Demon & Roxxi @ Dog Vegas

Fit For Function

Yet again a long overdue update :-)

So, i have had a bit of a reality check now the season has started again and decided I need to get fit for function as it's put :-)

I started jogging with the dogs when i managed to convince myself De really had qualified us for Olympia, I'd been told the ring was alot bigger than what our normal agility runs were in. The fact i even thought about jogging is an achievement for me in itself ( i can walk for miles but i despise jogging ) but i put it to the test and actually felt alot better doing it (apart from in the mornings, i felt like an old woman trying to get out of bed lol.) After Olympia the bad weather started and it hit the back burner a bit.

So, whilst at crufts i realised i really shoud get my act together and start up again. I treated the dogs to a new harness each and a flashing collar since its dark some nights when i go out. I also thought it would be an idea to invest in some bike lights for when i go biking along the prom in the evenings (something i should of had anyways. . . . . luckily i haven't been run down as of yet for not having lights, since i have to go through town to get to the beach) We are all now fully visable for our evening/ very early morning runs/ bike rides.

The dogs have been going swimming at Dogwise Hydrotheraphy through the winter for fitness as an extra to the walks across the dunes/ beaches or woodland walks we do and really seem to enjoy it.

Dogwise is a lovely pool and the owners are brill with the dogs and come highly recommended by Demon & Roxxi, more info can be found on Dogwise Hydrotheraphy's website: http://www.dogwisehydrotherapy.co.uk/

Below are some pictures of De and Roxxi swimming taken by Katie of  http://www.mcmaniganphotography.co.uk/

We're now getting in to the swing of the show season, although the weather really isn't great, got lots to update on both dogs and will get a vid up of some of our most recent runs, hopefully can keep to updating a bit quicker now but hey, we'll see :-)

Midlands Border Collie Club 2012 & Some of Roxxi's first runs

Grade 6, Contacts & New Pictures

I thought i'd better update the blog before i forgot what has been happening;


I took Demon to Dog Vegas on August, it's quite a close show for me and i like the atmosphere and the way the shows are run...Lovely.


Demon worked very well coming 2nd in Grade 3-5 Jumping and then going on to WIN Grade 5 Agility!!
He was a little naughty self releasing his A-Frame and waiting on the ground until i released him but i hadn't noticed until after the run when a friend mentioned it to me, so, the last Grade 5 Agility class i made sure he held his contacts until i gave him his 'OK' release command. He was a good lad and stayed put.


To be honest i was a little bit gutted De had won out of Grade 5 and had a few tears as i wondered how being in Grade 6/7 for the rest of his agility career would affect him both physically and mentally.
Things such as the tighter turns and demanding weave entries (although the new weave spacing coming in to force in Jan 2012 will help this) there is then also the fact that 'I'  must try to cope with remembering the harder courses, so not to let De down  and figuring out the safest route for him. I am not prepared to run him into the ground and i believe thinking about his route may prevent any long term affects.
After thinking things through i have come to the conclusion that as long as De is enjoying himself and we are having fun it is just another great activity we can participate in together.


Only time will tell if we can hold our own but De is still young and i still have lots to learn, new training and me using my brain when walking courses will help and i think we may just be fine.


I have ordered some new agility equipment (Contacts) from Alan Sharp of Lincs Agility, these will be rubber coated.
My See Saw and A Frame will be Pink with Black contact points and my Dog Walk will be Purple with Black contact points.
As i type this i have had my See Saw back and it is LUSH!! I will upload some pictures soon.


Sadly Alan has had to go into hospital for an operation on his knee, since then he has been rushed back into hospital after getting an infection in the op site so was operated on yet again!!!


I am wishing him a speedy recovery (for his sake) and know my equipment will be with me when he is up and running again.


Below are some picture kindly taken by Dave White at the August Dog Vegas show.

ISDS Puppies.

My Demon, as many of you know, is a duel I.S.D.S and KC registered border collie. I have found him lovely to train and a joy to live with in and around the house. His breeder currently has a litter of I.S.D.S puppies, that again, can be duel registered.


Dam of the litter is full sister to Aled Owen's - Roy and Sire of the litter is a dog named Cap who is a top trials dog. 




For any more information on this litter please contact Dave Taylor on 07793551920

KC Fest & Results are back.

