I have a million stories, pictures, and videos but have had absolutely no time to update my blog...but I will do just that this weekend so check back then for the FULL and very long post with all the pictures and videos!!!
IT WAS AWESOME!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
COLORADO!!!!!!
I just got back late Tuesday night from my skip trip to Breckenridge, Colorado - it was THE BEST vacation I have ever been on in my life...and I am 51 years young and omg can I ski!!!
I have a million stories, pictures, and videos but have had absolutely no time to update my blog...but I will do just that this weekend so check back then for the FULL and very long post with all the pictures and videos!!!
IT WAS AWESOME!
I have a million stories, pictures, and videos but have had absolutely no time to update my blog...but I will do just that this weekend so check back then for the FULL and very long post with all the pictures and videos!!!
IT WAS AWESOME!
Monday, March 19, 2012
"Shout Out"
I posted this on the On Target Facebook group today...wanted it on my blog as well:
Speaking of agility, I pretty much sucked on Friday, but we so got it together on Saturday and Sunday, thank you music in my ears and focus in my brain, and we had an awesome rest of the weekend...finishing off with running my 10-year old crazy little white dog, Bosco in Veterans jumpers...he was THE very last dog of the day to run and while we made up our own course, it was his and he smoked it...personally, I liked my course better than what was actually numbered!!!
Oh yeah, Triumph only needs 2 pairs and 2 standard legs for his ADCH!!!!!!
Videos to follow but right now I have something more important to do, leave for Colorado to go SKIING!!!!! 5 inches of snow today in Vail - YAHOO!
In the meantime, here are some pics taken by Amy Kundinger of Mr. Perfect on Saturday...enjoy!
Really agility folks...it is just dog agility, just dog training, nobody is out there solving world peace and/or saving lives...life is too short and too precious and too important to get so caught up in whose dog is from where and who the parents are and what lines they're out of, blah blah blah...are we not all out there to do the same thing? Run clean, run fast, and have fun with our beloved dogs? Maybe I am crazy, but that is what agility is about for me.
Speaking of agility, I pretty much sucked on Friday, but we so got it together on Saturday and Sunday, thank you music in my ears and focus in my brain, and we had an awesome rest of the weekend...finishing off with running my 10-year old crazy little white dog, Bosco in Veterans jumpers...he was THE very last dog of the day to run and while we made up our own course, it was his and he smoked it...personally, I liked my course better than what was actually numbered!!!
Oh yeah, Triumph only needs 2 pairs and 2 standard legs for his ADCH!!!!!!
Videos to follow but right now I have something more important to do, leave for Colorado to go SKIING!!!!! 5 inches of snow today in Vail - YAHOO!
In the meantime, here are some pics taken by Amy Kundinger of Mr. Perfect on Saturday...enjoy!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Happy! Happy! Happy!!!!!
I got to see Dylan this morning...me and Triumph...although very short, it was such a nice little surprise visit and Triumph was just beside himself...it made my heart smile and feel whole again...it made my day, week, month, LIFE!!!!!! I have been smiling since 8:15 this morning...I love that little boy...I am beside myself with happy happy happy!
AND then I went on to do some training...I have done very little training with my dogs for the last 5 weeks (since the big break-up) and it was good to get some course work in...I really sucked but my boys were good...we're entered all three days next weekend at Dog On It's local USDAA trial and I don't expect much...although I would love to get that needed Grand Prix leg for Burn and Triumph needs a pairs leg and two standard legs...but I'll be happy with a startline stay...actually I'll be happy just being there!
AND then I went on to do some training...I have done very little training with my dogs for the last 5 weeks (since the big break-up) and it was good to get some course work in...I really sucked but my boys were good...we're entered all three days next weekend at Dog On It's local USDAA trial and I don't expect much...although I would love to get that needed Grand Prix leg for Burn and Triumph needs a pairs leg and two standard legs...but I'll be happy with a startline stay...actually I'll be happy just being there!
OH YEAH, I'M GOING ON A SKI TRIP!!!!!!!!!!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Little WDs
The Little White Dogs...Saturday was their day as we were up before 4:00 and headed to Ocala for the yearly earthdog test...it is just THE coolest thing ever to get to watch dogs do what they were bred to do...obedience and agility events are fun, but nothing like the events that tests your dogs' natural innate abilities and temperament...just like border collies, or any breed for that matter, terriers are NOT for every one and not every person could live with mine...but I love terriers especially Jack Russells and terrier trials and earthdog tests...talk about "mindless fun" for me and a nice change from having to memorize and strategize an agility course! aaahhh pretty much turn the dog loose and let it hunt...so cool!
Both Pauli and Bosco show in the master class. The judge holds a briefing and then there's a drawing and all the master entries are randomly paired with another dog. These days, 95% of the terriers at these tests are border terriers...with a few Jack Russells, Carin Terriers and Smooth Fox Terriers and Schnauzers thrown in. Bosco was paired with a Border Terrier and was the very first brace to go and Pauli, whose brace was also a Border Terrier, and someone I knew, yeah, was the sixth brace. There were 10 master teams total.
