It's been so long!!

 I can't believe that I haven't updated my blog for so long! I really have neglected it since my Mum got Facebook and keeps up to date with our adventures on there. We have also had a lot going on with various non dog related things and a few stressful bits of family news. 

Since I last blogged the big news is that Bru has been selected to compete for Team England at the World Agility Open Championships (WAO) in the Netherlands this May! 💛 Unfortunately he was measured straight after a bitch in season at the tryouts and was a fidget to be measured 😂 He was 323mm which means he had to compete in the 300 catergory but still managed to hold his own against the small mediums! It is fun to have a road trip to look forward to and Bru has the Team GB tryouts next weekend so fingers crossed for that.

Branston Pickle is now Grade 4!! ❤ He has done two shows at G4, in his first one at Inspire he did two runs and got two E's for taking off course jumps too enthusiastically! Kelluki was his second show at G4 at he did two runs and won them both which was a shock! Mostly because he ran so well in the venue...I can't even get Spark to walk in there as its so noisy but Pickle coped so well 😁 Below is the link to his weekly video playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK-oOeOvs1QN4YzLABS5tbt92q3NKKt_Y

Sparkly turned 11 years old last week, I can't believe it as she is still my little puppy 💜 We tried one indoor show over winter and it was a bit of a disaster, she hated the rain on the roof and had a meltdown so I decided not to enter her into any more indoor shows. Luckily we have been able to have a lovely time at my friends Javawolf hoopers shows which are outdoors and a very relaxed atmosphere. Sparkle has done really well and I love trying to push her distance work a bit! I will still compete her at agility this year while she is still so up for it and she gets checked over on a regular basis by our super physio as well.

Brooke Bean is 13 next month and loving life! 💚 She still walks for around an hour a day in total and keeps the boys in order. Unfortunately the monthly scentwork class she was doing folded but we are looking forward to trialling someones scent workshop next month. We have decided that we thought it was fairer to not take her to the Netherlands in May so she is going to have her Nana look after her!! They will have a lovely time together 😍

Branston turns 2!!

 Its crazy to think that at the start of July Branston Piccalilli turned 2 years old! He has grown into such a handsome boy ❤ always cuddly, happy, up for learning new things and absolutely loves life! He has come on so well with his agility recently, unlike our previous dogs he has competed at KC shows before the age of 2 and managed two placed clears out of 12 runs in total. He has developed a habit of running past jump 2 and then going on to do the course beautifully so many of the Eliminations are due to that 😂 I'm hoping he might grow out of it!! 

Here is his latest weekly video...loads of skills coming on nicely and even managed to blind a dog walk which was a bit scary but nice to have a trainer there to tell me what he was doing! Next thing to tackle is blinding the end of the weaves as he hasn't done much of that.

Matt had his first UKA judging appointment last weekend which he enjoyed although the pressure was on with it being a Beginners steeplechase qualifier! Ours had fun testing the courses out as they didn't compete as I was scriming for Matt. I take my hat off to anyone who judges as I couldn't do it! I love the course design aspect but wouldn't like the pressure! 

Spring photos of the gang plus Vyne

I had to venture to some bluebell woods last week to get some pretty photos of the doglets! It was so peaceful just wandering around and hanging out with the dogs

Branston Pickle is loving his training, he is now doing all of the equipment but we haven't sequenced seesaws enough or in different places to compete in agility yet. We have got two jumping runs our first KC show at the weekend so will report back how it goes! I'll be as fussy with him as we have been with Bru and Spark, if the course isn't flowing enough we will adjust it or not run it! 

My photos have loaded out of order but look how pretty my tulips are! 

Bru got to do a workshop on his birthday with Dan which made his day! 💛

Someone is very tired after his training! Branston did a workshop with Nicola and Becky designed for training in a show environment. He coped really well with having another dog running the other side of the fence but was aware of it while in his waits! Such a good boy sequencing his weavies and dog walk in a new places and also doing his first seesaw away from home ❤

My Amaryllis from Christmas has just flowered finally!!

And look at our Coronation post box topper!

Bru competed at Vyne and was such a good boy, 5th with a held seesaw in champ agility, a refusal in champ jumping and made the final! Unfortunately he was E'd in the final but he was running so well and his weaves were fabulous!!

Sparkalina only did champ jumping and got E'd! Such a fun course as well and then we missed the agility as were watching Bru!

Miss Brooke Bean had her first scent work workshop yesterday and had the best time sniffing! She is learning to find cloves and seems to have a natural flair for it 💚

Spark on the start line...when she broke her wait I realised it might not go well!!! 💜

 

Happy 2023!

I can't believe we are into a new year already! I decided to try and update this and am currently trying to type with a Pickle putting his head on my typing arm...not helpful!! We had a lovely break over Christmas and New Year. We saw Matts folks on Christmas Day and then went north to see Amy in her new house in Northumberland which was very exciting with the added bonus of seeing my Mum there as well! Unfortunately the weather wasn't so good so we didn't explore many walks but it was nice to think about all the exploring we can do next time! Although we had a super festive break it was very sad being the first one without Toad 💙 We miss him so much and he always loved Christmas and all the socialising.

