MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

It only seems like yesterday that I was writing a blog post for Christmas last year. This year I am not very organised for Christmas-wrapping still to do, house to tidy, washing... the list goes on!

Looking back on what we have done this year with the doglets makes me happy and exciting about next year :)

BRAX
 Our little diddle pocket rocket started her treatment for thyroid problems and decided that retirement wasn't for her! She managed to win a masters, win a circular knockout heat and get through to a champ final. The icing on the cake is that she has qualified to represent Britain at the IFCS World Agility Champs next year!! The toy height jumps suit her tiny size and we are so looking forward to training her again in the New Year.

BRODIE
My handsome toad has had a fantastic year, he has managed to win a masters round, win the overall masters, win several G7 KC classes and like little Brax he is on the IFCS team to represent GB next year!! Wow what can I say?! Our older two can teach our youngsters a thing or two :) Above all he is always at my side, my best pal and great little companion.

BROOKE
Bean has had her first proper grown up agility season and won into G4 very convincingly. She could have gone up more grades but sensibly Matthew isn't pushing her-what is the point? She needs ring experience and to get over her ditzy runs when Grandma Lian is around! The next thing we are looking forward to with Brooke is the pitter patter of tiny paws at some stage in 2014!!

SPARKLE

Haha!! Where do I start?!! She was a twinkle in her mummy's eye last year and I can't believe that she will be a year old in January-crazy, happy bundle of fun! We have had so much fun doing puppy training, socialising and starting her agility training. She is a clever little girly :) Looking forward to starting contacts and weaves in the next few months-exciting times! 

From this...

To this..my grown up young lady!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF THE BURDETT SHELTIES!!!

So much homework!!

Last weekend we went to Lian's beautiful farm to do a training day with Toni Dawkins with Sparkle and Brooke. The weather was very kind to us and although it was a bit chilly we were warmed up by lots of warm soup, hot drinks and Roz's yummy cakes! Sparkle was a good little puppy, she was the only collie in the puppy group, the others were all shelties including Brooke's nieces Tula and Rae. It is a good thing that Spark thinks she is a sheltie!! This is a little compilation of the exercises we were working on



It was good practice to not run all the time and do a combination of dropping the toy in on a tight turn and driving them forward to a toy. I was really pleased with Sparkle as her turns are coming on nicely and she was getting better about being restrained.

Brooke was a different story bless her. She worked quite well and then saw her Grandma Lian and could NOT string a sequence together :( It was even affecting her jumping style to the point she was over-jumping and not reading Matthews cues at all. After Lian went back into the house Brooke did some amazing runs and her jumping style improved no end. If anyone has any ideas about how to rectify this issue I would be really grateful! Lian has tried ignoring her and telling her off verbally for coming near her but it makes no difference. I am sure she will grow out of it at some point but it drives us nuts!!

We finally got round to doing some Christmas shopping yesterday (without dogs) and had all you can eat Chinese for lunch. Only Matthew would voluntarily put a sprout on his plate!!! Apparently it was horrible-what have I tried to tell him for years??!

Matthew got out one of the shelties favourite toys yesterday evening-squeaky egg that Sarah (who has all the lovely hounds) gave us. Brooke won it off Bracken and Spark decided she quite wanted it...

...So Sparkle and Matt had a little chat about who gets to play with the egg...

...and Matt decided to steal it off Brooke bean...and give it back to Brax!! Poor Sparkling!

And Brodie didn't care about who had the egg :)

Thanks to Caroline for filming all our dogs runs-good thing really as we didn't have time!

Here is Brodies Masters jumping (3rd)



And his Masters agility (1st)



And little Brax in her Masters agility (4th) with her new running dog walk :)



I love the way that on the same course, Matt and I do totally different things, lol!!

Master Toad!

Last week passed by in a haze!! I can't really believe it so maybe writing about will help it sink in a bit!

We went to the UKA Grand Finals last weekend and we had Brooke in beginners steeplechase, Bracken in circular knockout and masters and Brodie toad in masters. Brooke was up first and from the moment she entered the ring you could tell she was distracted and a bit overwhelmed. It is quite an atmosphere with the commentator, viewing gallery, electronic starter and LOUD music! We think in hindsight she was probably distracted by having her Grandma Lian there (more on this in another post) but her brother Sonic was awesome winning the midi height Beginners Steeplechase!! :)

Masters jumping was up next and Brodie was the second dog to run in the first height-eek!! The course was pretty fast and flowing (see below-click to see better) and I took a gamble doing a serpentine on 7-9 but it paid off and stopped me cluttering up the box and getting in his way trying to get my dodgy knees to front cross!! He was an absolute dude and ran clear finishing in third behind two other shelties (Fudge is in a league of her own, lol!)

Brax ran the Masters jumping like a wee rocket but sadly got E'd by going back over the wall instead of chasing Matthew to 11. It was a real shame as she was flying and she had the fastest split time. She went to run the knockout after the jumping and got through two rounds which wasn't bad going on a fast course :)

Masters agility was an interesting course and I couldn't wait to have a crack at it! I was one of the last to run and Brodie was soooo excited and up for it. I stood in the tunnel waiting to go out just grinning at having the opportunity to run my amazing little dog at such a great final. Well my little buddy only went and did a nice clear round! It turned out that he was the only one that went clear meaning that we had not only won the agility but won the overall Masters!!!! So he is now officially Brodie MA, UKA Masters Champion!! Bless his little socks, I am so proud of him my one in a million boy. I better not start getting soppy about what he means to me as I won't stop but I owe him so much for making our agility journey so fun. To all of you handlers with nervous, steady dogs please ignore anyone who says you will only get to Grade x, y or z - my little toad used to freak out and run like a snail in the ring (after being attacked at training) and look what he has achieved!!

Brax did really well in the Masters agility coming 4th with her new running contacts. She was possibly a bit tired having worked herself up doing a few runs already but I have never seen her run so fast than up the last straight to the finish!! My friend filmed their runs so will post when I have them :)

This is Master Brodie on the podium looking very happy as he has a sheltie girl each side of him! Well done to Apryl and Amy for their places. It turns out that Brodie finished in second place for the win on spot for the WAO team next year! Amy and Fudge will do a fab job representing England-sheltie power!

Brodie enjoyed watching the action from the stands!!

Excuse the rude picture but his is how he spent the evening after his fun day at the Finals!! :D