Sunday, December 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Old is the New!
Going back through old blog post, the I started reading some of my unpublished drafts that I had. This one really made me laugh. I hadnt even thought of this until now, but I am in the exact situation with Twister, almost a year and a half later!
Here is a video of Twister at our last trial.
"We reached our goal and a half. Mani was so good but also so awful. The first day I honestly dont know what was up with him. He was really slow and unfocused. Our first run in Friday was Novice Jumpers he was OK during the run, he was slow and not really folowing my body ques well so I was mostly giving him verbal. Well we got through the run and at the end it was just three jumps down a line. Becasue I wanted him to pick up speed and enjoy it I tried to push him for speed, he knocked a bar on the second to last jump then got really scared and came in to me and went around the last jump. I had him fix it and praised him like we just ran out MACH run.
After he was out of the ring I do not think it phased him too much. Our second run, Novice Standard, was the really awful one I was telling you about. He was SOOO slow, practically walking. He was doing good though, until we got up to a broad jump and instead of jumping he decided to walk across it like nothing. Everyone laughed, I was so close to just leaving the ring right then. When we first started working in broad jumps it took so long for him to understand to jump and not walk on it or use it as a spring board. If he is reverting back to that I cant trust him, and I dont have access to one so I dont know how to train it but work on him understanding his jumping better.
Saturday was our best day. He Q'd and placed 2nd in Novice Jumpers and got his Novice Jumpers Title, NAJ.
In standard he Q'd and placed 3rd, and got his Novice Standard Title, NA. I was really happy.
On Sunday we moved up to Open. I was really nervous because he would have to do 12 weave poles and he has never done 12 poles in a trial before, and only once or twice in practice/training. In Jumpers he was a bit slow and the course was not a small dog course, NONE of the 8" dogs Q'd in Jumpers. I do not know about the 4" or 12" groups, but I did not feel so bad about our NQ. He messed up in the weaves so we had to redo them which caused us to be over time.
I was trying to be really carefree about how we did in Open Standard on Sunday. I just wanted to leave the course happy. He was a bit slow but it was Ok. He got one refusal, that I dont agree with. He was going down the dogwalk I did a front cross in front of him and had him do a jump that was papallel with the dogwalk. He just barely went wide of the jump but did not pass it, I called him and pulled him to me andhe went over the jump. The judge called a refusal, but other than that it was a great run. He did his weaves! We Q'd and placed 2nd. We would have gotten first if he had not gotten that refusal.
At the trial a friend of ours that we used to have class with got his last Q in Open jumpers and moved up to Excellent Level. He said that they were in Open for 3 and 1/2 years! Every one in Open says that being in Open is like being in pergatory and when you finally leave you move up to Hell. I am not looking forward to that. I already had a glimpse of that in our Jumpers run. So hopefully it wont take us that long. We need 3 Q's in Open JWW and 2 in Open Standard. Lets see how long it takes."
I think this post is so funny. It did not take us long at all. The next trial we went to he got his Open Standard title and the next one after that his Open Jumpers.
With Twister it is the opposite situation, he completely breezed through Novice and Open Jumpers. But Open Standard is a differnent story. He is still a baby dog, with so litttle training I cant believe he has been so sucessful thus far.
My goal over our "winter break" is to solidify his teeter performance, work on harder weave entries (just for fun, he has fantastic weaves) and work on a training a running dog walk (something that I have never worked on with him, just accepted whatever he gave me at trials - but he never missed a contact).
Here is a video of Twister at our last trial.
"We reached our goal and a half. Mani was so good but also so awful. The first day I honestly dont know what was up with him. He was really slow and unfocused. Our first run in Friday was Novice Jumpers he was OK during the run, he was slow and not really folowing my body ques well so I was mostly giving him verbal. Well we got through the run and at the end it was just three jumps down a line. Becasue I wanted him to pick up speed and enjoy it I tried to push him for speed, he knocked a bar on the second to last jump then got really scared and came in to me and went around the last jump. I had him fix it and praised him like we just ran out MACH run.
