This was a good weekend as we visited the McCook, IL Blitzen Agility Trial. On Saturday we got Double Q #18 and on Sunday we got Double Q #19. That means we are only one Double Q away from earning our Master Agility Champion Title. Let’s take a look at our runs:
Here is Saturday’s agility run:
This run earned us our highest one day point total – 33 points.
Sunday brought another Double Q and brought us within three points of what is needed to compete in the National Agility Championship competition to be held in Reno in 2012. To qualify you must earn 400 points and 6 double Q’s in a year (December 1 – November, 31). So far this year we have earned 397 points and 11 Double Q’s.
Here is Sunday’s run:
Our next competition is in Merrillville, IN. Come on out and cheer us on!
I have been a busy boy. Since my last post I have been literally running around all over doing agility. I have been to Merrillville, IN, St. Charles, IL, Crystal Lake, IL, Menomonee Falls, WI, Huntley, IL, Milwaukee, WI (home of Hounds for the Holidays), McCook, IL, Manhattan, IL, St. Louis, MO and Libertyville, IL. Soon I will be headed back to McCook and then to Merrillville and then to… Well, you get the picture. Speaking of pictures, here is one of my most recent runs in Libertyville.
That was day 2 of three and my 17th Double Q. On the final day, I got 16 more points bringing me to 17 Double Q’s out of 20 and 746 points out of 750. From here the points will be easy so I really just need to concentrate on the Double Q’s.
Let’s take a look day-by-day. Day one featured a qualifying standard run where I earned 15 points. On the jumpers with weaves run I knocked a bar. Still, it was a beautiful run. The video features an especially good view of my weave poles (and music!!). Here it is:
On day two I did just the opposite. I qualified in jumpers with weaves earning 8 points, but not standard class. Looking back at the video I especially enjoy my exit from the teeter. Can’t you just hear me saying, “Where did it go?” Here is the run:
The final day was like the first: Qualify in Standard with 15 points and NQ in Jumpers. Doesn’t the standard run make it look so easy? On the jumpers run I left the weave poles early. Other than that it was a good run. Take a look:
Then it was back home with a stop on the way at Henry’s Farm where we had a fabulous meal and fun in the fields!
Now I only need 505 more points and 16 double Q’s.
As we gathered around the Christmas tree, I thought I would teach my boys a new trick to provide me with treats. This is day seven of our training. It’s fun. I press a button on the floor to turn off the Christmas tree lights and they give me a treat. I turn ON the Christmas tree lights and the same thing happens. Take a look.
I did not want to let the month end without a post. Just in time for Halloween, it’s time to look back 3 years to when I was a puppy. Here is the Springer in the Graveyard video.
At our agility class, our teacher Anne Riba suggested that we could break new ground by blogging live from an agility trial. So, here we are. It is Sunday morning in McCook, IL and we are at the McCook Athletic & Exposition Center (or MAX) where they offer free wireless access in an air conditioned indoor facility with artificial turf. This is an all breed AKC Trail sponsored by the Great Lakes Belgian Tervuren Club and the Golden Retriever Club of Illinois.
We took a day off from C-Line on Friday so we could compete on all three days. They will have to make the plastic name badge holders without us.
Our first run on Friday was in the Jumpers with Weaves Agility Class. While I jumped and weaved, my first jump was on top of the jump instead of over it. Let’s take a look.
In our second run of the day we were in Excellent A Standard Agility Class. We had an excellent, blue ribbon run and my partner, Joe Hopper, and I took first place.
Here is the Standard Agility run:
In our second day we started off with a run in Excellent A Standard Class. It was not a good day for the table as I did not want to go up there. And once I was up I did not want to stay there. Did I confuse the number, “Three” with the word “Free?” Perhaps, perhaps not. I’m not saying. Now it is time for Paul to start shopping for a table so we can practice at home. (On the table you must stay for a count of five in either a sit or down as specified by the judge).
Here is the Standard Agility run.
Minutes later it was off to Jumpers with Weaves. Going into the competition in Jumpers with Weaves I had two out of three legs of my Excellent A title. I had a nice run and came in second place. This allows me to move up into Excellent B. Excellent B is the top class so now I will compete with the fastest border collies. A quick review on agility classes: You start in Novice (A for first time dogs and handlers, B if you have won a title or if your person has). From Novice you move to Open Class. From Open Class it is onto Excellent A and finally to Excellent B. In Excellent B there is no place to go, but you start acquiring points toward a Master Agility Champion title (or MACH). My next run will be in Excellent B where a qualifying run earns points. More on that when it happens.