I love this photo and didn't realise until it was bigger that both dogs are shaking!

Brooke Bean is going to be 12 in March and we think her eye sight is getting a bit worse in bright sun. She is still very lively and full of herself but we might get her bloods checked at the vets soon as she is drinking more than usual. She is still obsessed with sitting in things!! 💚

My little Christmas helper! He put his trick training to good use tidying away wrapping paper 😂

How is my puppy now 18 months?! ❤ I'm biased but I adore him, he is cuddly, clever, funny and so much fun to hang out with! He isn't ring ready for agility but we almost have upright weaves so we might be able to do some jumping runs at some point. His contacts training has basically stopped as the weather is so terrible and my field is a bog 😕 We are having a load of fun with trick training and doing the odd bits of agility here and there though! He had his hips x-rayed last week so fingers crossed for good results.

We are trying to step up Bru's training a bit after his winter break. Matt made it to a Beyond Grade 7 workshop this week and Bru was awesome! 💛 He just needs some more practice course running (Matt that is not Bru!) before the Team GB Pre Selection Qualifier in February.

And what can I say about my Sparkalina?! 💜 She has come back from her shoulder/rib injury all guns blazing and is so keen and ready to work. She even had the all clear from her physio today, no niggles at all (a rarity!) I ran her in Pickles training session this week and she nailed all the discrimination and had the best time. She is obviously not ready to retire just yet! 

We made it to Wrest Park on New Years Eve for a lovely dry wander round

And a couple of Pickle action pics! Plus his most recent weekly video. They are all on a playlist on my YouTube channel if anyone wants to see an Ickle Pickle! 

Massive catch up!

 Matt and Bru went to the European Open champs at the end of July and although I was very sorry not to go with them (Toad is now 15.5 and high maintenance bless him!) they did us proud! 💛 They did four runs in total and had one that was a bit chaotic but the other three had just one tiny mistake in them! The best thing was the weave homework had paid off and in three runs they were brilliant 😁 Contacts were great too!  

While Matt and Bru were in Belgium we had the start of a heat wave here where it hit 40 degrees at times. It was awful and the dogs hated it too. I was starting work at 7am and finishing by 9.30am to get some training done before the worst heat. The ground was really hard and dry too and Spark managed to rip her dew claw off 😔 It has taken ages to heal and I'm still wrapping it up to do agility with her just in case.

When Matt and Bru came home they went to the Kennel Club festival to do the Novice Cup qualifier and they WON it!! This means that they are off to Crufts next year in Novice as well as Champ 😂 We think it is bonkers that a dog can be in both...we really don't understand why they didn't hold the novice semi finals last year for this years Crufts! 

We have had some Wrest Park visits which we have loved. We do a longer walk for the younger three and then a potter for the older two with a coffee!

And some random pics!

My little Pickle is now almost 15 months and soooo handsome!! 

And we are learning how to weave! 

Spark makes herself comfy! 

His jump work is coming on nicely, he has just started jumping 30cm 

These two were awesome at WBSDS!! 

Brooke has been doing some hoopers workshops and loves it! 

And last weekend we tried Mantrailing which she has a natural flair for!! We think her eyes aren't so good any more so its nice to let her do something that relies on her nose instead

Branston Pickle is coming on nicely in his agility work! Just starting to do some dog walks but not the most confident with that yet so I'm taking it slowly. We haven't done Aframe or seesaw yet but have started weaves and touched on most of the various jump and tunnel skills. I am still a bit shocked by his speed! He is quite long and around 40-41cm tall but takes less strides than Sparkle. I have ran them over the same sequence a couple of times and he so far has been quicker! 😮

https://youtube.com/shorts/Lizc-21Ei0Y?feature=share

Branston Pickle is one year old and Agility Club show!!

 I have been useless at updating this again, sorry! At the start of July Branston turned one year old!! ❤ I can't imagine not having him around now, he constantly makes us laugh and is the happiest puppy who loves life! 

I am still doing his weekly videos which are on my YouTube page but this is the most recent one. 

We had the Agility Club show at the Herts showground last weekend which was brilliant as it was only ten mins down the road! Spark and Bru had both qualified for the Finals there, Bru in Novice and Spark in Senior. We were absolutely thrilled that they both came 2nd!! 💛💜 I'm so happy that Spark held it together with the crowd and commentary as well! The course was quite tough and I decided to try a tricky layer with the weaves and she nailed it!! Bru also got through to the champ final after coming 4th in the Agility and 3rd in the jumping! His consistency is improving 😍

Brooke and Toad are doing well despite the recent hot weather. Spark can't cope with photographs so Brodie took her place on the podium which he thoroughly enjoyed!! 

And the next post will be all about Bru's adventures at the Europen Open Championships in Belgium! Look at his posh harness from Tater Togs and his lovely bed and toys from Granny Lian!