After he was out of the ring I do not think it phased him too much. Our second run, Novice Standard, was the really awful one I was telling you about. He was SOOO slow, practically walking. He was doing good though, until we got up to a broad jump and instead of jumping he decided to walk across it like nothing. Everyone laughed, I was so close to just leaving the ring right then. When we first started working in broad jumps it took so long for him to understand to jump and not walk on it or use it as a spring board. If he is reverting back to that I cant trust him, and I dont have access to one so I dont know how to train it but work on him understanding his jumping better.
Saturday was our best day. He Q'd and placed 2nd in Novice Jumpers and got his Novice Jumpers Title, NAJ.
In standard he Q'd and placed 3rd, and got his Novice Standard Title, NA. I was really happy.
On Sunday we moved up to Open. I was really nervous because he would have to do 12 weave poles and he has never done 12 poles in a trial before, and only once or twice in practice/training. In Jumpers he was a bit slow and the course was not a small dog course, NONE of the 8" dogs Q'd in Jumpers. I do not know about the 4" or 12" groups, but I did not feel so bad about our NQ. He messed up in the weaves so we had to redo them which caused us to be over time.
I was trying to be really carefree about how we did in Open Standard on Sunday. I just wanted to leave the course happy. He was a bit slow but it was Ok. He got one refusal, that I dont agree with. He was going down the dogwalk I did a front cross in front of him and had him do a jump that was papallel with the dogwalk. He just barely went wide of the jump but did not pass it, I called him and pulled him to me andhe went over the jump. The judge called a refusal, but other than that it was a great run. He did his weaves! We Q'd and placed 2nd. We would have gotten first if he had not gotten that refusal.
At the trial a friend of ours that we used to have class with got his last Q in Open jumpers and moved up to Excellent Level. He said that they were in Open for 3 and 1/2 years! Every one in Open says that being in Open is like being in pergatory and when you finally leave you move up to Hell. I am not looking forward to that. I already had a glimpse of that in our Jumpers run. So hopefully it wont take us that long. We need 3 Q's in Open JWW and 2 in Open Standard. Lets see how long it takes."
I think this post is so funny. It did not take us long at all. The next trial we went to he got his Open Standard title and the next one after that his Open Jumpers.
With Twister it is the opposite situation, he completely breezed through Novice and Open Jumpers. But Open Standard is a differnent story. He is still a baby dog, with so litttle training I cant believe he has been so sucessful thus far.
My goal over our "winter break" is to solidify his teeter performance, work on harder weave entries (just for fun, he has fantastic weaves) and work on a training a running dog walk (something that I have never worked on with him, just accepted whatever he gave me at trials - but he never missed a contact).
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Awesome strikes again!
Captain Awesome was well . . . Awesome! at out last agility trial.
Finishing his MXJ title and almost getting MX title. The only NQ of the weekend was the last Standard Q we needed to finish MX.
But other than that, it was a perfect weekend. 5/6 Qs!
Woot Woot!!
Finishing his MXJ title and almost getting MX title. The only NQ of the weekend was the last Standard Q we needed to finish MX.
But other than that, it was a perfect weekend. 5/6 Qs!
Woot Woot!!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Video
Here it is finally!
Took me long enough to get the video and even longer to actually post it. :))
Right now, I am going to focus more on tricks during the winter. So Yay! more videos to come.
Took me long enough to get the video and even longer to actually post it. :))
Right now, I am going to focus more on tricks during the winter. So Yay! more videos to come.
Friday, August 12, 2011
New Trick - Coming Soon
I have been working on a new trick with Mani. I should be ale to get a video and post it soon. We have been working on it for only a few days since he knew most of the key behaviors needed for the trick. Like to roll-over and to hold something in his mouth. Here is a video of the trick by Silvia Trkman and her awesome dogs of LoLaBu Land.
She has been my main inspiration for teaching dog tricks. It is quite amazing what she can train a dog to do.
She has been my main inspiration for teaching dog tricks. It is quite amazing what she can train a dog to do.
For more videos from Silvia Trkman check out her YouTube Channel Here!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Twister
Everybody was great!
