More Packing

More packing happened today after work.  Dottie got packed.  I didn't want to leave her behind!

I found my dog Christmas stuff, and just had to take a break and give myself a preview of Christmas!  Dottie did a pretty good job.



This was one of the many pictures I took of the dogs playing this weekend.  I call this one... Chompies.

MACH 3 Pie!

Pie earned her 60th Double Q yesterday at the Dog Agility Club of Ventura to earn her Mach 3.  While earning this QQ, she earned a first and a  second, and the second was to her "sister" Dottie.  Out of all the things Pie and I do together, agility is Pie's favorite.  Well, hiking and agility  probably tie.  In her jumper's run, she growled while heading into the tunnel, so I knew we were in for an exciting run!  I am so happy to be able to play agility with Pie- we have so much fun together.

The standard portion of Pie's run is here- 

 We almost took the off course tunnel, and we've been loosing a lot of Qs to missed contacts, so I was trying to be careful.  She totally blew me off on the A frame, though!  :)  If I ask Pie to slice a jump, she is more likely to knock the bar, so I was trying to give her nicer approaches to some of the lines.

Pie was only entered Saturday, but Dottie was entered both days.  For the first time in her agility career, Dottie earned a Double Double Q!  A double Q on Saturday and Sunday!  On Saturday the standard Q was her MX title.  She took first in three of those runs, and second once to Pie.  That is double Q number 5 and 6 for Dottie.  Dottie did not love agility from the get-go like Pie, but I think she manages to enjoy it now.  :)  Her runs from Sunday are here-

 

  Not a very pretty a frame contact, or call off from off course tunnel at the end, but we made it through clean, AND I didn't get stung by an insect like I did during Fancy's run.  (Ouch!)

Here is Pie's picture with the judge-

And here is all our "loot" from the weekend

I wish I hadn't messed up Fancy's jumper's run: it would have been extra nice to have all the dogs Q in all their runs.  But I'm not complaining about the great results we did have.

Pie now has 3 agility championships, the IPO 1, her UD, and a Novice Draft Dog title.  She's been to the AKC National Agility Championship and the Eukanuba Invitational for agility.  I'm really proud of her.

Pie waited in the shelter for 3 weeks before I picked her up.  I guess she was waiting especially for me.  She is my most special Pie.

Found Bird

Dottie found a bird in our yard.  Luckily it was on the other side of the fence.  It is either a red tailed hawk or a red shouldered hawk.  It did have red shoulders.  But it also looked like a red tail to me.  Something was obviously wrong.  I called Animal Control, but they were not able to come for several hours.  By the time they came I was afraid it was dead.  He was still alive- barely, it seemed.  If I had known it would be so docile (something was very wrong) I would have taken it in myself.  The AC officer carted it off and said she was making a run to the rehab center tonight.  I hope it survived, but based on the condition he was in, I'm not sure how good the prognosis was.

Moving.. There has to be an easier way.

Fancy is not thrilled with the packing.

The only easier way is probably- don't move.  At least now most of the new books I am buying are e-books, so that is cutting down on the number of books I have to box up and lug around.  These pictures were taken with my tablet, which explains the poor quality.

Muffin and Dottie watch me packing in the garage, and both stay of of  the way.

A good start to the packing!

Not as big of a stack. 

 I don't know why the Golden State boxes all got packed upside down.  Strange.

Pie found a ball in some stuff I was packing.

A move can't be completed with out the "Dogs in Boxes" pictures.

 
Muffin hates pictures.  Which is too bad since he actually fit in the box I had chosen for the pictures.

Fancy fit pretty well also.

I could even get the boxed closed.  Sort of.

Pie, not so much.

Dottie made a nice effort.

Making progress on the book cases.

So much for the dogs staying out of the way.

With the light on to get a better view. 

There is probably some type of pun here, but I can't figure it out.

Who's That (Young) Girl?

2004.  Who knew I could be so young.

I was helping to dismantle a large white rented tent that was decimated by winds.  The kind you hold wedding receptions in and the like.  It was very large and it got very bent by the winds after a base function.

Maybe I'll cut my hair again.  Or not.

Dottie Lure Coursing Test

You can run... but you won't get far if Dottie is chasing you!

AKC has a new program for all dogs to participate in.  (A sentence should not end with a preposition, but that sentence does anyway.)  It is called a coursing ability test (CAT) and is for any breed of dog, not just sight hounds.  All the dogs run individually after a lure, which is a plastic bag.

Our club was holding a CAT last weekend.  I was at work, but asked JoAnn to take Dottie.  Dottie ran a really short, straight line course in the past and did it well, but this course was 600 yards (1/4 of a mile long) and has turns.  I wasn't sure how she'd do.

