New addition :)

sadly not the 4 legged fluffy variety! ( for now!!) 

We have found a caravan that suited us!! finally!

4 berth, end bath room (will actual shower!)

& HEATING!

Really looking forward to some camping shows now!!!

It is bigger than our previous caravans so i will have to learn how to use this one!

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new ~ Albert Einstein

We hired Fi's field again last week as i was off for most of the week during the factory shutdown time, it gave us the opportunity to run a full course, break it down and train the harder parts :)

Daizy is jumping full height!! She is working on nice open courses, before we put things closer together, however this week i have managed to work on front crosses (a la laura chudleigh ;-) with her which were really good!

Chase is running all of his training now at full height, unless its a longer session when we drop down to medium :) He is learning things quicker now we are training more! We had a short break from his 2x2 sessions as i couldnt committ to daily sessions with it, but we have now re started, and are onto 4 poles, he is very keen, but can get carried away, and if he is too excited will wing wrap the poles! So i am careful to keep things less exciting if that makes sense by using food/food related rewards, as toys can make him really silly! Just to be clear, when i say silly, chases has issues not knowing where his nose finishes, so when we play with toys, he gets OTT and will try and grab toys while in your hand, more often than not, he misses, and it hurts SO much! He is very strong, very full on, and gets very frustrated if he cant get to a toy, so food toys and food rewards help him keep calmer without getting over the top and frustrating himself, so thats what i mean by keeping things low key!!


Terra, as you can see is working on little bits, we have decided to see how she goes...she can run with lydia or harry in grade one, so courses should be simple. She hasnt shown any signs of stiffness while building her back up :)


Loki Loki Loki, after an awful attempt in the ring at kernow, harry has seen that he has to train much much more!! She has resorted to sniffing an awful lot, so we have gone back to old style, putting her on a decent length lead, using toy or food and keeping it exciting, and keeping sessions short! so far so good! With weaves, she doesn't like our swivel bases, so we are trying something slightly different with her, if it works, i'll post how!!lol!

Zig messed around an awful lot at kernow, i think dropping her to veterans may be the best move now!!

Meg has been doing some nice training, we still have wait, and first pole issues!! weaves are improving, we have slightly opened some channels for her and zig, they are both working well using them :)


Harv has had a few play sessions, doing some low jumps and tunnels, he loves it, especially with lydia running him :)

We went to a training in the ring session at canine capers, it was really good, i ran chase mainly, but did have a couple of runs with meg and with daizy too, lydia did some with Daizy & Terra too :) at the end, harv and loki also had a little play, nice for her in a different environment, but she was VERY sniffy on the horsey floor!!!

All is looking good, i have a few training sessions planned and booked, and im holding a few aswell!!

we will get there in the end :)

One day when I'm rich enough (lol) i will have time to spend, training, walking and just general spending time with my dogs, all day every day :) id love that, but wouldn't we all! So we make do with what we have, time and money wise :) for me things are slowly coming together, still no caravan or puppy or nice new van, but hey ho, i suppose i shall cope!
Training wise, the guys are doing good! I'm doing SO much more i feel really good at the mo, my aches and pains are a lot less, yes they still happen if i over do it, but not nearly as bad as previous!!

Daizy was definitely sent to challenge me, she proves this to me every session we do, her focus is much more 'in the zone' but still, the slightest thing you wouldn't expect can make her lose focus just like that! it can be frustrating, but with a dog like her, there is just no rushing! everything is done is short bursts, IE if i take all 5 to train, she comes out 2nd, then goes away after 5-10 mins, and after all the others have had a turn, she will come out for a few more minutes if she is still up for some more. she is grasping the idea of stopping on contacts, like her sister quest, she naturally sits on the bottom, not ideal as id like a stand of course, but if it means she will be reliable, so be it for now!! Her grid work is really nice, she has a nice bounce, however full height large is still a few weeks away i think, at the moment she can do approx half a course of mixed height, so we are gradually building her muscle memory to taking more of the course, she is very dependant on the handler, whether myself or Lydia, so we shall see how some new environments get handled before we decide if anything is changing or if we are happy as she is and let her build up more confidence and FOCUS!! Her channels are coming along, she is a little 'wafty' if the weaves aren't obvious, so each session we start with them further open than we finish, having not fully trained on channels before this is a learning curve for us both! my own weaves are now adjusted to the new widths so they are coming out to the field tonight, and the barn for a contact and weave session on weds that i am holding!

