I took Spot and Shelby back to class on Thursday.
Spot's class was just Spot and one other dog named Sidney. We worked on serpentines for most of the time. Spot did well. But I had a hard time cueing fast enough. I felt so bad-his allergies were acting up. He kept rubbing himself on the grass and his eye was all red and swollen.
Shelby's class was next. She was very excited to be there. We hadn't been to class in a couple of months. We worked on a jumpers course that I think was from the world team tryouts. It was a pretty challenging course, with a lot of turns. I ran it mostly with rear crosses-although Shelby isn't always as fast when I use those because she likes me to be in front. But Shelby did well-she ran fast and had fun. And I had fun being back in class too.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Gemini CPE trial Saturday August 22nd
I entered Spot in Gemini's CPE trial last Saturday. We were entered in Standard, Wildcard and Snooker.
The weather was very hot and humid. I had gone over on Friday night to set up my tent and we weren't entered in the first class of the day, so I figured I didn't need to get there super early. Of course I was there before they started! So we got to settle in and relax for about 2 hours before we had to do anything.
The first run was Standard. It was a nice easy course, with three jumps to the tunnel, then the dog walk, then 4 jumps, the tunnel, the A frame and a final jump. I had planned a front cross before the dog walk. Spot took off like a shot as expected. In hindsight, I should have tried leading out. He went past jump 2, but I called him back, he made it to the tunnel, but came out so fast I didn't have time to do a front cross, or a front cross after the dog walk, so I did a flip, which is so bad, I know, but it worked. The rest of the course was fine. He was ahead of me on the A frame, but hit his contact and we finished well. This was his second Q, so now he has his CL1-S!
Next was Wildcard, which is where you choose either an A or B obstacle at three places. We had to do 2 As and 1 B. The choices were A tunnel/B A Frame, then A near tunnel entrance/B far tunnel entrance, then A single jump/B double jump. My plan was to do A tunnel, then A tunnel, then B double. I set Spot up and as soon as I took off the leash he was up. Thankfully it was to the side-so I was able to call him and start. He did the first section well, but then wandered a bit. We got all our required obstacles, but were 10 seconds over time, so no Q.
Last was Snooker. The course was challenging, for sure. The A frame was 7, but the reds were spread out, so no easy way to use it. 6 was a combo of the tunnel and a jump, where the jump was also a red, which I haven't seen before. The start line had a red jump, then a tunnel and another red jump all perpendicular, so I decided to start with a slice. Spot handled it great. He did the first jump into the tunnel, which was 3, then my plan was to do a front cross over the next red, but Spot went wide. He came back quickly and got the red, then through the tire which was 2, then another red, and my plan was to do a 180 to a jump, which was #5, but Spot ran into the tunnel, which was part of 6. I didn't want to do that, because 6 was a combo and straight shot to the A frame and I knew he would take it and have an off course. So instead of going with the flow and letting him complete 6, which would have been in the rules, I called him back, which was a fault and we were done. Oh well!
It was a pretty laid back day, hanging out with friends. Shelby was there, and I took her out a couple times. She was very good. We did have one torrential rain shower during the trial that flooded out a bunch of areas. It was so deep that several people were having their dogs swim and chase balls.
The weather was very hot and humid. I had gone over on Friday night to set up my tent and we weren't entered in the first class of the day, so I figured I didn't need to get there super early. Of course I was there before they started! So we got to settle in and relax for about 2 hours before we had to do anything.
The first run was Standard. It was a nice easy course, with three jumps to the tunnel, then the dog walk, then 4 jumps, the tunnel, the A frame and a final jump. I had planned a front cross before the dog walk. Spot took off like a shot as expected. In hindsight, I should have tried leading out. He went past jump 2, but I called him back, he made it to the tunnel, but came out so fast I didn't have time to do a front cross, or a front cross after the dog walk, so I did a flip, which is so bad, I know, but it worked. The rest of the course was fine. He was ahead of me on the A frame, but hit his contact and we finished well. This was his second Q, so now he has his CL1-S!