I was a little worried about the walk up with Pauli as she is 14 years old now and is totally deaf. But she and her brace had a perfect walk up. Both dogs casted out and hunted and Pauli used her brace partner as her ears! She would also look to me, and I would give her an arm signal to come in which she totally read...what a good dog! Pauli was the first to mark the den. She took the judge by surprise as she was through that 30-foot tunnel within seconds and at the rats chewing on the wooden bars to get to them. She did however, fail the honoring portion as I opted not to tie her to the stake as I know she would have crushed her throat pulling and lunging on the tie-out.
I didn't care about the pass or fail, I just wanted Pauli to get to do what she loves most...hunt. This is probably the last earthdog test she will be able to do, and she had a blast!
Bosco's walk up started out a little scary as he took off running the second I took the leash off of him but he totally took me by surprise when he came to me when I recalled him and then hunted with his brace until we got to the den! He was the first to mark and the first to work but just could not negotiate that first left turn and kept coming out of the false exit at which point, the judge asked me to retrieve him so that his brace could work. But another surprise, he honored and didn't scream his head off!!! Good try, buddy!
After the test we stopped by to see my mom who lives about 20 minutes away from the show grounds. My nephew, his girlfriend and their little boy Josh had driven up from Miami to visit my mom and go to Disney!
How cute are they??!!!
It was a long day and by the time I got home at 3:00 that afternoon, my poor Border Collies had been in my van basically since 5:00 that morning...so we just hung out in my yard and played with toys...more mindless fun for me...I didn't get a pic of Burn, but he was right there, lying in wait in the grass like an alligator watching Triumph be a goof with his toy!
Both Pauli and Bosco show in the master class. The judge holds a briefing and then there's a drawing and all the master entries are randomly paired with another dog. These days, 95% of the terriers at these tests are border terriers...with a few Jack Russells, Carin Terriers and Smooth Fox Terriers and Schnauzers thrown in. Bosco was paired with a Border Terrier and was the very first brace to go and Pauli, whose brace was also a Border Terrier, and someone I knew, yeah, was the sixth brace. There were 10 master teams total.
At the master level, the dog is tested on 7 different “skills.” The first is the walk-up. The two handlers and two dogs and the judge start about a football field length’s away from the made-man den that has been buried underground. The two brace dogs must actually hunt their way to the den. The dogs must not heel or stay with the handlers and the judge, but must cast out and hunt, each dog being required to check back with the handler at the judge's request. The dogs must investigate an empty, unscented den that has been set up for the test. Then both dogs must find the entrance to the real den and mark it decisively so that there is no question the dog is indicating an active den. The den itself is a 9x9 wooden liner about 30 feet in length, buried underground that has two obstacles: a 6 inch diameter PVC pipe crossways in the den to simulate a root and a narrowing down to 6 inches for a distance of 18 inches. First dog to “mark” the entrance to the den, is the first dog to work. The dog is released into the ground and has 60 seconds to get to the quarry; must work the rats for 60 seconds and must allow himself to be removed from the den by his handler within 15 seconds. While one dog is working the other dog is staked out and must wait his turn with minimum amount of noise while his bracemate works the quarry. The dog has to “pass” each piece of the test in order to earn a qualifying score. Four qualifying scores is a Mater Earthdog title, M.E.
This is what a liner looks like
I didn't care about the pass or fail, I just wanted Pauli to get to do what she loves most...hunt. This is probably the last earthdog test she will be able to do, and she had a blast!
 |
| MACH, ADCH Terrier-ific St. Pauli Girl, ME |
Bosco's walk up started out a little scary as he took off running the second I took the leash off of him but he totally took me by surprise when he came to me when I recalled him and then hunted with his brace until we got to the den! He was the first to mark and the first to work but just could not negotiate that first left turn and kept coming out of the false exit at which point, the judge asked me to retrieve him so that his brace could work. But another surprise, he honored and didn't scream his head off!!! Good try, buddy!
 |
| Foxer's Moon Yur Not the Boss of Me OA, OAJ, SE (Senior Earthdog) JJ (junior jumper) |
After the test we stopped by to see my mom who lives about 20 minutes away from the show grounds. My nephew, his girlfriend and their little boy Josh had driven up from Miami to visit my mom and go to Disney!
How cute are they??!!!
It was a long day and by the time I got home at 3:00 that afternoon, my poor Border Collies had been in my van basically since 5:00 that morning...so we just hung out in my yard and played with toys...more mindless fun for me...I didn't get a pic of Burn, but he was right there, lying in wait in the grass like an alligator watching Triumph be a goof with his toy!
a friend send me this in an e-mail and I just couldn't resist...
OH YEAH, HAVE I SAID LATELY THAT
I'M GOING ON A SKI TRIP!!!!!!!!
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