finished out the course with a nice front cross and a blind cross out of a tunnel. Even though a had a minor train wreck, I felt like we got it back together and finished nicely. Tony also had a good run but harley did not hold his dog walk contact and took an off course tunnel in his haste to go. He also missed the a-frame so will have to tell harley to stop watching miller! Tony did go back and get the a-frame and did make harley hold his a-frame contact and he got a sit on the table YEAH! Sometime when tony makes harley hold a contact, he will start to stress on the table so I was very happy to see him be able to get a sit.

Next was jumpers with a nice free-flowing running course. I had decided to try a rear cross on the end line to just practice since that is our weakness. I figured I would get ahead of him and could have problems as it was a straight line and then a turn but I wanted to do it anyway. I also decided to work some distance so I could get my front crosses in smoothly. I posted the video of the run as I am very proud of it! We did get a spin when I asked for the rear cross, not what I expected and did get a call for a refusal but had a great run regardless. Tony also had a very awesome run with Harley, just had one little bobble and also a refusal. They are really gelling as a team and I am doing a better job at keeping my mouth shut when he runs. I am videoing all of his runs and then we download them and watch them together. He usually figures out what he did wrong as it is alot easier to see on a big screen so I am not having to say anything. We shall see what tomorrow brings! I really like Lavonda's courses and always enjoy showing under her!