From Jumpers I went on to FAST Class. My run was clean (and fast) and I took first place. Here is the run:
Sunday starts a new day and I started with Standard Class Excellent A. I took an off course and once again suggested that Paul really needs to get a table on order. Here is a look at my first run of the day:
My second run was in FAST class. It was a surprise because we don’t usually run fast class until the end of the day. I was the only dog to qualify so I got 1st place. Since this was my third “Q” in FAST Class (and my third first place in open fast class), I received my title and now move in to Excellent.
Now I am officially an excellent dog in all events (and ways). Take a look at my run:
The final run was in Jumpers. It was my first run in Excellent B. It was great right up until the end when I missed the tunnel. I can’t wait to try again next time! Here is the final run:
Today my partner, Joe Hopper, and I entered our fourth agility competition and scored a remarkable two Double Q’s. What is a Double Q? It is when you have two qualifying runs on the same day. We ran both Saturday and Sunday and Double Q’d on both days.
Did you notice those funny letters after my name? They represent titles I have achieved in my agility runs. NA means that I have successfully completed Novice Agility Standard. OAJ means after completing my Novice Agility Jumpers with Weaves I went on to complete my Open Class Jumpers with Weaves. Now I continue to compete in Open Class for Standard Agility and Excellent A Class for Jumpers with Weaves.
On Friday I took a first place blue ribbon at the Lyons Township Dog Training Agility Meet in Villa Park, Illinois in my first run of the day in Jumpers with Weaves. Since that completed my third qualifying run in JWW, I received my title and was able to move up to Excellent A class. Here is the JWW run:
Later that day I took second place (and a very colorful red ribbon) in Standard Class. Joe got a bit confused as I went in the Weave Poles and started thinking he was back on the JWW course from earlier in the day. I was able to point the way and we still came in second. I was a good sport about it (as required by the AKC Code of Sportsmanship) and we had fun. Here is the Standard run:
Today we were back for two more competitions. It was my first time in Excellent Jumpers, but I was ready for it and took first place. Here is the Excellent JWW run:
Then is was off to Standard Class where I am still in Open. It was a clean run and I took first place here as well. Here is the Standard run:
Then home we went where I celebrated with my new squeaky ball prize while the boys celebrated with Ramp Pizza and my 12 blue (and one red) ribbons.
You have probably noticed that I have not had a post since winning my five blue ribbons in agility in January. Now I am pleased to announce that at the McCormick IKC dog show in February I won another four blue ribbons in the agility competition, plus I had a qualifying run (a run where I did everything correctly, but where I did not place in the top three).
It was three days of fun at the huge McCormick Convention Center in downtown Chicago. Six thousand dogs and lots of people to primp them, play with them and admire them. The McCormick dog show is a “benched” show which means the dogs are there all day with their people and available to answer questions (the people mostly answer, but several of the dogs had plenty to say).
The people near us had a sign asking that their dogs not be petted without permission. The dogs clearly did not make the sign. If they did, the sign would have said, “PET ME!” Note that the signs were nicely laminated with C-Line Cleer Adheer laminating film.
Over the three days I had nine agility runs – three in Standard Class, three runs in Jumpers with Weaves and three runs in FAST Class. I have videos of my best seven. Regarding the other two, let’s just say I hate yappy dogs. Their people should give them more treats. You can’t bark while you are eating a treat.
Friday’s Agility Runs
My first run was in the Novice Class. As a review, you start in Novice. Once you have successfully completed three qualifying runs under two different judges you get your Novice title and you can move to Open. From Open, once you have successfully completed three qualifying runs under two different judges you get your Open title and you can move to Excellent. I’ll talk more about Excellent Class when I get there!
The run above was really picture perfect and allowed me to earn my Novice title in Standard Class agility. (more…)
Another wonderful Thanksgiving… And so much to be thankful for. My old friend Johann, who I have not seen in ages, came over for Thanksgiving dinner. At first I was jumping with joy as I was so glad to see him. As this was a bit much for everyone, I came up with a new strategy: Try training him to do tricks. I started with a few easy ones like sit and down. I then moved into more complicated ones like “popcorn” where I get him to throw a treat and I catch it. I finished the evening with a few of my favorites including “Strike a pose”, “Leave it and Take it” and “Crazy Eights.”
Here is a look at Johann practicing with me.
As Thanksgiving drew to a close I put my recipes back in their sheet protectors and put my photos into photo holders to savor my memories until next year.
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