What a busy weekend the doglets had! We did agility and rally which meant all of them were doing some competing over the weekend :-) I had a bit of a moment at Rally as I got stuck in traffic on the way and missed walking the Level 2 for Brooke and Spark. Everyone else had declared their running orders so I ended up right at the end with both dogs...I almost turned round and went home again! But decided to stick it out and see how Spark was in their indoor venue (after freaking out a bit at Leamington inside with the shutters banging) I shouldn't have worried as she went in and did an awesome round and got an excellent score of 200 and just out of the places. The judge did point out that I need to slow everything down with how I work her tho...her time was hilarious! It puts her into Level 3 (and off lead) for her next competition!
Brooke was at a disadvantage as I didn't have the same time to get her focus as I had raced back to the car and grabbed her. She was excited and got a lot of marks off for excessive jumping on her left turns. She got a score of 189 (one off excellent!) but worked so well apart from the jumping! I actually managed to walk Brodies course and it was technical but flowing. He was an absolute dude and managed to win it! Into Level 4 in style! I had lots of lovely compliments about the round and how we clearly love working with each other :-) I adore that dog!
We also competed at Barking Mad show at the weekend and the doglets were amazing...Brax was back in the ring but running for me as Matt was away watching cricket. The old girl did well and flew round! In her graded 1-7 jumping she was out of the places but if they had combined the results across all the grades she would have been 8th out of over a 100 dogs! Sparkle had her brain in gear and managed to get two jumping wins so is now halfway to Grade 7!
Sadly Brooke fell over coming out of a tunnel on her bad shoulder during the week and is sore :-( It is so frustrating as we were doing so well. I hope it isn't too serious, we have been resting her and doing biomag but will have to take her to see Sally physio I think. She isn't happy :-(
It has been so hot this week, it hit 34 degrees yesterday. My two have enjoyed paddling and lots of frozen kongs and sleeping!
Instead of sleeping in crates they have been all flaking out on the kitchen floor...they weren't in a hurry to go out for a walk this morning :-)
I went to Empingham on Friday with my two doglets. It is such a lovely show and the courses were tricky but fun. Spark had three almost runs where she got E'd in each one but worked so well and did bits I was so pleased with. Brodie did two jumping runs and came 3rd in C4-7 and won the G5-7. He was flying!! I jumped him over the new LHO as I feel at the age of 9 and given he is a small medium it is fair to save wear and tear on him. The trophies were cool!
On Sunday we did teams at Rugby. Unfortunately I was the only team member that was eliminated which was gutting. I normally couldn't give two hoots about an E but was really upset that I had let everyone down. Toad had run like a rocket but did a one hit aframe (first time ever!) and I think it surprised him. Fingers crossed we can get it together next weekend! Annabel Stoate took these super pictures of flying Toad in teams!
And a little Brooke update...here is a video of her agility work so far :-)
I took my two to RVA show at Just Dogs Live, it was a lovely day out and I really enjoyed watching the displays, visiting the shops and playing agility of course! Brodie only did a jumping run due to the windy conditions meaning I pulled him from the agility. It was my first time running LHO and he really enjoyed it!!
Sparkalina was a good girly, she had an absolute blast in her first class which was the C3-6 steeplechase Animal Health Qualifier. She managed to win it which was great especially seeing as it was combined over all heights as well (160 dogs) She won a lovely bed and gift voucher! Having broken a weave pole at Dans in her lesson during the week she seemed to have a weave wobble in both of her other classes. It was her first G6 show so I'm pleased I got her round the agility course...she managed to get 2nd despite having 10f in the weaves!!
She approves of her new bed!
Brooke and Brax had a little play in the field over the weekend as well. I started mat work with Brooke in the house about a month ago and she has worked through all the foundation exercises well so we tried her on the plank for the first time and she did really well! She isn't allowed to do a stopped contact any more due to her shoulder whereas running is much easier on her. She is loving learning something new!
Brax is feeling much better and is now almost 3.5kg! We let her do a couple of easy sequences in the field and she was totally wild :-) We have entered her into a few shows coming up in August.
Brooke has been allowed to be off lead over the fields with Brodie...love this pic!
What an amazing three days!! Friday I took Brodie and Dolly to Kelluki UKA show to support some clients (some at their first show) I did a bit of a headless chicken impression making sure I could watch everyone run and help walk courses were necessary. They all did me proud! Dolly won her steeplechase class and Brodie came 2nd in Jumping so they got to pose too! Apollo missed out on the pic but also won two steeplechase classes and although Squidge didn't do anything competitively he did weaves and dog walks beautifully in the practice ring :-D
I went back on Saturday with just Brodie as Kate and I went together and it was Dixies first time competing at UKA. She did a couple of steeplechases really well, not clear but confident. Toad was a superstar!! He came 2nd in the Masters jumping and won the Masters agility meaning that he won the Masters Overall and has qualified for the Grand Finals again!
