Monday Mischief: First Agility Show 'n' Go For The Boys

Yesterday we went to our first Agility trial.  It was a Show 'n' Go for NADAC and offered Touch 'n' Go and Regular Classes.

This was in a newer faclity where the footing was sand (it was an indoor horse arena) so besides adding the new atmosphere of a trial we were also getting some new footing experience.

Over all both boys did excellent.  We've only been taking lessons regularly since May so I really didn't expect a whole lot.  But wanted this experience to be fun and for them to enjoy themselves.  I do think we accomplished both.

I only entered the Touch 'n' Go and did 3 runs with Tucker and 2 with Teach.

Tucker was up first and I didn't follow the set course, instead I just ran through a few obstacles and called it good at the end of the dog walk.  We had once instance of him running off to sniff but over all he listened fairly well considering he was mach-90 through there (or it felt that way).  I love videos because I felt he was all over the place when I was out there, but seeing the video he wasn't really that bad, even looked good.

Here's videos of the second and third run.  The second I felt was our best.  We did go off course at the tunnels, but again I wasn't focusing on doing the whole course, I just wanted him to listen, go through the tunnels, and get his contacts.  

We still need a lot of practice to be trial ready but seeing and experiencing this was good for us so I could see there is hope we'll be able to get out there and compete.  I need to work on my handling a lot more (I'll always say the boys are handler handicapped) especially with Tucker where he's so fast.  I can see a lot of stuff I did wrong.  Gotta love a video!  And they do say you're your hardest critic.

Now for Teach, who I was SOOOOO proud of, he was a rock star.  I think where he is slower and also has a lot more obedience/rally under his belt he listens/focuses better so I felt better about his run.  His first was his best and we almost has a collision in the second.  Like I said ... I still need LOTS of work ... probably even more than the dogs.

One more note, and I'm not sure you can hear it on the video but Teach and Tucker had their biggest fan there watching, Madalynn.  She LOVES her boys and every time they got on the dogwalk (which was closest to her) I heard her squealing in joy.  Thankfully Tucker never did go see her, which really could have happened.  I think she enjoyed her first agility experience as well.

Over all this was a great experience for us.  Agility has been something I've always wanted to try and I'm so thankful to have found a great trainer relatively close!  

Now some of you may wonder why I added this to the Monday Mischief Blog Hop since it sounds like we did great at the trial.  Well the mischief has to do with Madalynn and Tucker.  When they are together for dinner time this is what you always see:

And if you notice she is concentrating really hard on sharing her food with Tucker.  Some may think Tucker likes this position because food is dropped by her, but its because she always gives him some of her food.  These two are going to be trouble!

Tucker's Debut in the Breed Ring

This past weekend we packed Tucker up and headed to Tennessee for the East Tennessee Collie Specialty.  This was going to be mine and Tucker's big debut in the breed ring.  We had practiced for over a month on stacking and gaiting so we wouldn't make complete fools of ourselves out there.

We took the ears out Thursday morning and they stayed tipped all weekend!

We were lucky enough on Friday to have a Sweeps offered so Tucker was able to get in the ring twice on Friday (4 times really ... I'll explain in a minute).  I wanted all the ring exposure time I could get for him.  No better place to learn than in the ring.

Our breeder had hooked us up with some wonderful people to help and make us feel welcome for our first try and I couldn't be more thankful for them and our breeder!!!  They really made the experience even better.  It was a little daunting to think about going into something completely new for us and not have a friendly face around, but we did!!

I was soaking everything in when we got there and watch how people were grooming and getting their dogs ready.  Our grooming practice from the weekend before paid off and I saw I did do it right with a few minor adjustments.

Our first class was the 6-9 month dog Sweeps.  This was our very first time in the show ring!

This is the gait of a very happy boy!

I had to hold him still for the judge to look him over.

Next up was the Best in Sweeps class.  Since we got first place we were going back in the ring.  Here are pictures from that class.

His tail wagged the entire time!

There is that happy gait again!

We may not have got anything but it was a great first time in the ring.  People said I even looked like I knew what I was doing!  

It was soon time to go back in for the actual Specialty.  We were entered in 6-9 month dog, again.  This time Randy got video of it.  

After all the regular classes were finished it was time for Winner's Dog.

It was a good end to the day.  We watched the rest of the classes and soaked up all we could on how the dogs were being handled and what we needed to do to improve.

Saturday was an all-breed show and day 2 of the Collie Specialty.  We didn't enter the all-breed show (didn't realize we could!) so didn't show until the afternoon.  That worked out just as well because we got to watch some more Collies show and get some more tips.

I felt Tucker showed much better on the second day.  We were the only dog, again, in 6-9 month dog so were able to get in the Winner's Dog class.

Here is the class video:

You'll see he was happy!

It was soon time for Winner's Dog again.  I found out when I got home we were in the ring with a lot of the big time Collie handlers ... glad I didn't realize that at the time!!  We went in confident and tried to show our best!

