Agility Papillons

This is the only day of agility I am doing for seven weeks!!  What am I going to do with myself, and my dogs?  Everyone else is just starting back in full swing, but I feel the dogs need a break after doing 5 weekends this summer (not in a row).  I prefer indoor shows in the summer versus outdoor shows in the fall and spring.  So, here's how we ended the summer...

Joule QQ'ed WINNING Std and took a 2nd in JWW.  She would've won jumpers but I took an intentional wide turn that turned into a WIDE turn, so she  lost by about a 0.5 second.

Astro is on anti-anxiety medication, the side effect is drowsiness.  Basically, he was trippin'.  He was slow, I swear he was seeing "colors". He QQ'ed, WINNING Jww, and taking a 2nd in Std.  BUT he was HAPPY!  He didn't scream at the stairwells, doorways, shoes, leashes, shadows or zippers.  He acted like a normal dog.  If he runs slower b/c of the meds but he is happier, so be it. I just want him to be happy, we'll worry about speed later.

 Overall, a great end to the season.  Hopefully, we will pick up where we left off when we start showing again.

DOCK DIVING:

Jen and her BC partner Pre went dock diving.  He dove 17.6'.  Way to go Pre! 

Nancy and Cher had another good showing at All-Star.  She beat her 10th place finish in 2006 and finished 7th this year.

Wendy and her cocker Maggie finished 10th.  This is particularly  impressive because it is her first time at a big competition.  In addition, she did 58 out of 60 weave poles!

Arlene and Blitz had a rocky first round but came back in style to finish top ten. Arlene and her standard poodle, Ticey (pictured above)WON the 24" class, yay!

Andrea and Star (Astro's mom) banged out four picture perfect runs.  I never saw Star run so fast and efficient before.  Pretty great for an eight year old dog that had three litters.  Star placed 3rd.

Astro and myself were not on the same page.  He is very sensitive and once I make a handling glitch he doesn't trust me and runs slowly and listens intently.  So, by round 1 jump 4 I lost his trust and he ran slowly all weekend.  Like Nancy loving told me, "I never saw you handle so crappy in my life".  But being that Astro is such a good boy he still manages to take home 2nd place.

Joule and I (pictured above)have a different relationship because she doesn't really care where I am :)   Needless to say, she forgave my crappy handling.  She ran fast and efficient as long as I cued her correctly.  AND because of these traits she is SOOOO the WOMAN and WON ALLSTAR!!!!  She beat Astro by 0.11 seconds after all rounds.

Joule also ran in the 60 weave pole challenge, she did all 60 poles in 14.35 seconds!!!  She is a wild woman! CHECK OUT THE VIDEO

This is the first time a handler has swept All Star!!!  Astro was the reigning champ and if he had to get knocked off the podium by anyone, I'm glad it was his little sister, Joule.

A Big thank you to the All-Star committee for running such a great competition, I can't wait until 2010. 

New pics on Astro's page and Joule's page.  Just scroll to the end, they are the last ones in each gallery.

Sunday:

Joule QQ'ed, she WON Std and placed 2nd in Jww.

Astro WON Jww but I was a lazy handler in Std and he took the wrong side of a tunnel.

Desi Q'ed in Jww.

Saturday:

Joule took a 2nd in Std, but if you saw me run Jww you would've thought I was drunk.  I really handled this course poorly and I made Joule NQ.

Astro QQ'ed.  I caused a few wide turns in Std b/c my head wasn't really into the game but he still WON the class.  In jumpers Astro had a "crazy" moment, but he still managed to Q.

Desi QQ'ed! 

Friday:

Joule took a 2nd in Std but knocked a bar in Jww.  She was really movin'

Astro WON both classes.  He was really covering ground and earned 92 points.  What a MAN!

Desi QQ'ed!

Dallas took a 2nd in Jww. 

General observations: Except for Saturday Std, it was very hard to rack up points.  The courses were short and low yardage.  So, even though Astro was running over 5yps in Jww and just shy of 4yps in Std he was struggling for the points.  I have been noticing this trend of short courses on the indoor trials.  I wonder if it is b/c the ring is smaller (guessing), or is it just to speed up the show.  But, I would still rather be indoors versus outdoors.  Also, the level of 8" dog here was better than I have seen in a long while.  Ara(cav), Bunny(JRT), Tobi(corgi), and Reese(corgi) are really keeping us on our toes.

