WBSDS show and Brooke off lead!!

With Sparkly being out with her torn hamstring I had a quieter couple of days at WBSDS which is a nice close show. I had Dolly and Brodie running on Saturday and only Brodie on the Sunday. It was good to see a few of the J9-ers running too! They all did me proud with good placings and lovely runs :-)

Dolly was really on the ball in her C3-5 jumping run and (touch wood!) we seemed to have cracked the weave issues as she managed them well. She came 7th out of 68 dogs despite a sniff so I'm pleased with her times too! Her contacts in the agility were nice but she self released on the seesaw so got put back on. Brodie was totally nuts! Unfortunately in both of his agility runs there were tunnels lurking under contacts which proved to be our downfall...homework! He was clear in both of his jumping runs, just out of the places in one and crazy and off on one in the other!! Here is the slightly more controlled run :-) At the age of 9 he has really got to grips with ketckers too!



The other exciting news is that Brooke came to the show and really enjoyed pottering around and chatting to her friends. She loved watching the action!

After almost four months of rehab and a year since she was allowed off her lead, Brooke had a little run across the garden on Friday. Might not seem like much but it made us very emotional! Her physio was happy with how she looks so we are allowed to double the distance.

Brodie and Brax had a nice walk yesterday with Brodies best mate Rommy, son Squidge and their mum Jenni. We went over to Jenni's and walked round the fields there which was lovely...shelties are such posers! 

Sparkle is still on lead walks and wearing a thundershirt or body wrap to make her more aware of her body as Sally physio would like her to do some agility training in it. She looks funny wearing it tho!

Yes Spark, I am laughing at you! :-D

Introducing Dino!

No we haven't got another puppy! Dolly's owner has a young working cocker called Dino that I went to pick up with her last year and he is now 8 months old. Unlike Dolly and Dixie he isn't going to go shooting but mostly do flyball with a bit of agility thrown in and she would love Matt and I to do some agility bits with him. He is a natural, a really quick learner and loves to do everything 100mph!

He still can't pose like a sheltie!

Here is a video of him doing a few puppy agility bits...his baby flyball work has really helped his agility work and vice versa :-)

A mixed bag!

So far the start of April has been a bit up and down. We had the ESSC Rally training day on the 2nd April and I took Toad and Brooke bean. Brooke thought it was an amazing day out seeing all the shelties especially her friend Rommy and son Squidge! She managed quite a lot of the exercises in the morning including some lovely trot work. Here is a short video of her doing some heelwork :-D

Toad as usual was a superstar! He worked on some of the harder Level 5 exercises including a retrieve and a angled recall over a jump (that apparently doesn't look like a jump as Toad struggled with this!) We are looking forward to doing some more Level 3 competitions this year. This was him in his crate at the workshop...Toad in the hole!! 

Brax and Spark missed out on the workshop so they had a nice fields walk instead.

The weather has been improving so I have been able to do more teaching. The dogs love joining me in the field and we can usually fit in some balance work which they love!  

I had Brodie and Brooke booked in to see our lovely physio on Friday for a routine check over. Luckily Brodie only had one tight spot and the great news is that Brooke is now allowed to do 30 mins walk three times a day! And...in a couple of weeks time she is allowed to go off her lead and do a couple of recalls Exciting but very scary!! *gulp*

 Spark had her usual Dan lesson on Tuesday and I wasn't 100% happy with how she was working. She had a couple of poles and some unusually wide turns and when I watched the video back in slow motion I could see she was dropping a hind leg a bit over her jumps. Nothing hideous but just not right...glad I am a paranoid owner as when the physio checked her over she found a wonky pelvis, sore back and torn hamstring. I felt like such a bad mummy :-( Spark loves to work bless her and doesn't give much away when she is sore. She is on lead walks, bio-mag therapy twice a day and stretches.

So at the weekend the only dog that could play agility in the field was Brax!! She took full advantage of being an only dog and even stole Sparkles toy to play with :-D

 I love this pic of Mr and Mrs! Toad had been snuffling in long grass!

March, the show season starts...and CRUFTS!

I have been so bad at updating the blog recently. I admit I have had a lot on my mind as I decided to sell Diva (or actually was pushed to a decision by the hasty departure of a field mate) My riding days are over due to lack of time and a very dodgy back and knee. I will be very sad to part with her but it is the right decision for both of us.