We came out of this with a very happy boy, and that is what I wanted.  I want him to be happy in the ring and not hate it like I saw with some.

We have some stuff we need to work on ... not sitting!  He sits so well and its so automatic that we have been struggling with the stand command.  And also I need to start getting him to bait/stack straight on in front of me.  That is how Collies are shown and excessive handling is also not wanted so I need him to learn to stretch out more in the back end.  He will get it with time and practice some ... he is just a baby after all.

He was exhausted on our trip home and slept soundly.  Next up will be a show in Winston-Salem in a month.

Beach Mischief

We had a great family vacation last week.  And in great puppy fashion mischief was had.

Tucker had a great time digging in the sand. And in the evenings he became a great ghost crab hunter.  

Tucker wasn't to thrilled with the ocean (got better by the end of the week), but with the crabs involved that was a different story.  He did go in when I wasn't videoing (of course!). 

We are joining the Monday Mischief Blog Hop hosted by  Snoopy, Alfie and My Brown Newfies.

Monday Mischief: Short fun at New River Gorge Visitor Center

Roxy was our house guest this weekend while my parents were out of town.  So I had to come up with something fun to do (even though she would rather not).  Teach has been doing great on his foot, but I still didn't want to over do it with him.  But the weather was so nice I knew I wanted to get out and at least take some pictures of them.

I had never taken Teach to the visitor center at New River Gorge National Park in Fayetteville.  We have hiked all over the Gorge, but never gone to the touristy overlook.  One reason is because its normally really crowded and there isn't really any hiking to be done.  But for a dog that I'm still restricting activities on that will be perfect.  

This is what it looks like from the main overlook.  This picture is from Wikipedia.

The main overlook was closed due to snow/ice so we went to the one right off the parking lot.  In the picture you can't really see the bridge, but you're looking down on it.  But you can see Teach!  Finally ... pictures of Teach back outside.  (we are on the mend)

Roxy loves going but hates her destinations and always just wants back in the vehicle.  After we walked to the overlook (above) she made a beeline back to the vehicle.  So ... to burst her bubble (because that's how I am) we walked over the visitor center (no dogs allowed inside but could walk around outside) and I found this cool wall to take pictures on.  It stepped up so it was easy on Teach to get up there and I just picked Roxy up ... because she was having no part in jumping up there.  Her little eyes were set on where the car was at.  

Teach wanted to do more ... he was whining that we were going back to the car.  And Roxy said what we did was way to much!!  HAHA!!  Complete opposites.  

Monday Mischief: Too Much Fun In the Snow

Yesterday we had a break in the brutal winter temperatures and were able to take a fun hike with our friends April and Gabe.  The woods were beautiful with the freshly fallen snow. It clung to the leaves and even the sides of the trees.

The snow was fairly deep too and with the melting was kinda slick.  These trails are pretty rocky so you weren't sure where you were walking.  

Of course Teach and Gabe excited to see each other and played a game of chase and tag.

We hiked up the trail to a big field so they could run and play to their hearts content (and also took a pause for a photo shoot on the picnic table).

 

And of course with all the fun we had someone had to end up hurt.  That would be Teach.  It was this time last year, in the almost same conditions that Teach came up lame on his back left leg.  I never saw him take a false step through all the playing and trotting/running ahead.  He came home and crashed on the couch, woke up for dinner and was 3-legged. Poor guy!!  So its crate rest and leash walks for us for a while.  I'm going to give it to the weekend and see how he is before we head to the vet.  

The same thing happened last year (Tails of Limping) and they never did determine what went wrong.  Even x-rays didn't show anything (other than his knee caps riding too high on both hind legs).  So he may have dislocated that knee cap and it popped right back into place and strained that ligament/tendon.  But that strain won't show up on a x-ray.  

There is a dog show I was entering him in at the end of February (same one as last year) so I hope we're sound for it.  We would be going for his last leg on his Rally Excellent Title.

So that is our mischief for the weekend.  Poor Teach!!

Monday Mischief: Dogs Gone Wild

Today was a Holiday for us so we had a chance to make a play date with Teach's friends at Laura's.  All of the dogs seemed to really enjoy getting out and letting off some steam during our heat wave before our next batch of Arctic Air and Snow Storm.  There is still some snow on the ground from this weekend.

Mercy wanting someone to chase her.

Mean while ... Teach giving chase to Pirate.

Rasky obligied Mercy and gave chase.

Teach and his best buddy Xander.

Pirate and Drummer taking a break to get some love from Randy.

Oliver tried to just stay out of the way of the wildness going on.

The 3 Stooges! Teach in mid Zoomie!!

Wildness!

Teach and Mercy wondering why the horse is watching.

Captured in mid-turn.

Winding down ready to head back to the house.

I had fun taking all the pictures, but had to really watch my knees so no one would take them out.

We decided to link up with Monday Mischief because of all the craziness that happened.