Here is a link to watch Ara

Here is a link to watch Bunny. 

I couldn't find Tobi or Reese.  Believe me, all you see of these corgis is their butts as they run :) 

Sunday:

Desi was getting tired and missing his mom, so he ran for me in Std and Nancy in Jww, but no Q's.

Cher was sightseeing in std and took an off-course jump, but she ran nicely in jww and Q'ed.

Joule QQ'ed!  She took a third and a fourth. 

Astro was still running great, he QQ'ed!  I am so happy to be running with my buddy the way I know he can run.  It is so much fun to run Astro when he is running. 

Saturday:

Desi was such a good boy, running as fast as he can, but he missed his dogwalk contact.  Video will be up soon when I get home.

Cher had a good time in std...NQ.  She was a good girl in jumpers...Q!

Joule QQ'ed!  She took a fourth and a fifth, the competition here is tough. 

Astro is running like his old self.  Don't get me wrong, he keeps screaming at his leash.  BUT he managed to earn himself a QQ with both firsts placements and 90pts to boot. 

Friday: 

Astro's reign of terror has ended.  He won jumpers in the AM, but slipped out of the weave poles in Std.  We can't win them all, but this boy sure did try!

 Joule Q'ed in jumpers.  I almost took out the judge at the dogwalk which, unfortunately, put me in a bad spot for the next jump.  So we had an off course. It was still a pretty run.

 CHER was the ONLY QQ, you go bunny.  Nancy really had to work for the Std Q, but she did a great job.

NEWS FLASH: Jill is now sabotaging Desi's runs from 4 states away!!!  Desi and I Q'ed in Std but Jill entered him in Exc A instead of Exc B.  Sorry belly, no points for you!

While having fun with my furry friends we managed to rank in the top 10 for papillons.  Astro "the closer" ranked #3 again and Joule "the obnoxious" ranked #7.  I couldn't be happier with this dynamic duo.  I am especially amazed that Joule made the top ten because she almost always loses to Astro, which kills her multipliers.  In addition, Astro's brother Chase is ranked #4 and his mom, Star is #11.  

Congrats to my friends Karen with Jazz (#2 pap), Penny and Bunny (PRT), Penny and Audrey (Poodle), Sandy and Boomer(chow).  I know there are more, but I haven't heard from them yet.

A HUGE THANK YOU to Richie for all these wonderful pictures!

July 12th Astro was entered in a Disc Dog competition.  I got him disqualified b/c my disc wasn't regulation.  BUT I didn't want to use a hard disc with his loose teeth.  He did great!  He had a nice day with his friends Wizard, Ray and Chase.  He tolerated Pre.  One of my agility students, Rowdy was there and won 1st place!  Way to go Rowdy!  We also met Gracie Lou, she was an awesome aussie.   Here are some pics, thanks to Jen.

I am currently teaching aglity classes in Southhold, Long Island.  When this session ends I will be teaching on Saturdays 10-11, 11-12, 1:30-2:30, and 2:30-3:30.

I just had the best weekend of agility.  Nancy, Jill and I took a road trip and spent a lot of hours in the car.  But with good company, time just seems to fly by.  Last year I discovered the joy of doing summer agility shows thanks to Jill.  They are a little further to drive, but they are indoors and usually air conditioned.  Since I have summers off, this is the perfect time to show.  Now I don't have to be exhausted going to work after a show weekend.  So, here are some of the highlights...

Thursday:

    Jill and Dallas earned a 2nd placement in Jumpers

    Nancy and Cher Q'ed in Jumpers

    Astro QQ'ed with a 1st in Standard and a 2nd in Jumpers(12 QQ's in a row!)

Astro also won the HIGHEST SCORING PAPILLON IN THE TRIAL AWARD!!!!

    Joule QQ'ed with a 2nd in Standard and a 3rd in Jumpers

Friday:

    Jill and Dallas and Jill and desi both Q'ed in Jumpers 

    Dallas also won the HIGHEST SCORING PAPILLON IN THE TRIAL AWARD!!!!

    Nancy and Cher Q'ed in Standard

    Astro QQ'ed with a 1st in Standard and a 2nd in Jumpers (13 QQ's in a row!)

    Joule Q'ed with a 3rd in Standard 

Saturday:

    Jill and Desi Q'ed in Standard with a 4th

    Jill and Dallas Q'ed in Jumpers 

    Nancy and Cher QQ'ed

    Astro QQ'ed with two 2nds (14 QQ's in a row!)