Next was Wildcard, which is where you choose either an A or B obstacle at three places. We had to do 2 As and 1 B. The choices were A tunnel/B A Frame, then A near tunnel entrance/B far tunnel entrance, then A single jump/B double jump. My plan was to do A tunnel, then A tunnel, then B double. I set Spot up and as soon as I took off the leash he was up. Thankfully it was to the side-so I was able to call him and start. He did the first section well, but then wandered a bit. We got all our required obstacles, but were 10 seconds over time, so no Q.
Last was Snooker. The course was challenging, for sure. The A frame was 7, but the reds were spread out, so no easy way to use it. 6 was a combo of the tunnel and a jump, where the jump was also a red, which I haven't seen before. The start line had a red jump, then a tunnel and another red jump all perpendicular, so I decided to start with a slice. Spot handled it great. He did the first jump into the tunnel, which was 3, then my plan was to do a front cross over the next red, but Spot went wide. He came back quickly and got the red, then through the tire which was 2, then another red, and my plan was to do a 180 to a jump, which was #5, but Spot ran into the tunnel, which was part of 6. I didn't want to do that, because 6 was a combo and straight shot to the A frame and I knew he would take it and have an off course. So instead of going with the flow and letting him complete 6, which would have been in the rules, I called him back, which was a fault and we were done. Oh well!
It was a pretty laid back day, hanging out with friends. Shelby was there, and I took her out a couple times. She was very good. We did have one torrential rain shower during the trial that flooded out a bunch of areas. It was so deep that several people were having their dogs swim and chase balls.
Monday, August 10, 2009
First it's Brockton, now Whitman-Foxes on the Attack
I'm wondering if the delayed summer weather is having an effect on local foxes or if this is an example of more foxes than usual?
And how the heck can a fox jump high enough to bite you on your butt?
I have never seen a fox in my area. I have seen coyotes and groundhogs and raccoons.
Fox bites two people in Whitman-The Boston Globe
August 10, 2009 12:42 PM
By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent
During a string of seven fox sightings over several hours in Whitman yesterday, a fox bit one woman in her buttocks and a man in his foot, police said.
“There’s probably more than one,” said Whitman police Officer Frank O’Rourke. “The way they were traveling last night, this fox had to have his best Nike sneakers on to travel that fast.”
A fox was first seen just before 2 p.m. on Brigham Street, where six toddlers played in a residential backyard. The home’s owner, Tom Shannon, said the fox was lying in the shade of his pop-up camper.
“I’ve seen [the fox] two or three times before,” Shannon said, “but always at night and never this close.”
About 30 minutes later, a fox startled a woman in her Franklin Street backyard. She threw a bag of fertilizer at it, scaring it away.
Down the street, less than an hour later, a woman was waxing her car when she was bit in the buttocks, piercing her skin. She received nine shots yesterday as a precaution, O’Rourke said.
Four more sightings, two on Winter Street, one on Hickey Hollow Lane, and one on Franklin Street, came within the next six hours. In one case, a fox bit a man’s foot, but did not break through his sneaker.
Robert Hammond, the town’s animal control officer, believes there is a fox den in the area, O’Rourke said. Hammond was out setting traps this morning.
Although O’Rourke said the town is home to several foxes, usually weighing between 5 and 10 pounds, he has never heard of an attack during his 35 years of duty.
“But not even on my best days would I trust one,” he said.
And how the heck can a fox jump high enough to bite you on your butt?
I have never seen a fox in my area. I have seen coyotes and groundhogs and raccoons.
Fox bites two people in Whitman-The Boston Globe
August 10, 2009 12:42 PM
By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent
During a string of seven fox sightings over several hours in Whitman yesterday, a fox bit one woman in her buttocks and a man in his foot, police said.
“There’s probably more than one,” said Whitman police Officer Frank O’Rourke. “The way they were traveling last night, this fox had to have his best Nike sneakers on to travel that fast.”
A fox was first seen just before 2 p.m. on Brigham Street, where six toddlers played in a residential backyard. The home’s owner, Tom Shannon, said the fox was lying in the shade of his pop-up camper.
