Happy Keester!

Although nobody knows about this blog, except for me, which I actually think is kinda cool..I thought this was a very cute picture - so Happy Keester :)

suchagoodboy

Vero Beach - USDAA trial - 4-15-11

Vero Beach agility fun!

The 3-day USDAA trial in Vero this weekend was a blast...my two red boys did a super job...

Our hard work over the last couple of months really paid off...Triumph's jumping was SO much better and he never launched over any of the spread jumps and never crashed any of them in 3 days of showing!!!  He was so much more of a thinker this weekend than mindlessly running as fast as he can from obstacle to obstacle as he has done in the last couple of shows - I am thrilled!

This video is of Steeplechase round 1 - Triumph initially made the weave entry but just came with me and it took a couple tries to get him in - he took off a little soon on the broad jump and also at the last jump, but for the most part, his jumping was better!

Triumph earned his first DAM Q - thank you Annette Alfonso and Legend and Lyn Khan and Jock for making that happen - and he is now totally qualified to show at USDAA Nationals - sweet!!

Burn was a very good boy, as usual, and finally earned the Grand Prix Q he needs to show at the Regional in Perry in June - hooray!!!!!!  Here's to hoping for that last Grand Prix Q at the Regional so he will be able to show in Grand Prix at Nationals - please agility Gods!!!

good night...good boy

Last night we trained at Gail's place.  The first thing we ran was a grid with 5 jumps spaced 25 feet apart with a tunnel at the end - I was to send Triumph to the tunnel and race down the grid of jumps beating him to the last jump - I was very impressed with how symmetrical and balanced his jumping was as there was a time when this kind of jump grid would have been very difficult for him!

Then we ran a couple of courses.  Triumph nailed every contact and did not dive into position on the dog walk or the aframe and he got every weave entry and never popped out early and he was an angel on his start lines...progress!!!

Although I used a couple of "helper" jumps, Triumph's jumping was, for the most part, very good!  He never launched himself and was taking off appropriately at most, if not all, the jumps (and of course, at the jumps where there was a "helper" jump). 

Triumph's idea of running a course is to get from A to B as fast as he possibly can without really thinking about what he needs to and should be doing to get there - he has no regard for his body and the more "experience" he gains, and the more times we trial, it seems the faster he goes.  The helper jump seems to help get him to "think" about what he needs to be doing instead of mindlessly running as fast as he can without any regard for anything!

I am curious and also somewhat anxious to see how this carries over at the upcoming USDAA trial this weekend in Vero Beach - my fingers and toes are crossed as I do not want him to crash another jump, especially the double, and I certainly do not want him to hurt himself!!

I love my dog...

getting it!

working hard on Triumph's jumping skills...he is definitely getting it! I'm hoping our training will carry over when we trial...we shall soon find out as we have a 3-day USDAA trial next weekend in Vero Beach...fingers crossed :)

Sunday

got LOTS done around my house this weekend...outside my house...thanks to Marc...also got to train this morning and apply some of what Stuart showed us at our recent lesson...Triumph did great!!!

more jumping

had a fabulous lesson recently with Stuart Mah...he helped me SO much with Triumph's jumping and Triumph did awesome...I now know what I need to focus on, what I need to work on, and what direction I need to take to help him!!! So happy :)