    Joule QQ'ed and WON both classes! 

Sunday:

    Jill and Desi Q'ed in Jumpers with a 4th (go to the funny page to see Desi dressed up like a cracker)

    Nancy and Cher QQ'ed

    Joule Q'ed in Jumpers with a 3rd

    Astro QQ'ed with both 1st, this is now 15 QQ's in a row and MACh6 

    I don't know how Astro does it, he is just the absolute best dog.  I was hoping to earn MACh6 at this trial b/c I have never been here before.  But when I saw that I needed 15 QQ's in a row to accomplish it, I thought it was impossible.  Well, Astro had other plans.  There was only one run in Albany that he even thought about an off course, I swear Astro can read the numbers on course. 

Hot, Humid and Sweaty...enough said...well maybe some agility...

Judy and Jinx earned a Nov A JWW and Nov A Std leg with placements!!!

Joule broke her QQ streak with a knocked bar in JWW, but she Q'ed in STD with a 2nd.  On Sunday she QQ'ed with a 2nd in STD and a 3rd in JWW.  Even with the heat she gave 100%.  She is one special little girl.

Astro is soooo the man!  He QQ'ed both days all 1st placememts, which makes this ELEVEN QQ's in a row!!!  He is on fire!   

Here are some of my favorite 2-legged friends...

I know everyone can recognize Brendan with his "what's going on" thumb in his mouth, but who's that smiling?  Can't be Alyssa, or can it??? 

I went to Staten Island today.  Unfortunately, tomorrow I have to work :(

Astro and Joule made my day picture perfect.  We went 4/4.  Astro took home 2 firsts and Joule took a second and a third. 

Astro and I had a bobble in jumpers, I thought I could make a blind cross, silly me.  I thought that would've cost us a first place but he just made up the time everywhere else.  Ever since I pulled him from all training classes, we have Q'ed every run.  We now have 9 QQ's in a row.  What a man!

Joule is the little miss smarty pants lately too.  She doesn't want her brother to get all the recognition, so she has 4 QQ's in a row.  Even cooler is that she had 4 QQ's in a row, then knocked a triple, now another 4 QQ's in a row.  Otherwise she would be tied at 9 QQ's with Astro. 

NO, he's not a pap...he's a pom, her token pom...get it!

On the 6th and 7th, it was hot, very hot and humid.  Astro doesn't like the heat, Joule will run in anything but it isn't necessarily good for her.  My dogs just absolutely shocked me, especially Astro.  Joule ran fast an clean all 4 runs.  She took 3 seconds and a first.  Astro ran fast and clean the first 3 runs and moderate and clean the fourth.  He took 3 firsts and a second.  I wasn't doing nearly as well as them.  Thanks to Nancy, who let me sit in the car for about 45 mins with the a/c on, I was able to function.  

On the 15th, we didn't show on the 14th, both dogs QQ'ed again.  Astro with 2 first and Joule wih a first and a fifth.  I misread my location with Joule after the weave poles and almost NQ'ed us.  But Joule knew better and saved me in 2 spots.  She is starting to read courses better, obviously better than myself!

Jill couldn't make it to the show on the 15th and she let me run Dallas and Desi.  Dallas had another idea, he spend all 5 obstacles he did looking for Jill.  What can I expect, I've never really run him.  BUT Desi was the MAN!  He ran with me in both courses.  In standard he took me by surprise coming off the line so fast that I got stuck running the outside of a dogwalk!  He was clean in standard, 22 seconds under time and took a third!!!!  In jumpers I thought he understood a lateral leadout, I was wrong and blew the run, but he had fun anyway. 

Thanks to Brendan, I have new games!!!

We had an amazing weekend.  We showed 4 days.  I had off from work this year (first time ever) so I decided to do all the days.  I was worried it would be too much especially if it got hot, but my dogs proved otherwise.  

 Astro, the man, double Q'ed all 4 days with 7 firsts and 1 second.

Joule, the mini-dog wonder, double Q'ed all 4 days with 7 seconds and 1 first.  She also earned her MACH 2.  I couldn't ask for a better little girl.  She loves the sport and gives me 110% all the time. 

A side note:  Astro earned his MACH 1 when he was 3 years 3 months old and I thought that was fast, but now Joule earned MACH 2 at  2 years and 8 months old (7 months faster).  I am so proud of my pack.  They never cease to amaze me.  You can see her MACH run on he video page.