There are 2 runs a day and you need 3 legs to get a Coursing Ability title.  Dottie did not pass her first run.  She started off ok, but then spotted the judge in the middle of the field and went to visit.  I didn't realized Dottie was THAT friendly!  Probably she was getting board or thought it was too long and was looking for an excuse to quit.  The neat thing is the lure operator brings the lure back to reengage the dog, instead of just sending the dog away in shame, as would happen if your dog quit in obedience or agility.  When the lure came back, Dottie did finish, but the judge deamed it a non-passing run.

I hope that ear doesn't create too much drag.

Good form!

On her second run she thought about visiting again, but JoAnn yelled at her to "Go get it" and she did.  That run she passed so she has one leg towards her CA.  The photographer got some great pictures, of which I will be buying some!

Not pleased to be posing in this manner with her Q ribbon.

Dottie is much happier to be posing for this picture, which JoAnn took at the test.

And Again With the Moving

I believe I already mentioned this, but I am moving again.  I love the studio, and even more I love not having any money worries, but for reasons that I will reveal later, I am forced to move.  I couldn't find any place to live that is affordable and will take the dogs, and won't take me two hours to get to work!  Luckily, my old landlady came through again, and her current tenants are moving out just in time.  So I am heading back to the blue duplex that I've lived in twice before.  The only bad news is she has raised the rent $100.  Rents are up (as are housing prices) so it isn't unfair, just too bad for me.  I remember last time I moved back in Fancy and Pie remembered the place.  I wonder if Dottie will remember it this time too?

Soon to be "home sweet home"... again.

This picture is from the first time I moved in.  Sigh, Hello Buick!  You served me well.  I miss you (but only because you were paid off!)  Besides missing the paid off Buick, I know I will miss having a garage.  It is so nice to unload all of your agility stuff and not have to carry it around back to the shed.  I might see if I can get a shed somewhere in the front yard.  You can see if I have box under the window on the left, but it is terrible for spiders.  I don't like spiders in my car.  I would hope with a shed the spiders might be less. 

You know you've moved too many times when you have to account for all your moves on your 10 year periodic Security Clearance Reinvestigation, and since it is a re-investigation you only have to go back 7 years, and all of your previous residences STILL don't fit in the space provided!  

October-Novemeber Dog Training

After the bad VST training experience, and all the trouble I've been having with Fancy and Pie tracking, I've put tracking on hold to focus on Dottie's utility training.  She was having trouble understanding the utility scent articles, and the tracking could possible be conflicting with that.  There is a trial in the beginning of December I hope to have her ready for, and focusing on one thing at a time is probably for the best.  So now instead of tromping around in the soccer field laying tracks on my lunch breaks, I'm lugging around ring gates and utility jumps.

Some days I am less than motivated, and on those days I go out to eat lunch instead.  If I can't get up the enthusiasm for training, I shouldn't subject my dog to it either.  No one would have any fun in that case.  Today was such a day so I went out for lunch instead then trained after work.  It was a pretty good session.  The utility articles were going well, but today was a bit of a regression.  DARN!  Back to the tie down board.  Dottie is the first dog I've used the tie down board for and it seems to be helping her.  It helps because she can't be wrong, since only the correct article is not tied down.  When she is wrong, even a soft "whoops" was shutting her down. 

I love it when we are working signals and I stand Dottie, walk out 18 paces (I like to train for 20, but we are not quite there yet) and I turn around to see Dottie in a rock solid stand, ears up, totally focused, tail in a slow wag.  So beautiful!  I had that today.  I don't like to turn around and see Dottie with her ears back looking off to the side, avoiding me.   Today we also had good gloves, go out to a toy, and practice calling to heel.  I did not have baby gates or jumps in my car, so we couldn't practice directed jumping.  I have been having difficulties with Dottie taking the jumps on the way out (darn agility training!) so I really need to load the car completely up.

The grass was a bit long, so I did take advantage of it and laid a short track for Fancy.  This was the first time she tracked in months.  I used her tennis ball as a reward to attempt to help with motivation.  Except for turning the wrong way once (no wind, so not sure of her excuse) Fancy did really well!  One of those days when I think there might be hope for her.  We finished the evening off with a session with the chuck-it for Fancy and Dottie.  Pie is banned from the tennis ball, due to her back.  I am very sad for her since it is her favorite thing.

The other fun thing we having going on is an International Agility class.  I won't be able to stay in this class due to conflicts with other things, but I should be able to attend around 3 lessons.  It is fun since the courses are so challenging and not at all what we see in AKC or USDAA.  Dottie and I both did well at our first class and didn't embarrass ourselves.  The other people in the class are either past or current World Team members, or people who hope to be on the WT.  I just want to try some new stuff out.  Shhh- don't tell my usual instructor, but I was trying blind crosses all over the place.  So much easier on my knees!  Here is a video of the winning run from the WT this year.  We ran this course last and let me tell you- my dog is not as fast as this dog, but neither am I as fast as this person.  I made the first blind cross, going into the tunnel, but at the end I tried those 2 blind crosses and there was no way.  I could only do a double rear.  That girl can run!  She didn't even do blinds, she made it for a double front!