KC Festival:

Last Thursday I headed on down to Long Buckby (about 30mins from the Kc Fest venue) with De and Roxxi, we were staying with a friend which meant we had home comforts after a day at the show which was bliss. The weather was lovely Fri, Sat & Sunday although it was a little warm for the dogs i think. Not really a lot to report on the results side De did a cracking round in the Grade 5 Agility on the Saturday but i dropped my arm at the end which resulted in him dropping the last pole, Demon is working really nicely unfortunately i am either calling to late or dropping arms or commanding to early/ late either way the problems are definitely my fault. We managed a clear in the last run of the day, Sunday, in the Grade 5 agility, although i held his contacts. We came away with a respectable 9th which, considering the held contacts, i didn't think was bad.
I decided with the weather being very warm at times that i would invest in a Cool Coat for the dogs i have see a lot of dogs wearing these and the feed back on them is brilliant and i have heard a lot of people recommending them. So off i went to purchase one, when i got to the stall i realized Hurtta had brought out a new cool coat these came in blue and purple and blue. I really liked these and they seemed to cover the dogs better than the previous model so i chose to get one of these new ones. I must say i recommend these coats and  will be getting Roxxi a purple one too (although she needs the size below.)

Roxxi's Results:


So after a nice weekend away at the KC Festival i was please to come home to be told that Roxxi's Hip/Elbow Scores were back....we i was please but nervous at the same time. I now had to make an appointment to go and discuss the results with my vet.
I have been there this afternoon (Wednesday) and am happy to say her Hips are 7/4 = 11 and her Elbows are 0/0 :-) So i'm a happy bunny now and feel better for knowing they're not bad.

Where to start??......

Well we're now into good old August think my last post was May sometime (bad blogger!)
Cannot remember everything but here goes:

Demon:

Demon has gone from strength to strength these last few months, sadly, the same cannot be said for my handling.

Demon has had numerous places since my last blog

• Waldridge Fell - Grade 4 Jumping 2nd
• Hinckley - Grade 4 Jumping 6th
• Hinckley Grade 4 Agility 1st!! Taking us up to Grade 5 :-)

In June we traveled to Newton Heath where De really showed what a star he is and came 2nd in the KC Novice Olympia Combined 3-5 Agility....This qualifies us for the semi finals in September at The Birmingham Championship Show.

Video below:

Thanks to Lucy Osborne for this video.

After this i have tried to keep him in Grade 5 as i think we will both benefit from the time and experience, as i seem to have lost the handling part of my brain lol!! De has still achieved some good places despite having me as his handler :-)

• Tuffley - Grade 5 Agility 5th
• Weardale - Grade 5 Jumping 2nd
• Dog Vegas - Grade 5 Jumping 2nd
• Derbyshire - Helter Skelter Combined 5-7 3rd
• Derbyshire - KC Novice Olympia Combined 3-5 Agility 2nd!!!

Yes my little boy managed to qualify for the Olympia Novice for the second time just to make sure he was going...Clever lad!! :-)

I'm am very proud of him....which is a bit of an understatement lol!! Lets just hope i can sort myself out before September comes :-s

On Saturday we headed off to the Scunthorpe Agility Show its a fairly local show only being about an Hour and 15 mins from my house at the most.

Saturday was filled with if onlys with use having poles or late commands from me sending him over wrong jumps ect.

Sunday was much the same up until the last run where Demon did it again and Qualified for the Adams Burns Derby 2012 (next September) The first part (contacts, spread, long jump) was lovely, yet the jumping was very hit and miss in the middle, only 5/6 dogs got round this course so i was pleased we got round but it wasn't a nice flowing run so i felt a bit un-worthy of qualifying but hey we got round and i'm lucky DE covers the ground nice and made time up on the bits that did flow :-)

Here is a video of some of his runs from July:

Both dogs had their yearly eye tests done at the beginning of July by Professor Bedford (a specialist in Ophthalmology) Both dogs results came back Clear/Unaffected so a good result all round.

Roxxi:

Roxxi's training is coming on nicely, she has just about got her weaves now and has clicked on alot faster than i'd of expected.....We are using channel weaves which i feel has worked really well with both the dogs. In regards to the excessive barking at training and around the rings it has been a long and very tough round but we have now almost got silence Yay!!! There is still the odd whimper but the reward for Roxxi is far greater when she's quiet and she has sussed this out too!! We reverted right back to one jump during training at home and the reward came quick and often for silent jumping/ tugging ect so she is now working alot quieter too although its not quite there yet. She was entered into the Helter Skelter at both Dog Vegas and Derbyshire at the end of July and worked well in the one at Dog Vegas but got a bit tunnel happy towards the end and i carried her out as that's all she thought about after going through it twice and i got her E'd in the one at Derbyshire by sending her over an extra jump although she worked like an angel <3 <3 All in all i'm very happy with the progress we're making and she has been entered in her first kc show at Gillingham.

Roxxi was DNA tested for CL and Hip & Elbow scored beginning of July, i am still waiting for the Hip/Elbows but have received the DNA Results this morning and she is Clear :-)

I am competing at the KC Festival this weekend and i am really looking forward to it i am kindly being looked after by Sam Clarke and the wonderful Tizzy although i'm not quite sure if they know whats they've let themselves in for with me and the two dogs ;-) We're not really that bad.

Will hopefully update once we return home .......