Practices this week

Stewie has had great practices the last three nights. Monday and Tues, in the backyard, and tonight at the tree farm. I guess a lot of it has to do with the cooler temperatures, but I don't think he has ever been faster or more focused in the yard before. Let's hope it keeps up!
We had a good practice tonight also. He did some great weaves all three nights, if only we could get that in a trial. Someday...................
We worked contacts at a distance, discrimination between the A frame and tunnel and tunnel and dogwalk. He got all his "outs" to tunnels tonight, good boy!

Weave Pole Survey

Susan Garrett is having a survey on weave pole spacing that is only 3 questions long and she will forward the results to USDAA.
Here is the link, please vote!!
In order to help the USDAA move along their decision I have put together a really short survey. It is 3 questions. Please take a moment, click on the link and answer the yes or no question for me if you will. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=TJacTWz_2boyBBzqznzc8LtA_3d_3d

Sunday Chances and Jumpers Success!

Chances was the 5th run of a extremely hot day, but I was excited, since looking at the course map it looked like it was possible to get this course. I got Stewie wet beforehand, and he rallied and did a great job. It was a very smooth course,and Stewie did it perfectly! He was flying by the time he got on the dogwalk, and Mary said she was holding her breath that he would get his dog walk contact. He got it and we got our 4th Elite Chances Q!. Great job Stewie!
Jumpers was the 6th run of the day, about 3:00 pm, I didn't know if I should scratch or not, but Mary said to give it a try, so we did. Stewie seemed ready to run, it was a great course, and we had a perfect run. I did a lot of sending with him, and also layered jump #19, sending him to 10 and 11, and it worked perfectly. This run was a Q and a blue 1st place to end a fabulous weekend.

Sunday in Stowe, Hot Hot Hot!

Boy was it hot, even hotter than Saturday and less of a breeze. Stewie was hot but he was also a trooper. The first run of the day was Touch and Go. It was fun but we took an off course so we didn't get a Q.




Next was Tunnelers, and it was a great course, not a lot of traps, lots of opportunities to "go on"and we got a Q and a blue.

We even got an Elite Hoopers Q and blue! It was the first Hoopers course that really flowed and it was actually fun.

Regular, oh regular, we can't get a Q in regular. It was a great course, but we just can't get a set of weaves at all in competition. He did get his contacts, and I did a lot of sending and layering, so it was still a good run.

Sat NADAC Courses Stowe Vt

Here is Tunnelers, it was a fun course, Stewie went wide a couple of places, so we got a 2nd and a Q.

This is Saturday's Elite Touch and Go course. Stewie did a fabulous job and got a Q and a 1st place.

Here is the Chances course from Sat at the NADAC trial in Stowe, Vt. Stewie had a great start but after #9 went on the the tunnel, instead of coming in to the #10 jump. My fault, I was afraid to call him in too far. But we are getting closer to success!

NADAC Stowe Vermont

Mary, Lexi, Stewie and I headed for Stowe on Friday, it was a beautiful and hot day and our first stop was of course Ben and Jerry's!

Saturday, we have it our best shot in Chances, and got a good portion of it but then took an off course. Drats!
THe weave poles were our nemesis again, the rest of the course was beautiful, and we did some distance and layering jumps, but we could not get through the the 12 poles, It is frustrating since he has been doing them so well at home.
Jumpers was a beautiful course and run with just a tineey weeney off course jump, sigh.

Touch and Go was fast and fun and a blue ribbon (and Q run)
I think Tunnelers was a Q and a 2nd place but it was SO HOT that since it was the last run of the day, we left for the air conditioned motel room (heaven). We can get our ribbon tomorrow. Of course now it is 7;00 pm and Stewie is Not tired.

Dummerston NADAC Trial

Mary, Lexi, Stewie and I went to Dummerston Vermont this past weekend to a NADAC agility trial . The first course was Elite Chances, and it was a doozy! We only made it to the tunnel and Stewie did not send to the weave poles. They were pretty far out and the next jump after the poles, #9 was over 40 feet from the line! It was way too much for us, and only 1 or 2 out of all the Elite dogs Q'ed.

Frogging!

Stewie's latest fun thing is frogging in the pond. Don't worry, he never catches any, but he loves when they jump in the water and he gives chase!