“I’ve seen [the fox] two or three times before,” Shannon said, “but always at night and never this close.”
About 30 minutes later, a fox startled a woman in her Franklin Street backyard. She threw a bag of fertilizer at it, scaring it away.
Down the street, less than an hour later, a woman was waxing her car when she was bit in the buttocks, piercing her skin. She received nine shots yesterday as a precaution, O’Rourke said.
Four more sightings, two on Winter Street, one on Hickey Hollow Lane, and one on Franklin Street, came within the next six hours. In one case, a fox bit a man’s foot, but did not break through his sneaker.
Robert Hammond, the town’s animal control officer, believes there is a fox den in the area, O’Rourke said. Hammond was out setting traps this morning.
Although O’Rourke said the town is home to several foxes, usually weighing between 5 and 10 pounds, he has never heard of an attack during his 35 years of duty.
“But not even on my best days would I trust one,” he said.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
GBAEC Earthdog Trial 8/8-8/9-09
Spot was entered in Master on Sat and Sun. Neither day was a Q.
On Saturday we were in the 4th brace with a Norfolk terrier named Rizzi. We had trained with her before. She already has a title. The walk up was fine. They worked well together. The AKC rep was there, plus Monique was apprenticing, so we had a little group for the walk up.
When we got to the den area, both dogs kind of wandered. They were checking out a pile of debris, like tires and things. The judge waited a long time to see what they would do before telling them to go mark. I had to move pretty close to the rats-about 10 feet away-before he marked.
Spot marked first, so he went first. He handled the tunnels fine, and worked well. When it came time to remove the cover, I asked the judge to remove the cover, but she just pulled it off, and Spot backed up. Then he kept coming and going back and forth. Eventually he came out the entrance and I went and picked him up. Rizzi Q'd.
On Sunday we were in the first brace with a Scottie that we hadn't met before. This dog also had her title already. She was super, super slow. We were crawling up the walk up. We had to stop and wait a few times. The judge had us stop quite a ways back from the rats. I would say a good 30 feet. We stopped right near the debris pile and Spot was hunting in there quite a bit. So much that the AKC rep took some pictures. The Scottie went up and marked, and eventually the judge had me call Spot. He went up and looked, then went around the tunnel area, and again I had to walk up to about 10 feet from the tunnel before he marked.
Spot had to honor first. He started eating grass, which is a first. When it was his time he went right in. The judge had placed the roller in the first section, before the false den. I realized that Spot always turns right inside a tunnel. So the first right was the false den, then he backed up and turned right, which meant he had to come over the roller, and back out. He turned around and went back in and went to the false den again, but was able to get himself going in the right direction and get to the rats.
He worked the rats the full 90 seconds. Then it was time to take him out. I could tell he had moved back a bit, so I waited before removing the cover. The 15 second time limit doesn't start until the cover comes off. I thought he was up at the front, so I removed the cover, but he scooted back. He came right out the entrance, so I grabbed him. Turns out his mark would have failed him anyway, even if I had gotten him out.
After that, I was steward for Junior. We had 20 dogs. Only a few qualified. Most just wandered around. A few went in the tunnel, but not all the way, and one went in, worked, but then came out again!
Then I had to stay and help pack up. This is our last test of the season, so we pull all the tunnels and clean them and store them. That took a while, but we had lots of help. One bonus-we are changing our tunnels so they are all a standard size, and we had 4 two-foot sections that we didn't need anymore. I asked if I could take them so I could practice with Shelby and they said sure. Score! I tried to be cool-but this will be awesome. Hopefully I can practice and enter Shelby in the trial in Andover in October.
On Saturday we were in the 4th brace with a Norfolk terrier named Rizzi. We had trained with her before. She already has a title. The walk up was fine. They worked well together. The AKC rep was there, plus Monique was apprenticing, so we had a little group for the walk up.
When we got to the den area, both dogs kind of wandered. They were checking out a pile of debris, like tires and things. The judge waited a long time to see what they would do before telling them to go mark. I had to move pretty close to the rats-about 10 feet away-before he marked.