The videos from the trial did not come out very good, but I had a ring rental and got some great videos of Twister and Mani doing agility.
A friend made this video for me. It is a splice of Twister and Mani.
The videos from the trial did not come out very good, but I had a ring rental and got some great videos of Twister and Mani doing agility.
A friend made this video for me. It is a splice of Twister and Mani.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Beginnings!
Twister (Baby Dog) has his first agility trial tomorrow. I am so excited yet extremely nervous at the same time. I have no idea what to expect but I am hoping for the best. He is a great awesome little guy and I love him to death. He listens, he is great on all of the peices of equiptment, and he is super fast. What could go wrong, right?!
Here is a video of him a couple weeks ago in the backyard on a really hot humid day. He was slow but he did pretty much everything I asked of him correctly. Love him!
Here is a video of him a couple weeks ago in the backyard on a really hot humid day. He was slow but he did pretty much everything I asked of him correctly. Love him!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Mani AKC Agility Trial July 1-3
I competed with Mani in an AKC agility trial this past weekend. July 1-3. A 3-day trial, it was very exhausting, and I am doing it again next weekend!
It was VERY hot and humid! 90 degrees most of the days, with loads of sun just baking everything!
Mani was very hot and it was really hard to keep him cool enough that he could run fast. Some of his runs were great, and others were total disasters. Here are some of the highlights of the weekend!
It was VERY hot and humid! 90 degrees most of the days, with loads of sun just baking everything!
Mani was very hot and it was really hard to keep him cool enough that he could run fast. Some of his runs were great, and others were total disasters. Here are some of the highlights of the weekend!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Week 1 Weave Pole Challenge
Twister has finished week 1 of the Weave Pole Challenge! Yup, my dog is awesome. lol
For more info on the weave pole challenge click here.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Weave Challenge
So a few weeks ago Twister learned how to weave and has been consistently weaving six poles. This is pretty much my first time training a dog to weave, as Mani learned to weave in 7min. But it took Twister about a month to finally get it down.
Same with the teeter, Twister learned an AWESOME teeter performance in 4 months; Mani got a mediocre teeter performance in the 5min obstacle familiarization before our first trial.
So this has been a big learning process for me. Here is a video of Twister weaving six in line poles for the first time.
Since then we have been working and I really want to get him to have really nice independent weaves. So then I read this blog post by bordergirlsmom of Agility Adventures Blog and I am going to do this weave challenge and post videos and updates here. Here is another link to some updates by her and other people doing the weave challenge!
I am writing this post before I can change my mind and quite! I tried to do some of the challenges yesterday; Mani was great, just perfect. For some reason Twister was being EVIL!! I mean, besides being his usually monstrous banshee self, he was being EXTRA EVIL!!
I am going to give it a try everyday this week, and hopefully get a video out this Friday!!
Same with the teeter, Twister learned an AWESOME teeter performance in 4 months; Mani got a mediocre teeter performance in the 5min obstacle familiarization before our first trial.
So this has been a big learning process for me. Here is a video of Twister weaving six in line poles for the first time.
Since then we have been working and I really want to get him to have really nice independent weaves. So then I read this blog post by bordergirlsmom of Agility Adventures Blog and I am going to do this weave challenge and post videos and updates here. Here is another link to some updates by her and other people doing the weave challenge!
I am writing this post before I can change my mind and quite! I tried to do some of the challenges yesterday; Mani was great, just perfect. For some reason Twister was being EVIL!! I mean, besides being his usually monstrous banshee self, he was being EXTRA EVIL!!
I am going to give it a try everyday this week, and hopefully get a video out this Friday!!
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Update . . . as promised! (A little late though)
Sooo, let’s see. Where to start?
Well after the Papillon Specialty I went to a 4-day breed/obedience/rally show in West Virginia. I was showing Twister and Mani was entered in Rally.
Rally Update:
Thursday
Mani on the first day of the show Q’d and placed 1st with a score of 99/100. Finishing his RN title, and also getting High In Trial Score for that day! Woohoo!
