Sunday Agility Runs

Fancy was entered on Saturday and was not filmed but earned a QQ.

On Sunday it was Pie's turn and she almost had a QQ but the last bar came down in Standard.  I don't think I slowed down or celebrated, so I think it was just one of those things.



Dottie earned QQ number 7!  This is a roll!  I hope we keep it up.  On Saturday it was much hotter and she had some weird refusal that I will blame on the heat.  It really made me realize that Dottie needs motion to keep her motivated.  If I am standing still, she won't have much speed.  And at the international class a few weeks ago, I saw if I am standing still and facing her, that is way too many "slow down" cues and slow down she will.  So when walking a course, I need to see how I can keep myself moving.

The rear crosses are also working out great for us.  I did 1 front in jumpers and the rest rear.  In standard I did more fronts, but they were late and caused wide turns and I'm just lucky the bars didn't come down.  I think Dottie and I do better with rears and I will not be afraid to rear, just because all the cool kids are doing fronts.

In our jumpers run on Sunday, be sure to listen to the comment at the end.  I call this the WOW run!  Dottie won this run, having the fastest time of any dog in 24, even the ones who NQed. She also beat the BC in 26 who is hoping for a spot on the World Team, but a small dog jumping 26 inches will take up more time just getting over the jumps.  The dog I was happy she was faster than is a very powerful and fast golden I really admire.  Usually he is faster than us, but every so often somehow we beat him, and today was one of those day.  Go Dottie!



Dottie's time was 24.90 in jumpers and Pie's time was 27.90.  Exactly 3 seconds difference- strange.  I wish I could do a video overlay to see where Dottie made up so much time.  Was it the weaves?  Was it when Pie almost went the wrong way over the triple, or was it just the burst of speed Dottie put on coming down the closing line?

How I Spent Friday

More photos to come.  I somehow got sick so it is time for bed now.  When watching the video, just remember that photos and videos never look as crazy as it really was!  This was not the most extreme off roading event ever, but the photos make it look like a paved road.  Well, almost.

Christmas Card Photo Fail

I may have to find the time to take a new batch of photos, because none really turned out great.  The dogs were squinting in all of them.

Skirball Center

This post will serve as proof that occasionally I venture into life outside of dogs.  My mom and I went to the Skirball Center   ( http://www.skirball.org/ ) outside of Los Angeles to acquire some culture, and to determine if their exhibit about the founding of America would be a good field trip for her class of 5th graders.

The Founding of America exhibit had a lot of original documentation, written by the early leaders of our county.  I love to see actual artifacts, and not reproductions.  Very cool!  To think that the hand of George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, or even some unknown (except for his name as recorded in his signature) solider actually touched that paper is pretty cool!

No pictures allowed in that area.

One of the main permanent attractions is a Noah's Ark exhibit.  Lots of neat-o animals made out of recycled stuff, lots of  toys to play with and things to climb.  Maybe I was not the age group they were aiming for, but I liked it anyway!

Combs, spools of pink thread, archery bow...

More combs, shoe (the body of the vulture), egg beaters...

Lots and lots of keys.  And some pitch forks!

Mom makes it rain.

Turn the crank and these little animals get on the ark.

My first camel ride.

A very busy place.

I almost didn't fit.

I hope I don't get stuck up here!

Let me out!  The kids just kept coming up and I really did almost get stuck.

Everywhere you looked you saw something new.

Yikes!  Who let her on the ark?

Mom finds a friend.

Not part of the ark area, part of the history area.

Thanksgiving Day Road Walk

One of our favorite haunts.  "The road."  An old country road washed away in a flood, and the new road was built up higher, leaving this one to crumble.  It is becoming a more popular spot, but we had it to ourselves on this day.  Mom, Dad, and Youngest Bro were there, in addition to my dogs, their dogs and your dogs.  Just kidding.  Muffin was the only one to stay home.

Pie and Dottie race.

Starting off in a crazy pack.

Kerby and Pie race.

Kerby goes fast.

Fancy looks good.

A great looking group of dogs!

Mom and brother and dog pack.  Run Molly!

Kerby gets to know her wild side.

Sharing?

So cute!

 





More pictures are here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.561059327242466.152017.100000152104007&type=1&l=9c96c1dbc4

I Am Thankful For:

My family.

Of course not everyone is pictured, but I am thankful for the ones who couldn't come to dinner as well.  I am blessed to have such a great family.  And that includes my dog family too.

Ode to a Washing Machine

I bought you not new,
To save some dollars few.
You lasted only a short duration,
And now you've gone through some sort of mutation.
I need to drain the water out,
I am filled with doubt.
Why is the motor smoking?
You've got to be joking.

Guest Dog

We have another Guest Dog, Hal, a young Aussie.  He likes to play with Pie and he really "likes" Dottie, but his advances are unwanted.  Due to his unwanted advances, I've been keeping Dottie separate, and he and Pie are having a great time.  Looks like he will need a bath before he goes home.

Kerby and Dottie Play Time

The light was going down, so some photos are blurry, but that didn't stop fun from happening.

Play with me.  No play with me.

Ninja Kerby.

Fancy pre-bath but still looking good.

Kerby is a cutie!

So is Mr. Muffin!

Kerby looks unsure of Dottie, but she isn't. 

Pie asks, Is this my good side?

Love Kerby's expression!

Cookies and Pictures

I am spending the evening baking some cookies for Thanksgiving.  My mom cooks up everything else, the least I can do is bring a tasty snack.  It almost doesn't count- I buy the stuff you scoop out of the tub.  I call it "heating up" cookies.  But in order to show I made an effort, I added MandM's.  The question was, is it better to add them at the very end, or more towards the middle, or maybe first thing?

The first batch I added them 2 minutes before the cookies were done.  This kept the M&M mostly intact, but also left them in danger of falling off with too much cookie movement.  I tried to squish them in, but only so much squishing could happen.

For the second batch I put them in before any baking happened.  This lead to a better cookie to candy cohesion, but also gave some candy coating bleeding.  I suppose the family will have to judge which tasted better.

For the last batch I left the M&Ms out and just went for plain chocolate chip.

Some of the agility pictures I ordered came, so I scanned them in order to share them.

This photo is from over a year ago.  Extra baby Dottie!

Fluffy Fancy.

Up and over.

And down the other side.  I think she missed this contact.

Pie weaves.  And barks.

Dottie gets low when she weaves.

Unfluffy and a little scraggly Fancy.

From the lure coursing trial.

Running fast!

Why would you run so fast for a baggie?