DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE!!

We had a great weekend in Springfield, MO last weekend running AKC agility. It was our first time running on turf but both dogs handled it well.


Marley was back to being her consistent self. She Q'd 3/4 runs and got another QQ. She wasn't nearly as fast as she usually is but the venue was a bit warm so I was just pleased she ran for me. I walked each course with Marley in mind and was proud that I didn't balk my handling of her. I just need to continue to believe in Marley and continue to believe I CAN run Marley the way she needs to be run. Marley isn't going to dazzle you with speed but she is going to put you in awe of her because she is such a happy girl and wants to make her Mommy happy!!


Miss Kalea-Kate ran like a veteran. She easily Q'd Novice Standard and I'm hopeful that we continue to do well and will finally get that Novice Standard Title. Her first time in Excellent JWW and I caused a bar by saying her name as she took off for jump and we had a few other bobbles. The second day in Excellent JWW, she ran 5 yps but took an off course at the very end. Back over in Novice Standard, her immaturity came out and well...we will get another try in Monroe this weekend. She just amazes me! She is so quiet and calm, even at the start line. Then she just explodes on the course. Off the course, she wants to tug and get a treat and she's back to being calm and cool. She is just a fantastic little dog!!

As good as the weekend felt, someone just had to rain on our parade. Some lady came over and talked to me a few times. She proceeded to tell me it took her 2 years to get through Novice, sped through Open and then spent 4 years in Excellent without ever getting a Q. So after KK ran Standard on Saturday, she felt the need to come up to me and say 'You had too many error to Q'. Really?? I don't even know her name and she didn't know mine, but she felt she could come up to me and say that?? My trainer has never had the audacity to say something like that and I pay her to be tough on me! I bit my tongue and didn't say anything. I could have been tacky and said 'I really enjoyed watching your JWW run, it was awesome how your dog took that tunnel, especially since that's the only obstacle the dog took'. But I didn't. I was the bigger and better person.

Oh, and to the person who questioned the fact that Marley got a QQ. Here ya' go!!

GOAL SETTING

I recently started re-listening to the Mental Management CD. I have been neglecting that side of our agility training lately. So I figured on my daily commute to and from work would be a good time to work on my mental game.


The chapter on goal setting was on the agenda today and I realized I've half heartedly written out goals for Marley and KK's agility this year. I've written out AKC goals for Marley and KK. I decided not to write goals for USDAA as I have only 1 trial on our schedule for this year. So if I decide to do more USDAA this year, I will write out goals. Next year I plan to add more USDAA to our schedule and will devise goals at that time. We are planning on 1 NADAC trial in July and I'm not writing goals for it either. NADAC will probably just be a one a year trial for us.....mostly so Marley can run tunnels. I'm entering KK in all of the NADAC runs because she's young and entering Marley in just tunnelers because I want to protect her body.


As Lanny Bassham says, "Find a dream worth trading your life for". My 'big' dream is for Marley to earn her PACH. It would just be the icing on the cake for me. It would prove to all those who thought Marley was 'too much dog for me', that they were so wrong. I don't know if I can keep Marley healthy enough to push her to try to earn her PACH, but it is a dream for me. So the PACH will be my big dream. I have made AKC goals for Marley this year and will strive for those.


"Don't let caution keep you from experiencing life". I'm the type of person who likes to fly under the radar. I don't like being watched or judged as it makes me feel self conscious. Weird for someone who participates in a sport that is judged and usually has an audience of your peers and the public. I have learned when I go out and 'walk Marley's course' and 'run Marley's course' that I feel better about myself and we usually run well. I have to let go off the feelings that I'm not like everyone else running their fast BC. I run Marley, who likes to run with me. She runs a pretty consistent 3.5-4.0 yps. She doesn't do sends well, likes me onside weaves, and likes running contacts. So I just need to shake off the negative thoughts that get into my head and just RUN Marley. And by running Marley, we can achieve our goals together!

TULSA ROUNDUP

Over the Memorial weekend, we went to Tulsa, OK for 3 days of agility at the MCKC Tulsa Roundup. Marley and I previously attended that trial in 2011 and did obedience, rally and agility. That was the first time I had run Marley in agility in 2 months. As some of you remember, Marley and I were butting heads earlier that year and Austin stepped in and ran Marley in 2 trials for me. This is also the same trial where we were unfairly treated and DQ'd in Novice Obedience and I reported that judge to the AKC. To my knowledge, that judge no longer judges and the AKC sent me a letter saying "the matter has been dealt with to the betterment of the sport".

This was the first trial for Marley since early March. She had been on rest for a strained neck and then for a large mass that appeared on her shoulder. I felt so lucky just to be able to step to the start line with Marley. You never know when it's your last run together. The first day, happy, wild Marley showed up at the trial. My training friends know that I never know which Marley I will be running each day. It varies from wild to walking. I never know!

The first day, Marley was so happy to be running again. She blew her DW contact and had some spins in JWW but I didn't care. I got to run with Marley again! The second day another blown DW contact got us in standard. When I was walking JWW with my bestie, we discussed how I often balk my handling with Marley and that I need to walk/run Marley. Run Marley's course. Walk it and handle it for Marley.....something my trainer often tells me. So I went out and ran Marley on HER course and she got a Master JWW Q!

 

 

 

Day 3, Marley had trouble with her weave entries but I was so pleased that she still wanted to work for me. She was back to being dependable Marley. All in all, it was a great trial comeback for her!

 

Miss Kalea-Kate had a great time in Tulsa. Day 1 in standard she tried to refuse contacts so it took us 2 attempts at each contact. I sent her off course once and she went off course herself once. In Open JWW, she got a HARD weave entry that Master's dogs were having trouble with. We were fast and clean and then.......I said her name as she went over the second to last jump and...she dropped the bar. Totally my fault. GRRRRR.

 

Day 2, standard again found us doing the contacts twice. But she was doing them! She nailed JWW and Q'd. Day 3, she Q'd and earned her title in Open JWW!  She was great with a long lead out and a hard off side send to weaves, but she popped out at pole 10 and we had to repeat. She watches my body so close that I started pulling towards the next jump so she popped out and came with me. She is teaching me to be a better handler each and every run.

 

I was on a high from the JWW run and had to immediately walk Standard, by myself as walk thrus happened while I was in JWW ring. KK had to sit with the gate steward while I walked. I was still trying to gather myself and didn't have time for the 'contact' doubts to creep into my head. Standard started with a tunnel which I just hate with a fast dog. It was a perfect run! A run you dream about. She was fast, hit each and every contact the first time, held her contact criteria, went out to the weaves, was ahead of me and listening. She smoked that course in 37.99 seconds! 1/Q!!

 

 

 

 

She was the fastest Open JWW dog both days that I got to check results and was the fastest Novice Standard dog by alot on Monday. I'm so proud of how far she's come in just the 2 months she has been trialing. From Novice to Excellent in 2 months and 4 trials. We have alot of work to do together to be more of a team, but so far the ride has been exhilerating!

 

I can't wait to see where this crazy sport takes all 3 of us.