Twister also Q’d and placed 3rd. He was a funny guy and I barely traian him in obedience, so he does the bare minimum. Haha
Friday
Mani was in Advanced A this time and the course is done off lead. I was so unprepared for it. We were spectacular, but I think I messed up three of the stations and at the jump he thought it was agility time and was about to run around the ring taking the jump again. It was funny to see him get so excited over the jump and then me have to call him back into a heel. :( But he Q’d and got his first leg in Adv A towards his RA title. :)
Twister was great and Q’d with a 2’d placement! He was quite the little gentlemen too. He finished his RN title that day!
I did not enter any more days of rally, but we accomplished what I wanted and more!
Overall:
2 new titles
High In Trial
Recognition for small dog obedience training!! lol
Breed:
I showed Twister in conformation all four days. We did great 3 out of 4 days. But we did not get any points as there was a Multi Ch there trying to finish his AKC Ch. He is a Brazilian and Canadian Champ. So he won all days. But Twister got Reserve Winners 2 days! Which is pretty cool!
A few weeks later, Mani and I competed in an agility trial. Video in the post below.
It was great; we were running so well and connected together. It was just really hot and muggy but he was able to work through it. I really with I could have gotten a video of our FAST run. It was spectacular.
The maximum points you can get is 80, and you have 38 seconds to get your points.
I wasn’t sure if we could get all of the point in time, and I am usually really bad at finding an efficient path for my dog to get the maximum amount of points in the time allotted.
I usually don’t play FAST but I wanted to get his NF title, so we did it
We got 77pts and were 10sec under time!
It was really cool! I did a serpentine with a tire and two jump in the very beginning and everyone who saw me walking thought I was crazed! My plan would only work well if Mani was going to run fast and I didn’t know if he was going to be speedy or not. But I tried it anyway and we did a great job. So many people came up to us after that, to tell us how great a run it was and how wonderful Mani is. He got two more offers for breeding and three more people tried to steal him. LOL
Since then we have been to two conformation show, and only one has offered rally.
Twister and Mia were ented in breed, did not do well excepet one day each they show spectacularly well.
Mani was entered in rally this past weekend, both days.
On Saturday he Q’d with a 99/100 and 1st place! On Sunday though, I had almost missed walking, only walked it once, then we were the first dog, and I was rushing because I only had a few minutes before I had to show Twister in the breed ring! Not a great combination of events!
I rushed Mani and did not wait for him to sit at one of the stations. But he still got a Qualifying score and finished his RA title!!
The one thing I HATE is when people (strangers) feel the need to come up to me and tell me (in detail) everything that I did wrong! I will be polite, but in the back of my mind and I am silently screaming and pulling my hair out!!! At least 7 people, including the judge, came to me and told me what I did wrong and why I got a low score and no placement. As if just because we got a near perfect score the day before we HAVE to do it again the next day! That has NEVER happened to me! But we still had fun over all!!
Next week I have another show with Twister and Mia, Mani is not entered in rally but the Fluff Muffin will be coming along, per a demand by a friend’s sister!!
Haha!
And of course PICTURES!!!
Well after the Papillon Specialty I went to a 4-day breed/obedience/rally show in West Virginia. I was showing Twister and Mani was entered in Rally.
Rally Update:
Thursday
Mani on the first day of the show Q’d and placed 1st with a score of 99/100. Finishing his RN title, and also getting High In Trial Score for that day! Woohoo!
Twister also Q’d and placed 3rd. He was a funny guy and I barely traian him in obedience, so he does the bare minimum. Haha
Friday
Mani was in Advanced A this time and the course is done off lead. I was so unprepared for it. We were spectacular, but I think I messed up three of the stations and at the jump he thought it was agility time and was about to run around the ring taking the jump again. It was funny to see him get so excited over the jump and then me have to call him back into a heel. :( But he Q’d and got his first leg in Adv A towards his RA title. :)
Twister was great and Q’d with a 2’d placement! He was quite the little gentlemen too. He finished his RN title that day!
I did not enter any more days of rally, but we accomplished what I wanted and more!
