Wednesday 12 January 2022

Branston 6 months old!

I have been having so much fun doing bits with Branston pickle! Now he has got all of his adult teeth we are back to playing tuggy again and I have been testing his toy play at different places (local fields and commons as well as a friends agility field) When Matthew had a workshop with Bru at the dog barn I managed to hire the ourdoor arena for the others. This is a record for myself of what we have been doing as well! We are following Dan Shaws online puppy foundation course and having great fun working through the exercises. With my own clients I am never in a hurry until they have their foundations right...for example there is no point the dogs learning contacts if they can't happily turn round, sit and lie down on a dog walk width plank! It helps keep them fit and injury free if they understand how to use their bodies well. I'm so lucky that Lian encourages her pups to explore and be confident on new surfaces and Branston is pretty good at knowing where his feet are 😁 I have done a few wraps round a cone at home and shaped it but this is his first time being asked to tight turn on a barrel and accelerate out of the turn. I don't use wings until I know they have value, understanding and the strength to wrap properly! He isn't ready for curvy tunnels just yet but he is enjoying learning straight ones! The main thing at the moment is that we generally don't do the same thing more than a couple of times a week...its nice to mix it up for their brains and their bodies!


At the weekend we did a trick workshop with Nicola Smith of Lucky Dog training. It was Brans first proper workshop and he was brilliant!! We learnt lots of new things and he focused so well in a room full of dogs! 

 

Tuesday 4 January 2022

December catch up and Happy New Year!

 I have been very slack at blogging yet again! A whole month has passed since I last updated and to be fair it was a bit of a whirlwind with Christmas and trying to rearrange work around the stupid weather! Covid caused a few cancellations as we have a new variant called Omicron and Matt and I had our booster vaccinations which wiped us both out for a couple of days. The doglets are all doing fine...I thought I'd do a little bit on each of them below

Toad 💙

Brodie is doing so well (touch wood!) He is enjoying two walks a day and we try and mix up a bit of time off lead in safe places for him as well as he is deaf and a bit blind as well. He has been the bestest big brother and role model for Branston 😍



Brooke 💚

Bean is enjoying lots of hoopers training, we are currently doing our Level 3 Hooperstars challenges and have done some workshops recently which she loves! She is retired from competing at agility as she will be 11 this March and we don't want to push it with her shoulder. Bean remains our best sofa snuggle buddy and the easiest dog around the house! 





Sparkle 💜

Sparkle is still a full of herself little nutcase 😂 She is loving her agility still and we have done a fair bit of hoopers recently to test her distance and keep her fitness up. Spark will be 9 at the end of this month so chances are that this will be one of her last seasons competing so we are going to make the most of every run and make an effort to do some champs now Bru is G7 as well. 




Bru 💛

Little Rupert had a great season qualifying for the Novice Cup, being selected by Team GB for the Pre Selection Qualifier and getting to Grade 7. We are looking forward to seeing how he will get on in 2022! He has a few training days booked for agility and I have been doing hoopers with him to keep up his distance work and fitness.  Like Brooke he is also on L3 of his Hooperstars awards! Apart from being the sweetest, cuddliest little boy he is so good looking...love these photos of him! 





Branston

My little pickle pup turned six months old on New Years Day...it seems like only yesterday that we brought him home! He is full of character, loving and a little bit nuts, my perfect combination!! 😂 He takes everything in his stride and is into everything! I have done weekly videos of him that are all on my YouTube page if anyone is interested https://www.youtube.com/user/burdettshelties 
We have done a couple of puppy classes (one indoors and one outdoors), an online trick class and introducing a hoop, barrel and tunnel so far. He is loving learning! We have a puppy hoopers and tricks workshop this weekend coming and some agility foundation training days booked over the next few months so he can work in a group.