New Papillon Record:  Joule is the youngest MACH 1 and MACH 2 and Astro is the youngest MACH 5.

We tried a new hotel this year, the Roadway Inn in Westminster, MA.  Let's see if I can remember all this...

    No HOT water, went to the desk couldn't understand guy, but I think he understood us...wow LUKE WARM water.

    Key doesn't work, we get new keys.

    TV in our room, only gets even number channels, in Jill's room there is no remote the replacement is more scotch tape than plastic. 

    Cool we have a refrigerator...it only has one setting  iceburg.

    Phone, can't dial out. 

    Jill's door latch is broken, we don't have a latch, but we have a thermostat and Jill has a spackle mark where the thermostat once was.

    None of the facets match and they turn in the wrong direction, BUT the toilet is a full-flow!

    Yeah a microwave...Alittle afraid to use it.

    Only one outside garbage can and at least 19 dogs staying at the hotel.

    Thin walls and Jill's neighbors having wild sex.

    Jill's room was on a slant, but she couldn't see it b//c her lhalf ight bulbs were burnt out. 

    Ants, gnats, mosquitoes, spiders...inside.  BUT the best was the hornet I discovered while naked in the bathroom, I call out to my trusty friend to  give me a shoe and she says "I'm on the phone with Richie, I'll just turn around".  She finally got me a shoe when I said "I need it now to kill a hornet!"  

    Linda was the only one without a problem until 4am Sunday morning when her dog needed to go poop and she can't get back into the room.  The key wouldn't work.  She had to wake up the manager and they couldn't get any key to work, so they broke in the window and let her in.  Tonight they still couldn't get her in her room so they had to remove the swipe card reader and replace the door with a real old fashioned key...that works!

    We will go somewhere else next year, if we live through tonight. 

    only PLUSes: no hookers, drug addicts or drunks like the motel6. 

MACH KEEPER and Terry Nolan!  Neither rain, nor sleet, nor muddy mess would keep this team from QQ'ing today.  Two 2nd placements to boot!  Congrats to our buddies!

 GIN MX and Stefanie! Another amazing muddy Q.  Now on to the AXJ

News Flash: Cher and Nancy are the only team to Q today in EXC B STD 8", what a great run.

News Flash take two: Desi and Jill are the only team to Q today in EXC A STD 8", another great run.

Tag and Jeri ripped up both courses today...literally mud, grass and peat moss were flying as Tag broke land speed records! I never saw a dog run so fast through mud, he's nuts. 

The weather started out iffy, but ended up being a nice day.  Both courses were really nice today, they had their challenges but the dogs were able to keep their forward motion.

Stefanie and Storm had a beautiful standard run and came in fourth.  She also ran her friends BC, Jaq, and won the 20" JWW class.  What a flawless run!

Jeri and her superfast sheltie, Tag, were on fire today. They QQ'ed, their last one to qualify for nationals and they won both classes.  Way to go Jeri.  This will be a team to beat!

Nancy and Cher didn't Q today but Cher's standard run was soooo pretty.  It was a shame she missed the weaves.

Joule kicked some ass today.  Her feet hit the ground running and she was just kept going.  She QQ'ed with both second places and took home 52 points.

Astro was like his old self today, running fast and happy.  I put him on bed rest after last weekend, just in case his neck was bothering him again.  That seemed to work, he won both STD and JWW!  I am on cloud nine right now, I hope Astro keeps feeling well. 

Astro was a complete airhead today.  People make fun of blonds, but these people never met my redhead

Joule was brilliant, she QQ'ed with a first and a second place, not to shabby baby.

Cher was perfect today too,  her standard run was gorgeous.

Gin earned her 8th and 9th MX leg and her 2nd AXJ leg this weekend, nice job.

Storm won jumpers on Saturday (4/26).

Dallas and Desi were doing cpe this weekend.  When Jill reported her wins she couldn't remember who got what.  But she knew Desi and Dallas both earned standard, jumpers, fullhouse and colors legs. 

Sunday:

Astro QQ'ed and he looked better but still not himself.  Thank goodness Astro is such a good boy in STD...I somehow ended up layering the weaves and the judge while Astro was on the dogwalk.  To make it worse, I needed to push-out to the far end of the tunnel.  I told Astro to wait and he stopped after the dogwalk waited for me to get into position and we continued on.  He is awesome.  Just so you know, he has a running contact, I can't believe he just stood there on the grass waiting.