Overall:
2 new titles
High In Trial
Recognition for small dog obedience training!! lol
Breed:
I showed Twister in conformation all four days. We did great 3 out of 4 days. But we did not get any points as there was a Multi Ch there trying to finish his AKC Ch. He is a Brazilian and Canadian Champ. So he won all days. But Twister got Reserve Winners 2 days! Which is pretty cool!
A few weeks later, Mani and I competed in an agility trial. Video in the post below.
It was great; we were running so well and connected together. It was just really hot and muggy but he was able to work through it. I really with I could have gotten a video of our FAST run. It was spectacular.
The maximum points you can get is 80, and you have 38 seconds to get your points.
I wasn’t sure if we could get all of the point in time, and I am usually really bad at finding an efficient path for my dog to get the maximum amount of points in the time allotted.
I usually don’t play FAST but I wanted to get his NF title, so we did it
We got 77pts and were 10sec under time!
It was really cool! I did a serpentine with a tire and two jump in the very beginning and everyone who saw me walking thought I was crazed! My plan would only work well if Mani was going to run fast and I didn’t know if he was going to be speedy or not. But I tried it anyway and we did a great job. So many people came up to us after that, to tell us how great a run it was and how wonderful Mani is. He got two more offers for breeding and three more people tried to steal him. LOL
Since then we have been to two conformation show, and only one has offered rally.
Twister and Mia were ented in breed, did not do well excepet one day each they show spectacularly well.
Mani was entered in rally this past weekend, both days.
On Saturday he Q’d with a 99/100 and 1st place! On Sunday though, I had almost missed walking, only walked it once, then we were the first dog, and I was rushing because I only had a few minutes before I had to show Twister in the breed ring! Not a great combination of events!
I rushed Mani and did not wait for him to sit at one of the stations. But he still got a Qualifying score and finished his RA title!!
The one thing I HATE is when people (strangers) feel the need to come up to me and tell me (in detail) everything that I did wrong! I will be polite, but in the back of my mind and I am silently screaming and pulling my hair out!!! At least 7 people, including the judge, came to me and told me what I did wrong and why I got a low score and no placement. As if just because we got a near perfect score the day before we HAVE to do it again the next day! That has NEVER happened to me! But we still had fun over all!!
Next week I have another show with Twister and Mia, Mani is not entered in rally but the Fluff Muffin will be coming along, per a demand by a friend’s sister!!
Haha!
And of course PICTURES!!!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Update . . . To Come!
I know, I have a massive amount to update. About, well, everything!!
SOON!
But until then, please enjoy this video of Mani's runs from last weekend's agility trial:
SOON!
But until then, please enjoy this video of Mani's runs from last weekend's agility trial:
Friday, April 22, 2011
Papillon Specialty 2011
Isn’t that a handsome little guy!
He is Hillary’s Knight of HeavensGlory Papillons. He is a cool little dude.
Hillary and I took all of out Papillons to the Papillon Specialty in Chattanooga, TN this past week.
It was lots of fun!
We all competed in Rally-O on Tuesday.
Mani and Twister both Qualified, Mani placed 3rd out of 7dogs total.
Hillary with the gang.
We had a lot of fun, and we brought back a little something extra.
Her name is Mia. My new puppy. She is 8mo old!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Twister and Ball
Some fun puppy pics!
It's ON!
Twister LOVES balls!
Guess you could tell!
He is so fun!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
It's ON!
Guess you could tell!
He is so fun!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Trial
AKC Trial
This was our first time competing in Excellent Standard. I like the courses when they are harder.
Mani was running pretty slow, the surface was a dirt floor but it was more like beach sand and nearly impossible to gain any speed in to run.
But we still did great.
One more Jumpers Q and we get his Open Jumpers title.
This was our first time competing in Excellent Standard. I like the courses when they are harder.
Mani was running pretty slow, the surface was a dirt floor but it was more like beach sand and nearly impossible to gain any speed in to run.
But we still did great.
One more Jumpers Q and we get his Open Jumpers title.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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