Chase, has been doing a grand job, he is a natural learner, and a natural agility dog, he is working short courses now and jumping full height nicely, albeit not all the time as i like to reward him as often as possible, and at the moment, he looks down if a toy is placed no matter how far away that may be! He does lose is head a little if its a really fun toy, so i have to choose carefully and surprise him at the end! He powers ahead to tunnels, and is looking for his 2x2 weaves too, so progress on those are coming along. His contacts are on lead mostly, stopping, looking ahead and releasing, he isn't ready for off lead yet, so the show i stupidly entered this weekend may be forfeit!



Loki.... where to start!! harry has been a little slack, since going to the big school he now has piles of homework each week if he wants to stay in good groups at school, so he hasn't done as much as i would like him to do!! She doesn't like the channels in the garden, the base is too big, she does like the 2x2 base but it involves thinking!! jump wise, we are up to wonky poles, one side at small height the other on the feet of the jump, so about 2" lower on one side. She doesn't train at the barn well on the flooring, she is much better out on grass! Tunnels are her favourite, now she understands them, and the dog walk up until last week was terrifying! we have done lots on low planks, but she went to pieces when it was raised, so had to go back down low again, however last weekend, after having some playing on it ( some may say its not helpful but it worked for her!) she decided she COULD run over it after all!

Meg and zig did a little contact and jump work, weave are back out now so that will be mostly this week, they are both physically fit and well, however zigs feet seem to have dropped a little which may mean the end of agility at full height for her, I'm sure she wont mind having some fun in any size classes for a while before retiring. I shall keep an eye on her progress and see what she is like before deciding 100%

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them (Walt Disney )

Spring at last :) i've seen my first daffodils so i know its here properly!! fingers crossed it will be good weather this year!

Well i have started my weight loss journey yet again, but as i was working my way back to 19 stone i figured i better do something serious about it! SO step one, was changing eating habits, 2 months on, 1 stone lost, now most of you know im an impatient person, and i want results faster than that!! SO i have now started on upping the exercise... obviously after gaining so much weight, i ache, i get tired, i feel weak... so all has to be undone and start all over! The dogs are getting an extra walk each day that they dont mind, now i have to up my game even more, so i have started to walk into work after lunch, doesnt sound much, but the walk there and back after work is 3 miles... the worst bit for me though is its all hills!!!!

The dog training is coming along well, a slight set back having the 3 of us hit with a really bad cold, only to get another straight after, we have really not been well with it, so getting anything more than once a week for the last few weeks has been very hard work! Now we are snot free and can breathe again, so im back to it!!
Chase & Daizy took part on a training day with young Neil Ellis last weekend, handled by Lydia. She really enjoyed it, was definatley more on her level! Both dogs behaved, but there is massive amounts to get done, so my plans are being adjusted to suit each one to progress on to being able to get into the ring. I have entered 2 shows in Cornwall for April, so I have to get it moving more :)
Loki is getting along with her jumping, i still have moved the poles to 'proper' small height yet, i would rather keep her motivated and moving! She loves the tunnel, and is coming along with her contacts, we have opted for 2 on 2 off with her aswell as the others. Her weaving hasnt progressed too much yet, as she doesnt like the swivel based channels we have at home :(

Chase.... one step forward then another back!!! His jumping and looking ahead is really coming along nicely, he is doing some nice sequences and really coming along well with his jump work, i havent broken his 'wait' yet either!! With his weaves, we have decided to try him on the 2x2 method, meaning i will have used each method available to train, hopefully meaning i have a better understanding to be able to teach others in the long run :) its still early stages but he is doing really well so far!

Chase showing agility, natural style!!

All the others are doing well, no real updates from them!

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3rd March was the sad anniversary of Jak passing, was a sad day, but we made sure we took the dogs somewhere he would approve of :)
he even got a mention from claire on our mini walk too, remembering how he used to chase a stone in a circle before picking it up, his teeth were rubbish and really ground down,
as this was a real love of his :)

Miss you x

Weaving Bean!

I wasnt sure what to title this one! Loki is more often called Lokibean,
no idea why its just stuck!!! hence the weaving bean title....