Joule Qed in STD, she was gorgeous and I managed to handle her properly.  In JWW she ran around a jump and almost took me out.  She was going straight for the jump and at he last second bailed.  She is really small and sometimes I think she just feels she can't clear a jump.  It must really hurt when she knocks a bar since she is only 3.8 lbs. 

Saturday:

Astro QQ'ed, I wasn't happy about how he was running.  He was so slow in STD and even slower in JWW.  So slow in JWW I ran the outside of the obstacles.  I think he aggravated his neck again.  He ran so fast last weekend then he was adjusted and he started screaming again.   

Joule decided to go deaf and run 20 feet out of her way to go up a dog walk with me calling her at the top of my lungs.  Funny puppy...and in jumpers she knocked a bar.

No AKC this weekend, we decided to have some fun in CPE...

Astro, Joule and Cher Q'ed 10 for 10

Astro ran jumpers in 6.46 yps, he was on fire!

Joule is a true 4" jumping dog, she really loves 4" jumps! 

Desi and Dallas Q'ed a lot but I just couldn't keep track 

Sunday:

Astro and Cher QQ'ed

Joule Q'ed in Std and in Jww I was a bad handler and didn't support a jump b/c I was laughing at Joule exiting the preceding tunnel sideways. 

Saturday: 

Joule and Astro QQ'ed

Storm was the big news of the weekend, he earned MACH2 with junior handler Stefanie Rainer.  BIG CONGRATS to my buddies.  I have been waiting to update this page until after I made a MACH video for Stef, but Renee (Stef's mom) can't find the cable for their camera that downloads the videos to the computer. 

Friday:

Rain (on and off), Mud and Wind!

Joule QQ'ed, she's the best!

Astro won jumpers, in STD but he refused the muddy wet chute

Cher Q'ed in JWW

Sunday in NJ 

Ugly again, only 36 EXC B Standard Q's!   

Joule and I get through the Standard course and take a 3rd, then she was sooo funny in Jumpers running along side the tunnel instead of in it...sigh.

Stef and Storm had a great Standard run, Storm got sucked over an off-course like so many before him.  Their Jumpers run was beautiful and a FIRST place!

Nancy and Cher are on a roll again...another double Q both 5th place.

Astro, after giving me a heart attack in Standard with almost taking the same off-course as Storm, he WON the class!  We managed to hold it together for our jumpers run and earn our 100th QQ!!!!   Astro is now...

March is our lucky month...probably because my birthday is March 27th...

March 2004: NA, NAJ

March 2005: MX

Feb 2006 (almost March): MACH

March 2007: MACH 2

March 2008: MACH 5 

BTW all of Astro's brothers and sisters in NY MACH'ed this March too, cool! 

Saturday in NJ

Courses were ugly only 29 Standard EXC B Q's!

Joule Double Q'ed and WON Standard and a 4th in Jumpers...she is such a good girl!

Astro WON Jumpers, but was moving so fast in Standard that he couldn't make the 2nd pole. Oh, well. 

Stef and Gin WON 20" Standard, what a gorgeous run! 

Friday in Syracuse:

Desi earned his  OAJ!!!  Wow, Desi-omatic is the man!

Thursday in Syracuse:

Jill competed with Desi and Dallas.  The rest of us were at work

Dallas earned QQ #3, way to go Jill!

Desi won both Novice Std and JWW (move-up confusion). Cool... 

Sunday:

Astro, Cher and Storm all qualified in Standard.

Joule, Cher, Storm and Dallas all qualified in Jumpers

This is STORM's QQ #19...one more buddy! 

Saturday:

Friday: 

Nancy ran Cher with Asthmatic Bronchitis...needless to say she couldn't keep up with Cher on the final line of jumps in Standard and Cher knocked a bar.  Very Un-Cher-like but I guess it is tough to lift her robust butt over the jumps.

Desi was the perfect son again, Q'ing in his first Open Std and Open JWW runs.  He even took a first in jumpers.  Jill was thrilled.

 Judy and her Parson Russell Jinx took a first in Novice A JWW.  I didn't know there were any Novice "A" people left.

Storm didn't Q in Jumpers, but gosh was it pretty!