At least the weather is improving slowly and means I can get more training in. I took my two and Dolly spaniel to Dog Vegas show at the start of March and although I could only stay for the morning I still managed to squeeze five runs in! Brodie ran past the dog walk in both classes which is so unlike him but I think there were reasons for both (one was totally my fault!) Dolly jumped really well but weaves were our downfall and the dog that got 2 out of 2 clears was Sparkle! She won the Graded 5-7 jumping and came 2nd in the C1-7 jumping, so proud of her! Videos here

Then less than a week later Brodie and I had the excitment of Crufts!! Although being reserves we didn't get to run, we had the best time cheering on our team and were very proud of how well they did WINNING!! What a brilliant result and well deserved. Icing on the cake was getting to run round the main arena with Brodie for the lap of honour :-D What an experience! Third year that Jenni and Rommy who I train have made it to Crufts so very proud trainer as well! I haven't got a link to the video but its on the Crufts official channel. 

Here are some photos from the big day...

Toad trying on his amazing team kit, sponsored by Doggystyle

Toad and his best mate Rommy :-) Toad looks very serious and Rommy looks very happy!

Lian had these amazing cup cakes made with our dogs on them!

Blingy harness!

Pic courtesy of Linda Gore....me and Toad, Lian and Sonic, Jenni and Rommy, Chantal and Savannah, Sammie and Penny. Our team kit was sponsored by Agilitywear and the ESSC Working Section

After Crufts we looked after Maverick as his Mum was showing at Crufts. He settled in really well and thought Brax was worth flirting with! Shelties waiting for breakfast

And Mav, Mama Bean and Daddy Toad :-D

Busy times for the Burdett doglets!

 I know that Brooke now has her own blog on her journey back to fitness but here are some pics of what she has been up to being a 'normal' dog again! She is enjoying walks with the others again (on lead)

She saw her son Squidge when Sparkle went for a groom and also met Happy the Maine Coon kitten...she loved him! 

Shelties begging for food? Never...! :-)

Brodie has been enjoying his Rally training...to the point that he barks when its not his go and bounces around like a lunatic! He has been wearing a coat today as its so chilly. Since I last updated my blog Toad has turned 9 and Sparkle is now 3!! 

The countdown to Crufts has begun! How awesome is this logo for my team kit...Brodie has some very fancy stuff to wear as well!

So given that Crufts and the show season is fast approaching I have been starting to do a bit more training with the doglets...they have been doing balance work and road walking but I'm stepping up their agility training more now when I can. Brodie did some great team training with the rest of the team on a crufts surface and Sparkle and Brax had a session there as well. My field is ok again now so looking forward to getting back doing more! 

My little cuties this morning...

Miss Sparkle and I went to Scrambles fun show again and this time Dolly's owner brought her and Dixie to compete as well. It was great to reward in the ring. The girls did me proud with Dolly winning the C4-7 agility and Sparkle winning the C4-7 jumping! Little Dixie got a clear round at her first ever show :-D 

Dog Vegas and crazy agility shelties!

We have had some beautiful weather and frosty morning but so pretty yucky rain as well! These are some pics from the nicer days :-)

Toad looking so handsome!

I have actually been able to get out on the fields and walk them after 4pm!

Happy doglets on a dry day!

I have managed to do some teaching and the dogs have loved racing round the field again. I love Brax in this pic, in position to chase Sparkly! 

I took Dolly and Sparkle to Dog Vegas recently and it was a really nice show but so so cold. Jenni was competing Rommy and Squidge had fun watching the action-he is so sweet taking it all in!

Dolly was a good girly and won Grade 4 jumping despite a detour at a tunnel! Not bad considering we haven't trained in ages!

Little Sparkalina was brilliant at her first Grade 5 show and won the Graded 5-7 jumping! She also had the fastest time in the C1-7 jumping but had a pesky pole down as I front crossed. This is homework for us! We got the cutest trophy :-D 

The older two shelties are back from their agility holiday and loved doing a bit at Dans. They were both bonkers! This is Brax having a run round...not bad considering she is 11 in March! 

Sod off rain...I'm going indoors!

This stupid amount of rain has been dreadful for so many parts of the country so I can't really moan much about lack of agility training but I am very glad that I have managed to get some indoor training in recently! Sparkle and I did Nicola Garrett training on Monday and it was a great course, a real challenge but one that had a lot of handling options. I really enjoyed running it although couldn't get the flat weave entry after the spread so that is on my 'to do' list :-) She ran the rest of it lovely. In the video below I have spliced three sections together to show the whole course. So pleased with her :-)




Brodie has just started coming back into work and did a couple of grids at the weekend...fair to say he was a bit excited!! Love his happy tail at the end!

Brooke is doing well so far...in fact there is so much stuff I want to record about her progress that I have made her her own rehab diary so if you want to take a look, click here