Jake's Progress

Labels: Wordless Wednesday

Jake was given a rosette for his most recent success. But I know what he really wanted was this empty egg box he nicked from the recycling. So I have included both in the glory picture.

It was a great day for our agility club. We aren't formally constituted or affiliated to the Kennel Club or anything like that. Our teacher set it up about three years ago. We run in all weathers outside, and I mean all weathers - except perhaps the hot sunny ones which are so last century in these parts. Week in, week out, we set up the equipment, practise and take it down again in one of Edinburgh's public parks, alongside the football and rugby pitches and once (memorably) a troop (troupe?) of Brownies having a sack race.

As regular readers know, Jake and I started competing this year, and this weekend we were joined by Kenny and his border collie Glen. Both Kenny and I have been going to this club pretty much since day one. Both Glen and Jake were unwanted strays adopted from Edinburgh Dogs' Home. So you guess how chuffed we all were at the Scottish Kennel Club show on Saturday when Kenny and Glen scooped 1st place in grade 1 agility and Jake and I came 2nd, half a second behind!

Not that Glen and Jake should sit on their laurels - or their eggboxes - but for a couple of injuries, we'd have been joined by two more hopefuls from our club, Loki (black lab) and Milly (border collie), so paws crossed for success in future shows. Four of us from one club? Better keep our heads down. That's enough humans to make a ring party. :-)

Labels: Agility shows

For Wordless Wednesday.

Labels: Wordless Wednesday

It's a Saturday afternoon and miracle of miracles, it isn't raining. So Jake and I stroll to the park with some weaves and jumps. As it isn't at all windy I take the set of four jumps that made from PVC tubes - very wobbly in the wind, as they don't stick into the ground itself. (Even on a calm day they can list a bit on uneven ground.) Lots of good practise of pull-throughs, lefts and rights, a star and weaves from both sides and so on and so forth. There's lots to be done with four jumps and 6 weave poles.

BUT the notable thing was that we weren't the main point of interest. For once it wasn't us that the toddlers HAD to go and stare at. It wasn't us the other dogs ran at, barking.

It wasn't even the small four-pole marquee that someone had put up to protect their barbecue and 20 or so of their closest friends. No. The silliest thing in the park today was a bunch of women in inflatable sumo outfits, wrestling. Sorry not to go and take pictures. I was too busy enjoying the anonymity.

Labels: Agility, Park life

1. People lie in and Jake is allowed under the duvet.
2. A stroll in the park with Bonnie (staffie neighbour) and NO RAIN!
3. Breakfast. Zzzzzzz.
4. Time to bask in the sun on the allotment, and a few late strawberries and peas fall Jake's way.
5. Home. A meat cabaret is underway in the kitchen.
6. To the park for some agility practise. Jake's left and right turns are getting pretty solid now. NO RAIN!
7. Home to stare at people eating their tea. Then Jake's dinner is served.
8. There's a patch of sun on the sofa. Zzzzzz.

Taken at St Mary's Kirk, Auchindoir, Aberdeenshire.

Labels: Scotland, Wordless Wednesday

Scottish Beardie Show
Non-dog-nerds (what are you doing here??) - beardie is short for bearded collie, we weren't at a folk festival. :-)

We spent the 2nd day of our Aberdeenshire holiday at the Sunday of the Bearded Collie Club (Scottish Branch) agility show. It was windy! Intermittently rainy! In a field with really uneven ground! That said, I enjoyed the courses we ran. We're best at competing on cold grey, rainy days - it's how we train most weeks. We even came 3rd in a grade 1 agility class.

Best bit: getting round a twisty-turny jumping class FAST: I walked backwards from the start line so I could push Jake over the third jump, got my turn in just after the tunnel and even (just about) managed a rear cross - only to fluff the weave entry! But check out the wind sock and the scribe's tent flapping in the wind at the start of the course.



Worst bit: I ran into and demolished a whole jump! On a slalom I glanced back to see where Jake was, but kept running forward... crash. Not my most graceful piece of handling... Of course we then went on to complete the difficult parts of the course without a hitch.

Nul points at Granite City agility show
One week later: oh dog, it was too hot, probably in the high 20s (celsius). We're just not used to it. And we were too relaxed at the end of our holiday. I was s l o w. But we learned that isotonic drinks help keep a pup hydrated on a long, hot day. If they weren't chicken flavoured I'd have tried one myself.

Labels: Agility shows

In the woods at Drum Castle.

Labels: Scotland, Wordless Wednesday