Spot marked first, so he went first. He handled the tunnels fine, and worked well. When it came time to remove the cover, I asked the judge to remove the cover, but she just pulled it off, and Spot backed up. Then he kept coming and going back and forth. Eventually he came out the entrance and I went and picked him up. Rizzi Q'd.
On Sunday we were in the first brace with a Scottie that we hadn't met before. This dog also had her title already. She was super, super slow. We were crawling up the walk up. We had to stop and wait a few times. The judge had us stop quite a ways back from the rats. I would say a good 30 feet. We stopped right near the debris pile and Spot was hunting in there quite a bit. So much that the AKC rep took some pictures. The Scottie went up and marked, and eventually the judge had me call Spot. He went up and looked, then went around the tunnel area, and again I had to walk up to about 10 feet from the tunnel before he marked.
Spot had to honor first. He started eating grass, which is a first. When it was his time he went right in. The judge had placed the roller in the first section, before the false den. I realized that Spot always turns right inside a tunnel. So the first right was the false den, then he backed up and turned right, which meant he had to come over the roller, and back out. He turned around and went back in and went to the false den again, but was able to get himself going in the right direction and get to the rats.
He worked the rats the full 90 seconds. Then it was time to take him out. I could tell he had moved back a bit, so I waited before removing the cover. The 15 second time limit doesn't start until the cover comes off. I thought he was up at the front, so I removed the cover, but he scooted back. He came right out the entrance, so I grabbed him. Turns out his mark would have failed him anyway, even if I had gotten him out.
After that, I was steward for Junior. We had 20 dogs. Only a few qualified. Most just wandered around. A few went in the tunnel, but not all the way, and one went in, worked, but then came out again!
Then I had to stay and help pack up. This is our last test of the season, so we pull all the tunnels and clean them and store them. That took a while, but we had lots of help. One bonus-we are changing our tunnels so they are all a standard size, and we had 4 two-foot sections that we didn't need anymore. I asked if I could take them so I could practice with Shelby and they said sure. Score! I tried to be cool-but this will be awesome. Hopefully I can practice and enter Shelby in the trial in Andover in October.
Spot goes back to class
On Thursday I took Spot to class to see if he remembered anything. If he didn't, I wouldn't enter him in the Gemini Dog CPE trial in a couple weeks. Surprise-he remembered!
We actually ended up having a private lesson because no one else showed up. That day Alice had e-mailed me to tell me she wasn't going to be going to class at Gemini anymore. I don't know if the training philosophy was really working for her.
We warmed up with some jumps and some contacts, then worked on lead outs. We first had a lead out of 2 jumps to the dog walk. We worked it on the left and the right. Spot was really good, letting me lead out all the way to the dog walk. I stood at the dog walk and released him over 2 jumps, and made sure I was in a position where he needed to go around me to straighten up onto the dogwalk. He did great on both sides.
Then we worked 2 jumps to the A frame. I lead out to the second jump. I had to use a cue of no forward motion to indicate that he should turn to the A frame, along with calling his name. I kept messing up by standing still, but then not moving toward to A frame once he had taken the second jump. But we got it after the third time. Overall it was a goof class. I decided to enter Spot in Standard, Wildcard and Fullhouse.
We actually ended up having a private lesson because no one else showed up. That day Alice had e-mailed me to tell me she wasn't going to be going to class at Gemini anymore. I don't know if the training philosophy was really working for her.
We warmed up with some jumps and some contacts, then worked on lead outs. We first had a lead out of 2 jumps to the dog walk. We worked it on the left and the right. Spot was really good, letting me lead out all the way to the dog walk. I stood at the dog walk and released him over 2 jumps, and made sure I was in a position where he needed to go around me to straighten up onto the dogwalk. He did great on both sides.
Then we worked 2 jumps to the A frame. I lead out to the second jump. I had to use a cue of no forward motion to indicate that he should turn to the A frame, along with calling his name. I kept messing up by standing still, but then not moving toward to A frame once he had taken the second jump. But we got it after the third time. Overall it was a goof class. I decided to enter Spot in Standard, Wildcard and Fullhouse.
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