Oren

Oren joined us in July 2016, she is now 1 year old, and a lovely addition to our family. Full title is Threenines Arran and she is from workinglines. Already is showing potential to be a good agility dog. Love training her, she is very clever and fast. Very much like Ruger in that she loves her toys and playing. The girls love her, Ruger still isn't convinced!!

Big Update

2015 was a mixed year. Ruger appeared to have a back issue, he started to duck out of weaves at no 10, so I had hime checked out and took some time away from agility, for rest and recuperation. It was nothing major. Brought him back to competition, towards the end of the agility season and he was running well, fitter and faster and listening more. We moved house to another country, North Wales :) so exciting times. With Ruger we started updating our skills and was enjoying doing so and looking forward to a prosperous 2016. In November 2015, Ruger qualified for Team GB at the FMBB (Belgian Shepherd World Championships) in France the following May. Two days after this he had a funny turn at agility, he didn't want to chase Zara around the arena, and when I asked him to jump he did but wasn't right, he spent the evening watching the other dogs do agility, lying at Deb's side and didn't once ask to take part. He normally would not let me train Zara without joining in. Following day he was ok, the vet could not find anything wrong with him, but gave him some painkillers and advised rest. 2 weeks later we started training again, no issues, he was keen and running really well. I had planned to rest him for January anyway before serious training in February to get ready for France in May. At Christmas he couldn't move, he was in lots of pain, took him to the local referral vets for xrays etc and they couldn't find anything wrong, his spine was perfect in lovely condition, no signs of wear and tear, they prescribed heavy duty painkillers and said to rest him. He seemed ok, but we asked for further investigation, an MRI scan showed he had a bulging disc in his neck. No one could say definitely if agility would harm him further, just maybe. We made the sad (for me) decision to retire him, but believe it was the best for him. He has adjusted well and is still a mad Mali that loves his toys and playing.

Zara was doing well, and at 9 years old was running better than ever, she was amazing. Then in January 2016, she had finished her run at training, ran to get her ball and her cruciate ligament ruptured :( We are lucky that our vet is a referral practice and has experts on hand 24/7 she had TPLO surgery and lots of physio. She is back fit and well, but I have retired from competitions as I wasn't happy that it was good for her. Could have been the cold weather as I ran her in veterans over the winter, and she looked lame to me. We still do some training but just a little and she is enjoying that, so she may reappear in veterans next year, if fit enough.

Picture of Ruger and Zara with matching bandages, and Mawgan on there of course!

Good start to outdoor season

Well our first outdoor show of 2015 saw Ruger win Grade 4 Agility, to take us to Grade 5!!!!! Wow good little Mali that he is, it was a tough course, I enjoyed it but lots of traps and had to worked all the way, he beat the 2nd place by 5 seconds :)
Last weekend was our first Grade 5 show and in his first run he got 3rd in Agility, actually could have won that but we took a rather long diversion between obstacles 10 to 13 lol, we also got 3rd in Grade 5 jumping too.
Zara had an amazing show she had 3 out of 4 clears, getting a 3rd place in Grade 5 Agility giving her enough points for her Silver Agility Warrant, so proud of her :) She got a clear in Grade 5 Jumping and 10th place in the 4th Height Jumping Qualifier.

Review of 2014

Had a great 2014, my best yet, as both Zara and Ruger worked well for the whole season. Mawgan is continuing to stay healthy with no visible changes to her hips :)

Zara started the year with clears and good places, shocking me in March by winning Grade 4 agility at Dog Vegas. She was very competitive at Grade 4 sadly not so at Grade 5, she's had plenty of clears but only one place, a 4th on a tough G4 to G7 agility course. She is now just 12 points off her Silver Agility Warrant, if she can manage that this year I will be well pleased with her. She has come so far from the scared little puppy that we met at Battersea, she's amazing.

here's her rosettes and trophy for 2014

Ruger had a good start to the season starting with 2 clears at his first show after a winter break, one being placed at G3. He continued with lots of places, getting his first trophy in March for 3rd in agility. He then got Best Grade 3 Belgian at the WBSDS show in April. In May he won a Jumping class at High Peak so on his way to Grade 4. In August he won G3 Agility at WBSDS, so up to Grade 4 :) He finished off the year with a 2nd in G4 agility and a first in G4 jumping, now for his winter break.

Ruger showing off his rosettes and trophies for 2014

Fab year, looking forward to 2015!!!

Catch up

Been very busy so haven't had a chance to update. We have had a brilliant year. Zara is getting clears at grade 5 but no places yet, but she is running well, most of the time. Ruger is going form strength to strength, getting places at every show except one, this year and not forgetting winning out of Grade 3 at WBSDS show at the start of August, good little Mali.

Top picture is of Zara at training, she's nearly 8 now and looking good, next picture is Mawgan who was 9 last week, she doesn't like having her picture taken, and especially with the other 2. Bottom picture is Zara and Ruger enjoying the lilies in my Mum and Dad's garden.

WBSDS

Not quite on form as last week, although not all E's for Ruger! He didn't want to weave first time but when put back was fine, so frustrating. His last run on Saturday was G3 jumping and was a reasonably tough course with turns and needing to listen. He ran a lovely clear to get 7th place, not bad out of 190 entries, and we could have had a better time but he went really wide on at least one turn, but we are in the process of training this, so well pleased with that. He also got best BSD in that class.

Zara managed 2 clears in jumping and agility, in her first show at Grade 5, not placed but good clears.

Sunday we managed one clear each, Zara in agility and Ruger in jumping (15th place)

Ruger also was awarded a lovely trophy for Best Grade 3 BSD on the Saturday.

South Durham Easter

All K9 Skool members did well on Easter Sunday. I will start with Zara, she managed 4 x E, at her last grade 4 show! but finished the day with a lovely clear in G4 agility to get 8th place.

Ruger managed 4 clears to be placed 4th G3 agility, 5th G3 agility, 5th C1-7 jumping (4th height) and 14th G3 jumping, so really pleased with him. He is getting his stay back and his contacts are fab. Hopefully we can keep this form going for the rest of the season.

Dani and Jet won G1 jumpathon

Helen and Loki won G2 agility and 3rd in G1-2 jumping

Deb and Lassie had 2 places I think 2nd and 3rd

So a good show for all of us.