Training update!! Loki has started on channels...after much deliberation i decided as she isnt much of a shaper when training, this will be the simpler method for her. I haven't previously trained any of my dogs using them, but have taught others :) it was a big descision between these and 2x2 method for her, being small and not really orientated by anything other than harry!! so far so good, she has had a couple of sessions, and is really running through them nicely :)

Chase & Daizy have also begun on them, chase couldnt really work out what he was doing, he just likes running!!!

both have started doing other combinations now and are starting to work ahead and use tunnels, its showing that consistency is the key, like in most things, when they werent getting weekly minimum training they werent learning as well or as fast, i know for most this is common knowlege, but for others reading it may be something you have over looked :) I know some of my trainee's read this so I like to write as honestly as i can about my own training, as last year i didnt get to do much, with one reason and another! this year ive started off right, and plan on working hard, not only with my dogs, but with myself and my family too, as harry is keen to work loki, as she is HIS dog, as he keeps remiding me!! ...funny how she is mine when she poo's!!!! I have entered Kernow using Iss, all 3 young dogs are entered too, i have gone for 2 per day with each of them, and im hoping the judges are kind and set nice courses for the grades, i have entered the lowest cominations possible ( ie no 3-4 if there is a 3!!) as both chase and dai will start grade 3, loki however will be harrys girl so starts in grade 1! SO very few graded classes for smalls, its very sad! i know when i choose classes for honiton i am careful to see every dog gets a graded run, but a lot this just happen for!! so as a new handler, my 11 year old son has no choice but to enter combined classes with his grade 1 dog :( Once they have their first show under their belt i will start looking into travelling further to graded classes for him so he knows what to expect more for his level, aswell as junior classes too :)

Terra has some hip area stiffness so will only be running in anysize, i had hoped she would one day compete, but i dont think that is a possibility now :( still she wont know any different, as she can still play in anysize with harv :)

Zig & meg have been re training on channels ( ive got channel obsessed!) so far so good, both are working well a small space apart, and are getting better with my main weakness of the dreaded right hand weaves! both dogs come out currently 2 poles before the end, no matter how many weaves there are! so im glad i have gone back to try again, both girls may only compete for this year before going into veterans ( we'll see how they cope this season first!) meg is 9 and zig is 10 next month, so they are both no spring chickens! as long as they enjoy themselves and are physically able to work in the heights and grades they are in, im happy for them to carry on :) its hard to know at what stage to retire them, as most agility dogs are kept well and have good fitness levels etc, combined with good diets, makes for good healthy dogs :) My vet has said countless times that she is amazed that ziggy does so well for her age and the condition of her heart, the murmur hasnt gotten any worse than when she started agility, so she see's no need to medicate her yet, she is fit and healthy, enjoys walks, runs, training and competing, if she had been a pet dog she said she probably wouldnt be here with us still :( so i know with her i am very glad how we keep our dogs!!

This weekend i have my first workshops being held!!! scarey but exciting at the same time! I love training and helping people learn with their dogs, so im really looking forward to it! These ones i know, but the next i wont know, so will be a new experience for me! teaching the unknown!!

And into 2012!

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and new year :)
I have decided against new year resolutions this year, as i never stick to them!!!

I, with the help of Lydia as i have a very sore back!! Have tidied and sorted through most of the house, everything has been cleaned and is really to roll for a fresh new year, fingers crossed i will be heartbreak free this year :( This was the first xmas in 14 years i didnt have Jak & Holly, it was hard to not buy them a present this year as i its now part of the ritual, they both would always have a fluffy toy, holly would walk around with her happy grumble wagging her tail and knocking stuff flying, and jak would take off any eyes and ears, he prefers his teds deaf and mute :) i miss them so much, its so hard to not have them here any more, i know its been a while now, but nothing changes how you feel about them being gone :(

I dont have a lot to report really, we have had a good month off away from any agility, and have been back to train a little here and there, working on mainly waits, looking ahead and some grid work, contacts are being done seperatley and meg is now 2o2o 80% of the time, so still more to do!

We have had some nice adventures over the holidays, walks have taken us to several places we wouldnt usually go, Saunton Sands, woolacome bay,as well as Dorset to the in-laws, and our local areas too, woodbury common and the estuary aswell as the occasional trip to the beach!

I have been very ( regrettably) sensible, and decided against adding to my 'pack' as james is still doing courier work via the agency, it makes it not the ideal time, my scans are still not booked as now they want to find out if its a hormone releasing mass, as it could make it harder to remove, so i have a month of blood taking to have done first :) good job im not squeamish of needles! SO even though i had found a lovely puppy, i dont think it would be fair on pup or my lot, or my family even to have another right now :( im very disappointed yes, but if i want any of our future plans to cme together i must wait for now...

