Posts
Monday, April 7, 2008
. . . 'N Border Collies -- Dog Trial -- Day Two
And now for the continuation of the Border Collies portion of our show. . . :-)
Thank you, everyone, for your support this weekend! And, J.C., you're exactly right. Tired Border Collies? Ha! Max got home, chased all the wildlife out of the yard and wanted to play ball for the rest of the night. Skye is more normal. He was pretty much ready for bed like the rest of us. Though I think working with me made him mentally tired, since he's not really used to it. It didn't translate into titles this weekend, but we're getting the hang of each other while Peter's knee heals. I'll bet Skye is counting the days until Dad can run with him again! He's not quite as confident with Mom out there.
It's difficult to run multiple dogs with such different styles. Skye is very precise and any wrong move on the handler's behalf can cause a mistake. Max runs like a bull in a china shop, but I've been working with him since he was a pup, so I'm used to his quirks and how to handle him. With Skye, not Qualifying (or "Q", for short) is usually the result of one or two small handler errors that will cause him to knock a bar down on a jump or take a single off-course obstacle. Nothing real outrageous, but enough to miss the Q. With Max, small handler errors can result in a total trainwreck with Max-o tearing around like the Tazmanian Devil to the great amusement of the audience. And, in the case of our first run on Sunday, the judge. :-) But that's the beauty of a four-legged team mate. They love you even when you mess up their Q's!
Sunday wasn't quite as stellar on paper as was Saturday, but it was still a great day: 5 Q's out of 10 runs, a 1st place and three 4th places. I was a little brain-fried, and the boys were antsy from being in their kennels so much the previous day that the runs were a little wilder. Especially Max. ("What do you mean, 'Wait' at the start line? I'm going now!! You can catch up at the weave poles, ok?") I had to start setting him up with his back to the course at the start line so he wouldn't take off before I was ready. :-) Hey, it worked!
I'm home today, because I have to clean my house. It looks like a band of monkeys moved in. And I really want to get to my reading!! We've been so busy that it's taking me over a week to read a 200 page book. What's up with that? In the meantime, I'm going to steal peaks at the cool pile of ribbons Max and Skye brought home while I vaccuum. :-)
Have a good day, everybody!
Lezlie
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Sounds like a good weekend overall, even if it didn't go exactly as you hoped.
I hope Max and Skye got some special treats!
Sounds like everyone enjoyed it!
Have a good week, hope you find some down time at some point!
Bridget ~ They sure did! I always have stupidly high expectations. Skye and Max are much more realistic. And make it much more fun! I should see if I can post the video Max's Jackpot run. He looks like a demonic wind-up toy! :-)
Joanna ~ We did have a great time. Thanks! I love the social aspect of the trials. I've met some really great people there. And I plan on doing nothing but reading and watching the Timberwolves this week. And hugging those good dogs! :-)
Lezie
Your animals are adorable! Thanks for commenting over at The Library Ladder regarding Cormac McCarthy. I finished Blood Meridian but I've been unable to draw my thoughts together enough to write a good review! He is an amazing writer but I can never quite say I enjoy the stories he writes about.
Heather ~ Thanks! And thanks for visiting here!
Yeah, Cormac McCarthy is an odd one. I love what I've read, but I couldn't even really say why, because I'm usually creeped out or depressed when I'm done. Or, in the case of The Orchard Keeper, just plain confused. :-) For better or worse, his writing just fascinates me.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your reviews!
Lezlie
It sounds as though you all had a great time.
I like that sentence "It looks like a band of monkeys moved in." I'll be doing a bit of clearing up and cleaning today too.
Books Please ~ After I thought about it, I wondered if it should have said "band of Monkees". (For those of us who remember. . .) :-)
Lezlie
It sounds like a fun filled weekend for you and the boys! It's nice to do things as a family. I think Robbie would have liked agility, but he's getting a bit too old for it now. He's been having some back pain, which we have been giving him Midicam for. It's like a mircle drug for him, thank goodness.
Teddy Rose ~ We did! I still haven't put away the ribbons they won. :-) Poor Robbie! He looks like he would have enjoyed the game! It's hard when they start getting older. Max just turned 4, and I want him to stop there. He has severe hip dysplasia that we've been able to keep at bay so far, but who knows what will happen as he ages. His agility days may be numbered, so we enjoy it while we can.
Post a Comment