October 30th, 2009

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We are attending a 3 day Advanced Obedience Training Seminar with Sylvia Bishop this weekend, at American K9 Country in New Hampshire.  Sylvia is one of the most highly respected dog trainers in the United Kingdom, and throughout the world!  She is the only trainer who has been invited to compete at the prestigious Crufts Dog Show for 30 consecutive years with 10 dogs and she has won this Championship twice!

Sylvia’s insight is amazing, and her seminars are always enlightening and entertaining.  It should be a really fun way to spend the Halloween weekend. 

The pictures below were taken when we went to American K9 Country two weeks ago, they didn’t make it into that post.  So, I thought this would be a perfect time to share them………..

2009 Pumpkin 0632009Pumpkin 065

 

2009 Pumpkin064

October 25th, 2009

Run it for the money! 

Run it for the Money was the name of the agility workshop that Robbie and I attended today at Criterion agility.  We have been training at Criterion in Middlefield, CT since early this year.  Monique, who is one of the owners/trainers there, has really helped us to improve our communication on course and to cut down our yardage, therefore course time as well.

The Fall colors are about at peak in our area right now, and the drive to Ridgeland Farm where Criterion is based was spectacular.

The Oranges…..                                                    

2009FallOranges

     the reds……………………2009Fallreds

                                                                                                                                                                  and the yellows are brilliant! 

2009FallYellows

 

   The view across Beseck Lake in Middlefield is gorgeous!

2009FallColors Across Beseck Lake

The colors of the Fall mums………

2009FallColors Mums

The dogs take turns with the horses of Ridgeland Farm training in the spacious indoor arena.

 2009FallRidgeland Farm Horse

Our Workshop was great; it was a series of many short courses to drill skills.  We left with a few things to work on; when the trials wind down next month we will have some homework for the winter months.

This video is the short “warm up” that we started with today…….then we all really went to work drilling skills

October 24th, 2009

Rain, Rain go away……..

It seems that it rained all through the Spring, and then the Summer too.  Now that it is Fall, why should things change??  No reason…..so, the rain has continued.  TriState Shetland Sheepdog Club had a sanctioned match scheduled at the end of September, and we were rained out.  Today was our rain date…..should we be surprised, it was raining yet again!  The rain certainly affected the entry, but, there were brave souls who did come despite the weather.  The Sweeps entries were judged by Kerry Newcomb, and the Regular Class entries by Connie Nelson.  A darling young puppy bitch bred by Richard, Nancy and Liz  Hildreth, won both Best In Sweeps AND Best In Match today!   Thankfully, we somehow managed to get everything done between the showers. 

Connie Nelson and her choice for Best in Match!

Connie Nelson and "Maggie" her choice for Best in Match!

October 23rd, 2009
Shelties On Line Performance Week!
 
 I was very pleased when I heard that the sheltie performance community was trying to organize a week on Shelties On Line devoted to celebrating the achievements of our dogs in performance.  The word was, in order to have a week dedicated just to performance there needed to be a guarantee of a certain number of ads. 

I responded saying they could count on me for support in running ads.  So, I organized my thoughts and pictures and sent them to Karen Jordan.  A special “Thank you” to Karen for the beautiful ads she designed for our boys!  These will run on Shelties On Line during the week of October 24-30, 2009 in support the very first Shelties On Line Performance Week! 

Stormy's ad for Shelties On Line performance week 2009

Stormy's ad for Shelties On Line performance week 2009

Robbie's ad for Shelties On Line Performance week 2009

Robbie's ad for Shelties On Line Performance week 2009

October 18th, 2009

A trip to New Hampshire and Britt’s first time in the Rally Obedience Ring…..

Linda and Star on the porch at AK9-C

Linda and Star on the porch at AK9-C

 

This weekend my friend Linda and I made a trip to Amherst, New Hampshire for an obedience trial held at one of my favorite training facilities, American K9 Country.  Linda had entered her beautiful Border Collie Star in this trial.  They have done so much together; Star has her conformation Championship, herding, rally and obedience titles!  Linda and Star were making their debut in the Open A obedience ring, and I decided to enter Britt in Rally – Obedience.  As well as this being Star’s debut in Open, it would be Britt’s debut too…..her first time ever in a competition performance ring!   

As usual AK9-C was decorated to the nines, and provided some really cute photo ops for the dogs.  Here are a couple of the photos we took. 