 Astro had a good day, no screaming, and he ran well.  He double Q'ed and took a third in standard and a second in jumpers losing both by less than 0.5 seconds each.  I received amazing news yesterday, Astro was in the Gazette.  He finished as the #2 Papillon and the #10 All Breed Agility dog for 2007!!!  That's my boy

Joule was the woman of the hour.  She double Q'ed and took a fourth in standard and a third in jumpers.  There was a tie in jumpers and we ran a runoff.  She was awesome!  She got faster the second time!  She is such a special little girl.

Fran with her cool little sheltie Beanie, earned their MXJ today.  Way to go Fran! 

For those of you that know the judge Jackie O'neill, she earned her MACH today on Gy, her PBGV.  It was a nail-biter and I was so glad I saw it.  She did a great job and Gy was a good listener.   

I just heard that Astro's brother Chase earned his MACH4 in PA.  Congratulations I'm sure it was pretty!!! 

One day we will see Chase MACH.  He has always MACH'ed when we aren't entered in that day (MACH 1) or that show at all (MACHs 2-4)

Well back to sleep for me... 

Saturday:

Cher ran a really nice standard run and ranked top ten out of about 50 dogs.  Unfortunately, the GPS guiding system in her handler malfunctioned in Jumpers and although Cher was perfect the scribe sheet had W F on it.  Cher went to the chiropractor for the first time, she gave Nancy some upsetting news...Cher is...FAT!

Joule came in 2nd in standard out of about 50 dogs, pretty amazing for being the smallest dog in the class.  She would've Q'ed in jumpers but when I sent her out to a jump and she kept going and going and I wasn't fast enough to stop her.

Astro WON standard out of about 50 dogs and came in fourth in jumpers.  I was a bad handler today, I kept cutting him off in the front crosses.  Today was his SPA day, he had a massage, a LASER treatment, a chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture.  He looked like an alien with needles sticking out of his head.  My vet put him back on an anti-inflammatory and on an anti-stress medicine.  We think he has a pinched nerve in his neck and b/c he is afraid of it hurting he is stressed/tense.  He is still running agility as per my vet b/c that is where he is the happiest.

A fellow 8-inch team  Marissa and her Japanese Chin Kamikaze earned their MACH today.   Kazi is the first MACH Japanese Chin.  Way to go!

Today I was honored when Beth asked me to run her drivey Corgi Steel.  It was a pleasure to help her out, but I have to admit it was so much fun!  I have been a fan of Steel for awhile now, so it was really a thrill to run him.  You can tell how well trained he is, being able to run with someone who he barely knows.  Steel made the jumpers Q look easy doing it in only 30 seconds.  If you go to the videos page you can see us running together.

 Sunday:

 Joule Q'ed in Jumpers but not in standard, she went to an off course aframe.  I did a nice RFP but didn't realize that she couldn't see me from behind the wing of the jump...bad handler!

Astro Q'ed in Jumpers but was slow (supposedly a side effect of the meds he is on), but NQ'ed in Standard.  I was pulling him really hard, but he locked in on a jump and just really thought he was right, which he usually is.

Stefanie and her super-fast papillon Storm took a 5th in Jumpers today out of 60+ dogs.  Stef is one of the best junior handlers out there.  Way to go Stef and Storm!

Sandy and her chow Boomer earned their 7th MX leg.  Boomer can be fast but he prefers not to exert himself, so Sandy has a hard time making time with him.  BUT today was a  good day.  3 more to go! 

Finally doing agility again...

Friday:

Desi's first day of AKC agility and he hits the ground running...2 Q's and 2 first places!  Way to go Desi and Jill!

Cher ran beautifully but no Q's, You'll do it tomorrow Nancy.

Joule earned double Q #9 towards MACH2

Astro, "The MAN", earned a double Q, this is his 9th in a row a new record for us.  He is having a bit of a mental breakdown.  He is afraid of hands and feet, and is screaming at nothing.  Nobody can find anything wrong with him.  He took a third in STD (lost by only 1 second), but jumped the last 2 jumps with his eyes closed b/c he is afraid of my feet.  I am running him to see if we can find a trigger, hope to find it soon! 

Saturday:

Desi is perfect again, 2 Q's and 2 first places!  Can anyone stop the belly?

Dallas  Q'ed in jumpers, the course was really hard for him, with lots of call offs, but Jill kept him running smoothly.

CHER EARNED DOUBLE Q #18...2 MORE TO GO...WE ALL CAN'T WAIT!

Joule Double Q'ed again, she is such a good girl, I am so glad I followed Nancy's and my vet's instincts and kept her, even though she was tiny.

