Well attended EoE and he moved fantastic, stood better everything...but still not thought of very highly. He got a first in his class but as default as he was the only dog. Would be very interested to read the critique but don't know where to find them now since Dog World is no longer running? Our Dogs has only two critiques!
Disappointing for you, but you have come a long way with him. I'll try to watch out, but may miss it due to the changeover, Jackie seems to pick them up quicker than I do. We have the opposite problem - very full Veteran bitch classes. 19 entries (2 abs), incl. 5 Champions at the Beag Assn. last weekend. We had a lovely day though. How is the Trial training going? Are you managing to keep all the balls in the air at the same time?
Thanks Carole. We have come along way, I just have to keep reminding myself of that. You had lots of serious competition then! Did you place? Trial training is going ok. Our wonderful trainer thinks we are only months away from being trial ready, but it's just little details here & there that I haven't trained through. Working on his search squares again at the mo, and are not up to full 6ft scale height yet either. Getting there slowly though. Also, have just sent away for his Parkour title so fingers crossed we pass. Pic of him jumping the full 9ft long jump
No. We missed out, but she has been enjoying her outdoor shows, and that's the main thing. Cash's long jump is looking good. Do you cart it around to other places? Sometimes finding themselves in a strange location can be off putting - but finding training land is always the big problem with Trials. Merry's jumps are very stylish - especially for an eight year old - and she is tracking like a train, but I don't know whether I will ever be brave enough to let her work completely off lead, (she is still trailing a 10 foot line most of the time!). Her heelwork is like a circus pony, and her sendaway needs work, as it's only obedience length. Miss Scatty is still only remembering to find two articles in the square, I think I need to find a way of making them more interesting. It doesn't really matter, it gives two old ladies a bit of fun, and gives us something to think about.
Cash really is magnificent and that picture of him flying over the long jump is glorious. Having followed this thread from the beginning it is such a pleasure to see picture of Cash and hear about his successes.
He has been moving much better as of late. Our ringcraft trainer even commented on the huge improvements we have made the past couple of months. I can much more easily correct his pacing with a quick spin on the spot and thanks to some good pointers as to where to place his lead I can mostly keep his head up now too! But yes, showing is never going to be his forte bless him. We are off to Darlington this weekend however. First breed class show since May. Then we have our club show end of September. But he does really enjoy his obedience training, yes. We have just started a beginners competition obedience class which he is taking to well too.
Great that he is improving, as you get more confident it will pass onto him, good luck at Darlington.
Cash looks well and is very photogenic. I haven't seen the East of England write up yet, was he in AVNSC Working, or were there breed classes? I hope it wasn't missed in the DW to OD changeover. How is the Trials training coming along? I am taking Merry to a different enclosed field on Friday, to see how she copes with working in a new location, but realistically I think it is going to be a 2018 project.
Thanks Carole. He was in AVNSC Working, yes. I think it is on the OD website but I can't access it. Regarding trials training, I'm beginning to give up hope of ever getting any further with him. We just can't master the scale and are forever stuck at about 5ft. I've seen much smaller dogs master it in much less a time than we have so I'm not convinced he can/wants to do it. I mean, he seems to enjoy it, but the reluctance to scale higher I think is a confidence thing. Are you planning on entering Merry in a trial next year or is it just for fun & stimulation?
I want to enter her in an Intro, to take advantage of the one foot reduction in the long and scale jumps - she is eight and I really don't want to risk an injury. The trouble is that the Intros are so much fewer than CD's, and my chauffeur is 80 now, and doesn't like driving more than about 70 miles to an event. There is a nice Sp. Beg., Intro and CD Trial on Anglesey, (102 miles), but it's the 30th. Sept, but we are still struggling with the Sendaway, (and the Heel Free). She doesn't grasp the concept that her S/A marker could be anything at all, so she will look for a cone, a tree, crossed poles - without realising that a plastic bag in a hedge, or a single insulator pole can also be a marker! Realistically it is looking like Banbury in Spring 2018, (I do like the relaxed atmosphere there), with North West in June as a back up, - by which time she will be nine!
Yes that's the trouble with trials isn't it? The distances needed to travel to them. And as you say, not a great many of them include intro stakes. But if you do decide on the Anglesey one, good luck! Cash is the same regarding the send away. I always send him to a pole in training, but without seeing me go out and place it he doesn't know that I'm sending him out to a marker of some kind and he looks back at me confused. Not sure how to start sending him on blind send aways. I've just entered our first obedience competition too for October! Have only been training for about a month so no where near ready but it's not run to KC regulations I don't think so the rules are more relaxed and treats are allowed in the ring etc. So should be a good training opportunity regardless.
Is that a BCOS one? I really wish I had started with those, I have heard nothing but good reports. The ethos in obedience is becoming more and more targeted towards the dog having fun. Good Luck. Do let us know how you go on. I always think of Trials as being like juggling. You try and work on one problem, and something else starts to slip. Trying to keep your Control, Agility and Nosework up to competition level, in a strange place, and in all weathers, is a triumph - but because it's Trials, only a handful of people will ever know how much effort was involved! How about meeting up in the Intro at Banbury? It's usually early April. We could crash and burn together, and console ourselves with cake. LOL.
Yes a BCOS one. I've heard great things too. It does feel like one step forward one back with trials training. As you say, you seem to make improvement in one area and slip in another. I'd be up for meeting if I enter. Not sure we'll be up to even intro level quality at this rate though! lol But cake sounds good regardless
Yes, I have just realised that I have taught Merry to search for MY scent, not stranger scent. How could I be so stupid? Performance varies day to day though - and luck plays such a big part. Eddie won!!! his first Intro at Banbury, but I had entered two, so we went to the next one, Midland GSD, just for the experience. A blocked road near Bakewell cost us at least half an hour detour, and we arrived with no time to settle in. The exercise area was 10 mins. away, but the judge was waitiing to lead competitors to the location, so off we went. The location turned out to be a cramped, soggy clearing, at a disused pheasant hatchery in Sherwood Forest - otherwise known as Beagle Heaven! He broke his Down Stay as I left the area, and to make matters worse, he pooped while he was doing his search square! The shame of it! I still haven't found your E of E critique, and am up to date now, so it must have appeared during the changeover. I suggest you tag Jackie as I think she has access to OD web pages.
Just looked for you on OD can't see AVNSC working,only got toy, OD is not as easy to navigate as DW. but will keep looking