Bay Team CPE, 3/22-3

"'Scuse my dust!"

This was a big event held in Sunnyvale, considerably closer to home than our usual Elk Grove venue.  There were 3 rings going at the same time, but things were so well organized and orchestrated that there were few to no SNAFUs.  I took both dogs, and at the end of Saturday's events was hoping for a double "perfect weekend" -- 9 Q's/9 events for Mox, 7/7 for Miko.  Miko had Q'd in all 3 of his Saturday classes, with a 1st and a 3rd place, and Moxie had Q'd in all 5 of his, with 2 1sts, a 3rd and a 4th.

However, this perfect weekend was not to be.  On Sunday, Miko Q'd in his first class and then he had clearly had enough.  I ran (okay, trotted) him in one more and then scratched from the final 2.  He gets seasonal allergies and was on meds; I don't think he felt very good.  

"I think I'll sit this one out, thanks."

"Not Me!!!"

Moxie ran either hot or ... not cold, maybe "too hot."  He Q'd and finished 2nd (on accumulated points) in his Jackpot class with an excellent run that earned us compliments from total strangers, and he was absolutely brilliant in his Jumpers -- more than 5 1/2 seconds faster than any other Level 2 dog of any size!  But in Full House we ran into some trouble, ended up not exactly where I intended, and I got flustered and patted him before sending him to the table to stop the clock.  This constituted "touching the dog on course," which is elimination.

Our primo disaster, though, was Sunday's Standard class.  The wheels came off, the boiler exploded, it rained rubber chickens and the stock market plummeted yet another 300 points.  Everything that could go wrong, did.  He broke his stay at the start (only time all weekend, and I was doing some lonnngggg lead-outs), which meant I was behind him from the gitgo.  He took an off-course jump.  Blew his weave entry.  Blew his weave entry again.  And again.  And he barked -- at me, not just his usual "look!  I'm running!" enthusiastic noise.  Babysitting the weaves put me behind him again, out of position so I had to rear-cross the teeter.  Apparently I cut it closer than I shoulda, because I tripped and went sprawling -- took most of the skin off my right knee (the one that works!).

Good going! In one class I "handle" my dog, in another I fall over an obstacle...

But I balance these mishaps against the truly excellent runs, and I feel pretty good.  I have a private lesson set up with Sandy to help me teach him directional commands, so that when he gets ahead of me I don't lose him.  I think that'll make a real difference.  I certainly don't want to try to slow him down!

The photos included with this post were taken at the WAG NADAC trial 3/15-16.  Dave Mills is the photographer, and yes, I have bought prints!

CPE, NADAC again, and finally some January pix

It's a bird, it's a plane ... 

... no, it's the flying Moxerati, catching serious air at the WAG NADAC trial in January (see earlier post). All the pictures here are from that trial. They were taken by David Wong, and though it took forever for them to get to me, they were definitely worth waiting for.  I'm particularly glad to have pix of Mox in action, finally.  He looks completely deranged when he's on-course, as these photos clearly show.  Just imagine a soundtrack of non-stop barking as he hurtles past ... and take 3 Advil and lie down in a darkened room :-)  

Seriously, he's an extremely promising young dog -- not only fast and talented, but dead honest and full of heart and enthusiasm.  Our main challenges have more to do with my learning to be a better handler than anything else.  If I can get info to him on time, he'll give me everything I ask for, and then some.  He has recently moved up into one of Sandy Rogers' competition classes, and is thriving there.

Since that January trial we've been to 2 more, also at WAG. We hit a CPE event in mid-February, then gave trialing a rest for a few weeks so I could do little things like fly up to Portland to visit my too-adorable-for-words granddaughter, Evelyn. 

Both dogs did well despite cold wind and rain at the CPE trial, with Miko Q-ing in 6 of his 9 classes and finishing his Level 3 Standard title. Moxie went 8 for 9, with only a mental lapse on my part keeping him from a perfect weekend. He was having a brilliant run in his second jumpers class, and then my mind went blank and I forgot the course. Running 2 dogs, with events taking place simultaneously in 2 arenas, is hard on my aging brain. I scratched both dogs from one of their classes on Sunday, which took a little of the pressure off and frankly I had more fun.  

 Running With My Boys

Comin' Through!!!

This past weekend we hit another NADAC trial.  Moxie had a stellar weekend, Q-ing in 8 of his 10 classes.  Okay, officially he Q'd in 7 of 10; I managed to get us eliminated after his very nice Touch/n/Go run because I had forgotten to take off  the treat-bag I had buckled around my waist.  No treats or toys in the ring!  Them's the rules, and it didn't matter that Mox didn't even know the bag was there.  Shame on me!  Ironically, Sandy (my instructor) had been giving me a hard time about that bag in class just last week.  "People forget and wear them into the ring and get eliminated," she said.  And I went, "I'd never do that."  Yeah right.  Betcha it won't happen again, though.  I'm-a sell that sucker on EBay!

Why let weave-poles slow you down???

Miko's weekend left a bit to be desired.  He did have a couple of good runs, and won one of his classes, but his heart wasn't in it and he just didn't seem to be having any fun in the ring.  He seemed to feel okay; when I let him loose in the exercise field he ran around and played with Moxie, he just didn't want to do agility.  He's been less and less enthusiastic about it lately, and if I can't find a way to make it enjoyable for him again I'll find another activity that he and I can do that he'll like better.  Meanwhile, both dogs are entered in another CPE trial this coming weekend, enough closer to home that we won't need to stay overnight.  We'll see how it goes.

I've discovered a pretty nifty place to stay when I'm competing at WAG and don't want to tent-camp because of cold weather -- Extended Stay America is less than 15 minutes from the WAG facility. It's one of those suites deals, very basic but with a stove, refrigerator, microwave, desk and table with chairs, queen bed, comfy armchair, wi-fi and funky old-fashioned tv that gets basic cable + Showtime. There's a Starbux practically next door, and a Safeway and various restaurants nearby. It's reasonable, too. A lot of agility people seem to stay there.  My dogs seem to like it just fine.  They just seem a little confused about why they don't get to stay in the same room every time.  When we arrive each time they go right to the door where we stayed last.

Cold January weather calls for a warm cap from Peru!