Astro is still a mental case, but he was running very happy, and fast but he is doing everything to avoid my feet.  I need to adjust until we can find out what is going on.  I know you won't believe this...he double Nq'ed!!! He had great runs and was sooooo proud of himself.  I guess we will have to start a new double Q count.

Congratulations to Astro's and Cher's half-sister Sparkle on her MACH!  Andrea really had to work for that STD Q! 

Sunday:

Desi-o-matic won standard and jumpers and earned his NA and NAJ (6/6- all Firsts).

Dallas Q'ed in jumpers and was excellent coming in 8th out of 74 dogs!

Cher had a gorgeous standard run, but missed the dogwalk contact.  She was perfect in jmpers.

Joule NQ'ed for the first time all weekend, and when she goes bad, she goes really bad...a few R's W's and F and a T.  She recomposed herself and Q'ed in jumpers...5 for 6 this weekend, not too shabby baby girl.

Astro is still mentally off, now he is screaming at his leash.  I managed to work around everything except the feet this morning-he kept pushing out.  He almost went into the wrong end of a tunnel, I was able to pull him to me (he's such a good boy), but when I switched him to the correct side, he ran around the back...funny Astro!  He Q'ed in jumpers, he wasn't fast but he was happy.  I guess he is allowed a 3 NQ's after going 32 Q's (across 2 venues) in a row.  He's still the best!  

Kai, a GSD my friend Sandy runs, earned his NAJ this weekend with a 1st place.  Good job keeping those bars up! 

Since I am still on an agility sabbatical, I will have to live vicariously through Jill.  Jill went to a CPE trial this weekend and she ran her baby-dog Desi for the first time and her more experience dog, Dallas.  Desi and Dallas were both entered in the same height class and level so she was competing against herself (I know how that is). 

Desi, the belly-boy, ran and Q'ed in 9/9 classes; eight 2nd places and one 1st...GREAT JOB Belly!

Dallas, the pretty-boy, Q'ed in 7/9 classes with six 1st places and a 3rd, way to go Dally! 

I can't wait to see what Desi does in AKC.  Congrats Jill.

Cher was brilliant on Saturday with her 17th double Q.  You can go see her Standard run on the videos page.  She also picked up a JWW run on Sunday.

Joule doubled on Saturday and took flight on Sunday when she missed her dogwalk contact. 

Astro doubled both days, all firsts and he broke his personal best of 7 QQ's in a row with #8 today.  We don't have another show until March so maybe he can get #9 then. 

A big thank you to Joule's breeders, Danny and Ruth Ann Ford of Forevr Papillons, for writing a wonderful ad of Joule in Pap Talk.  What an unexpected surprise when you asked me for pictures of my puppy.  Thank you for allowing me to care for one of your precious babies.   

We went to a CPE trial.  It was so much fun!  I haven't been to agility class since mid-November, so it was nice to practice with my guys. 

My friend Jill has been raving about the Florida trial she went to a few years ago.  So, we decided since I had off from work we would fly to Florida as a vacation/trial. Astro, Dallas and Joule were amazing on the plane, not a peep out of them.  They slept the whole flight.  We went to St. Armands Circle and dined with the dogs out on the patio.  The waitress even brought the dogs a water bowl!   We met up with some new, and some old friends at the trial.  We went out to dinner and hung out at the pool in between the trial.   Astro double Q'ed every day.  We won some, we lost some, but we had a good time.  Joule double Q'ed 3 out of 5.  One day my front cross was too late and one day my cross was too early.  I always make the mistakes.  Joule is surprisingly accurate for a puppy dog.  I have never done a 5 day show before.  I don't think I will ever do more than one a year.  It is a lot on the dogs and on me.  I prefer 2 day shows, even 3 is a lot.  I have to work a full-time job, and pay a mortgage.  Dog shows can be expensive.

Astro and I flew to California for the AKC Invitationals.  It was a thrill to be there with all those top ranked dogs.  I had a lot of fun meeting new people and catching up with friends.  Astro was excellent.  He was clean ALL FOUR rounds.  When the cumulative results were listed he was #2 out of 98 dogs.  I was ecstatic!  There's my little boy on top of the list.  Because of how Invitationals is run, even though he was #2 we couldn't go to the finals because only one dog from each breed makes it and the #1 dog was the papillon Tigger.  Tigger did a great job and went on to win the 8" division.  We came home $150 dollars richer and knowing that we can compete with the best of them!