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.

Dog Vegas Grade 5 !!!!!

Planned to camp at Dog Vegas, but ended up in a B & B :)

First morning of the show, found us being a bit late, so I missed walking Zara's jumping course, so watched a little bit. For me it was a horrible course, more like a helter-skelter with weaves, not a Zara course, it was designed for fast dogs, no tight turns. We ran last and surprisingly went clear, so pleased with Zara, she normally would knock poles on this type of course, it got better though, she actually came 2nd!!! Zara's agility course was difficult, but really liked it and looked forward to running her, we got E'd. Next agility course was a good G4-5 course. Zara ran clear, she was ace and really listening. I went to look at results but told to go away by the show secretary, I couldn't see results, but to make sure I was at the presentation, she then let me look WE HAD WON GRADE 4 AGILITY I never expected that to happen, little Zara has made GRADE 5. Presentation took place while I was running Ruger in G3 agility, managed to get there though!!!

Ruger was also fab that day. His first run was G1-3 agility, it was my worst nightmare for Ruger, it started jump, dogwalk, tunnel. I asked the judge could I put him back on the contacts if he went straight for the tunnel, she kindly said yes. Ruger did a beautiful 2o2o dogwalk contact and A frame too, also 12 weaves, went clear and came 3rd, what a good little Mali. His other runs were good too just 5r for the weaves on 2 courses and an E for jumping as I sent him to a tunnel and missed the fact that the tunnel attacked him so he turned away and followed me!

I judged on the Sunday all grades 1-3, saw some fantastic newbies. K9 Skool ring partied and did a brilliant job of running an efficient ring all day :)

Wyre

Only Zara competing at Wyre, too busy for Ruger. On Saturday we had some silly runs and managed to collect lots of points, oh sorry I mean faults!!!!!! Sunday was much better with 2 clears. We had a 13th place in the Agility Secrets qualifier which was a combined 4-6, so really happy with that. Then we had a clear round in the G4 agility, but just out of the places.

Crufts 2014

We spent 2 days at Crufts this year, it was strange to be there without our dogs, first time we have done that for a few years! But we managed to get a good look round and I attended 4 Kennel Club Acredited Instructor seminars which were very interesting. A fascinating discussion about nutrition in the canine athlete has made us rethink Ruger's and possibily Zara's diets. It was interesting to hear how what we eat can affect our performance and how dogs get their energy. Jackie Boyd also gave an interesting talk about sporting dogs, mainly focusing on her research into jumping. She was engaging and realistic in her lecture and I came away with some new ideas, but she also confirmed some of my own thinking too. We met up with people we haven't seen for a while which was lovely.

Ribble

My posts are a little out of order at the minute. Zara ran well at Ribble getting a clear in G4 Agility but just out of the places, but a good run.

Margaret

Sadly we said goodbye to Margaret Whitehead in January. Margaret started right at the beginning with K9 Skool and was a character. She started off with her Bichon Frise, Candy with puppy classes in 2008, despite being on 2 walking sticks she persevered and gained the puppy foundation, bronze and silver good citizen awards. The following year she enrolled Holly her new puppy, also a Bichon. With Holly Margaret attended agility classes and used to make us all laugh with Holly's hoodies. When she had to give up training due to ill health Margaret kept in touch. Her life revolved around her dogs, sewing and family. RIP Margaret you will always be remembered as an inspiration to others.

Adams February Show

Well all I can say about Zara is she was brill :) Should have been 3/3 clears, but we had an unplaced clear in C4-7 jumping, a 4th in G4-7 Agility (with faults :( ) and an E in G1-4 Agility, Zara was clear and lovely run, but I managed to miss out a jump aarrrggghhh!!!!! From Zara's point of view she didn't knock one pole, she got all her contacts and had no refusals, wow, well pleased with her :)
I haven't competed with Ruger this winter as the indoor shows are too close and noisy (or some are!) so this was his first competition for a while. He did relly well, his first run was Graded 1-3 Agility and went clear with a strangely steady run, to get 10th place. The jumping course was a lovely Ruger course but he got scared on the startline and then for the first time ever noticed Simon, who was filming him and headed over to him and jumped the wrong jump. His last agility was a bit messy but clear, but not fast enough for a place. I was really happy with him though he did well.

Catching up

January was very hectic, for a change!!!
We both attended the Sports Psychology Course and learnt how to put a training plan together. We'll see how this works in the following months.
Zara competed at Wilmslow and managed a clear round in agility, not placed, but 2 more points.
Zara has also qualified for the Rescue Dog Agility Finals in Rugby in June, for her performance in last years league, she had her best year ever for clears and places too :)

2014 Already!

What happened to 2013?
Quite uneventful end to 2013, Zara was lame for Wilmslow show, so we didn't get there. Went to Border Collie show in December but no results to record. Zara did some nice runs but unlucky with faults.

We are starting this year with a sports psychology seminar, to see if that can help my performance in the ring, looking forward to it as I am now teaching some psychology, on a basic level at work, so will be interested to see if it helps.

My plans for this year are to keep Zara fit and healthy and hopefully carry on competing, can't believe she is over 7 years, she doesn't look or act it. Mawgan is doing well, the only signs of ageing is that she is finding it harder to get into the van. Ruger is Ruger, he is still a puppy, a puppy that will be 4 in less than a month. In training he is doing well, his stays are better and I am finding him easier to turn, this may or may not be his year, we will enjoy trying! I am not competing with him indoors this winter as it stresses him out, except for Dig It, as they are not so busy as the Myerscough shows.

2013 was a turbulent year for K9 Skool, my decision to move outdoors turned out to be a poor one, we hardly trained last year, as it was such a wet winter. It was great to have the equipment set up outside in the summer for only for a few months in reality. We were lucky to find a new indoor venue last September, within 15 mins from home, hopefully we will be there for some years to come. K9 Skool is starting its 7th year, only agility now but I am happy with that :)

Last year we found some nice new shows that we will definitely be entering this year, and I have already accepted quite a few judging appointments. I have added some random pictures as I been neglecting this lately.

First 3 are Ruger at 4 weeks then at 2 years, Mawgan 2008 and Zara 2008, all 3 together in March 2010 and August 2010, Ruger about to fall asleep and Ruger on the see saw (or rather alighting!!!!)