The run we got to try is the second run in the video, labled Team Jumpers, but all of  the runs are worth watching.   Watch her run backwards for an entire sequence.  I can't run that fast forward.  An inspiration to always run as fast as you can, and put everything on the line.

Randomness

My father is out-blogging me, so I best get busy.  I was stood up on dinner plans (by my own mother! Sob!) but that allows me to get some blogging done.  PS- My mother will tell you it is my father's fault on the dinner plans, and I do believe her, but the fact is I was still- sob!- stood up.  Sniff.

First, my brother ran in, and finished his first marathon!  I believe he is the first of our family to attempt a marathon, unless my maternal grandfather ran in some.  I know he did lots of shorter races.  I am very proud of my brother for this big accomplishment!  Also very impressed.  I couldn't be there since I was working, but I stole this photo off of my dad's blog.  I think Brother looks very fresh for just finishing 26 miles!  I don't look this good after my mile and a half runs.  I will need to get some tips from him so I can improve my time and distance on short runs.

Next,  here is a cute picture of what Fancy would look like if she had prick ears.  And also of what Fancy looks like when she lays in odd positions.

And finally, no picture for this one, inspired by my brother's marathon and by the ridicule of my fellow Air National Guardsmen, I purchased a new pair of running shoes.  The nice man said based on my wear patterns, the shoes I've been using actually over corrected my pronation, and sold me a more neutral shoe.  I just want to get injured as least as possible, so I hope he knows what he is talking about.  I hope to go in next time before my shoes are such an embarrassment to be seen in.  He also told me to stop wearing the heel lifts (what I thought of as heel cushioning) because it can lead to shin splints.  So if you get shin splints, your heel rise to toe drop may be too great.  On the other hand, having a higher heel helps cut down on plantar fasciitis (which is why I was using it.)  But proper stretching works for that also.  So- wish me luck on the new shoes.

Pie Videos from Last Weekend

Pie loves agility so much!

"Effing Yay" Bar

A very nice run, until the last bar.   Darn!  This type of bar is called an "effing yay," or a more profane version, bar.  It happens when you celebrate while your dog is still in the air over the last bar, and the dog gets distracted and knocked the last bar.  As the bar was coming down, I was clapping and telling Dottie how good she was.  No doubt I had slowed down also, since it is hard to clap and run at the same time.  Shame on me!  It would have been out 10th standard Q, but we will have to wait on that.  Good girl Dottie!  Bad job me.  :)

Fancy PACH Videos

Number 19/ 99 QQ!  I almost got lost in jumpers, but she held it together for us.


Fancy's PACH!!  So proud of my great fluffy girl!  When I adopted her, I never thought she'd be such an agility star! :)

Cool Website

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/10/scenes-from-world-war-ii-photoshopped-onto-todays-streets/264013/?google_editors_picks=true

This is really neat.  Sometimes I feel the past could really be like this.  Actually going on at the same time as the present.  These photos illustrate that.

Fright Fest

My mom and brother are both working at Magic Mountain at Fright Fest.  Mom is an usher (even though she wanted to be a ghoul) and brother is a headless ghoul.  ffluffy and I planned on going, and then it turned out kiltman was coming as well.  I was afraid I was going to be afraid, but as it turns out, I was not.  Maybe if your little brother is working there, it is only as scary as him hiding behind a door trying to scare you.  Also, the shake cans are pretty silly.  It is like you are trying to train a puppy.

Even though I wasn't scared, I had a lot of fun not being scared.  It was amusing, and I enjoyed watching other people get scared.  I wouldn't mind going back and seeing more of the mazes.

PACH Fancy!!!!

Fancy earned her 100th Double Q today, earning her PACH!  The PACH is the the preferred AKC agility championship.  The PACH is the same as the MACH, but the dog gets to jump 4 inches lower, and gets 5 extra points each run.  Since Fancy already has 4 MACHs, this is her 5th AKC championship, which means 100 double Qs!

I love running Fancy in agility.  I hope we have many years and runs ahead of us.  At 9 years old, Fancy is running faster and better than ever.

 Pie also had a good weekend.  She got QQ number 19 toward Mach 3, and almost had QQ number 20, but I sent her off course.

Dottie was only entered Sunday and had a great standard run until I pulled up early and she knocked the last bar.  Darn!  Our jumpers run was nothing to write home (or blog) about.

I'll put up the videos later.