All the dogs have endured an MOT with Sandra, my most excellent vet :) i think she is brilliant, she is VERY hot on joint issues, and knows all of my dogs, here's what feedback i took away;


Harv is underweight at 20.2kg - he is usually around 24-25kg, but she thinks he could have the start of liver issues being 11 and not processing his food properly, so i have to keep a check on how he goes, and split him to 3 meals a day to hopefully help with this. Other wise, he is still a bit stiff in a few joints, but nothing too bad. He was a little pale, but after devouring a box of quality street, we are lucky he is as well as he is!


Zig is doing amazingly well, good teeth, good joints, ever so slightly over weigh, but 15.5kg is pretty good still for her! at almost 10, sandra is amazed every time we see her that zig is still doing so well :)

Meg has lost all her coat, hope she finds it soon! she looks so scrawney, but is ideal weight at the mo 14.8kg, her teeth are crap where she has chewed things, metal bars of cages are the usual! leads,toys anything possible will be chomped!! She has some stiffness in her toes on the front feet, probably due to how she throws herself 100 mph at everything! we will see how and what happens this year to see what classes both she and zig will be running in.


Terra, is terra.... no issues, still cant brain transplant, so same old really! weight is good, so much different to the other girls! 18.2kg! but ideal weight wise, she hasnt an ounce of fat on her! She has some slight stiffness in her hips, so wont be competing in anything but anysize classes from now on, she is only 6 but does have a bad hipscore which may be the issue. On her check, sandra says she has a very good range of movement and nothing seems painful, so to keep her fit will help things. We notice mainly after big walks or after a training session, so training is only going to be a few mins at a time for her now.


Daizy, ideal weight, 14.1 kg, perfect teeth, ears, eyes etc. Joints were all manipulated and were good, she was shaking the whole time so was being a real fairy about the whole process!


Chase, he loved sandra, and managed to sneak several licks to her face when she wasnt expecting it!! he didnt like extending his back end in the surgery, i have managed this at home when massaging him etc, but he wasnt happy for her to have a go, so will be roping friends in to do that at shows this year lol! His mish mash jaw is good on one side as the lower canine has pointed out, but the left side hasnt and has made a slight hole for itself in his upper gum line where it sits. his weight she said is perfect at 17.3kg, i think id like him to be almost 18kg as he feels too skinny to me.
Loki, the diddy one of the lot! she weighed in now over a year old so fully grown.... 3.6kg! coat,teeth,ears etc all good, no real issues, she was switched onto vibrate for the whole visit unfortunatley, couldnt get her to be calm! She has been for lots of vsits when its not her to be seen, so not sure why she is so scared!

training update

well we have actually managed a couple of training sesions since my last posting!! Far too long over due! We have been training with Laura Chudleigh, who has done really well over the last few years, and she uses consistant methods, that after enough repetition sink in for me!!!! which is perfect as that is what i need!
For those who arent aware, im having a few health issues at the moment, and i have my next hospital appointment with a specialist on the 22nd dec, to determine the best way to remove and biopsy the mass after an MRI. I will update when i know some more :)

Back to training!!! After our club match, in which all of my 5 that ran managed clear rounds :) daizy got a 3rd in her beginner class, beaten by her daughter phaze! :) Terra won hers, and harv even had a clear!! :) 2 of megs 4 runs i was very pleased with, the other 2 were horrendous!! :( lots of poles, very reckless!!
So we did our day with laura, she kindly let me stay the whole day, i was in pain from the previous day so Lydia took over and did the class with zig and then swapped to meg. I wont put everything that was done, but i was pleased with how they all worked, was good for Lydia to join in as she learns better when having to do it rather than watch it!
Since then i have put into practice with the other dogs what he have learnt with contacts, start lines, jumps & turns, and so far im very pleased with the results, meg after just 2 10 min sessions was doing nice 2o2o contacts, and looking ahead ready to release to her dead toy, zig & dai were the same, so i know just short bursts like im doing will work!!
Chase and loki have done some end positions, altho chase for some reason is finding it all a bit difficult, so im putting the low contact trainer together to get him more confident in using his bean poley legs :) Loki just needs to get used to running over things higher up!!

All5 that i trained all did some basic gridwork, waits, and with me varying my position for the release, so we did recalling down, from halfway and from the fist jump sending ahead. as chase worked well on it initially, he then had a break and later on he also did some turns :) slowly coming together!

I'm christmas shopping for them all this weekend... and maybe for a new addition too!!! watch this space!