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Star, Stormy and Britt (on the bench) at AK9-C

 

Britt and Stormy

Britt and Stormy

Linda and Star had really nice classes both days, unfortunately, there was a a single glitch each day that kept them from qualifying.  As for Britt, I was very pleased with both of  her Rally classes.  On Saturday, she did a really nice job earning her first Rally Novice leg, our final score was 97 (out of 100) the 3 points that we lost were due to a handler error on my part!  Then on Sunday, her score was a 99 earning First Place and her 2nd leg toward her “RN”!  The club had a show photographer, so we had pictures done to commemorate the occasion.  See below:

Britt's first Rally Novice Leg, Judge James Ashton

Britt's first Rally Novice Leg, Judge James Ashton

 

The way the judging schedule was set up, Linda and I were in the ring at the same time, so I was lucky to at least get this very short video clip from Britt’s Rally class on Sunday:

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2009_10_18Rally Novice B 2nd leg

Britt 10/18/09 Rally Novice B- 2nd leg

Our trek home was made during the second snow fall in a week, it’s very strange to see snow falling when most of the trees are still sporting green leaves!

second snow fall this week!

Our second snow fall this week!

October 12th, 2009

Could this be our next OTCH??

Though it has taken quite some time, by being patient and taking it slowly, I have finally convinced Robbie that the dumb bell is not “the most vile thing a dog could have in his mouth” !  He has progressed through the “hold” training and is finally retrieving!  He is even taking the metal article and holding that pretty well now too.  Next month, when we go to the Thanksgiving Cluster,  I will have him fitted and order him his very own set of articles.  My plan is to spend the winter months teaching Robbie to do the scent discrimination exercise.  It is looking like Robbie may actually have a second career as an obedience dog….who would have guessed?

Robbie retrieving the dumb bell.

Robbie retrieving the dumb bell.

October 11th, 2009

Robbie earns his 3rd and 4th MXJ legs!!!!

The weekend of October 10th and 11th we went to the Longshore Southport Kennel Club’s Agility Trial in Hamden, CT.  Robbie qualified both days in Masters Jumpers, he earned his 3rd MXJ leg on Saturday with a 3rd placement! His Jumpers Q on Sunday gave him his 4th MXJ leg!  These Q’s earned him an additional 20 MACH points as well!  Our next agility trial is 4weeks away, we can hardly wait!

October 3rd, 2009

Times of Change……

Late last year when Stormy came back to training after recovering from his shoulder injury, I knew that we were very fortunate to have a second chance to finish our goal.  It was decided then that if we were lucky enough to finish the OTCH, he would be retired immediately.  He would not continue to compete because it simply would not be worth the potential risk of him re-injuring his shoulder.

Marianna told me not long ago that finishing this long worked toward, much anticipated goal would be both wonderful and bittersweet.  Well, boy oh boy, was she ever right on that one!   As expected, since finishing the OTCH things have changed….. Stormy still comes to  obedience classes, he is doing bits and pieces here and there for fun and to keep his mind in shape.  But, Robbie and Britt have become the main focus in training now. 

Today was my first obedience lesson since Stormy finished his championship, while driving to the lesson on this damp Fall day, I was feeling pretty melancholy.  It was the first time I felt the full impact of just how bittersweet finishing the OTCH really would be for me.  Robbie and Britt were with me, Stormy stayed home because there wouldn’t be enough time to work him as well in the short time that we had for our lesson.  WOW, it seems so strange to even think that…..Britt and Robbie have been in the “back seat” at obedience lessons for so long while Stormy was the one seriously training.  To even think that he was not to be a part of this lesson just felt so odd.  

Fall is the season of change….and I guess things really are changing for me, as exciting as it will be to move forward with the “back seat” kids, I will miss the constant working and trialing with Stormy.  He was always “on”, always “ready”, he was always “there for me”…… he is nothing short of amazing, he truly is a once in a life time dog!

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October 2nd, 2009

Robbie’s QQ #2!!

It was a beautiful New England Fall day, Robbie and I had a lot of fun today at the Berkshire Belgian Tervuren Club’s Agility Trial in Hamden, CT.  He placed 3rd in both his Standard and Jumpers classes today.  This gave us his 2nd MXJ leg, an additional 13 MACH points and his 2nd QQ as well!!

Robbie during his Excellent Jumpers Class at the Berkshire Belgian Terv trial.

Robbie during his Excellent Jumpers Class at the Berkshire Belgian Terv trial.

I have been busy trying to bring each of my dog’s albums up to date, so I finally made the time to order several pictures that I had just never gotten around to ordering.  This photo of Robbie was taken “playing with some friends” at an agility trial when he was just under a year old.  Still a puppy in this picture, it was clear from his big smile and the way he is banking a 45-degree on his turn how much he loves to run!

Run Rob Run

Run, Rob, Run

September 27th, 2009

Robbie’s First Double Q!

Saturday September 26, 2009, Robbie and I went to the Talcott Mountian Agility Club Trial held at Shallowbrook Equestrian Center in Somers, CT.  We had a great day, our teamwork is finally coming together on course!  Robbie QQ’d earning a leg in both his Masters Standard and Masters Jumpers Classes!!  This was his FIRST DOUBLE Q toward his MACH, he earned 20 more points toward it as well!!

We are looking forward to our next trial!