Saturday...and a whole lotta HUH??

Saturday we took the pups to a local USDAA trial...after doing two regionals in a row I am not sure exactly WHY we did this...but we did. Maybe because it was 30 mins from our house, maybe because I wanted to see if the homework I have been doing with Lynn (S&M Dogwalks) was making some headway...or just to get a few more legs towards her ADCH.

Regardless, we headed out. It was an eventful morning...with my old dog Ace having a blowout, what a way to wake up! YES!!!!! GET OUT THAT SHAMPOOER HONEY IT'S TIME TO GET UP FOR THE TRIAL!!  Sigh...please good thoughts for my old man. 

So...after doing that, we headed to the trial and got there just in time to get maps and start walking.  

Dogs ran really well, Klink was basically perfect...she will be 7 years old in a few days and the girl won Jumpers and Standard! Whatta kid! Also picked up another Gambler and Steeplechase leg...didn't enter Grand Prix, don't need it, didn't need Steeplechase either, but that's OK :)

She was sore, I worried about her wrist...nope...pad burned off from the really dry grass :-(( Poor Stinky. Dry grass sucks :-(

Crackers was an awesome little bugger as usual :) Team Crackhead is a well oiled machine :)

Gator had some issues...Jumpers was good, wide but good. Snooker he was REALLY WEIRD...just wasn't paying attention...wasn't listening. NOT GATOR.  Got him massaged, and he seemed good, felt a little different running him though (you know what I mean, just feels different)...still, his shoulder massaged out...so we just figured that is what it was. We were a bit off with each other because of that. took 2nd to Klink in Standard and got a Steeplechase leg though...after the trial I found out why...he had ripped a nail to the quick :-( OUCH...poor dude. Wrapped it up and he was as good as new. NOTE TO SELF: Check feet....geesh. He's great today. 

Lynn :) Miss Lynn, she was SOOOOO good at the Regional. I thought maybe my "I know it all" girlie was gone....but apparently NO. Apparently she is there :) Jumpers she ran a BLAZING time...faster than Klink  or Gator...but one bar I caused (oops)...Snooker was a lovely run, 2nd and a SuperQ :) Gamblers...well, yeah. No that didn't happen...she was a bit naughty, broke her stay...or kinda did. Brat :) 

Steeplechase she Q'd in...and Grand Prix was where we had a talk :) Broken startline...she stood up, I told her to sit, she scooted up, I told her LYNN, WAIT...she broke, and miss judged the first jump...crashed it a bit...then took the second...being that Lynn isn't normally ornery, I tried to go on. She barked, ducked BEHIND me, and then I said "Miss Lynn, no, GET IN"....she suddenly went...OOOHHHHHH...and came to heel :) The rest of the run was GORGEOUS! :)  Standard was after that. HELD her startline and ran a lovely run (well she listened...I didn't handle the best but we shall talk about that in a second). 4th place and her SAM! :) SO one more Gamble leg for her ADCH!!!

She was GREAT with bars this weekend :) They are becoming less and less of an issue :) But I think I will have to remind her rules at home are the same as here and vice versa. Train like you trial, trial like you train... 

GOOD news, the b*stard dogwalk drills (as I have so correctly named them) are already helping :) I had to FC the dogwalk, and did some other stuff and she did great, hit them well :)

Now onto me. After two Regionals...I just wasn't "UP" for this local trial...I felt lazy, relaxed, too relaxed. Just like bleh...not good when running dogs. So in the am I just kinda felt flaky....but luckily by mid day I was back into it. I am glad I have no trials until Nationals! I think 4 weekends of agility in a row is a bit much.

And...well...I wasn't trusting Lynn...as proven by the run below...1st place Klink, 2nd place Gator, 4th place Lynn. Look at the differences in my handling...especially at the end...gotta work on my game. I wanted that Standard title...ugh...sorry Lynn!!

I really can't tell you what the HELL I was thinking at the end of Lynn's run. How about..how to waste ten seconds on that 2nd to last jump? Or, brain fart, or I was smoking some bad drugs....or or or...seriously. 

I am glad I only entered Saturday, #1 because the grass was dry and my dogs were slipping and burning pads, #2 because I wanted to go fishing :) And I am glad I did!!! Say hello to one of my catches! :) 26" Northern...the biggest I have caught :)

Happiness...dogs, fishing, nature...ahhhhhhh :)