Another thing taking my time lately

Been training a "borrowed" dog to do a running contact. I am having SO much fun!! He is super smart and very fast. This is Jones, a very cool dog!

The first video is his second time at full height and first time running with me. I helped his handler train to this point and then she went off to college, so I am continuing. He has had a 2o2o for many years and is a top competitor. Second place at AKC Nationals last year. So, he is figuring out his footwork at speed, which he has never done before. Stopping requires a lot of collection, so learning to run it comfortably at speed is taking a little time, plus of course figuring out we want him to hit the contact. LOL!!



Two weeks later, I think he has it pretty well figured out!! :D



So, yesterday we tried having his mom run him. She doesn't run like me, but that isn't really the issue. It takes time to learn how to handle a running dog walk. She just doesn't have her verbal rhythm down, yet, so a few more tries and I think she will improve. He needs verbal driving all the way to the tunnel still.



And a little video of him at full speed with me VERY excited about his success!!! :D Very smooth!!

Damn, it's been a week since I posted???

We did a weekend trial in RI which means leaving Thursday night to do the Friday and Saturday trials. Then Sunday, home time and boating, then this week catching up and my regular walking schedule is back in full force. Plus, the weather is FABULOUS, so I am OUTSIDE instead of at the computer.
Anyway, here is a trial report.............Spur has his monkey pants on!!! He was SO happy and fast. As fast as Spur goes, he was on fire!! We had SO much fun. He loves this place, as do I! Lovely turf footing, AC, nice pond for walking around. Very nice hotel. We just had the BEST time!! Here are some highlights from our runs......

I LOVE fall!!

The light is awesome. Even on racing dog bums!!

Tried for a group photo, look whose dogs were BAD!!!

I should have moved to the left some, too many shadows here. Zep is all wet because he tried to cut the corner of the farm road and, well, there is no corner. It just drops into the culvert! He nose dived right into the brambles and stream!! Whoosh!!! I was just glad it wasn't Roscoe. Zep pulled himself out, I would have had to go down to rescue Roscoe. But, Roscoe KNOWS there is no road there. LOL!!

The foxes and skunks are busy digging up grubs. And then they do this!!!!

The birds are busy bathing. This little gal was drying off after a nice bath.

The hydrangeas turn a lovely shade of pink!

All clean and fluffy!!

Hah, NOT Spur! This was one of his worst shit rolls.

Damn it!

He got power washed!

How long can a person ramble on????

"Hi, My name is Paul and I an interested in pet care. My number is........"
THAT is the kind of message I like. What do I so often get? -

"Hi, I am interested in someone who can come visit my rescue dogs, they all have special needs and I have a health problem that was just diagnosed even though I have not been feeling well for a while and the doctors could never figure it out, but now I am on some new medication am feeling better and can get back to work. I have a new job and have to be away from home for a long time now and my babies are used to someone around, so they are very special and I need to have someone who is just the right person for them. I have a special room set up for them because of their special needs. I really hope you can help me as my health and my job prevents me from caring for them as they deserve. They are not like most dogs, they are more like my babies and have special needs and personalities. One is very shy and one has a medical problem, oh and I need you to come at noon."

Doesn't even leave a phone number!!!!

OK, that is totally made up, but you get the idea. I sometimes wish my machine had a limit, but I think it would record a message for 10 minutes, if needed. :O And what is the worst part of this? I am full!! I don't have a spot for another mid-day! So, they went on and on and I can't even help them!!! I have caller I/D, so I can call back and convey the bad news.

Love the fall light!!

Geez, STILL having trouble loading photos damn it!!! These took me about 20 minutes! That's NUTS!! And I had more, but they would not load. Damn blogger!!

OK, so I love the fall light except for the squinting.

This was Spur catching a ball Monday when it RAINED all day and we were stuck inside.

See. The photos are not in order!! Double damn it!!! This is a cute young male humming bird. I learned that because that little dot on his neck is the start of the ruby throat, which will take all winter to develop and by next year with be bright red.

The baby cows!! Elsie, Sara and Hazel. I think I have that right???

Sara!

The ferns in the woods hit by the morning sun.

Ugh, starting to really not like blogger!!!

Rainy day tricks!

We haven't had a really rainy day in a while. In fact it was starting to get very dry out there. In the woods all the streams had dried up. The farm ponds were slimey and had algae galore! No swimming in algae galore for Spur. So much rain yesterday the moss between the paver stones on the driveway popped out like it had been power washed. Serious rain! The pond looks full and clean this morning! :D

So, we were bored. My book just isn't interesting enough, but not bad enough to stop reading it. I kind of hate that because then I spend my spare time watching dog videos on my iPad or other stupid, unproductive things. The dogs were bored, so we did tricks. So many that they didn't get dinner last night and only half their breakfast. Roscoe looked fat in just one day. :O But, he had fun. He is learning to skateboard. I think he might be starting to get it. Now I need to add speed.

Spur is learning duration on his pee trick. He knows the trick, but not duration. And I want to teach a two handed hold. He has only done a one handed hold before, so we tried for both. He got that pretty quick, now again I need duration.

Yesterday's winning PSJ run

We were very first dog on the line, which can suck, but we like early mornings! It was cooler and we were fresh. But, the judge forgot to remove the numbers which were on each side of the first pole at the weaves. In PSJ we do either weaves or a-frame twice and in this course it was weaves so for our walk through the numbers are there. Then just before running the judge is supposed to remove them. So, poor Spur avoids them and enters wrong. Judge stops us and lets us restart. Normally that would have bummed out worried Spur, but he ends up doing great!!!

We were third fastest time of all the P dogs and fastest qualifying time! Good little punkin head!!!

 

I actually think he was faster off the start after that!! :D