On Sunday I took Brooke and Brodie to a Rally competition. Brodie came across food bowls and a jump for the first time in the ring in his Level 3. I stuffed up the food bowls and went the wrong way round them but we still managed a very credible 4th place out of 26 dogs! He is so happy doing stuff with me whether its Rally or agility he is such a dude!
Brooke had her first competition since her operations and all of her rehab. She worked so beautifully and enjoyed it so much that when the judge said it was a stunning round I just burst into tears in the ring! Turns out that she had won it which meant more happy tears! She is now Level 2 :-) This is the comment that the judge made on her score sheet...
Brooke and Brodie posing with their friend Ollie who got his last Level 2 qualifying score!
Sparkle has finished her season and Brax continues to put weight on so they will be back in action as well next weekend!
Brooke had her first proper off lead walk across the fields last week! I took her by herself in case she went mad but she just trotted along behind me and occasionally stop for a sniff. She was very good and a little overwhelmed by it!
Brooke had Brodies space at Rally class this week as we have a competition at the weekend! Very excited and a bit nervous as not sure how much attention I will get from Brooke bean :-)
Brodie wasn't talking to me after letting his wife steal his space at class...and I took spaniels to his agility lesson. Hope he forgives me once he gets to do two days of agility and a day of Rally at the weekend!
Spark has pretty much finished her season so is back on proper off lead walks again...she is very happy about it :-) We did have some sun this week...
and quite a lot of rain!
Thanks to everyone who has asked about little Brax. She is getting better slowly, eating much better and no sickness or bad tummy in the last couple of weeks. Hoping now to get some weight on her and get her fitter again. I love this pic of Matt and his ginger girls!
Here are a couple of pics that Matt took of my two at UKA a couple of weeks ago, I love how happy Toad is! The fact that Spark coped with having her pic taken (she hates it!) is brilliant!
Couldn't resist a posing pic of my handsome boy <3 p="">
Brooke is soooo photogenic! Good news for our little Bean, Sally physio has given her the all clear to start more off lead work, some cavaletti and low grid work!! It is amazing to think how far she has come. She might even get back in the ring this season doing what she loves best :-)
I put together this little video charting her progress at hydrotherapy since Jan..what a difference!
Brax is feeling better too, she seems to be eating ok now that we put her on digestive enzymes. Fingers crossed we can put some weight on her now.
Sparkle had a great time at Godmanchester show. She is in G5 limbo so it was nice just to practice her seesaw position in her two agility runs. She managed to win both of them and come 2nd in the steeplechase! It was lovely having my Mum along to watch as she got videos as well! Brodie wasn't so lucky as his sat nav was rubbish!
This week has been my yearly agility holiday! I love doing JDA show and tend to do Quadpaws at the start of the week as well. Its the most agility my doglets ever do in a week...four days tires us all out! Brodie and Sparkle got off to a cracking start at Quadpaws, they did six classes for competition and got six wins! So pleased with how they worked! One of Brodies wins was with Matt running him, was lovely to see how much fun they had :-) The other great thing about Quadpaws was being able to watch Squidge puppy in the ring for the first time...he was amazing! Focused and fast like he is at training...he loves his agility!
Here is a video of Brodie winning run with Matt...
JDA was great run, I had my two and Dolly running. Dolly had to be put back on some contacts but managed a lovely clear in the C3-5 jumping. Toad ran so well again and got a 2nd in the agility and one out of the placings in his jumping. He qualified for the Finals but sadly couldn't go as I was working. His best mate Rommy came 2nd though which was fab! Sparkalina was a bit angry on the first day as all her runs were last in the ring. Her first run was crazy but she won the other two...C4-7 jumping and G5 agility making her Grade 6. Very spookily it was 6 years to the day that Brodie had won into Grade 6 too!!!
I took all of the doglets as Matt was working and Brooke thoroughly enjoyed walking round the rings!
Brooke is still doing hydro every couple of weeks and she loves it. She looked amazing this time, really stretching her bad leg out nicely. Her running in straight lines is coming along well too :-D
The one that is causing us concern at the moment is this little munckin. She is off her food and being sick now and then. Despite numerous tests the vets are baffled as her blood results are clear for everything. Its so sad seeing her not enjoying her food as she is normally such a greedy little dog. As a result she has no energy and isn't enjoying her walks either.
Off on a non doggy tangent but they decorated this tree in the village for a childrens charity...isn't it pretty?!
