Rose City wrap-up: Fun while dying.
This weekend, of course, was the Rose City shows. I dialed back my participation a little this year, and only entered Pirate, but I was really looking forward to our fun weekend together. Saturday/Sunday only, 3 agility runs, and one run of Beginners Novice obedience each day.
Then I got sick. And I don't really know how I got sick, I haven't been around people that much. Mercy's class has been on break, and our last event was New Years. I know a lot of people have been sick, but I wasn't around those people. Wednesday, I was fine, went to agility league, Wednesday night I felt poorly and didn't sleep well. That's too soon to have picked anything up at league. I tried to hope that I wasn't really sick, but by Friday, there was no denying it. Full on chest cold. (I hope just a cold!). So, not breathing well, coughing, still not sleeping much, low-grade fever... I was not happy. This was going to be a rare opportunity to actually do 2 days of an event, though, and I couldn't give it up. So I went anyway (with some guilt about spreading my virus)
I did manage to have some fun, but agility-wise, it wasn't a good weekend. Even with the inhaler, the asthma was triggered enough that I had trouble thinking on course. Also moving, but mostly thinking, the brain function goes first. The courses were rather challenging (and not necessarily in ways I approved of), and I just wasn't up to the challenge. Pirate was exceptional, and did his job, handling things I wouldn't have thought he knew (I rear crossed an A-frame, with his RC cue that I haven't used in a long time, to call him into the tunnel that was under that A-frame so he wouldn't continue straight over the dummy jump in front of him. We've never done anything like that. He was a little confused, but got it.)
We did get one Q, today's JWW, although I got a little confused in the beginning ("where am I? where am I going?"), but managed to work it out. Then I was very amused by the spectators, not agility people, as they gasped in awe when I did a front cross at the end. I mean, it was a very good front cross, but still, not exactly Sylvia Trkman.
The crowds were actually too much this year, and I think that's because the entry was so small, and just one judge. It meant just one ring to watch, so everybody crowded around that ring and it was hard to get in or out of the area.
Still, Pirate and I love performing for the crowd, we enjoy running on the mats, and having some time together is always good. So, still fun, despite me dying, and the crowd frustration.
Now, the obedience went great! Just Beginners Novice, of course, but he's been unsuccessful at that before, and with the weather I haven't really been able to practice, so I had little hope. Instead, he qualified both days, with a 190 on Saturday and a 193 on Sunday. (BN scores tend to be high) I was just pleased he did everything on Saturday, and on Sunday, I was absolutely thrilled, because it was a clear improvement (despite only getting another 3 points). Saturday, he seemed like he was just blundering along beside me; Sunday we felt connected. Saturday, I wasn't sure he'd hold the stays (3 stays in BN, all with different challenges: the sit for exam, the stay-while-handler-walks-around-the-ring, and of course the recall starts with a stay.) Sunday, I felt pretty confident that he knew that job and intended to perform it. So, I really feel heartened that he's coming together as an obedience dog, though much more work needed! Hopefully finish the BN at our next trial, then on to Novice! (probably preferred)
And since it was a specialty, and he was the only Stafford entered in obedience, he won some prizes.
Then I got sick. And I don't really know how I got sick, I haven't been around people that much. Mercy's class has been on break, and our last event was New Years. I know a lot of people have been sick, but I wasn't around those people. Wednesday, I was fine, went to agility league, Wednesday night I felt poorly and didn't sleep well. That's too soon to have picked anything up at league. I tried to hope that I wasn't really sick, but by Friday, there was no denying it. Full on chest cold. (I hope just a cold!). So, not breathing well, coughing, still not sleeping much, low-grade fever... I was not happy. This was going to be a rare opportunity to actually do 2 days of an event, though, and I couldn't give it up. So I went anyway (with some guilt about spreading my virus)
I did manage to have some fun, but agility-wise, it wasn't a good weekend. Even with the inhaler, the asthma was triggered enough that I had trouble thinking on course. Also moving, but mostly thinking, the brain function goes first. The courses were rather challenging (and not necessarily in ways I approved of), and I just wasn't up to the challenge. Pirate was exceptional, and did his job, handling things I wouldn't have thought he knew (I rear crossed an A-frame, with his RC cue that I haven't used in a long time, to call him into the tunnel that was under that A-frame so he wouldn't continue straight over the dummy jump in front of him. We've never done anything like that. He was a little confused, but got it.)
We did get one Q, today's JWW, although I got a little confused in the beginning ("where am I? where am I going?"), but managed to work it out. Then I was very amused by the spectators, not agility people, as they gasped in awe when I did a front cross at the end. I mean, it was a very good front cross, but still, not exactly Sylvia Trkman.
The crowds were actually too much this year, and I think that's because the entry was so small, and just one judge. It meant just one ring to watch, so everybody crowded around that ring and it was hard to get in or out of the area.
Still, Pirate and I love performing for the crowd, we enjoy running on the mats, and having some time together is always good. So, still fun, despite me dying, and the crowd frustration.
Now, the obedience went great! Just Beginners Novice, of course, but he's been unsuccessful at that before, and with the weather I haven't really been able to practice, so I had little hope. Instead, he qualified both days, with a 190 on Saturday and a 193 on Sunday. (BN scores tend to be high) I was just pleased he did everything on Saturday, and on Sunday, I was absolutely thrilled, because it was a clear improvement (despite only getting another 3 points). Saturday, he seemed like he was just blundering along beside me; Sunday we felt connected. Saturday, I wasn't sure he'd hold the stays (3 stays in BN, all with different challenges: the sit for exam, the stay-while-handler-walks-around-the-ring, and of course the recall starts with a stay.) Sunday, I felt pretty confident that he knew that job and intended to perform it. So, I really feel heartened that he's coming together as an obedience dog, though much more work needed! Hopefully finish the BN at our next trial, then on to Novice! (probably preferred)
And since it was a specialty, and he was the only Stafford entered in obedience, he won some prizes.